- NSCF Newsbeat November-December 2018 ♦
- Powder through Christmas and beyond ♦
- Snowdon Six Debuts As Killington Improves Flow, Lifts ♦
- Storm Dispatch: Mad River Glen, Vermont ♦
National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
November-December 2018
Ikon Adds, Epic Answers. Nov. 14 was a busy day in the ongoing tit for tat between Alterra Mountain Company’s Ikon Pass and Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass. Earlier in the day, Alterra added NZSki and its three New Zealand resorts—Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Mt. Hutt—and Valle Nevado in Chile as partner destinations on its Ikon Pass. Shortly after, Vail Resorts revealed a new partnership with Les 3 Vallées in France and Skirama Dolomiti in Italy for its Epic Pass. More. SAM
The Giant Resort Companies You Hate Are Saving Skiing. The corporations buying up resorts are making the slopes crowded. But they’re also throwing the sport a lifeline. More. Outside
All Our Favorite Après Bars and Restaurants. If there’s anything better than an epic day outside, it’s reliving it over great food and drink. From mountain decks to beachside watering holes, our favorite après spots have mastered Cajun fries, crustaceans, and craft ales. Ed. Note: See if yours is on the list. More. Outside
PSIA-AASI Release New Learn-to Videos and Manual. Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) has collaborated with Halley O’Brien Productions and Terrain Based Learning creator SNOW Operating to produce a new three-video series: “How to Ski: A Beginner’s Guide.” The videos are the first installment in a series of new educational materials aimed at novice skiers and riders. More. SAM
America’s 10 Most Eco-Friendly Ski Resorts. These mountains do way more than just recycle. More. Outside Magazine
Ski resorts go green in the face of climate change. Green has been the new white in ski resorts for many years, spearheaded by organizations such as Protect Our Winters and the NSAA Sustainable Slopes Climate Challenge. But in light of the recent U.N. climate change report, it looks like changing to LED light bulbs, recycling and merely reducing energy costs will not be enough. More. Dallas News via Inntopia | Destimetrics
What’s New at Vermont Ski Resorts This Season. Ed. Note: Lots of new things going on at the Vermont Resorts. More. First Tracks!!
Glen Plake Revives Down Home Ski Tour. Longtime Elan Skis athlete and ski industry legend, Glen Plake, is officially bringing the Down Home Tour back to small ski areas across the U.S. this 2018-19 winter season. Their itinerary is loosely planned to travel through the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic to New England from mid-December 2018 through January 2019, parking their custom rig in ski area parking lots, skiing with locals and celebrating good times on snow. More. First Tracks!!
Katz Amsterdam Foundation Grants $2 Million to Emotional Wellness. Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz and his wife, Elana Amsterdam, have awarded 30 grants totaling more than $2 million to support emotional wellness programs in nearly every mountain resort community in which Vail Resorts operates. More. SAM
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Powder through Christmas and beyond
By Joe Harvis on Dec 17, 2018 03:31 pm
Powder through Christmas and Beyond
By Joel Gratz, Founding Meteorologist
December 17, 2018
Summary
The northwest will continue to receive the most snow this week, though the weather pattern will begin to change as we move closer to Christmas with more snow heading to the northeast and the western United States.
Spring Break in the Canadian Rockies
This spring, grab your skis or snowboard and hit the slopes! Or strap on a pair of snowshoes or cross-country skis and step into our real-life snow globe. Lake Louise is the epitome of winter in the heart of Banff National Park and the majestic Canadian Rockies: https://opsw.co/Fairmont12318
Short Term Forecast
This is what we want to see!
We have been talking about significant snow heading to the northwest, and the numbers do not lie! Whistler has reported eight days in a row of new snow with over 80 inches of accumulation and more on the way. The snow stake cam below shows the snow that fell on the night on Wednesday, December 12th. How’s that for a quick 20 inches of powder?!
Forecast for Monday to Friday
The forecast for the next five days, from Monday through Friday, shows that the northwest (British Columbia, Washington, Oregon) will continue to be favored with 1-4 FEET of additional accumulation. Also, early in the week, parts of Idaho and Montana could receive 5-20 inches while Tahoe sneaks in with 5-10 inches by Monday morning.
In the northeast, a warm storm will bring rain to all areas from Friday into Saturday, but then cold air on the backside of the storm should bring snowflakes from Saturday afternoon through Sunday or Monday.
Extended Forecast
The odds are high that snow will come to the western United States and western Canada during the week of Christmas and likely beyond into New Years.
While the map below does not offer high confidence (yet) of cooler temperatures and likely snow during this time, the trend is for more active weather during Christmas week, which would be great timing as this is one of the busiest times of the year for resorts.
Posted from OpenSnow
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Snowdon Six Debuts As Killington Improves Flow, Lifts
By Joe Harvis on Dec 17, 2018 03:20 pm
Snowdon Six Debuts As Killington Improves Flow, Lifts
Tuesday, 11 December 2018
Bubbly champagne and blowing bubbles for the kids were all part of the fun as Killington cut the ribbon on the new Snowdon Six Express bubble chair Dec. 8. The new ride is part of a $25 million investment improving flow and experience across the largest resort in the East.
The 10-12 minute ride on the former Snowdon Quad will now take around four minutes, and a bubble shield will protect riders from wind and weather on the 1,100 vertical-foot lift, making the Snowdon Six an appealing alternative to the K-1 Gondola. The combination of a slower loading detachable but faster ride will keep uphill capacity about the same. A new barn will keep the chairs ice-free at night.
The ride to Snowdon Peak is much more comfortable in the Snowdon Six. (Killington)
The replacement of the long, cold “Slowdon” Quad is just part of the work done this year to make Snowdon more than just a pass-through to get to other areas of the mountain. “In looking for more blue terrain, a better enhanced ski experience, we’re taking the lower level skiers that are coming down from the peak, and putting them through a series of tunnels and segregating them from the upper level skiers,” Killington mountain operations director Jeff Temple told SnoCountry.com.
The Poma surface lift used frequently by race teams on Bunny Buster has been moved to Swirl on Ramshead, giving racers a dedicated training venue and leaving Bunny Buster as a wide cruiser on Snowdon.
Shiny new gondola cabins whisk you to Killington Peak. (Killington/Twitter)
The popular K-1 Express Gondola also saw major upgrades with all new 8-person cabins, replaced haul rope and a new gondola barn to improve de-icing time.
New RFID gates at lifts makes getting back up the hill more efficient, too
