Tele turns at A-Basin. PHOTO BY BOB BERWYN.
New Telluride surface lift eyed, TDRs and dead cows in Routt County
Scottish snow bonanza
Our weekly mountain news roundup starts in Scotland, where after a record winter, snow is again falling just in time for Easter.
Planet Ski, a Euro-based web site reports on the snowy season in this story, highlighting week after week of superb conditions in the Highlands. According to Planet Ski, skier visits topped the 250,000 mark for the first time since 2001, generating about £25 million for the local economy. Several Scottish resorts have special events planned for the holiday, including a boardercross competition at The Lecht and a slopestyle event at Cairngorn. Resort officials are expecting the season to last well into April and even May.
Aspen extends season
The Aspen Daily News posted a story about two “bonus” weekends at the local areas, with the lifts on Aspen Mountain running Saturday and Sundays only, April 17-18 and again April 24-25.
The Daily News is also reporting that local groups had plans to protest the global warming stance of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at an Aspen meeting Tuesday. The national chamber has lobbied against climate-change legislation, putting it at odds with the Aspen Resort Chamber Association, which advocates for a constructive approach to working with government to limit carbon emissions. According to the Daily News, some large U.S. corporations, including Nike and Apple, have quit the national chamber in response to its climate change position.
More mountain news after the break. 
Telluride eyes Gold Hill lift
In Telluride, the Daily Planet reports that ski company officials are floating the idea of a surface lift to transport skiers and ‘boarders from the top of Revelation Lift to the top of Gold Hill, currently a hike-to area. The lift could be built as early as this summer, though ski company officials remained mum about the exact timing and cost. The lift was previously approved by the U.S. Forest Service in 1999, so no additional studies would be needed. The Daily Planet story triggered a slew of comments from locals, most of them asking the area to be left as-is. Read the story here.
The Daily Planet also reported that the town council is preparing to annex the 570-acre Valley Floor property, a pasture at the entrance to town that was subject to a bitter years-long battle between developers and conservation advocates, who rallied big-name supporters to raise money to prevent development of the flat patch of ground. Read about it here.
Steady snowpack in the Gunnison
The Crested Butte News reports that snowpack in the Gunnison Basin is about 94 percent of the historic average, with near-average runoff expected for the area. Water officials are hopeful that some spring storms lined up in the Pacific will help boost the snowpack at the tail-end of the season.
TDRs for Routt County?
A transfer of development rights program has helped Summit County prevent development on numerous backcountry parcels, and now Routt County is looking at a similar program, according to Steamboat Today. TDR programs enable landowners to sell and transfer development rights, generally from lower-density rural areas to parcels closer to existing development and infrastructure. Read more here.
Steamboat Today is also reporting that the local law enforcement officials are trying to figure out what happened to 11 cows that were found dead in the Yampa River. The dead cattle was found by an angler. Local police speculated that the cows fell through the ice and drowned.
Filed under: colorado skiing, Copper Condo Rentals, Copper Mountain, Summit County Tagged: | Copper Colorado Condos, Copper Condos, Copper Mountain Colorado, mountain news, Summit County Colorado, Summit County condo rentals
