Eighty degrees north, not 80 degrees in steepness, although you never know… One of the most influential things I’ve ever read was a fortune cookie which said “Practice Saying Yes.”  It wasn’t even my fortune, but I adopted the philosophy and it has served as a starting point for many, many expeditions.  Trips take on [...]

Winter has wound down except for those lucky enough to still be going to Tucks. I discovered a free iPhone app called photosynth and experimented with it shooting the inside of the shop. Obviously ski season is over because most of what you see is limted to bikes but you get the idea. I couldn't embed the tour directly but you can get to it from here. It's a massive file. Once it's loaded, click and...

This just up on sugarloaf.com and FB: "Well friends, it's official. This will be our last weekend of the 2010-11 season. But since the forecast isn't looking too hot for Saturday and Sunday, we'll stay open on Monday, May 9 to finish off the season in the sunshine (fingers crossed). Check out the Daily Report for details." Darn! Looks like it's the end of the lift-served season!

so psyched!!!! http://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/old-school-percy-hill-show-june-17/

All good things don't necessarily need to come to an end. After breaking a 40-year record and setting a mark for most snow received in a single season, Snowbird offers up tons more turns.

From Boston what is the best Rte. to Sugarloaf? Anything to watch out for? Any one know any good deals? Tickets? Lodging/ticket packages? (No I am not on facebook.)

Pretty cool. First time it's been done and by a 17 year old kid no less. Keepin' it real! I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this kid in the coming years. http://14erskiers.com/franksblog/2011/05/ben-white-skis-new-hampshires-4kers/

Yup, its going to happen! It's just that it will be used to spray water over competitors (like myself) in the Tough Mudder event at Mount Snow, but they'll be having atleast 2 fan guns running in the 1/2 pipe area and atleast 1 modified air/water gun running in the area of the mid mountain snowmaking pond/pump house near the loading area of the Sundance Triple. And my hunch is that if Mountsnowfish (and a few other Mount Snow employees who i'm really starting to think need some SERIOUS...

Looking to get out for a ride, open for suggestions on place and time.

Thanks to above average snowfall this spring Snowbird, Utah  is offering special stay and ski packages through the end of May.

To date, Snowbird has received 711" of snow breaking the previous snowfall record set in the 1983-84 season.

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FasterSkier Biathlete of the Year Biathlete of the Year (men): Lowell Bailey (USA/USBA) Bailey was one of several bright spots in a somewhat rocky year for the US men’s biathlon team. Coming off a run of several seasons where expectations continued to rise for the program, what with Tim Burke leading the overall World Cup [...]

Ski fans who get nostalgic thinking back to the days of the two-day pursuit can take heart—you’re not the only ones. When cross-country skiers Kikkan Randall and Sami Jauhojaervi travel to the International Ski Federation’s (FIS’s) spring meetings, they could be advocating a revival of the format, based on feedback from their colleagues on the [...]

As the ski season draws to a close for another year there is one weekend left in the Alps for skiers to get their fix. White Blancmange gives their last minute recommendations for a final foray on the slopes. As the end of the 2010/2011 season approaches, people looking to take a last minute VIP ski holidays in the Alps are advised to go higher if they wish to find skiable snow. As reports of record breaking temperatures come in from across the Alps, many resorts at lower altitude are being forced to close early, but there are still some that remain open for business. With most resorts set to end the season on the 1st of May, the window for skiers is closing rapidly, but many of the luxury ski chalets offer accommodation all year round for the benefit of other mountain users.

In Switzerland, Zermatt is currently reporting 40 runs open across the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, Schwarzsee, Gornergrat, Sunnegga and Rothorn areas, as well as 29 operational lifts. The runs that are currently open offer a range of difficulty levels; for black runs skiers should look to the Sunnegga – Rothorn areas, reds and blues are spread evenly across the board, and yellow down-hill runs can be found at Gornergrat and Shwarzsee. Weather predictions for the next few days show that snow showers are expected on the run up to the weekend, with up to 12cm on Wednesday 27th and 4cm more on Thursday 28th of April. Piste quality is good, though resort runs may be a little slushy and off piste snow is varied in quality.

At Val d'Isere good conditions can still be found on piste; with 51 runs open today between the Solaise, Bellevarde and Fornet/Iseran/Pissaillas areas and only 9 reported lift closures. As it stands, all of the black runs are currently closed in the Val d'Isere area, though 12 reds remain open as well as a number of greens and blues. Snow coverage at 2500 metres is 90cm, but at lower slopes the coverage is 0cm. Up to 4cm of snow is expected to fall on Wednesday the 27th, with a further 7cm on Thursday the 28th of April, accompanied by a temperature drop from the current 3º to -2º by Thursday. The piste quality is generally spring snow (on and off piste), with slushy resort runs.

If you're unable to make it to one of these resorts in the next couple of days, then now is the time to begin thinking about planning a 2011/2012 ski break. Booking early will help avoid disappointment and ensure getting the most desirable VIP chalet. The combination of a late Easter and unseasonal warmth may have meant that many missed their chance to ski this year, so next year is set to be exceptionally busy.

The high level of service in some of the most sought after accommodation the Alps has to offer contributes to making the VIP ski chalets ideal for your corporate hospitality needs. White Blancmange has a varied portfolio of mountain accommodation, suitable for groups of any size, spread across a number of idillic Alpine locations. All chalets are luxuriously furnished to an extremely high standard, with many served by teams of highly trained staff providing a comprehensive hospitality service tailored to suit your needs. Based at Chatel Portes Du Soliel in the Alps, White Blancmange is proud to offer the ultimate experience for those seeking a truly sumptuous ski excursion. With high-end luxury ski chalets and top quality ski instruction, White Blancmange delivers VIP treatment across the board, extending as far as bespoke personal security solutions for clients who value their privacy.

Whether for corporate hospitality or for private ski breaks, White Blancmange is able to provide a package to suit your needs. Not only is White Blancmange renowned for the lavish ski accommodation in their portfolio, distributed across 18 of the finest ski resorts in the world, but the ski development opportunities they offer come highly recommended. With top quality VIP ski lessons, available for groups or individuals and serving beginners through to seasoned pros, skiing abilities are honed swiftly and safely under expert tuition.

Visit http://www.whiteblancmange.com/ for more information.

Source: www.prweb.com

Took my wife's Outback to the shop and we need new tires. Some suggestions have included: * BF Goodrich Advantage TA * Michelin Primacy * Goodyear Assurance ComforTread Touring (80k tire) Anyone have any suggestions or experiences with these tires?

Just moved back to NH and I'm trying to decide which pass I should get for next season. I remember Cannon being great, and now with the Mittersil lift open, should be even better, right? My only issue is that for $499 plus some blackout dates, Wildcat and Attitash are also an option, giving me a little more variety. So, need some opinions on which to go with!

Anyone planning on hitting Sugarloaf when they reopen this Saturday?

Some states are looking at this and now the feds. This would hurt local tourism. http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/159397-obama-floats-plan-to-tax-cars-by-the-mile

Who's getting their turns on this weekend? :daffy:

You know the type. The ones who always seem to have ‘bad’ stuff happening to them. Everyone knows someone who fits the mould. A conversation with them will reveal that they are currently recovering from their 3rd bout of flu this week, undergoing their 4th ligament replacement in as many years and dealing with the [...]

I’m not totally sure what to make of the snowpack after a few days of warm weather followed by colder temps, but it sounds like a good combination to start to set things up a bit more. I think the higher elevations are probably still a bit touchy, but the lower elevation lines seem to [...]

Lakewood, CO - The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has named six member ski areas as the recipients of its annual Sustainable Slopes Grant program. Grant recipients include: Arapahoe Basin, Colo.; Beaver Valley Ski Club in Ontario, Canada; Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore.; Oak Mountain, N.Y.; Stevens Pass Resort, Wash.; and Stratton Mountain Resort, Vt.

FasterSkier Continental Skier of the Year With two different continental cup series and two sets of national championships, determining the top domestic racers can be challenging. Head-to-head match ups are usually limited, and it can be difficult to compare field strength. Such was the case this year. A strong argument can be made for both [...]

For me, it's not over until it's over and I can't find a mountain with snow.

However, even though there is some spring skiing left to enjoy, I'm getting inquiries from skiers who are done for the season wanting to know how to store their skis so they will be in the same top shape six or seven months from now.

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The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) announced that Dick Kun, CEO of Snow Summit Ski Corporation, has been selected as the recipient of the 2011 NSAA Lifetime Achievement Award. Snow Summit Ski Corp. owns and operates Snow Summit and Bear Mountain ski areas in Big Bear Lake, Calif.

Snow Summit was started in 1952 by Kun's step-father, Tommi Tyndall, but without snowmaking in sunny, semi-arid Southern California, the ski area struggled to stay afloat in the early days. With a large snowmaking system installed in 1964, Snow Summit was generating about 500,000 skier and snowboarder visits annually by the end of the 1970s. The company purchased and made improvements to Sierra Summit in the western Sierra Mountains in 1982, and operated the area until 2010 when it was sold. With the advent of snowboarding in the late 1980s, Snow Summit led the U.S. in developing terrain parks. Perhaps Kun's largest industry contribution was developing the first terrain park manual for CSIA in 1998, which led, with his input, to the first NSAA Terrain Park Resource Guide and subsequent efforts. By 2002, the company bought its next door neighbor, Bear Mountain, a ski resort of similar size. Both areas are now marketed together as "Big Bear Mountain Resorts”, which boasts 20 chairlifts, 100 percent snowmaking and generate about 750,000 to 800,000 visits annually.

Kun has served on the California Ski Industries Association Board (CSIA) since the late 1970s and also served on the NSAA Board from 1985 to 1989. The 2011 NSAA Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented May 6 at NSAA's National Convention & Tradeshow in Carlsbad, Calif. Find more convention details online at nsaa.org.

(Note: this is first in a series of interviews with the coaches and staff of the U.S. biathlon team.) When Per Nilsson took over head coaching duties for the U.S. biathlon team after the 2006 Olympics, the U.S. men had already begun a slow ascent in the nations cup standings, climbing from 20th place in [...]

“Holy cow!”…is all I have to say about this. (Via EarlyUps and Zapiks.) Motoneige 0 – Montagne 1

Aspen, CO - Aspenite Nick DeVore, winner of the 2008 Telemark Freeskiing World Championship and ski film star, broke his femur in an avalanche that left him partially buried in the backcountry near Aspen last Friday.

Avon, CO - The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch at Colorado's Beaver Creek ski resort is in foreclosure. At $61 million, it's believed to be the largest foreclosure in Eagle County, Colorado's history.

I figure at least cten will enjoy this. GTQnarzmTOc

Maybe a silly question since Tux is across the road, but was just wondering. Are there any issues with hiking Wildcat? Is it allowed? How are conditions?

What an awesome weekend for spring skiing. Now I hear there is more snow on the way Thursday night. What a year! http://nebackcountry.blogspot.com/2011/05/trip-report-gulf-of-slides-sideshow.html

McLean, VA - The U.S. snow sports retail market brought in a record $3.3 billion over the full 2010-11 winter season, besting the previous highest sales record of $3 billion, set in 2007-08. Overall, snow sports sales were up 8% in units sold, and 12% in dollars sold. Leaner inventories kept prices strong throughout the season, as equipment inventories finished the season 19% leaner and equipment prices were 10% higher than they were at the close of last season. In fact, retail margins finished the season up 10% for equipment, up 10% for accessories, and up 4% for apparel goods sold.

Bend, OR - Oregon's Mt. Bachelor ski area has been awarded the host resort site for Superpark 15 by Snowboarder Magazine. This event will attract some of the world's top snowboard athletes, photographers and videographers to Mt. Bachelor for two weeks in May to progress the sport of snowboarding.

Crystal Mountain, WA - The calendar may read May, but with over seven feet of new snow in the past four weeks the skiing is still great at Washington State's Crystal Mountain.

Park City, UT - Deer Valley Resort has announced a significant expansion to its summer mountain biking, hiking and scenic chairlift operations for the summer 2011 season. Aside from running both the Silver Lake Express (from the Resort base) and Sterling Express chairlifts (from mid-mountain) as it has for years now, the resort will also run the Ruby Express chairlift from the Empire Canyon Lodge area; build "The Road to Ruby," a three- to four-mile connecting trail from Bald Mountain to the Flagstaff Mountain area; and add a new intermediate trail system in the Flagstaff Mountain area.

A jury in Salt Lake City awarded Canyons resort a hefty $54.4 million for delays in building a golf course.

FasterSkier Adaptive Skier of the Year Adaptive Skier of the Year (men): Brian McKeever (CAN) McKeever continued his dominance of the adaptive skiing circuit, collecting three cross-country golds at the IPC World Championships and a silver in biathlon. All this hardware came without longtime guide, brother Robin McKeever, who suffered an injury not long before [...]

NSAA named three ski areas, including Park City, Utah, Boreal, Calif., and Snow Time Inc., owners of three ski areas in Pennsylvania including Liberty Mountain, Ski Roundtop and Whitetail Resort, as the finalists of its first annual Conversion Cup Challenge.

In all, 17 resorts submitted applications in the first year of the Cup. NSAA member ski areas were able to enter in one of three size categories: Up to 200,000 visits; 200,000 to 500,000 visits; and 500,000 or more visits. One finalist was chosen among each size category and the Cup winner will be crowned in front of a live audience May 6 at NSAA's National Convention and Tradeshow in Carlsbad, Calif. Applications are judged on a number of key conversion indicators including:

• Increases in Level 1 lesson volumes;
• Level 1 lesson volumes in relation to total skier and snowboarder visits;
• Quantifiable success of multi-lesson packages;
• Season-to-date sales and repeat sales data on specific "learn-to” packages designed to drive repeat visitation;
• Overall data collection capabilities and sophistication;
• Marketing ingenuity, creativity, use of new media, etc.

"We're very pleased with overall response to our inaugural Conversion Cup Challenge, and based on the depth and quality of information provided in many of the applications, it's evident that resorts are putting forth tremendous efforts to boost repeat visitation rates, and collectively, endeavors such as these will benefit the overall health of the industry,” says NSAA President Michael Berry.

An in-depth review of this year's Conversion Cup winner will be highlighted in the August/September 2011 issue of the NSAA Journal. The Conversion Cup is a traveling award. The winning resort will claim the Cup for one year, until the next Conversion Cup winner is again crowned at the NSAA National Convention. All winners receive a Conversion Cup plaque to display at their ski area.

For more information, visit www.nsaa.org

Here are the resorts that are still open: http://www.skinet.com/skiing/photo-gallery/where-can-you-still-ski?cmpid=enews050211 Nice pics too.

So now that AZ is under new ownership, when will Nick & Stef change the background color to green? Any predictions? (Or maybe...the former owner hasn't told them how to do it?)

off their facebook page - Mohawk Mtn Ski Area So glad Mohawk is part of the Burton family! Thanks for a great time in Burlington, Burton! To the Mohawk family... just wait to see what we have in store for you when the snow flies this coming winter.... did they get acquired?

Salt Lake City, UT - Utah's 14 ski and snowboard resorts have largely wrapped up an amazing winter season that saw more than 700 inches of "The Greatest Snow On Earth" fall upon the state's slopes and trails. Alta Ski Area concluded its season on Sunday with over 200 inches of settled snow on the ground, and Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort will keep things going to Memorial Day, and probably beyond the holiday into June or even later.

Best road test ever - PDF (sorry) from 1980 Car and Driver marijuana road test. "The biggest problem, we learned, would be quantifying the high. In other words, how high is high, and when is a driver there?" http://www.caranddriver.com/content/download/129012/1748886/version/1/file/PuffDriver+%28Jun+%2780%29.pdf

Are you / were you in the armed forces? Not really any of my business but i noted in another thread there a few here who have served. if nothing else it gives me a list of people to say Thank You to next Veteran's Day. i was not, but i am the son of an honorable discharged Marine

Hi, I went to Killington last Saturday based on some good recommendations I received from a post I created last week. I had a great time and was wondering what i can expect at Jay peak Saturday. If anyone went last week what is left for trails and lifts. I'd like one more weekend.

Concord, NH - Leasing Cannon Mountain ski area in Franconia Notch, N.H., has been discussed on and off again for years. But the state's lawmakers have now put the process into motion by sponsoring an amended version of House Bill 74, which would mandate that the state put the ski area out for lease.

Monica and I stayed up in Gorham so we could get an early start for Saturday, which promised to be a nice weather day. We grabbed breakfast at McD's and pulled into Pinkham right around 7:00, which was good enough to get a spot on the right side of the main lot. We booted up and headed out by 7:20. Monica was on alpine gear so she was carrying skis and boots and wearing hiking boots. I planned on skinning in tele gear so I had my tele boots on and carrying skis for the bottom section. I...

According to my calculations I have 179 work days left until retirement. I will no longer be a low level bureaucrat slogging through the semi meaningless minutia as I have for 35 years. This means that in the middle of January 2012 I will be free to ski any day I want (or any day that doesnt tic off my wife to much. She will still be working). So my question is how and where do I start the celebration. Which mountains have the best midweek deals (I certainly dont want to ski with the gainfully...