Category: Ski Americas

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Aspen officials, developers agree on a new lift alignment at base of Ajax- Lift 1 A Aspen Mountain.

Lift 1A- Aspen Mountain

Article submitted on Aspen Times. – The proverbial bullwheel for a new chairlift at the base of Aspen Mountain’s west side, where Lift 1A is now, has been set in motion, now that developers and city planners have the go ahead to bring the alignment down to Dean Street — or close to it.


Aspen City Council on Tuesday gave direction to city staff, Aspen Skiing Co. and the developers of two lodge properties on the Lift 1A side of the mountain to move forward with their plans to reinvigorate the western portal of the ski area.

Lift One Lodge developers Michael and Aaron Brown at the site of the historic Lift One bulwheel structure. Aspen Mountain. Photo: Aspen Times.
Lift One Lodge developers Michael and Aaron Brown at the site of the historic Lift One bulwheel structure. Aspen Mountain. Photo: Aspen Times.

While a “telemix” — a combination of a chairlift and gondola — was recommended to start just in front of the 1940s-era Lift One bullwheel structure, council members said they were OK if the historic resource was moved in order to get the new platform closer to Dean Street, thus giving skiers easier access to the mountain.

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Focus on South American Ski Resorts:

Valle Nevado is now part of the IKON Pass. Photo: Valle Nevado Ski Resort.

South American Ski Resorts: High Andes: Valle Nevado, Portillo and Las Leñas – Chile and Argentina

The ski season is about to start in the Southern Hemisphere – In this post I’ll focus on the South American Ski Resorts in the High Andes. Located in Chile and Argentina, all the resorts are in the Andes Mountains, home of the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere – the Aconcagua.

Las Leñas, the biggest terrain ski area in South America - if we count it's off-piste. Host of the South American Ski and Snowboarding Extremes for many years, for a reason. Photo Las Leñas ski resort.
Las Leñas, the biggest terrain ski area in South America – if we count it’s off-piste. Host of the South American Ski and Snowboarding Extremes for many years, for a reason. Photo Las Leñas ski resort.South American Ski Resorts.

At the altitude of Buenos Aires and Santiago, going to the Andes, you have what is called the High Andes – high altitude resorts – what the Brits would called ‘snow sure resorts’ (even though there is nothing like that really in the world – I’ve had some seasons down under with no snow at all, but usually you do get a very good season). A snowstorm can last one week and bring 3 meters of powder snow.



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Snow here is very light and dry – amazing really, and the Andes mountains bring you very dramatic landscapes – think Dolomites, with rugged peaks, but no trees – this is above tree-line county.

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Boyne Resorts Acquires Six Mountain Resorts

Boyne Resorts acquires six resorts. Sunday River in Maine is one of them. Photo: Sunday River Resort.

Boyne Resorts Acquires Six Mountain Resorts. Included in the transaction are Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, Utah; Cypress Mountain in Vancouver, B.C.; Gatlinburg SkyLift in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Loon Mountain Resort in New Hampshire; Sugarloaf and Sunday River Resort in Maine; and The Summit at Snoqualmie near Seattle, Washington.

Cypress Mountain near Vancouver. Photo: Cypress Mountain. Boyne Resorts Acquires six mountain resorts
Cypress Mountain near Vancouver. Photo: Cypress Mountain.

Boyne Resorts today announced closing of a purchase transaction with Ski Resort Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Oz Real Estate, to acquire six mountain resorts and a scenic chairlift attraction previously leased by the resort company. Boyne Resorts has been the long-term operator of the seven newly acquired assets and also owns three resorts in northern Michigan and Big Sky Resort in Montana. As third largest based on skier visits, Boyne Resorts’ portfolio of mountain properties is the most geographically diverse among all North American ski resort companies.


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More than 1,100 attended the 43rd Mountain Travel Symposium in South Lake Tahoe

View from the room at the Harrah's - MTS 2018 Heavenly, Lake Tahoe.

Exhausted but happy participants departed South Lake Tahoe over the weekend after several intense days of buying, selling, learning, schmoozing and skiing at the 43rd Mountain Travel Symposium.

Trade Exchange Floor - 43rd Mountain Travel Symposium, Heavenly, South Lake Tahoe. More than 1,100 attendees participated
Trade Exchange Floor – Mountain Travel Symposium, Heavenly, South Lake Tahoe.

More than 1,100 participants representing 24 countries took part. Fresh snow and bright sunshine capped the week of events, and those who were there to do business said they had full schedules and lots of deals got done. Most also got in a few runs on the slopes of Heavenly Resort as well.

Virginie Koulibaly from Valais Matterhorn Region addresses with Nick Turnell and Pascal Prinz of Switzerland Tourism the invited tour operators for the Switzerland Tourism evening with raclette at the 43rd annual Mountain Travel Symposium.
Virginie Koulibaly from Valais Matterhorn Region addresses with Nick Turnell and Pascal Prinz of Switzerland Tourism the invited tour operators for the Switzerland Tourism evening with raclette at Mountain Travel Symposium.

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How to deal with high prone avalanche terrain. A talk with Coco Torres, formerly of Las Leñas, Argentina.

A Gaz-ex installation in a mountain - methods of containing high prone avalanche areas.

How to deal with high prone avalanche terrain – A talk with Coco Torres, former Mountain Manager in Las Leñas and now Operative Consultant for numerous ski resorts.

Jorge “Coco” Torres has left Las Leñas in the year 2010, having worked for several years as the Mountain Manager in charge of all the avalanches control operations, amongst all other mountain matters.

One of the maps of the off-piste of Las Leñas showcasing its couloirs, which are also coincide avalanche corridors. Las Leñas is a high prone avalanche area.
One of the maps of the off-piste of Las Leñas showcasing its couloirs, which are also coincide avalanche corridors. Las Leñas is a high prone avalanche area. How to deal with high prone avalanche terrain. A talk with Coco Torres, formerly of Las Leñas, Argentina.

I’ve contacted him as I’ve always found fascinating how Las Leñas took control of their avalanches. Every time there was a storm at Las Leñas, which could last a whole week, we went on hearing bombing all day and all night. I know that Las Leñas is a high prone avalanche terrain.

 

Skiing in La Thuile- Soft Pastels, Pan Pastels, Pastel Pencils and Charcoal on La Carte Pastel. 60 x 80 cm. In my shop!
Skiing in La Thuile- Soft Pastels, Pan Pastels, Pastel Pencils and Charcoal on La Carte Pastel. 60 x 80 cm. In my shop!

Skiing in Europe, I cannot say I have heard too many bombs at all, so this prompted me to start putting together a couple of stories that will come out on the next months, on how the avalanches are prevented or controlled in different countries of the world.

Coco told me that he left Las Leñas (Mendoza, Argentina) in the year 2010, and since then he has been working as a consultant in mountain projects and developments. He is going to tell me the process used in Las Leñas at least until he left the valley.

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Get your IKON season pass at the lowest available rate until May 1st.

www.Mattpowerphotography.com January 21 2015. Aspen Mountain to Open with Skiing and Riding Memorial Day Weekend.

The newly launched IKON season pass from the Alterra Mountain Company has its lowest available rate until May 1st. On that date, rates will increase by USD 100.



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Several new resorts join the Powder Alliance for 2018-19 ski season:

Loveland Ski Area - Powder Alliance. Several new resorts join the Powder Alliance for 2018-19 ski season

Sugar Bowl Resort, CA, Loveland Ski Area, CO, Castle Mountain Resort, AB Canada, and Ski Marmot Basin, AB Canada join the Powder Alliance for 2018-19

Castle Mountain Resort. Powder Alliance. Several new resorts join the Powder Alliance for 2018-19 ski season:
Castle Mountain Resort- Powder Alliance

The Powder Alliance has announced that Sugar Bowl Resort, CA, Loveland Ski Area, CO, Castle Mountain Resort, AB Canada, and Ski Marmot Basin, AB Canada have been added to its list of participating resorts for the 2018/19 winter. Now spanning 4 countries and 2 hemispheres, the Powder Alliance is one of the world’s most powerful reciprocal season pass programs offering top-tier pass holders three days at 19 premier winter destinations.

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Big Sky Resort in Montana joins the Mountain Collective

Big Sky Resort in Montana joins the Mountain Collective 2018-19 ski pass.

New for 2018/19 ski season Big Sky Resort in Montana will join the Mountain Collective Pass.



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Big Ski Resort in Montana will join the Mountain Collective Pass for the 2018/19 ski season. This pass offer is on top of being part of the IKON Pass deal.

Big Sky Resort in Montana, last addition to the Mountain Collective Pass for the 2018-19 ski season.
Big Sky Resort in Montana, last addition to the Mountain Collective Pass for the 2018-19 ski season.

Big Sky Resort is bigger than your imagination. Located in Montana, United States, and with more than 5,800 acres of contiguous skiable terrain and a vertical of 4,350 feet, Big Sky Resort offers unmatched skiing. From the chutes of Headwater’s Ridge to 300 degrees of skiing off of Lone Peak, which stands at 11,166 feet. With an average of 400 inches of annual snowfall, Bit Sky Resort offers lots of powder pockets.

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Vail Resorts Introduces Emma, Your Epic Mountain Assistant.

Powder Skiing in Back Bowls In Vail, CO. Photo: Vail Resorts. The Must-Read Guide to Vail.

– Emma, Your Epic Mountain Assistant, is the world’s first digital mountain assistant to offer information on everything from grooming, lift line wait times and parking to recommendations on rentals, lessons and dining options.
– Guests will instantly receive expert, local information tailored to each resort and to their needs.
– Emma builds on the Company’s long track record of seamlessly using technology to improve the guest experience without impacting their connection to the outdoors.

The Vail Village is where Vail Resorts started many years ago. Vail Resorts. Vail Mountain. Emma, Your Epic Mountain Assistant uses AI to answer all your questions.
The Vail Village is where Vail Resorts started many years ago.



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Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Okemo Mountain Resort and Mount Sunappe Resort are EPIC.

Crested Butte is one of the last additions to the EPIC Pass. Photo: Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
  • Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee join the Epic Pass beginning with the 2018-19 winter season in a long-term alliance.
  • Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia pass holders will receive seven days of skiing and snowboarding at each of the three resorts with no blackout dates for a total of 21 days.
  • Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all of their seven days and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all of their four days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at the three resorts.
  • Epic, Epic Local, Epic Australia, Epic 7-Day and Epic 4-Day pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets after their respective days have been redeemed.
  • Crested Butte Peak Pass Plus and Peak Pass holders; Okemo Ultimate, Classic and Gold Pass holders; and Mount Sunapee Full Ride and Skiing Is For Life Pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets at all Vail Resorts owned mountain resorts.



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Vail Resorts, Inc. announced today that Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont and Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire will join the industry-leading Epic Pass in a long-term alliance beginning in the 2018-19 winter season, bringing the total to 64 mountain resorts in 11 states and provinces and eight countries for skiers and snowboarders. Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia will receive seven days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at each of the three resorts for a total of 21 days. Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all seven of their total days and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all four of their total days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at the three resorts.

 

Okemo is also now EPIC.
Okemo is also now EPIC.

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