One Two Ski: 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