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This week's mountain news roundup includes a link to a story about the long-running battle over molydenum mining on Mount Emmons, also known as Red Lady, near Crested Butte. PHOTO COURTESY THE HIGH COUNTRY CITIZENS ALLIANCE. Click on the image for more information.

Intrawest auction, Telluride avalanche, Steamboat Winter Carnival and more in this week’s mountain news roundup

Compiled by Bob Berwyn

Intrawest could avoid mid-Olympics auction

Whistler Pique magazine reported more on the financial travails of Intrawest (former owner of Copper Mountain), with details on how a bankruptcy filing could help the company avoid a planned Feb. 19 auction during which stakes in the company would be sold to the highest bidder.

The auction was set after Fortress Investment Group, the investment company that owns Intrawest, held unsuccessful talks with its lenders to try and repay a debt of $1.5 billion. The company previously missed payment of a $524 million installment that was due on Oct. 23.

The Pique article quotes a professor of finance as saying that an auction is unlikely because of current economic conditions and a lack of buyers. A bankruptcy filing would put a stay on the company’s underlying assets. Read the full story here.

Telluride slide, ‘X-treme hugging and more, after the break…

Telluride avalanche injures off-duty patroller
A Telluride Daily Planet story about an avalanche last week that injured a skier in the backcountry elicited a spate of heated comments, as some locals used the incident as a springboard to express their views about a potential ski area expansion into the Bear Creek drainage.

The victim was able to self-rescue. Access to the Bear Creek area is through a enter-at-your-own-risk gate near the Revelation Bowl lift summit. The Daily Planet also reported on past avalanches in the same area and on the widespread avalanche danger that persists in the San Juans after a heavy snowfall on top of a weak base layer. Read the story and comments here.

New Colorado River study released
The Durango Herald reported last week that a new sty on the Colorado River Basin helps pinpoint how much water is available in the river after all current water rights have been utilized. The answer, of course, depends on seasonal and year-to-year conditions, but the new study comes closer to providing a definitive answer.

The results of the Colorado River Water Availability Study were released at the Colorado Water Congress in Denver last week. According to the Herald, water experts said they were impressed because the simulations used in the study included the latest climate-change data. Read the Durango Herald story here.

Winter Carnival in Steamboat
The Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival predates skiing as big business, and even in the era of multinational ski conglomerates, the town’s annual festivities help people re-connect with the roots of winter sports as a cultural touchstone and part of the Colorado mountain lifestyle.

Steamboat Today is featuring a series of stories, including some great historic photos, on the winter carnival, now in year 97. The legendary Carl Howelsen organized the first Winter Carnival in 1914. The inaugural event included ski jumping and cross-country races, as well as a dance at the Cabin Hotel. Twenty trains brought between 1,500 and 2,000 spectators from the Front Range, according to Steamboat Today. Get all the stories here.

Extreme hugging at the X Games
The Aspen Daily News reported on Dagny McKinley’s efforts to spread a lot of love at the Winter X Games, but that she fell short of her goal to set the world record for most hugs given in a 24-hour period. According to the Daily News, the Steamboat Springs woman hugged 2,352 people at the entrance of the action sports arena last week, but missed the Guinness world record mark, which stands at 5,000 hugs for a 24-hour period. McKinley told the Daily News that some people turned her down and told her not to touch them. Read the story and other X Games followup here.

Crested Butte tangles with mining company
Plans for molybdenum mining on Mount Emmons continue to spur controversy in Crested Butte, where town officials recently wrote to the state to get more information about the planned activities, according to the Crested Butte News.

A letter from Crested Butte Town Manager Susan Parker made it clear that the town wants be  in the loop if any construction takes place. The town’s watershed ordinance applies to activity even outside the town’s boundaries, according to the town manager. Read the story here.

Hidden Gems, Gunnison County version
The Crested Butte News also reported in great detail about a public hearing on the Hidden Gems wilderness plan, which has also generated debate in Summit County. According to the article, the Hidden Gems plan would add about 89,000 acres of wilderness in Gunnison County. Similar to the Summit County discussion, there are differences of opinion about what should — and shouldn’t — be added to the wilderness. The Whetstone area, close to Crested Butte, was at the center of the debate because it’s used heavily by mountain bikers and snowmobilers. Here’s a link to the lengthy story.

Mammoth snowmobile accident
The Mammoth Times reported on a woman who was critically injured in a snowmobile crash while participating in a guided tour in the area. The 27-year old woman was hurt when their snowmobile crashed into a tree and airlifted to a hospital in Reno suffering from an open skull fracture, according to the Mammoth Times. Her 35-year-old husband was released from the hospital a few hours after the crash. Both were wearing helmets. Read the full story here.