Thousands gathered during the holidays to protest the potential impacts of global warming — no more snowmen!
Snowmen protest global warming, great skiing in Scotland and ‘moolah for moguls,’ all in this week’s mountain news roundup
Upturn for Utah ski areas?
The Salt Lake Tribune reported Dec. 26 that things are looking up for the Utah ski industry this season. Final numbers for the holiday weren’t available yet, but resorts reported full lodges and plenty of locals taking advantage of special deals.
The story highlights the success of some of Utah’s smaller areas, like Wolf Creek, where skier numbers have increased each year since the ski area opened five years ago. Smaller resorts in Colorado geared toward day-tripping skiers have also held their own during the recession. Loveland, for example, hit an all-time skier visit record last season.
Focusing on family deals has also helped some of the Utah areas ride out the economic storm. Read the full story here.
‘Moolah for moguls’
The Colorado Springs Gazette featured an interesting story last week about the how three of Colorado’s oldest ski areas were founded 70 years ago in response to an economic crisis — the Great Depression.
With agriculture and mining both hit hard by the depression, state and federal officials put Civilian Conservation Corps crews to work chopping trees to clear ski trails. In 1936, the governor of Colorado told a group of ski fans that the state would open up winter roads to the mountains to encourage the development of ski facilities.
Skiing at Wolf Creek began in 1934, when the Colorado Department of Transportation decided to keep Wolf Creek Pass open all winter. By 1938, dozens of carloads of skier were using the pass on prime weekends. That same year, the CCC built a stone lodge at the pass.
Similarly, locals in Salida pushed for development of ski facilities at Monarch Pass. In 1939, the town asked the Works Progress Administration to build a rope tow and shelter at the pass. Read the Gazette story here.
Still tough times on West Slope
Farther west, Aspen Daily News correspondent David Frey reports unemployment ticked upward in November, as high as 7.5 percent in Eagle and Pitkin counties. Statewide, the unemployment rate is 6.7 percent. In November 2008, the unemployment rates in Eagle and Pitkin counties were 4.8 and 5.5 percent, respectively. Read the story here.
Tracking Jackson Hole development
The JH Underground, an online news source for Jackson Hole, is reporting that Dick Edgecomb, would-be developer of two failed golf and resort projects in the Snake River Valley, is requesting access to a 144-acre inholding along the Snake River, potentially setting the stage for construction of up to 77 homes on the riverfront tract. Read the story here.
Sledding death in Silverton
Every skier death seems to attract national media attention these days, but the Durango Herald reported on an unusual sledding death in Silverton. A vacationing Texas woman climbed up to near the top of a trail at a small town-operated ski area (not open at the time of the accident) and hit a sign post on the way down. The story is online here.
‘Visioning’ a ski area
Night skiing, terrain expansions and mountain-top restaurants are all on the table as locals in Telluride participate in a series of visioning exercises to help the Telluride Ski and Golf Company plan the future of the resort.
The ski area will soon be updating its Forest Service master plan, and the community input is part of that process. Telski CEO Dave Riley has said that his company wants to create a ski resort the community wants — whether it entails no change at all or drastic change. More online here.
Ski Scotland!
Ski areas in the Scottish Highlands are enjoying of their best seasons in recent memory after a cold storm swept the British Isles and brought snow as far south as Brighton Beach.
“It’s the first time the Nevis Range has had resorts open for Christmas skiing since 2003, according to a report in Planet Ski. In recent years, the long-term future of Scotland’s ski fields has been in question, as global warming impacts threatened to curtail operations. Read the full story at Planet Ski here.
Reservations surge in Whister
The Whistler Pique reported that last-minute bookings for the holidays surged at Whistler this year thanks to some great deals, but still lagged behind last season by 10 percent. The resort in British Columbia broke all snowfall records in November. Local tourism officials said the widespread news about record snows helped drive reservations. Read the whole story here.
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