Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Snow Envy

A-Basin Opening Day Banner - photo by Jack Dempsey
It's official, the season is off to a great early start and it is time to make your ski/snowboard vacation plans!  

A-Basin Opening Day action by Jack Dempsey
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area won the Colorado resort race, opening at 9 a.m. on Oct 13 with an 18-inch base of packed powder. Across the state resorts received double digit snow totals during the first week of October with many taking advantage of the cold nighttime temperatures to make snow. Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Ski Area started snowmaking operations back in Sept. Both resorts are perched atop the Continental Divide, which provides higher elevations, earlier frosts, and colder temperatures, allowing them to stay open
A-Basin Opening Day by Jack Dempsey
long into the spring, giving Colorado one of the longest ski seasons in the country.“Skiers and snowboarders everywhere look forward to the ski season kicking off in Colorado,” said Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) President and CEO Melanie Mills. “Our snowmakers, groomers and operations crews work tirelessly to make this day a success, and it’s great to see the skiing community come together to celebrate the start of another season. Our resorts have spent the summer and fall preparing for this season’s guests by upgrading equipment, installing new lifts, opening new restaurants and preparing on and off mountain attractions.”
Loveland Ski Area opened Oct 20
Loveland Opening Day grooming
Loveland Ski Area followed on Oct 20 after its team of local and New Zealand professional snowmakers reached the 18 inch base goal. First day downhillers got their jollies on a mile long run with nearly 1000 ft vertical descent. Loveland Ski Area will open for the 2017/18 season on Friday, October 20. “We have been waiting all summer for this and are excited to announce that Opening Day is finally here,” said COO Rob Goodell. 
Opening Day at Loveland, Colorado
Sunny Tuesday (today!) at Loveland by Dustin Schaefer 
“The snow we received in early October has been a tremendous help and our snowmakers have put in a lot of hard work to ensure the first turns of the season are good ones." With great coverage up top, plans were to make snow on the Home Run and lift base first and then extend operations to additional runs. Covering 240 acres of its terrain, snowmaking will continue into early December and the season continues through early May.
Sunshine Village conditions on Oct 20 - tentative launch scheduled for Nov 10
Lake Louise in October - hopefully opening Nov 10
By the way, I'm writing this from beautiful Banff where there is delightful dusting around town and significant snowfall on the circle of mountain tops. I'm at the fabulous Fairmont Banff Springs for a Travel Alberta Industry Conference where hubby Dr Simon Hudson has been making presentations on travel industry trends and tourism business ethics. I've been getting some great ideas, too, which I will sprinkle into blogs throughout the winter.
View from the Cascade Chair at Mt Norquay scheduled for Nov 4 launch
A great feeling of ski season anticipation in the air here, with nearby Mt Norquay due to open Nov 4 (tentative date) and Sunshine Village Banff and Lake Louise hopefully following Nov 10. 

 Elsewhere snowmaking is underway to ensure timely openings. Next on the early season ski schedule should be Mt Rose Ski Tahoe. "Snowmaking has started, and we are targeting October 27 for our opening day, weather and conditions permitting," says Mike Pierce, marketing director at Mt Rose. 
Snowmaking on Oct 20 at Mt Rose Tahoe
Over the past few years, Mt Rose has made significant investments in its snowmaking capabilities. This year, the resort added snowmaking at the top of the Blazing Zephyr 6 lift, making it possible to make snow on the “Return to Rose” trail. The increased snowmaking ability will allow skiers to access more of the mountain on the Slide Bowl side much earlier in the season. In addition, fixed Pole Cat snow machines were installed in the Enchanted Forest Area just above the Wizard loading station, and on the Lower Lakeview trail, to enhance early season snow coverage and terrain access.

Envy Snow Sports Snowboard Boot-to-Ski Conversion Frame
Season's Sensation?
Ever had snowboard boot envy? Wish you could have more comfort while on skis as well as walking around town to the apres  action afterwards? Well Envy Snow Sports has come up with a revolutionary boot frame which converts snowboard boots to skis! The lightweight frame is compatible with standard alpine ski bindings and its inventors say it provides both support and performance necessary for ski control. Let me know if you are going to try it out this season!

 Heads Up:
Find out the modern meaning of W.O.L.V.E.S. in a new article on Encore Careers at Ski Resorts in Style Altitude magazine: http://www.stylealtitude.com/wolves-in-ski-resorts.html

Seeking Skiing Enlightenment:
I've got an assignment with Canada's Globe And Mail to write about Mountain Mindfulness - focusing on ski instruction/guiding with a mindfulness and meditation component. Know anyone doing this? If so, send me an email at: louise.hudson2011@gmail.com. Thanks!

 Scheduled Resort Openings (weather permitting):

Oct 27 - Mt Rose Tahoe
Oct 28 - Killington
Nov 3 -  Wolf Creek
Nov 4 - Banff Mt Norquay
Nov 8 - Mammoth
Nov 10 – Lake Louise, Sunshine Village Banff, Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, Arizona Snowbowl 
Nov 11 - Sipapu
Nov 15 - Winter Park
Nov 17 - Vail, Park City, Northstar, Eldora, Heavenly
Nov 18 - Sun Peaks, Purgatory Resort 
Nov 20 - Sugar Mountain
Nov 21 -  Echo Mountain
Nov 22 - Whistler, Marmot Basin, Beaver Creek, Steamboat, Monarch, Sunday River, Sugarbush, Stowe, Squaw Valley, Okemo, Mt Snow
Nov 23 - Nakiska, Big White, Telluride, Crested Butte, Aspen, Snowmass, Taos, Sun Valley, Sugarloaf, Big Sky
Nov 24 - Pajarito Mountain, Stratton, Smugglers' Notch, Mt Bachelor, Jay Peak
Nov 25 - Snowbird, Jackson Hole, Brighton, Brian Head, Howelsen Hill
Nov 29 - Silver Star
Dec 1 - Fernie, Alta, Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, Mt Abram, Grand Targhee
Dec 2 - Revelstoke, Powderhorn, Solitude, Deer Valley
Dec 6 - Sundance
Dec 8 - Kicking Horse, Panorama, Whitewater, Sunlight, Whitefish
Dec 9 - Castle Mountain, Red Resort, Kimberley, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, Cooper
Dec 10 - Red Mountain
Dec 14 - Diamond Peak Tahoe
Dec 15 - Hesperus, Granby Ranch, Powderhorn
Dec 28 - Silverton

If you don't see your fave ski hill here, please let me know the opening date for inclusion next time - thanks!
Loveland today (Oct 24) by Dustin Schaefer
Louise Hudson
Klout Rating: 62
Blog: http://www.onetwoski.blogspot.com
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Thursday, October 12, 2017

Winter Welcome


Mt Bachelor, Oregon Sept 23
Temporary Terrain Park at Mt Bachelor
There's no better news in the Fall than ski resort openings! 

 First teaser in North America this year was Mt Bachelor, Oregon which launched temporarily on September 23, following a 12-inch snowfall.  

 A walk-up terrain park was set up in the base area as well as scenic snow-viewing chairlift rides.


Getting Palmer Express ready for opening on Oct 8 at Timberline Ski Area
First to open for early season weekend skiing was Timberline Lodge & Ski Area, Mt Hood, Oregon on Oct 8. The Palmer Express was their first lift to open, providing terrain for advanced skiing/riding only. Typically Timberline, near the top of the Mt Hood volcano, opens in early November until Labor Day. 

 With 1425 acres, 41 trails and nine lifts, the resort boasts the longest vertical in the Pacific Northwest - 3,690 ft down to base from the top of the Palmer chair. A passenger snowcat expands the resort further for advanced and expert skiers. Marketing manager, Emily Stoller-Smith is anticipating great skiing this weekend: "On the heels of two feet of snowfall, it's going to be a bluebird weekend!"

October Snowmaking at A-Basin
Next in line is Arapahoe Basin, Colorado which opens tomorrow (Oct 13) with the Black Mountain Express lift accessing the intermediate terrain on High Noon Trail. Only one run, maybe, but the beginning of a six-month season of downhill delights. A-Basin is often among the first ski areas to open in North America and also keeps open longer than most. As weather permits, mountain operations will continue to make snow with the goal of opening additional terrain. “Mother Nature has been kind to the Basin,” said Alan Henceroth, Arapahoe Basin Chief Operating Officer. “It’s exciting to kick off the ski season earlier than usual, and welcome winter back to Colorado.” 
A-Basin Oct 4 2017
Looking for Linda:
Anyone called Linda reading this? Leading British ski tour operator Inghams is looking for guests called Linda to fill their new winter chalet - called Chalet Linda - in the Austrian resort of Kitzbühel. A special discount of £125 per person is on offer if Lindas book their ski holiday before Thursday 30 Nov. For more info, visit www.inghams.co.uk/ski-holidays/ski-resorts/austria/kitzbuehel-alps/kitzbuhel/chalet-linda or follow @InghamsSki. It'll be amusing to find out how many Lindas actually take up this offer and how much confusion it causes in the chalet when everyone answers to the same name!
Marketing for Tourism, Hospitality and Events
Framed within basic marketing principles, Marketing for Tourism, Hospitality & Events, by Louise and Simon Hudson, highlights the global shift in tourism demographics today, placing a particular emphasis on the role of digital technology and its impact on travel products and services.
Covering developments across a broad range of topics such as contemporary tourism marketing, understanding today's consumer, and the importance of public relations and personal selling, key industry changes are captured throughout the text. 'Lessons from a Marketing Guru' feature personal insights from real world practitioners, and 'Digital Spotlights' highlight the ways in which social media and the Internet have transformed tourism, hospitality and events the world over.
These features are further enhanced by 'Marketing in Action' case-studies in each chapter that highlight the international realities of tourism, hospitality and events marketing in practice. These include:
  • Spiritual Tourism in Tamil Nadu, India
  • Social media listening at Marriott’s headquarters in Hong Kong
  • The Deer Hunt Festival in Winneba, Ghana
  • Music-themed hotels in Prague, Amsterdam, Berlin and Mexico
  • The promotion of Hawaii through film and television
  • Dark Tourism in Vietnam
The book is complemented by a companion website featuring a range of tools and resources for lecturers and students, including PowerPoint slides, an instructor manual, a test bank of multiple choice questions and author-curated video links to make the examples in each chapter come vividly to life.
Tourism Industry Excellence:
Customer Service for Hospitality and Tourism 2nd edition 
By Simon Hudson and Louise Hudson

Discount of 15% for direct orders via www.goodfellowpublishers.com - simply enter the code CUSTSERV17 at checkout (valid until 12 Nov 2017).

October 2017; ISBN: 9781911396468 Paperback; 304 pgs; Price: £34.99 €45.00 USD$55.00
A fully revised and updated new edition of this bestselling, unique text that explains not only the theory behind the importance of customer service, but also acts as a guidebook for industry practitioners. New material covers issues such as:
·  The impact of the sharing economy and how hotels can compete;
·  Virtual Reality and use of robots;
·  New demographic and cultural shifts;
·  New market trends - including emerging markets and the luxury family market.
Sample files of all chapters are available. See sample pages here.

Also available as an e book or as downloadable chapters priced at GBP4.99/€5.99/$7.99


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