Thursday, November 17, 2016

Where's the Snow, Uh Oh!

The current gossip is about delayed resort openings, no snow (ouch!) and we hesitate to 'pull-the-trigger'...  As we often say in our business, "Chill out!"

I'm sitting at my desk in Vail, Colorado.  It's snowing right now... a little..... but the forecast is looking good!

Definitely a little late this year.. But we are OK!  Believe me!

I've lived in Vail for 3 decades and have skied thousands of days on Vail Mountain, as well as most all of the other snow resorts in this region.  
There are the VERY special days where I've been blinded by powder shots. (Those are the marketing photos we always show you, hey!) 



And then there are the 'blue-bird', sunny days (We show you lots of these photos, too. Usually these are the ones with the kiddies.)



But, there are the other days...  Sometimes the snow is hard, sometimes it is soft, sometimes it is thick with sun-melt, and sometimes there are bare spots...  These days can probably be coined 'typical'.

However, there just always seems to be enough, and it always good... just different degrees of 'good'. Not to worry.



Let's compare this to other vacation spots... The beach is probably one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world.  But, have you been there on a windy day?  How about rain?  Hey, there's even hurricane season.  I can't ever recall a hurricane warning on a ski day.


Now, let's consider the reality of the day you were making your plans versus executing your plan. Even if you are a 'last minute' trip-planner, the weather and snow conditions are likely not consistent from time of booking until the time you get here. I agree the the 'base' measurement of snow is indicative of the cumulative volume of snow fall during the season, and thus tends to differentiate a 
great snow year from an average (or less) snow year.


But REALLY, does it matter how deep the snow is under your feet when you only need the very top to ski or ride on?



And what's under your feet is truly a 'last minute' outcome. C'mon, we all know that snow conditions change from morning till afternoon in any single day!

Summarily, please.... let's relinquish the doubt.  The reality is that there is virtually ALWAYS enough snow for you to have a great day.  It's just a matter of 'how great'... Count on lots of lifts open, a more than decent variety of terrain, and no shortages of challenges, as you wish.  They wouldn't have built them so BIG if the risk was so great :-)



Remember, we are also great for non-ski activities.. spas, snowshoeing, restaurants, snowmobiling, shopping, hot tubs, cocktails, nightlife, kids clubs, and so on..  I am confident that we won't disappoint.  




Thanks for the business.  We hope to hear from you soon.  We'll help you get it right!
866-981-SNOW.

Joyce






Tuesday, August 16, 2016

The Ski Season Dreams are Starting Again


A perfect Colorado Summer


I moved to a Ski Resort town in 1997, in the summer.  I remember super-imposing the snow on to the green slopes during the months of June and July.  Waiting and waiting to see more white as the patches on the highest runs became smaller and smaller with the warming, sunny, Colorado days. Then, in August something happened, I started having snowboarding dreams, and not just a dream about being on a mountain in the snow but being on MY mountain, in epic snow.  I shredded like a pro, even on grass (not sure why I dreamt a grass filled run in the middle of a 'snow dream' but it didn't matter in that world, I still shredded that grass like no other)!

Colorado Snow Doesn't Quit!!

I got into the ski season with the excitement of these 'shoulder season dreams' to guide me and found that the dreams had actually increased my confidence.  My interpretations of the mountain were somewhat skewed in my 'dream world' but the sensation of sliding was there and it amazingly transferred to practical application, I went faster, caught more air and had more carefree fun than I had thought possible.  I logged just over 120 days that first season and slipped into summer happy for warm weather, adventure and sun.

June and July of the following year were filled with 4x4 drives, trips down the river and many sunny afternoons by the local pool.  I had stopped super-imposing snow on the runs and had taken to hiking the open, green slopes a few times a week to learn the mountain better.  There is something vastly different about sitting on a halted ski lift in the warm summer breeze than on a crisp winter morning as the wind whips your face.  A perspective and calm is achieved that can be aspired to on the busiest of March days.  The grassy runs looked steeper, the summit, higher and the only way up was by foot. A definite appreciation is gained for the lifts as soon as walking up the slopes is the sole option.  I was primed, I was ready and the season was just a few short months away.

Glorious Hike under Colorado Sun

My 'ski dreams' started again, in August, just like clockwork.  This time I was lofting off huge jumps (I don't do that); taking face shots of powder and _screaming_ fast tree runs (I do enjoy both of those).  The dreams came almost every week and I could 'feel' riding when I had them, waking up sometimes out of breath or breathing hard for the feat I was accomplishing in my dreamy, snowy world.  Once more, my unreal world transferred to reality and I had another amazing season, increasing skills, improving technique and becoming a good and conscientious snow slider.

What Dreams are Made of......

Fast forward to today, coming to the end of my 20th summer in Colorado.  As the years have progressed and life's priorities have overtaken my own, the dreams still come.  I expect them to start any day now and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for adventure.  As an older, but in no way aged member of the snowboarding community, I now enjoy hiking to sweet terrain and exploring back country more than skiing the same old run 'in bounds'.  I hope my dreams show me skinning up pristine slopes and making remarkable powder turns on sugary inclines.  This year I'll tackle skiing for the first time since I was 14.  If my prior years' dreams are any hint, this year's should bring me easy runs on mellow slopes at slow speeds.  JUST KIDDING, I am looking forward to another amazing year on the slopes and know my dreams will show me just how awesome this winter will be!!   =) Irish

Are YOU ready for Snow Sport in 2016?  Just give us a call, we can get you THERE!!

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Jackson Hole Summer and Winter Tales........

I was part of an infamous summer in Jackson Hole when I was only 13 years old.........

Chaos as fire overcomes Yellowstone national Park
The year was 1988 and my mom and I embarked on an epic, 17 day road trip from Iowa to Yellowstone and back again.  We began our vacation in earnest in the Black Hills and made our way to Denver where my mom had a conference for 5 days.  After the 'work' was over we headed north to Cheyenne, WY and then made our way west toward Jackson Hole. I remember thinking that everyone drove too fast in Wyoming and that it was very windy on such a flat road.
Then, there they were, the Tetons!  My mom took some time to tell me about the mountains as we moved ever closer to them.  That they were not part of the Rockies, but instead were a much younger set of mountains.  She went on about how the Appalachian Mountains were once the size of the Rockies, or even bigger, but they had gotten old and were eroding away.  How the Rockies were younger and had eroded less and, amazingly enough, the Tetons, young as they were, grew still and inched their way higher and higher over the years.
Jackson's Main Drag
As we got closer and closer the horizon seemed more and more magical, the landscape was untouched save a few ranches spread far out from one another, against the banks of the life giving Snake River. Then, out of nowhere we were in a town.  As we cruised down the street tourists and cowboys co-mingled while the cars crawled down the street with their rubber-necked drivers.   This was Jackson!!  We passed an honest to goodness saloon, The Virginian and made our curvy way up through the town.  It was the first time I had seen a real ski resort and I remember thinking, A. that it looked REALLY scary and B. That I totally wanted to come back and try it one day!!  Now keep in mind, at this point I was seeing Snow King.
Wondering what Cowboys would ever want with a million dollar bar, we decided to park and take a walk around the town.  Dipping in and out of gift shops and galleries filled with cowboy and Indian paintings we made our way up and down the street.  After an hour or two in town we hopped back in the car and headed to our final destination for the evening, a guest ranch just outside of Teton National Park.  The following day we headed into the park for our amazing journey with Nature.

Fire forces Grant Village to Close
For those who may have forgotten or are too young to remember, 1988 is a year that went down in forest fire history.  Not only was the summer rife with fire, Yellowstone was in the middle of its worst fire season in history.  As we chased and were chased by fire, those days we spent in Yellowstone were incredible.  We were evacuated from Grant Village during our trip and considered going back to Jackson if we could not find lodging.  Fortunately, Canyon Village had space for us, a few days earlier than our reservation.  We managed to see Old Faithful just days before it was closed for the fires and witnessed the blaze 'eating' its way through the forest as we stood on the top of the ridge by Tower Fall.  By the time we left the park on July 25th, we needed headlights to negotiate some of the roads because of the smoke that was constantly switching directions with the ever fickle wind.  It was the most memorable vacation we took together.
Fire Closes Old Faithful Village
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Fast forward 10.5 years to early 1999.   I moved to Colorado in 1997 to become better at snowboarding and it worked.  With a preparatory trip to Telluride in late January to get some 'steeps' under my belt, I felt ready to tackle Jackson Hole's ski resort when some friends invited me to join them for a trip in February.  The route to Jackson was different from the one my mother and I had taken, but even ten years later I still felt like those ranchers in their Corvettes were driving awfully fast.  We stopped in Green River this time and then headed north to the Tetons.  I was still impressed with their size.  Jutting fiercely into the sky, the Grand Teton looked even bigger than I remembered and my mom's words rang in my ears ...'still growing'.

Terrain, terrain, terrain!!!!
As we approached town, evening was upon us and it was disappointing not being able to see the 'huge' Snow King Mountain I remembered from my youth.  We had friends to stay with in Wilson so after unpacking and bringing our gear in we headed into Jackson for some fun and sushi!  It started snowing during our meal and as we finished, our group ran outside in true tourist style to take pictures under the elk antler arches in Town Square.  The next morning greeted us with 10 new inches of snow in the valley; over 18 had fallen on the mountain, score!! We geared up and headed to Teton Village, the plow banks on the side of the road were almost taller than the Isuzu Rodeo we were in!  When we got to the tram it was mobbed with people, but with a capacity of close to 70 the line moved quickly and soon we too were zipping the 11 minutes up to the top of the mountain.  'See the sleeping Indian?' my friends said, I was fighting vertigo from the sheer steepness of the place, Snow King huge? No, this was HUGE!!

Now, as bravely excited as I was I opted out of doing Corbet's on my first run and stuck mainly to Rendezvous and the trees just off of it.  We flew up Sublette chair for our next run and ran the trees through Cheyenne Bowl a few times before heading down to lunch.  After we had re-fueled it was time to hit lower Casper and Woolsey Woods became a favorite for the day!!  With three or four post lunch T to B runs (top to bottom, as they say in the ski towns) our group was beat and headed to the (in)famous Mangy Moose in Teton Village for Après.  This lively venue is NOT to be missed and should be on anyone's list for a Jackson Hole MUST see.  At my request our group had dinner at the Virginian and I called my mom from the lounge just to tell her where I was!!

A Thick Blanket of Clouds Covers the Lower Resort
The next morning delivered 15 inches in the valley and almost two feet on the mountain!  When we arrived to the tram the clouds hung low over the resort and the trip straight up into them seemed foreboding and a little scary as we watched the car disappear into the gray fluff.  It was still snowing and parts of Casper were being bombed for avalanche control.  When our turn for the tram came I was smashed against the window and watched quietly as the clouds swirled and swept around the car ascending to the top of the resort.  As I lost my eyes in the cloud cover I saw the world was gaining a golden tint, sun was coming through, joy! The tram car crested the mountain and moved to its resting spot for disembarking, the snow was sparkling on the ground and sun was blazing down on us.  The storm was hanging so low, we had broken through it and now had a bluebird day at Jackson!  The view was surreal looking down on the impenetrable blanket of thick, gray clouds covering the mountain and valley below.

Descending into the Great Unknown!!
The skiing that day was epic.  Our group was fearless as we careened through the clouds whooping and hollering at each other while swooshing fresh snow to our faces.  Since it was cloudy on the mid mountain we stuck to the trees again and after lunch headed to the newly opened lower Casper for some stellar freshies.
That evening we skied Snow King for the novelty of night skiing (what a sweet little resort) and enjoyed a home cooked dinner before heading back to Colorado the next day.

When we woke on our day of departure it had snowed yet again.  We decided to push back our departure and skied a half day before hitting the road for the epic 8 hour ride home.  It was a tough go, driving for so long after all that fantastic powder, but we did it and arrived home just before midnight.

I feel very blessed to have had two 'trips of a lifetime' to Jackson Hole and the surrounding area.  Both summer and winter are amazing times to be in this little slice of heaven.  From the scenery to the iconic shops, bars and restaurants, summer and winter days alike can be filled with adventure that is distinctly Jackson.  The team is headed up to the resort in just a few weeks, so check back to see what NEW adventures have been found!

 <3 =)  Irish

Want to experience Jackson for yourself?  Call us today, we can get you THERE!!  866-981-SNOW