Skiing Quebec City: Texas Ski Council in Egypt 21

Transcription

January-February 2011
Volume 24 Number 1
Skiing Quebec City:
French Atmosphere But Closer To Home
Texas Ski
Council
in Egypt
21
Unique
Ski Trip
Concepts
Extreme Skiing At Colorado Ski Resorts
photo courtesy of
Carve out the
perfect ski vacation
January-February 2011 Volume 24 Number 1
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Extreme Skiiing at Colorado Resorts
Pages 26-27
Photo this page: Hiking up from Breckinridge Imperial Express Superchair -- North
Americaʼs highest lift, reaching 12,840 feet -- to do some extreme skiing from the top of
Peak 8 at 12,987 feet above sea level. Photo: Courtesy of Vail Resorts.
Cover Photo: Connie Cavanaugh of the Lederhosen Ski Club (NY) at Quebecʼs Ice Hotel.
Photo: NSCN.
Page 6
Trip Report
Page 8
Resort Report
Page 10
Indianapolis Ski Club in
Cortina and Venice
Skiing Out of Quebec City
Club Management
21 New Ski Trip Concepts
IN EVERY ISSUE:
Page 14
Page 18
Page 19
Page 25
Ideas from Other Clubs
Ski Club News
Ski Council News
Ski Industry News
Check out past issues at www.nationalskiclubnews.com and stay up to date with our monthly Newsflashes via e-mail.
EDITORIAL
A Dog of An Idea
By Bob Wilbanks, NSCN
Summer’s been fun...
Now let’s get Skirious !
Now’s the time to plan your next ski vacation and your best choice of ski specialists is World On Skis!
With 38 years of experience you can trust in the knowledge, purchasing power and experience that we offer
you, your family and friends when planning a ski vacation in North America or Europe.
Contact us for: Hotels ~ Condominiums ~ Airfares ~ Car Rental ~ Lift Tickets ~ Pre & Post City Stays
USA/CANADA
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Jackson Hole:
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Whistler:
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from $563pp
EUROPE
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from $608pp
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ALL EUROPE PACKAGES INCLUDE: 7 night’s accommodation • Round-trip airport transfers • Breakfast daily
Hotel taxes and service charges
Innsbruck:
St. Moritz:
Cortina:
from $429pp
from $883pp
from $427pp
Courmayeur: from $594pp
Chamonix:
from $631pp
Bormio: from $773pp also includes dinner daily!
Prices are per person, land only, based on two people sharing a room, valid for Jan 2 to Jan 30, 2010 departures. Other restrictions may apply.
Call us for great deals, special airfares and a wide selection of ski destinations!
Call 866.678.5858
Visit www.worldonskis.com
250 Moonachie Road, Moonachie NJ 07074
Brand of
Bob Wilbanks, editor NSCN, at Quebecʼs Ice Hotel.
Photo: NSCN.
THE NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER
is published by Rowil Publishing,
P.O. Box 4704, Englewood, CO 80155.
Phone or Fax: 303-689-9921.
E-mail: wilbanks@ski-club.net
Bob Wilbanks, Editor
303-689-9921 -- wilbanks@ski-club.net
Katie Petito, Assistant Editor
www.katiepetito.com
THE NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER
provides a forum for sharing ideas between
the nation's ski clubs. The publication is sent
to the officers of 2,200± ski clubs and 44 councils with a total membership of 750,000 skiers,
and is an independent entity with no official affiliation with any ski club or ski council.
I want to sound off about those airport body
scanners -- although by the time you read this,
the TSA may have reconsidered the whole
thing -- if the deal hadn’t already been paid for.
Airport security in the U.S. is becoming a
sometimes dumb, expensive, and -- recently -offensive joke, especially those new body scanners and the patdowns for people who do not
wish to endure being seen virtually naked by the
operators of the offending machines.
Anybody that doesn’t want to be seen naked
via a low intensity X-ray machine is forced to
endure very aggressive groping that would
probably get the TSA agents arrested if they
weren’t sanctioned by the government.
The scanners cost $100,000 to $120,000 each
and several must be installed in each of 600 airports for the concept to be effective. There are
already 385 scanners at 68 airports and the two
manufacturers of the machines, L-3 Communications and Rapiscon Systems, have spent $5 million lobbying congress to adopt the technology.
Rapiscon’s parent company gave $60,000 and
L-3 donated $460,000 (for better government?)
to various 2010 national political campaigns, so
one would suspect that the deal to adopt body
scanners has already been bought and paid for.
A better way to keep us safe?
For decades airports and other installations
worldwide have used trained dogs to sniff out
drugs and explosives. Why can’t the government
utilize this time-tested and low-tech solution at
airports? Dogs don’t have to see through your
clothing to know what is in your pockets or
under your clothes and they cost a lot less than
body scanners. Dogs could be used to sniff luggage, carry-on bags, and people for a lot less
money, less intrusion, and certainly less embarrassment than the new machines -- and such a
program could be up and running in all of the
600 commercial airports in the country in
months, not years, for a fraction of our current
cost of protection. It makes you wish that America’s dog trainers could afford to hire lobbyists
or perhaps make political contributions!
We know that all levels of government are
in a budget crunch right now, so wouldn’t it be
prudent of the government to at least consider
the costs of keeping explosives off planes? We
already have metal detectors in place throughout the system and adding dogs would be a lot
cheaper (and less intrusive) than adding more
body scanners -- and I doubt that anyone will
ever file a report about any of those dogs
ogling, leering at, or groping anyone they’re
inspecting -- with the possible exception of a
few folks traveling with their poodles.
Canada’s Protected Playground
TM
Unless stated to the contrary in the article,
any ski club wishing to copy an article in this
publication may do so providing that credit is
given to The National Ski Club Newsletter,
the originating ski club and -- when available
-- the author of the article.
Articles, newsletters, and guest editorials are
solicited for possible publication. We cannot
be held responsible for the return of material
submitted. Please include mail, e-mail, and
telephone contact information with submittal.
Advertising rate cards, reader and club profile information, and production schedules
are available upon request.
The National Ski Club Newsletter is published four times per year. For materials to
be included in an issue, we need to receive
them by the dates shown below.
November-December issue: September 10
January-February issue:
November 10
March-April issue:
January 10
May-June issue:
March 10
Photo: Henry Georgi
Protected means there are more mountains than million
dollar condos, and the wildlife here have the right-of-way.
And Playground because… well, we’re sure you’ll figure
that out yourself.
ferred
your pre ntact us
t
c
ta
n
o
o
C
c
rator or
tour opegroup trip quote
a
for
54-7255
1-877-7 iBig3.com
Sk
groups@
On your next group trip, make real memories. Whatever your
club’s desire, you’ll find it here in Canada’s Protected Playground™,
Banff National Park.
www.SkiBig3.com/NSCn
The National Ski Club Newsletter
Page 5
Indianapolis Ski Club
Skis Cortina and
Tours Venice, Italy
I
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OM
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Trip Report by Randy Ridgway
The Canals of Venice.
Indianapolis Ski Club members joined other
OVSC members for the annual European Ski
Trip to Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, from March 6
to March 14. Cortina is one of Europe’s most
beautiful ski destinations, sitting in a forested
valley surrounded by the spectacular Dolomite
Alps.
We flew from New York’s JFK airport to
Venice’s Marco Polo airport, where a new terminal had been built since our trip in 2002. As
Cortina is just two hours by bus north of
Venice, we arrived at the resort early Sunday
afternoon to explore the town, rent skis, and
buy our ski passes before dinner.
We stayed at the Hotel Splendid Venezia
which is centrally located and included breakfast and dinner. Since Cortina is fairly small,
you can walk about anywhere, or you can ride
the free shuttle to anywhere around town.
Monday broke with clear blue skies and
cold temperatures and we skied at Faloria and
Cristallo our first day in fantastic corduroy
snow conditions. The cable car to Faloria
starts near the bus station and was easy and
quick to get to from our hotel. After spending
most of the morning at Faloria, we skied down
to the north base and crossed the road to the
Cristallo ski area, making a few more runs on
Cristallo before lunch. Our OVSC hosts had
planned a late afternoon welcome party for us
at Col Druscie on Tofana mountain where we
joined the G.A.S. ski club of California for the
welcome party. They told us that G.A.S. stands
for Grumpy Asian Skiers, but they certainly
knew how to party!
Tuesday we skied on Tofana where we had
been the evening before. It was just frigid,
windy, cloudy, but the snow was great! Tofana
holds the annual Cortina Womens’ World Cup
downhill every January, and Lindsey Vonn of
Page 6
Vail had won just before Vancouver.
Wednesday was an easy day. We took a day
trip by bus to ski Kronplatz, near Brunico. We
skied a little, had a leisurely lunch, and skied
a little more.
Thursday was to be the day we skied the famous Sella Ronda, around the Sella Massif (a
huge complex of mountains) via four interconnected mountain passes and four valleys.
Throughout our week in Cortina, some of
our group took advantage of day tours to Vipiteno, Bolzano, Conegliano, and Venice. It’s a
great way to take a day off from skiing and
have a great time.
We split up the last couple of ski days as
everyone by now had their own favorite ski
area. Some of us had a first-ever experience of
being pulled by a horse sleigh! Near the town
of Armentarola, there is a half-mile stretch up
a gradual incline where you pay two Euros and
grab a rope trailing behind a horse drawn
sleigh. And yes, we sang Jingle Bells.
Sunday we were scheduled to fly home, but
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The tower of Cortina.
our flight from Venice to New York was cancelled due to high winds in New York City so
Delta Airlines provided us with hotel rooms
and two meal vouchers and we got to spend an
extra day in Venice!
Like so many European ski trips, it helps
to bring along equal amounts of flexibility and
adventurism. When you have both, you can
truly enjoy a different culture, language, and
cuisine not found in the U.S.
Loves
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TRIP REPORT
Quebec City Ski Trip Offers 3 Ski Resorts,
Culture, Plus Big-City Nightlife and Sight-Seeing
A ski trip to Quebec City is like going to Europe without having to cross the Atlantic.
It’s North America’s most European city -- complete with European charm and architecture, wonderful French food, urban nightlife, and interesting shopping. Begun by Samuel de Champlain in
1608 as a French fur trading post and captured by the British in 1759, Quebec is the center of
French culture in North America. It’s the only fortified American city north of Mexico, still has
some of its cobblestone streets, and is a World Heritage Site.
Quebec’s Artillery Park has historic buildings, including a redoubt from the French
Regime the Musée de l’Amérique française,
housed in a centuries-old seminary, the Musée
des Ursulines, and the Notre-Dame-de-Québec
basilica’s art collection.
In Lower Town, the Place-Royale and the
Petit-Champlain quarter has an interpretation
centre, The Musée de la Civilisation, and arts
and craft boutiques interspersed among some
great restaurants, bars, and bistros.
Upper Town, offers the famous Château
Frontenac, Battlefields Park -- the site of the
fateful clash in 1759 between the French and
British armies -- and the Musée National des
Beaux-Arts du Québec.
Combining city-style historic or modern
hotel accommodations with experiencing history, sightseeing, and shopping, European cuisine, and some of the East’s most interesting
ski resorts, Quebec City offers U.S. ski clubs
a totally different kind of winter vacation -and it’s really close to home for most of us.
Many clubs schedule their ski trips here to
coincide with Quebec’s annual winter carnival
which goes on for 17 days from late January
into mid February. Now more than 50 years
old, it’s the largest winter carnival in the world
and features a variety of winter activities such
as snow rafting, horse-drawn sleigh rides,
dogsled rides, a snow sculpture competition,
night carnival parades, and even a canoe race
on the ice-filled St. Lawrence River.
The Ice Hotel
A great après-ski activity when skiing Stoneham is to visit the Ice Hotel between the resort
and Quebec City. This season marks the 10th
year that the Hotel de Glace has been rebuilt in
its entirety for an early January opening featuring 36 rooms and theme suites. The hotel has a
shared heated bathroom and an indoor fireplace,
hot tub, and sauna. Take the guided tour, have
a drink in their famous ice glasses (shown in the
cover photo of this issue), meditate in the
chapel, go down the ice slide, take lots of photograps -- and wear your ski clothes.
Quebecʼs Château Frontenac Hotel. Photo: Courtesy of Fairmont Hotels
Le Massif overlooking the St. Lawrence River. Photo: Courtesy of Le Massif.
The Resorts
Stoneham Mountain Resort is the smallest
of the three principle Laurentian ski resorts and
it’s the closest ski resort to Quebec -- just 20
minutes from city-center. Each evening the
lights come on for night skiing amid a festive
and party atmosphere. The resort’s open from
9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday
but closes at 8:30 p.m. on Sundays. They offer
1,378 foot vertical drop with 39 runs (19 of
which are lighted) and two terrain parks.
Mont-Sainte-Anne, the second largest ski
resort in Eastern Canada, is just 25 miles north
of Québec City. It has more than 65 runs, 2,000
feet of vertical drop, and great views of the St.
Lawrence River. Because of its challenging
black-diamond runs on its upper south face, it’s
often considered as the best expert ski terrain
in the east but, despite that reputation for expert terrain, the less aggressive skiers among us
have even more moderate terrain on the lower
south, southwest, west, and north faces. The resort also has the largest cross-country ski facility in Canada -- with 129 miles of trails.
Check out the maple sugar shack on-mountain. A couple of guys cook maple syrup, then
pour it onto little boards sitting in snow where
it instantly hardens for a great candy-like treat.
Because the walk from the parking lot to the
base-area gondola is rather long and flat, they
offer a horse-drawn sleigh to transport skiers
across the base area, but it’s often used by kids
(and lots of adults) just to enjoy the experience.
The base area Chouette Bar has a great view
of the St. Lawrence River and a live band for
après-ski dancing and your club may want to
try the showshoe and raclette dinner at the top
of the mountain for a fun après-ski event.
Trying out the Ice Hotelʼs ice slide.
Photo: NSCN.
A little further north from Mont-SainteAnne is Le Massif de Charlevoix, which has
the highest vertical drop east of the Rocky
Mountains (2,050 feet) and a magnificent view
of mountains falling into the enormous St.
Lawrence River. The resort receives massive
snowfall, offers gourmet fare with a warm
French ambience and a wonderful view of the
St. Lawrence River. It’s no wonder that the locals consider Le Massif de Charlevoix to be
one of Canada’s best kept skiing secrets -- but
that’s about to change.
Le Massif is now owned by Daniel Gauthier
-- one of the guys who took the centuries-old,
three-ring, circus-in-a-tent concept and transformed it into the Cirque du Soleil back in the
1980’s. He’s since sold his interest in the
Cirque du Soleil and is investing $200 million
on a region-wide year-round tourism infrastructure for the area around Le Massif that
will include an 85-mile-long tourist train from
Quebec City to the village of Petite-RivièreSt.-François at the base of Le Massif, and then
on to the nearby art center village of Baie-St.Paul where he is building an eco hotel to be
called “The Farm”.
The investment will also include another
eco-hotel at Le Massif to be built by 2013, and
they will also add 30 percent more ski terrain
for the 2012-2013 ski season.
Tourism officials hope the expanded facilities at the mountain and in Baie-St.-Paul, plus
the tourist and ski train accessing the area from
Quebec City, will attract much more ski and
year-round tourism to both the Charlevoix area
and Le Massif from Quebec, Ontario, the
United States, and even from Europe.
If Mr. Gauthier’s ideas play out anything like
his circus to Cirque du Soleil concept, Le Massif is going to be a really major ski resort!
The horse-drawn sleigh at Mont-Sainte-Anne. Photo: NSCN.
SKI CLUB MANAGEMENT
21 Different and Unique North American Ski Trip Concepts
Trip Ideas to Spice up Next Yearʼs Winter Adventures Selection
by Bob Wilbanks, NSCN
Here are 21 ideas for somewhat unique ski trip experiences. Some of them have been discussed in previous issues of the NSCN and most of them have
come from ski trips run by one or more ski clubs in the U.S. Most of these ideas are simply just adding a theme to tried-and-true ski club destinations.
What other ideas would you add to this list? Let us know and we’ll try to publish an additional list of unique trip ideas for America’s ski clubs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
SKI IMPROVEMENT WEEK – This can be done at almost any resort in early December at really affordable prices.
COWBOY SKI WEEK -- Wear your cowboy duds to Steamboat’s Saddleback Ranch or Jackson Hole’s Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
REALLY UPSCALE TRIP -- Stay at Salt Lake City’s Grand America, ski Deer Valley and Snowbasin, serve champagne in after 5 attire for après-ski.
SKI LAKE TAHOE MIDWEEK WITH A SAN FRANCISCO WEEKEND.
TOP OF COLORADO SKI SAFARI – Ski up to nine areas from Breckenridge to Beaver Creek.
GO NATIVE AMERICAN -- Spend a day at American Indian sites between Taos and Santa Fe on the way to or from the resort.
GLITZ ROCKS -- From the X Games and Big Air Fridays to celebrity spotting at glitzy bars and restaurants, Aspen rocks!
MAMMOTH RACE WEEK – A race week on Mammoth’s seven race courses -- and more!
IDITEROD SKI WEEK -- at Alyeska in early March.
CARNIVAL WEEK SKI TRIP TO QUEBEC CITY -- Lodging and revelry in the city, then ski the surrounding areas.
CHEAP LUXURY TRIP -- Spas, sophisticated shopping, international clientele, massive ski terrain. It’s Vail in early December!
INEXPENSIVE NEW YEARS TRIP IN SALT LAKE CITY. It’s a giant New Year’s Eve block party -- complete with lots of skiing.
TWO NATION VACATION -- Trip to Whitefish Mountain, Montana, with a day of skiing at British Columbia’s Kimberly.
VISIT A CANADIAN NATIONAL PARK AND WORLD HERITAGE SITE -- Stay in Banff, Lake Louise, or Sunshine Village.
SNOWMOBILE IN YELLOWSTONE -- While skiing Big Sky or Jackson Hole Resorts.
THE SKI INTERCONNECT -- A guided adventure skiing up to five areas from one of Summit County Utah’s three resorts.
TAKE THE TRAIN TO WINTER PARK, ASPEN, SNOWMASS, OR WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN.
SKI AROUND LAKE TAHOE – Ski a different ski resort each day for two weeks.
SALT LAKE CITY SKI SAFARI – Ski a different ski area each day for nine days -- 10 resorts if you want to also try Sundance.
SKI NEW MEXICO’S ART -- Stay in Santa Fe to experience the art, history, food, and architecture. Ski Santa Fe and Taos.
SKI AND SEE WORLD HERITAGE NATIVE AMERICAN SITES. Ski Purgatory and visit nearby Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon.
Skier above Grindelwald, Jungfrau Region
Interlaken / Jungfrau Region.
The classic winter sports area in the Jungfrau Region has
much to offer. Glide down snowy slopes, explore wintery
footpaths, race down the toboggan runs, relax in one of
the wellness oasis or enjoy local specialties on a sun-terrace: the Interlaken / Jungfrau area belongs to you.
Sample SkiEurope Group Arrangement
Interlaken, Chalet Hotel Oberland, $1055
Grindelwald, Hotel Derby, $1295
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4) 5%(678$64##) 7'#*"-4*"%-) 5"*+)
90(%,'4-) $+4(:) 4-7) ;'5) <%(67)
4:'-"*"'#=
Includes:
- Round-trip air economy class from NYC to
Zurich on United/Continental
- Round-trip transfers by private motor coach
from Zurich airport to hotel
- 7 nights accommodation in specified hotel
- Buffet breakfast daily
- All local taxes and service charges
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Not included:
- Current air taxes and fuel surcharges of $420,
subject to change prior ticketing
- Travel and medical insurance (recommended)
- Optional day excursions
- Lift tickets
Prices are based on a minimum of 40 participants, double occupancy, for travel in February
or March 2011 and are subject to availability at
time of reservation.
Flight arrangements are possible from all major
airports in North America. Other hotels and destinations in the Jungfrau Region are also possible.
Page 10
Outdoor activities.
Winter guests are simply spoilt for choice.
44 modern lifts link more than 125 miles
of slopes with wonderful valley descents.
That’s not all – 62 miles of winter walking
trails and toboggan runs await you too!
Pamper yourself.
Round off a perfect day’s vacation in the
fresh air with a sauna, before relaxing on
a sun-bed and enjoying the spectacular
scenery. The exclusive Victoria-Jungfrau
Spa offers the ultimate active and passive
wellness experience.
Cozy huts.
Imagine you’ve just had a delicious cheese
fondue in the warm, rustic atmosphere of
a cozy hut. And you are now about to start
your descent back down to the village, walking through the forest with your torch.
For reservations or more information please visit
ski-europe.com or call 1-800-333-5533
Advertisement
Relaxing Skiers in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
THE ALPS: UNSURPASSED WINTER VALUES
Ski fun in Garmisch Partenkirchen.
Skiers near St. Anton
By Helga Brenner
Why the Alps are inimitable
Often imitated but never equaled, the Alps continue to be the dream
destination for U.S skiers and snowboarders. You can ski right into the
village, and the lifts are close to your hotel. From the smallest bed-andbreakfast inns to luxurious five-star hotels, traditional Alpine hospitality and ambiance add greatly to the enjoyment of your ski trip. Not only
do the world’s widest runs and value-priced offerings draw demanding
snow riders to authentic Alpine villages, but the wealth of cultural experiences beckons within an hour or two from the snow fields. The resorts’ state-of-the-art spa facilities are famous for revitalizing
treatments. U.S. tour operators and local hotels offer great deals. A trip
to an Alpine ski resort could cost between U.S. $100 and U.S. $300 less
than a trip to a Western ski resort. In 2011 the Alps are still more affordable than the Rockies.
Cultural and natural treasures close to the pistes
Vorarlberg is home to extraordinary contemporary architecture and
cultural delights. Bregenz, the state capital, is renowned for its music
festival. Its art museum, Kunsthaus Bregenz, and the British artist
Antony Gormley are realizing a unique project in the mountains of Vorarlberg: Horizon Field is the largest landscape intervention in Austria
to date. It consists of 100 life-size, cast iron figures of the human body
spread over an area of 150 square kilometers in eight communities,
among them the ski resorts of Lech and Klösterle.
Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace, is on many a skier’s list. Its exquisite
Old Town has buildings from the Middle Ages to the 19th century but
is particularly famous for its baroque edifices. Hallstatt, at the foot of
Mt. Dachstein, is the site of the prehistoric Hallstatt civilization, and of
ancient salt mines surrounded by a scenic Alpine landscape.
Switzerland has untold sights and hidden treasures. The centuriesold Grimsel Hospiz Hotel, a former abode of defiant miners, has been
transformed into an elegant hotel, located at 1,954 meters on the Grimsel Pass (Bernese Oberland). Its history dates back to 1,142. The Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s longest tunnel is an engineering feat
many visitors want see. The breakthrough took place in October 2010
and the tunnel will open in 2017, shortening travel time to Lugano and
to Milan. Lucerne is a national treasure and bastion of culture; all
around it are the roots of the Swiss Confederation. Snow-capped mountains surround Lake Lucerne: Legendary Mt. Pilatus (6km toboggan
run), Mt. Rigi (9 km of ski trails), Mt. Titlis (12 km descents), and Andermatt-Sedrun (125 km of pistes), which has a fun park, toboggan run,
Aqua-Wellness "Bogn Sedrun", and much more.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen hosts the annual Richard Strauss Festival in
June and is home to a museum dedicated to the composer. The oldest part
Page 12
of the picturesque town goes back 1,200 years. Fine folklore performances delight its visitors. The baroque Ettal Monastery and the rococo Pilgrimage Church of the Wies are nearby. Oberammergau with its Pilatus
House and Lüftlmalerei (façade frescoes), and King Ludwig’s
Neuschwanstein Castle are only a hop and a skip away.
Munich is the city most Germans want to live in. World-class theaters,
museums, boutiques, Viktualienmarkt, famous breweries, charming cafes,
starred gourmet restaurants, and an almost Mediterranean atmosphere,
add to Munich’s charm. Its recorded history goes back to 1175. Munich’s
landmark, Frauenkirche Cathedral, was built in the 15th century.
Snowfields of dreams
Austria, the birthplace of Alpine skiing, is known for its wide powder runs. Climate conditions are favorable, resulting in abundant snowfall. Harsh winters are unknown here.
St. Anton (4,303 ft./1,304 m) is a delightful resort with large skiing
areas. Highest lift-served point: 2,811 meters; vertical drop: 1,507 meters. One of the Arlberg’s fantastic slopes starts right behind the village
square. There is a huge terrain for skiers of all abilities, including extreme skiers. Only a short bus-ride from St. Anton is Lech- Zürs, a
snow-assured village on the Arlberg. Many repeat visitors rave about
this dream destination. The cradle of Alpine skiing, it has 280 km of
downhill runs, 180 km of deep snow runs and 84 lifts. The resort is dotted with luxurious hotels and fine restaurants
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis offers amazing value for the whole family. Located near Landeck, the westernmost town of Tirol served by scenic
Arlberg train, it boasts 178 km of pistes, 132 Nordic tracks, and 70 lifts.
There are special children’s zones within the skiing area, a new Tubing
Park and a variety of child-friendly accommodations. Snowboarders
have their own fun park and a huge freeride area, carvers enjoy their
own runs, and racers their permanent racing slope.
Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland is home to Interlaken, a resort with
access to some of the most spectacular snowfields in the Alps. Excellent hotels offer competitive rates during winter and spring. A mountain
railway links Interlaken to the Jungfrau Top Ski Region, with more than
205 km of trails above Grindelwald, Mürren and Wengen. Lauterbrunnen is only six miles away; its 15.8-km Inferno Race is the world’s oldest and probably craziest ski race.
Zermatt is Switzerland’s best all-round ski resort. The sublime beauty
of the Matterhorn, the authenticity of its ancient sun-blackened houses,
and time-honored traditions give Zermatt its special atmosphere. Twentynine 4,000-meter peaks surround the resort. Cable cars soar over cliffs
and chasms. At 3,820 meters, the Klein Matterhorn lift is the highest
cable car in the world. Zermatt’s longest run is from the Klein Matterhorn
For more information please visit www.alpseurope.com
Salzburg in winter - Old town and fortress
into town: 13 km. Vertical drop: 2,200 meters. One of Switzerland’s 250
“Typically Swiss Hotels” is Zermatt’s Riffelalp Resort 2222m*****S.
Germany’s premier winter sports center, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is
nestled at 720 meters at the foot of the country’s highest mountain, the
Zugspitze (2,962 meters). It offers everything a demanding skier expects of a world-class resort. Generations of American servicemen discovered their love of skiing on the slopes of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
The Olympic town is the venue of traditional downhill races on the aweinspiring Kandahar run (940-meter vertical drop). Above the town, ski
areas glitter on the Hausberg, Kreuzeck, and Osterfelder mountains.
Glacier skiing is popular on the Zugspitze. The Alpspitz cable car leads
up to Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s highest runs at 2,050 meters. The popular Alpspitz run is 7 km long. The Kreuzeck is reached via a rope tow.
Skiers have the option to return to the valley floor via the Olympia run
or the daunting Kandahar. Garmisch-Partenkirchen has 118 km of
marked runs. Lift capacity: 34,000 persons/hour, 10 snowmaking machines. Ski season: November-May. Cross-border skiing into Austria is
a popular option (included in the Happy Ski Card).
Easy access, superb infrastructure
Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, and Swiss International Airlines fly
daily to the major cities in the Alps. Munich’s superbly designed lightfilled airport is the ideal gateway to the Bavarian and Austrian Alps,
with non-stop service from 14 North American gateways.
Alpine infrastructure is exemplary. The best theme trains are found
in the Alps. Austria’s state-of-the-art trains are famous for their efficiency. Among Austria’s scenic trains is the Arlbergbahn, which runs
from Bregenz (Lake Constance) to Innsbruck.
The most convenient way to discover Switzerland is to travel with a
Swiss Pass. It entitles visitors to unlimited travel on the outstanding
Swiss Travel System’s network and includes free travel on scenic routes
such as the Glacier Express, Bernina Express, GoldenPass Line, or Wilhelm Tell Express. The memorable ride on the Snow Train takes skiers
holding a Swiss Transfer Ticket every Saturday until March 19 from
Geneva Airport or from Zürich's Main Train Station to Valais.
Skiing in front of the Matterhorn at Zermatt, Canton Valais
Ski Tours Packages to Alpine Destinations in Spring 2011
American tour operators offer value-priced tours to great ski resorts. Here is
but a small selection to whet your appetite:
Alpine Adventures
Offers tours to Austria (and other Alpine countries) in Feb.-Mar. 2010.
St. Anton:
Round-trip air via Swiss International Air Lines (NYC/JFK to Zurich).
Other cities/airports are possible.
Seven nights at the three-star Hotel Kirchplatz, with breakfast for $1,450 per
person. Shuttle Bus transfers. Lift pass and equipment rental not included.
Local taxes included. Air taxes not included (currently $420 to $520 per per
son) and Optional Travel Protection Plan (6.5% of package price).
www.alpineadventures.com
World on Skis
Garmisch-Partenkirchen:
Gateway: Munich. (Airfare not included) Seven nights at the 4-star
Treff Hotel Alpina, from $626 per person.
Included: All breakfasts and transfers.
Resort altitude 750 feet, Mountain peak 2,962 feet, vertical drop 1,950 feet.
Advanced terrain: 15%, Intermediate: 65%, Beginners: 20%,
Hotel Alpina is best for health and beauty, winter sports. 70 first class
rooms, all amenities. (Other resorts are available as well.)
www.worldonskis.com
Holidaze Ski Tours
Interlaken (Switzerland):
7-nights in the 2-star Hotel Rossli: $859
Included:
- Round-trip air from New York (other cities available).
- Transfer between gateway city and resort.
- English-speaking assistance on transfer.
- Breakfast buffet daily and all local taxes during the low season.
(Please note that each tour is based on a group of 42 persons with two
persons going free. They are also based on low season and do not
include taxes or fuel which averages about $450.)
www.holidaze.com
Sledding on Mt Rigi, above Lake Lucerne.
For more information please visit www.alpseurope.com
Page 13
IDEAS from other clubs
Lederhosen Ski Club (NY)
Club Holds Antiques Roadshow
This Amherst, New York, club held its own
antiques roadshow with a professional appraiser -- complete with top hat -- appraising
antique items belonging to club members with
the use of a magnifying glass and magnet. No
super-valuable items were discovered but fun
was had by all.
Fort Wayne Ski Club (IN)
Cash or Money Orders Only
The Fort Wayne Ski Club’s trip brochure
states that members must be paid by checks or
money orders made out to the Fort Wayne Ski
Club. Cash and credit cards are not accepted.
Asheville Ski Club (NC)
New Faces at the Meeting
These guys featured several photos of new
members and prospective (soon to become
new) members in their October newsletter. It’s
a good way to introduce new members to the
club and the concept would seem to encourage new members to attend membership meetings.
Fall Line Ski Club (NJ)
Stopover at the Mall of America
When the Fall Line Ski Club was delayed by
mechanical problems for several hours in the
Minneapolis airport on the way to Schweitzer,
they noticed that the Mall of America was just
three stops on the light rail from their terminal
-- so they went to check out the destination
shopping mall and shopped ‘till they dropped.
Big Pocono Ski Club (PA)
$99 A Day to Eat, Sleep, and Ski
This Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, ski club
has a drive-up ski trip to Mt. Blanc, Quebec,
for just $99 per person, per day January 6-11,
2011. That price even includes a 90 minute
lesson and free rental equipment for those who
Page 14
don’t own or don’t want to carry their skis.
Greater Johnstown Athletic Ski Club (PA)
Restaurant Fund Raiser
This club took advantage of a local restaurants program that offered to donate 20% of the
total check of people that presented a special
“cash cow card” marked with the name and
group number of the club on a Friday. The cards
were passed out in newsletters and at a ski club
function. Participating diners got a good meal,
the club received a donation and the restaurant
got additional business -- and perhaps a few
new customers in the process. Everybody won!
Peoria Ski Club (IL)
Beaver Creek Ski Week For $576
This club is selling a Beaver Creek ski trip
with ski-in, ski-out condos for just $576! How
did they do it? It’s in late season, April 3 to 9,
but the spring skiing is usually still great. And
while transportation and lift tickets aren’t included, the price of lift tickets is normally reduced in late season and the club is encouraging
the use of Amtrak, where they have reserved 20
round-trip tickets for $169 each (but train travel
time also extends the trip dates to April 2-10).
If you want to offer an inexpensive ski trip, try
shoulder season at an upscale resort rather than
regular season at a second tier resort..Editor.
Lafayette Ski & Snowboard Club (IN)
TSA Identity Requirement Warning
The Lafayette Ski Club issued this warning
to its members: When you book a flight, be
sure to use your full name as it appears on the
government-issued photo ID you will use
when traveling. Airlines are now prohibited
from issuing boarding passes to passengers
whose names, dates of birth, and/or gender on
their photo IDs do not match the information
provided when the flight is booked. The regulations are part of the Intelligence Reform and
Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which requires the Department of Homeland Security
and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to monitor and compare pre-flight
passenger information against federal watch
lists. See http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/secureflight/index.shtm for details.
Ohio Valley Ski Club (WV)
License Plate Holders
This Parkersburg W.V., club gave a license
plate holder to each of their 100± members that
says “Ski with the best” on top and “Ohiovalleyskiclub.com” on the bottom. It’s a great way
to promote the ski club and for members to rec-
It falls. You go
IDEAS from other clubs
The Phoenix Ski Club (AZ)
Business Cards Good for Free Drink
The Phoenix Ski Club has printed business
cards for members to distribute to their friends.
When presented to their club meeting bartenders by a visitor, the cards may be exchanged for a free drink.
The Suffolk Skidaddlers (NY)
Rifle/Pistol Range Excursion
This club held a day trip to the Long Island
shooting Range in Brookhaven, New York, in
the fall. Cost of the event was $18.
The Tampa Bay Ski Club (FL)
Price Reduction for Multiple Ski Trips
The Tampa Bay Ski Club is offering their
members $50 off the price of their second and
subsequent trips. There are no forms to fill out
and participants simply tell their trip leader the
dates of any previous trips this year.
Peninsula Ski Club (VA)
Skiing On Memorial Day
The Peninsula Ski Club is planning to “Ski
the Beach” at Arapahoe Basin on Memorial
Day. They suggest that participants ditch their
ski clothing and ski in swimwear for a change.
The Austin Skiers (TX)
October Meeting at Costume Shop
The Austin Skiers held their October membership meeting during mid-month at Costume
World -- allowing members to get ready for
Halloween before or after attending the meeting. Members were also urged to wear their
membership badges.
The Toledo Ski Club (OH)
Change Airline to Southwest
On a Vail trip this year, this club changed
their airline to Southwest Airlines from Detroit
to Denver and participants not only saved a
few bucks on the price of the ticket, but each
participant saved an additional $120 because
Southwest does not charge baggage fees.
The Danbury Ski Club (CT)
Sign up for Trips, Etc. on Website
The Danbury Ski Club’s new website
(www.dsc.clubexpress.com) allows members
to sign up for club functions, trips, and even
membership renewals using a credit card.
Members can also create their own user names
and passports to access the web-site. Once a
transaction is complete the member receives a
receipt for the transaction via a return e-mail.
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The Ski Club of Washington, D.C.
Sailing on Tuesdays and Saturdays
This large club holds sailing events every
Tuesday evening and every other Saturday
morning in the fall. The boats are 19-foot Flying Scots and each boat had an experienced
captain. Members may go along just for the
ride, to learn to sail, or to learn to sail better.
After the two-hour sail, most of the participants usually adjourn to a nearby restaurant for
dinner. Cost for the event was $14 to $17, plus
the cost of dinner.
Kansas City Ski Club (KS-MO)
Booth at Nearby Army Base Pair Day
The Kansas City Ski club recently manned
a booth at the nearby U.S. Army Combined
Arms Center’s PAIR Day (Post Activities Information and Registration Day). It’s an event
the Army holds to introduce local businesses,
churches, clubs, and various organizations to
military personnel who have recently arrived
at Fort Leavenworth. Does your club have a
nearby military base nearby and do they host
this or a similar event? Perhaps you should
contact the facilities and ask them.
Warren Ski Club (OH)
Ski Trip to Japanʼs North Island
Ohio’s Warren Ski Club is already planning
a 2012 ski trip to Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture,
flying into Osaka and then to Kyoto, Japan’s
ancient capital, then on to Niseko — the powder skiing capital of the world. The trip will include a day at Rusutsu, Hokkaido’s largest ski
resort. Optional day trips will be to powdermeccas Kiroro and Teine Resorts, with optional
trips to the hot springs of Noboribetsu, the
Date-Jidaimura “Ninja” Theme Park, ShikotsuToya National Park. Then on to Hokkaido’s
capital, Sapporo with its beer garden, shopping,
and Susukino District nightlife area. Then they
will fly to Tokyo to experience its famed
Asakusa district, shopping, and nightlife
Page 15
SKI CLUB NEWS
The Phoenix Ski Club Joins The Social Networking World
Just what is “Social Networking?” For me,
it’s easiest to understand social networking in
terms of people. Since 1948, people have
joined and participated in The Phoenix Ski
Club. We ski, camp, dine, and travel together.
We stay in touch with other members, even
when they move away from Phoenix. We share
our likes, experiences, friendships, and lives.
We are a group of individuals -- a “family”.
The PSC is a “Social Network”! So, what’s
changed to make Social Networking such a
“hot” phenomenon? Today we are no longer
limited to gathering in person! By making use
of computers and the Internet, Facebook provides an online gathering place for friends, associates, and people with shared interests.
Using Facebook, people meet, gather, and
communicate. You can visit and contribute to
Facebook anytime, from any location with Internet access. People can “meet” and keep in
touch without having to be in the same place at
the same time. This has become so popular
that Facebook is now the second most-oftenvisited website anywhere! Only Google is
busier!
Many people today prefer Facebook over
e-mail for staying in touch. For instance, suppose something happens that you want to share
with a lot of people. With ONE post on Facebook all your friends get the news. Further,
questions that anyone asks are seen by everyone, as is the answer. This has turned into a
huge time-saver in group communication.
When it comes to sharing photos, Facebook
is more popular than any conventional website
you can think of! Why, you ask? It’s free, for
one thing. Also, one of the most appealing
things about sharing photos on Facebook is
that you are able to “tag” a photo, identifying
the people in your pictures. So, if anyone tags
a picture of you in Facebook, you are notified
by the system. This happens even when someone else posts and tags one of their pictures.
You get to see the pictures any of your friends
have taken of you effortlessly!
We’ve put together a Facebook page for
your enjoyment and to promote our ski club.
Of course, we’re not going to stop club meetings, events, trips (skiing or otherwise), and
the like! However, by using Facebook we can
add to the club experience! We have created
an interactive online “club meeting” that’s
available for everyone, 24-7. You can ask
questions or start and participate in discussions; post your photos; locate and stay in
touch with other PSC’ers, old, new; and potential, as much or as little as you like.
Page 18
From the Phoenix Ski Clubʼs Slope Dope
To find us, go to www.facebook.com and
register. It’s free to join. Then search “Phoenix
Ski Club” and there we are! While you’re
there, be sure to click on the “Like” button at
the top of the page so you’ll get all our updates.
Let us know what you think about our Page:
We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
For more information on the use of social
media for ski clubs, see our May-June 2009
issue..Editor.
Welcome to the
most social and active activities club in
central Arizona.
Home:
Activities:
Contact us:
Layout above is from the Phoenix Ski Clubʼs website.
S ki C l u b
B e s t De a l s !
Austria
Andorra
France
Germany
Italy
Switzerland
Canada
Bulgaria
Summer Trips
and more!
SKI COUNCIL NEWS
NSCF Offers Advantages for Ski Clubs and Councils
The National Ski Council Federation (NSCF)
was formally established in 1999. It consists
of the 30 largest ski councils in the United
States and boasts a total membership of well
over 300,000 snow sports enthusiasts. Our
mission is to strengthen councils, with industry participation, so they may better serve
member clubs through communication, education, and benefits, and to influence issues
relevant to snow sports.
If your ski club belongs to a ski council, you
have a wide array of benefits and services
available if the council belongs to the National
Ski Council Federation. The Federation provides a wide variety of services and benefits
to member clubs and councils.
The National Ski Council Federation has a
wealth of helpful information at their website:
www.skifederation.org. The Resource Center
provides a forum for clubs and councils to
share best practices and ideas about the operation of clubs. Clubs can ask their council to
submit a program, tactic, charity, or other idea
to share with other clubs around the country.
The result is a vast experience base that mem-
By Jo Simpson, NSCF Public Affairs Chair
President Sierra League & Council
bers can access. Contact your council president for the access codes to the secure Members Only section where you will find the
Resource Center and Member Benefits pages
among other valuable information.
Why should your club join a council? The
council is the link between clubs and the benefits provided by the NSCF. Councils serve as
an umbrella organization for organized ski
clubs in a particular area or region of the country to benefit from each other. They provide
clubs with a larger voice to promote joining a
ski club to enjoy snow skiing and boarding.
By joining a council, clubs get the benefit
of the Federation’s increased buying power
and ability to negotiate discounts. A council
can be a conduit of information among the
member clubs. Councils can be a source of information to ski club boards on administrative
issues relating to running a ski club, and provide information on best practices in membership, trip accounting, trip leader training, and
member activities. Councils also link ski clubs
to leadership training provided by the National
Ski Council Federation.
SKI SALT LAKE Safari
ou will travel off the beaten path in this
Ski Safari adventure all while finding out
first-hand just why Ski Salt Lake is “Different
by Nature.” With four unique treks at worldclass ski resorts Alta, Brighton, Solitude, and
Snowbird, and your choice of mini excursions
along the way, this 4-6 night expedition is sure
to leave you begging for more.
Y
Offer valid for groups of ten (10) or more for travel between
Season Opening 2010 through April 30, 2011.
CONTACT US:
Councils can bid and organize council-wide
ski trips with multiple organized activities at
the resort. The can provide interclub racing
and race clinics to improve your skiing and
racing skills. They provide a broader opportunity to network with other skiers and boarders.
Council presidents represent your club at
the NSCF and provide a voice for clubs to the
sport of skiing nationally and to the snow
sports industry. If your club does not belong to
a council, check out the list on the NSCF website contact the one that serves your area. Your
club will benefit greatly.
As an example of the purchasing power
benefits offered by NSCF are two companies
who offer travel insurance: Travel Guard and
Travel Protectors and one that offers personal
accident insurance coverage, Outdoor Recreation Insurance (ORI), while skiing, all offer
discounts to NSCF members. Features included in the offerings include insurance for
group trips throughout the year, medical supplemental, lost luggage, and more. Check out
these and other discount offerings on the
Member Benefits page of the website.
...a different adventure every day.
Plus, choose 1 day of ‘mini excursions’ including:
Clark Planetarium and IMAX Theatre
The Lion House Pantry Restaurant
Utah Museum of Natural History
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Red Butte Garden
Utah’s Hogle Zoo
The Living Planet Aquarium
This Is The Place Heritage Park
Thanksgiving Point
Tracy Aviary
Utah Olympic Park
Discovery Gateway
For more information, call your Ski Salt Lake Safari expert:
KAITLIN ESKELSON
Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau / Ski Salt Lake
Email: keskelson@visitsaltlake.com Phone: 801.534.4929
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Page 19
Texas Councilʼs Egypt Trip Attracts 354 Members
By Rachel Anderson, Trip Leader, Texas Ski Council
SKI COUNCIL NEWS
Cruise down the Nile
After our council party at the Sonesta St.
George Hotel, we returned to our boats and
prepared to debark on our river cruise. While
the September days were very hot, the
evenings were wonderful, so at night some of
us usually relaxed on the top deck with drinks
while sailing down the Nile and many of the
tours started early in the morning to beat the
heat of the day.
Some participants received early wake-up
calls to see the locks and one of the boat’s
managers told a small history of the locks.
Stops included visits to Edfu and the Temple
of Horus, Kom Ombo, and the Temple of
Sobek as we sailed to Aswan.
Aswan
Arriving in Aswan in time for dinner and
shopping, our Egyptologists took us to the
L’Elysee Perfumes Palace to purchase essence
and to a jewelry store. Back late from shopping, we arrived back at the boat just in time
for those people going to Abu Simbel to
shower, pick up a box breakfast and get on
their buses. A private bus caravan was
arranged to depart for Abu Simbel at 2 a.m. so
that we could see the sunrise at the awesome
temples of Ramses II and Nefertiti.
Photo above: The Clear Lake and Armadillo Ski Clubs in front of the pyramids. Photo: Courtesy of the Texas Ski Council.
Photo below: Houstonʼs Ski Jammers at the Temple of Luxor. Photo: Courtesy of the Texas Ski Council.
Page 20
The Texas Ski Council took 354 people to
Egypt in September 2010. Our main trip began
with tours of Luxor, although we toured both
sides of the river before starting a four-day
cruise down the Nile river, ending at Aswan.
We then flew to Cairo for three days touring
the city, the pyramids and Alexandria.
Many of our participants took pre- and posttrips -- with 82 people starting the base trip
early with desert safaris and snorkeling or
scuba diving on the western coast of the Red
Sea at Hurgada. There was also a post-trip to
Sharm-el-Sheikh -- the southern most point of
the Sinai -- to dive and to see Mt. Sinai and St.
Catherine’s Monastery but our most popular
post-trip was to Petra and then on to Jerusalem
that was taken by 154 participants. And ten of
our participants actually experienced living in
the desert with a tour called Sahara in Style.
Luxor
The Nile Cruise started at Luxor and we
visited the West Bank and the Valley of the
Kings to see the tombs of some of the
pharaohs, then toured the temple of Hatshepsut, the famous Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Luxor, and the Karnak site -- after which
we shopped at the Gamal Youssif Bazaar and
an alabaster factory.
Having tea on the sand dunes during the Sahara in Style experience. Photo: Courtesy of the Texas Ski Council
Following Abu Simbel, we visited the Unfinished Obelisk and the High Dam, then took
an afternoon excursion by Felucca (an ancient
style of Egyptian boat) on the Nile. Many of
us also enjoyed an optional tour of the Nubian
Village, which included time in the Botanical
Gardens and a camel ride to the village. On
our last day in Aswan, some participants who
had late flights to Cairo were also able to visit
Philae and the Temple of Isis.
Alexandria
We visited the Catacombe, the Pompe Pilarand, and the Bibliotheca. We stopped at a
school that taught carpet making and, of
course we shopped again. We ended our main
trip with a farewell tremendous Egyptian party
at the Ramses Hilton.
Cairo
We stayed three days in Cairo in the fivestar Ramses Hilton Hotel, visiting the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, the
Mosque of Mohamed Ali, the Sakkarah, and
Memphis. And -- to balance all that touring of
antiquities -- we also shopped at the Funky
Brothers Egyptian Cotton Store and the Khalili
Bazaar.
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Page 21
What Else Is Happening Among the Councils?
SKI COUNCIL NEWS
Susan Donlan, President of the New Jersey Ski Council.
Photo: NSCN.
The New Jersey Ski Council kicked off the
ski season with a Ski and Snowboard Jamboree
on October 29 at a Marriott Hotel in Whippany
N.J., from 7 to 10 p.m. The show featured more
than 40 council ski club, ski resort, and ski
equipment booths and was open to the public.
Don Anderson, President of the Intermountain Ski Council.
Photo: NSCN.
The recently formed Intermountain Ski
Council, now with nine clubs in Idaho, Utah,
Wyoming, and Colorado, is hosting a long
weekend ski trip to Telluride January 14-17.
The trip will include a party with silent auction
and offers lift tickets as low as $54 per day.
Sheri Parshall, President of the Northwest Ski Club Council.
Photo: NSCN.
The Northwest Ski Club Council is sponsoring a Ski Fair at a Holiday Inn in Portland
on November 8. Admission is free and it’s
open to the public. The event will include a
silent auction and booths from ski resorts, ski
clubs, sports clubs, and local ski retailers.
SKI COUNCIL NEWS
Continued from page 22
The Texas Ski Council will host an Alaska
Cruise September 6-13, 2011, sailing along 67
miles of magnificent scenery in the Lynn Canal
on a Carnival Cruise Lines spirit-class ship.
The Florida Ski Council is trying a new
approach for a family ski trip at Snowmass for
three weeks during the spring, with clubs coming in different weeks due to varying spring
break periods in Florida schools.
The Far West Ski Association (FWSA)
has received a grant from the California Skin
Cancer Prevention Program to develop a program to inform young snow sports enthusiasts
and their parents on the danger of skin cancer.
The Slip, Slop, Slide & Slither program will
feature informative brochures, decals, and a
sunscreen partner. The program will be presented at major ski shows in Los Angeles, San
Jose, San Diego, and San Francisco this fall
distributing informational brochures, decals,
and sunscreen samples. In addition, FWSA
will distribute the materials at Mammoth
Mountain and Lake Tahoe area during school
holiday periods in order to reach more children
and their families. For more information, see
www.fwsa.org.
The Ski Kouncil of Illinois (SKI) will host
a Lake Tahoe ski week January 29-February 5.
Margaret Crum, President of the Crescent Ski Council.
Photo: NSCN.
The Crescent Ski Council has a new alcohol policy for it’s trip registration forms and
brochures. The policy states: “The Crescent Ski
Council (CSC) encourages legal and responsible behavior in the consumption of alcoholic
beverages in accordance with applicable laws
and regulations. Each CSC member shall be
solely responsible for his/her consumption of alcoholic beverages and his/her behavior and actions as a consequence of said consumption.”
Dennis Hefley, President of the Bay Area Snowsports Cncl.
Photo: NSCN.
The Bay Area Snowsports Council will
hold a ski week at Park City March 10-15. The
price of $970 includes transportation, lodging,
lift tickets, breakfast, and a welcome party.
The Eastern Pennsylvania Ski Council
will hold their annual Winter Carnival at Waterville Valley, N.H. January 26-30.
The Indiana Ski Council is hosting a ski
weekend for member-clubs at Boyne Highlands, Mich., on February 25-27.
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Page 22
Page 23
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
Spring Ski Show Dates, Locations, & Contacts
Compiled by Paul Webber, President, PRW Group
The Aspen group sales team talks to ski club officers at
The Far West Ski Assn. 2010 convention. Photo: NSCN.
The spring ski show and ski council convention dates for 2011 have been set. The 14
shows, meetings, and conventions across the
country, some run by councils and others by entrepreneurs, provide a venue for ski club and
council officers to talk with the group sales representatives of ski resorts, ski area lodges, tour
operators, and tourism organizations in formats
that range from table displays, convention
booths, brief pre-set appointments, and social
situations to see what is new and what is being
offered for the following ski seasons.
Mountain Travel Symposium
April 6-10 (125 clubs*) Beaver Creek, CO
talktous@mtntrvl.com
Texas Ski Council Delegates Meeting
April 14-17 (14 clubs**) Houston, TX
Cheryl Mann
cheryllmann@yahoo.com
Crescent Ski Council Spring Convention
April 28-May 1 (22 clubs**) Myrtle Beach, SC
Jim Bennett
JBen@mindspring.com
Washington, D.C. Travel Show
April 29 (60 clubs*) N. Bethesda, MD
Paul Webber PRW@PRWtravelshows.com
New Jersey Travel Show
May 1 (100 clubs*) Whippany, NJ
Philadelphia Travel Show
May 2 (80 clubs*) King of Prussia, PA
Boston Show
May 4
(95 clubs*) Boston, MA
kencutcliffe@comcast.net Ken Cutcliffe
Detroit Travel Show
May 5 (26 clubs**) Detroit, MI
Greg Kurze president@mdscski.org
Cleveland Travel Show
May 7
(40 clubs**) Cleveland, OH
Minneapolis Travel Show
May 12 (30 clubs*)
Minneapolis, MN
Chicago Metropolitan Ski Council Seminar
May 14 (70+ clubs**) Rosemont, IL
Jody Jurgeto
jody.cmsc@gmail.com
Ohio Valley Ski Council Summit
June 3-5 (16 clubs**) Indianapolis, IN
Dan Hapner rosehapner@aol.com
Florida Ski Council Spring Meeting
June 3 - 5 (17 clubs**) Tampa, FL
Linda Walker jaxskier@yahoo.com
Far West Ski Association Convention
June 9-12
(180 clubs**) Los Angeles, CA
Mary Olhousen omary52@comcast.net
*Number of clubs the promoter expects to attend the independent shows.
**Number of member-clubs in the organization for the council shows.
Page 25
Extreme Skiing Is Easy to Do at Colorado Resorts
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
Powder Stashes and Exciting Runs for Advanced, Expert, and Intermediates at Many Resorts
By Jennifer Rudolph, CSCUSA; Bob Wilbanks, NSCN; and Scott Palat
Heliskiing near Telluride.
Photo, by Brett Schreckengost and courtesy of Telluride Ski Resort.
t’s becoming easier than ever for skiers in
Colorado to find untracked stashes of pristine powder, backcountry terrain, extreme ski terrain, and never-ending face shots. If you don’t mind
I
doing a bit of hiking to find the fresh powder, avalanche controlled,
off piste but in-bounds hike-to options are available at many resorts
to help manage the risks of skiing steep terrain and deep powder.
Or you can try a snowcat ski tour which are no longer just for experts. Many resorts offer guided and unguided snowcat tours for intermediate to expert ability levels and with access to “backcountry”
options and a few resorts even offer heli-skiing for those adventurous riders who want to start from the summit to rack up the vertical feet on a long, powder-laden ride down. Here are few options:
Arapahoe Basin offers many hike-to options including the East Wall, recognized for
its steep and open terrain, and its views. There
are also four designated hiking staircases.
Skiers can also hike the ridgeline to the North
Pole run, and you can discover hidden powder
stashes on four hike-back runs in the recently
opened Montezuma Bowl.
Aspen Mountain is home to Aspen Mountain Powder Tours, a snowcat operation that
takes guests to untracked powder fields on the
backside of Aspen Mountain. Guaranteed
fresh tracks and a gourmet lunch is included.
Page 26
Aspen Highlands is the local’s mountain
for powder stashes. Highland Bowl has 270
acres of steep chutes, bowls, and gladed terrain with an average pitch of 40 degrees. The
summit is a 45-minute hike from the top of the
Loge Peak chair and dozens of lines drop into
the bowl from there, or you can take a free
snowcat ride that decreases the hiking time by
20 minutes. If you prefer an even safer backcountry experiences with a guide, Aspen Expeditions at the base of Aspen Highlands leads
adventurers off of the backside of Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, and Aspen Mountain.
At Breckenridge Ski Resort you can hike
any of the four peaks to ski the extreme terrain. On Peak 8, the Imperial Express Superchair will take you almost to the top. It’s the
highest chairlift in the United States and rises
to 12,840 feet high -- almost to the top of Peak
8. From the top of Peak 8 on a clear day, advanced skiers can see the town of Breckenridge, Quandary Mountain, Baldy Mountain,
Ten Mile Range, Lake Dillon, and even Keystone Resort, so be sure to bring your camera.
Once you reach the top of Peak 8, you can
choose your own way down the mountain.
You can take Arts Bowl, Peak 7 Bowl, North
Bowl, Imperial Bowl or the Whale’s Tale
which take you to the Lake Chutes, which is
some of the finest extreme skiing in Colorado.
Copper Mountain’s Tucker Mountain and
Copper Bowl offer experts more than 1,200
vertical feet of high alpine back bowls. Tucker
Mountain offers in-bounds backcountry skiing
on two runs known as The Taco and The Nacho
and on the Freemont Glades -- which can be accessed by a free snowcat ride, by hiking, or by
a combination of the two. From the West Ridge
of Copper Bowl, hikers can access Matchless,
Bradley’s Plunge, Schaefer’s, Iron Mask, and
Lallarookn -- all classified as high alpine adventure or extreme terrain. It’s rarely groomed
and designated for experts only, with unmarked
obstacles, cliffs, very steep slopes with 50 degrees or greater pitch, rocks, and other hazards,
and should be attempted only by experts.
Crested Butte is famous for its Extreme
Limits within its ski area boundaries, giving
Crested Butte one of the largest and bestknown in-bounds, double-black-diamond skiing in Colorado. Their in-bounds hike-to
options include Phoenix, Spellbound, Teocalli
Bowl, and Third Bowl. You can also hike to
the peak of Mt. Crested Butte and ski down.
Skiers can try Crested Butte’s Adventure
Guide program and ski their extreme terrain
with experienced guides from Crested Butte
Mountain Guides, a local adventure outfitter.
The guides will evaluate guests’ abilities before taking them on an adventure they’ll never
forget. The Mountain Guides also offer an inbounds tour for intermediate skiers that’s focused on trying their famed extreme terrain
found off of the High Lift and the North Face
with the North Face Guides. It’s a group program based on evaluation and light education,
helping adventure-minded intermediate skiers
learn to ski extreme terrain.
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
Keystone offers a more luxurious version
of extreme skiing through their Keystone Adventure Tours. Guests take a heated snowcat
above the tree line to 12,000 feet for a view of
Keystone like they’ve never seen before. They
can also take a full-day tour into Independence
Bowl, complete with guides and lunch in a
warming hut that is catered by Keystone's fivestar Alpenglow Stube restaurant.
Keystone Adventure Tours also offers skiing in the Outback Bowls which can be hiked
to from the Outpost Lodge or accessed via a
$5 snowcat ride. Reservations aren’t required
for the snowcat ride but the area closes at 1:30
p.m. so try the experience in the mornings.
Loveland Ski Area has more than 100 acres
of in-bounds hike-to terrain at the top of the
Continental Divide via Chair 9. Known as The
Ridge, this terrain is open and very steep and
requires about 20 minutes of moderate hiking.
Monarch’s Mirkwood Basin has nearly
1,100 vertical feet of extreme skiing after a 15minute hike, allowing skiers to access expert
chutes with 50-degree pitches, glades, rock
cliffs, open bowls, and tree skiing. Monarch
Powder Cat snowcat tours also services 1,200
acres just outside the ski area boundary that’s
considered some of the best snowcat skiing in
Colorado. Tours average 10 to 12 runs per day
at an average of 1,000 vertical feet per run.
Colorado’s largest cat skiing operator, the
San Juan Ski Co., is located at Purgatory at
Durango Mountain Resort offering 35,000
acres of ungroomed terrain in the West San
Juan Mountains escorted by experienced
guides.
Colorado’s all-expert Silverton Mountain,
about 50 miles north of Durango, has 1,819
acres of extreme terrain -- 80% of which requires a hike of five minutes or more to access.
They also offer heli-skiing at the ski area.
Ski Cooper’s Chicago Ridge Snowcat
Tours accesses over 2,400 acres of advanced
terrain. Slopes vary from 3,000 to 10,000 feet
in length, with vertical drops up to 1,400 feet
per run. Ski Cooper is about 25 miles south
of Copper Mountain Resort.
Steamboat’s Christmas Tree Bowl and the
adjacent extreme double-black diamond terrain runs of No Names, North St. Pat’s, and
East Face require a 10- to 15-minute hike from
the top of the Morningside chairlift, and skiers
can drop in through several access points
along the hike for some of the steep tree terrain
for which the resort is known. Steamboat’s
Powdercats guide service also offers intermediate, advanced, and expert snowcat tours on
10,000 acres of pristine terrain at Buffalo Pass,
which is just 20 minutes from downtown
Steamboat Springs.
Snowmass’ Hanging Valley Headwall,
Cirque, and Elk Camp areas give powder
skiers 630 acres of chutes, cliffs, and bowls
after a short hike and their intermediate run,
Long Shot, offers a true backcountry feel after
a 10-minute hike. Never groomed, Long Shot
offers a good first step for intermediate skiers
and riders looking to reach the next level -- and
it drops 3,221 vertical feet in three-and-a-half
miles.
Telluride’s Palmyra Peak has more than
200 acres and almost 2,000 vertical feet of inbounds hike-to terrain, including runs like
Tram Shot, Sunrise, and Electric Shock. Telluride also works offers the services of Helitrax, a heli-ski service offering untracked
powder skiing on some of the world’s highest
helicopter-accessed terrain in the San Juan
Mountains.
Winter Park’s in-bounds, hike-to terrain is
Vasquez Cirque. After 30 minutes of hiking
along the ski area boundary, skiers find extreme terrain with cliffs, 50-degree slopes,
rocks, and other hazards -- all of which empty
into steep and gladed tree skiing.
Winter Park’s Powder Addiction snowcat
tours also offers skiers and boarders guided
backcountry skiing with more than 2,000 vertical feet in the Jones Pass area just east of the
Continental Divide.
“Unquestionably one of the most beautiful places to ski in the world.”
–Powder Magazine
Book your next group adventure! For group information, please call 888.483.5754 or TellurideSkiResort.com
Page 27
Vail Resorts Purchases
Northstar-at-Tahoe
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
Epic Passes Will Now Be Good at Eight U.S. Ski Resorts!
Subscription Information
We send The National Ski Club Newsletter free to
the president, ski trips officer, and summer trips officer of each club. To receive The National Ski Club
Newsletter, please fill out the following information.
If you send us your newsletter and give permission
to reprint the articles, we will also send The National
Ski Club Newsletter to your editor free of charge.
Club Name:
_________________________________
Club’s permanent address:
_________________________________
City:
_________________________________
State:____ Zip code:________
Please circle the month you elect officers.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
President’s name:
_________________________________
Mailing address:
_________________________________
City:_________ State:____ Zip:_______
Photo above: The new Northstar base area lodgeʼs ice rink.
Photo by Carrie Compton, courtesy of Northstar-at-Tahoe.
Vail Resorts has acquired the stock of the
companies that operate Northstar-at-Tahoe
from Booth Creek Resort Properties for 63
million dollars. The operations of Northstarat-Tahoe are conducted on land that is owned
by CNL Lifestyle Properties, Inc. of Florida
and which will be leased to Vail Resorts under
a long-term agreement. Vail Resorts also operates Heavenly Mountain Resort in South
Lake Tahoe. The Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort is not
part of the acquisition and will continue to be
operated by Booth Creek Resort Properties.
Northstar-at-Tahoe recently completed a
100,000 square foot base area village which
contains 35 shops and restaurants, a conference
center, and on-site lodging -- all of which is centered around a 9,000-square-foot skating rink
with large seating areas that are great for ski
club après-ski activities. The resort, which had
more than 700,000 skier days last season, boasts
more than 3,000 acres served by 19 lifts, 92 ski
trails, seven terrain parks, tubing facilities, and
snowmaking on 50 percent of the trails.
The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe,
which opened at mid-mountain in Northstarat-Tahoe last season has 170 guest rooms, 23
private residences, and 25 fractional ownership
units -- all served by the hotel’s own eight-passenger gondola connecting the hotel with the
ski resort.
Page 28
Epic Pass and 7-pack valid at eight resorts
The Northstar purchase by Vail Resorts
means that holders of Vail’s $629 Epic Pass
added value for the 2010-2011 ski season will
have unlimited access to both Northstar-atTahoe and Sierra-at-Tahoe in addition to Vail,
Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, and Heavenly. Holders of the Epic
7-Pack for seven days of skiing at Vail, Beaver
Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin and
Heavenly for $479 for adults and $239 for kids
may now also ski at Northstar-at-Tahoe and
Sierra-at-Tahoe this ski season. Both passes
were sold only through November 7, 2010.
“We are thrilled by the opportunity to bring
Northstar-at-Tahoe into our family of worldclass mountain resorts and offer our most loyal
guests even greater value on their skiing and
riding this winter,” said Rob Katz, chairman
and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts.
“We’ve taken the best deal in skiing and made
it even more compelling, as the Epic Season
Pass will now offer eight great resorts for the
2010-2011 ski season. We also have added access to more resorts for both Northstar and
Heavenly pass holders and have even offered
new value for our Colorado Pass holders with
five days of skiing at either Heavenly or
Northstar. Skiers and riders want more
choices and better value and our acquisition of
Northstar-at-Tahoe is all about delivering that
for our guests,” continued Katz.
E-mail: _________________
Ski trip officer’s name:
_________________________________
Mailing address:
_________________________________
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
STAY INFORMED
YEAR ROUND!
We publish The National Ski
Club Newsletter four times a
year, but we also publish a
monthly e-mail Newsflash. If
you wish to stay informed and
are not receiving Americaʼs Ski
Club Officersʼ Newsflash 12
times a year, please email us at
darren@ski-club.net and tell us
your e-mail address to begin
receiving the news about ski
clubs, councils, and the ski industry on a year-round basis.
And, if your president, trips officer, editor or vice president are not receiving
the National Ski Club Newsletter, please
show them your copy and ask them to
e-mail us at Darren@ski-club.net to
begin receiving the trade journal for the
officers of Americaʼs ski clubs.
Red Lodgeʼs Chemical-Free Weed Control
Red Lodgeʼs weed control system working at full strength.
When Montana’s Red Lodge Ski Area became overrun with Knapweed after some adjacent road construction, they tried to be
“green” about their solution to the problem.
Instead of spraying the infected area with
herbacides or other chemicals, they hired 430
goats, a goat herder and a couple of boarder
Photo: Courtesy of Red Lodge Ski Area.
collies for four days to do the job. It seems
that goats prefer forbs to grasses, first chewing off the blossoms and seeds and then eating
the leaves off the plant leaving a bare stalk, unable to photosynthesize or compete with more
desirable plant life in the area. Now that’s
what we call going green!
City:________ State:____ Zip :_______
E-mail:_________________
Vice President or Summer trip officer:
_________________________________
Mailing address:
_________________________________
City:________ State:____ Zip:_______
E-mail:_________________
Editor’s name:
_________________________________
Mailing address:
_________________________________
City:________ State:____ Zip:_______
E-mail:_________________
To receive The National Ski Club Newsletter, please fill out
and mail this form to P.O. Box 4704, Englewood, CO
80155 or e-mail the information to Darren@ski-club.net.
Thanks. Bob Wilbanks, editor.
Page 29
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
Whatʼs Happening in Europeʼs Ski Industry?
Whatʼs Happening in North Americaʼs Ski Industry?
By Patrick Thorne, AKA the Snowhunter, and Bob Wilbanks, NSCN
By Patrick Thorne, AKA the Snowhunter, and Bob Wilbanks, NSCN
Black Mountain Express. The new $4 million lift replaces the 1978 Exhibition fixed-grip triple, is located in the base area, and has a capacity
of 2,000 skiers per hour, a length of 2,877 feet, and a 719-foot vertical
rise.
Lake Tahoe
Pacific Crest Heli-Guides in partnership with HeliTahoe is offering
helicopter skiing in Lake Tahoe this ski season. Based out of the Truckee Airport and with access to more than 100,000 acres of privately
owned lands along the spine of the Pacific Crest -- about four times the
total skiable acreage at all 14 Tahoe ski resorts. This will be the first
full-fledged helicopter skiing operation launched in the Lake Tahoe region and it will also include year-round recreational options by helicopter such as sight-seeing, mountain biking, fishing, and hiking.
Bettmeralp is a car-free resort high above the Rhone valley in Canton Valais. In the background, the chapel of Holy Mary of the Snow.
Switzerland
Several new lifts have been installed in Switzerland’s Valais Region. Two tow lifts in Bettmeralp have been replaced with a four-seater
chairlift with safety devices to keep kids from sliding under the safety
bar. Fiescheralp has a new six-seater chairlift next to the existing valley station to access the Aletsch Arena ski region and a detachable fourseater replaces two old chairlifts between Cry-d’Er and Bellalui in the
The Dolomiti Superski area has installed a range of new lifts over the
summer, improving passenger capacity and speed to the slopes.
Italy
Italy’s Val Gardena has a new funicular railway replacing an old
single chairlift on Rasciesa Alp above Ortisei. The funicular’s top station offers a panoramic view of almost all of South Tyrol and the
Dolomites peaks as far as Trentino, Lombardy, and Austria. Val Gardena has 83 lifts and 109 miles of pistes and is a part of the world’s
largest ski-network covered by a single lift pass -- the Dolomiti Superski -- which offers 758 miles of pistes of which 310 miles are inter-connected in the Sella region served by 450 lifts.
Kronplatz has a new 10-passenger gondola, the Gipfelbahn. It has
heated leather seats and goes all the way to the top of Mount Kronplatz.
The resort is a part of the Dolomite Superski in Sud Tirol.
Alta Badia has a new four-seater chairlift connecting the Arlara summit station with the Braia Fraida station at mid-mountain. A new fourseater chairlift, La Rua, also replaces an old three-seater.
Serre Chevalier now has its seventh six-seater detachable chairlift,
this one connecting the villages of Villeneuve to Monetier les Bains.
It’s part of the Milky Way ski area which goes from Italy into France.
France
Les Gets, in the giant Franco-Swiss Portes du Soleil, with its 12
linked ski resorts and 650 kilometers of ski-slopes, has a new six-seater
chairlift in the Chamossiere ski area replacing both the Blanchots
draglift and an old three-man chairlift.
Superbagnères, in the French Pyrenees near both Spain and the
French city of Toulouse, has installed a new quad chairlift, the
Arbesquens, for this winter season.
Barèges - La Mongie, one of the largest ski areas in the French Pyrenees, has also installed a new quad chairlift replacing two old drag lifts.
Page 30
Photo: Courtesy of Swissimages.
Austria
Mayrhofen resort now has the world’s first lift combining eight-seater
chairs with 10-passenger gondola cabins between each eight chairs on a
single cable. It links the top station of the Penkenbahn gondola up to
Gschössberg and is for both pedestrians and skiers, with each having a
separate entrance and exit.
The Schladming ski area has also installed its first Chondola lift with
a gondola cabin after every three chairs. The new lift will make it easier for the uplift of skiers, boarders, and hikers.
A helicopter maneuvers a lift tower for the High Noon Express into position.
Photo By Cody Downard and courtesy of Vail Resorts.
Colorado
Vail’s Chair Number 5, a 1979-era fixed-grip triple also known as the
High Noon Lift that served the Sun Up and Sundown Bowls, was removed at the end of last ski season to make way for a high-speed quad
chairlift. The new High Noon Express is a high-speed quad, that will
cut ride time nearly in half -- from 11 to six minutes.
Crested Butte Mountain Resort celebrates its 50th anniversary this
ski season. Congratulations!
Ski packages start at just $79*
Four Mountains, One Lift Ticket
*Starting rate is per person and includes lift ticket to Mt. Rose-Ski-Tahoe. Based on double occupancy.
The NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER
For details visit
grandsierraresort.com
or call 1-800-648-5080
Oregon
Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor has added a new 200-foot-long covered conveyor lift for beginners in the learning center at the West Village base
area. The 70-foot-long conveyor from the West Village was also relocated to the Sunrise learning area.
Idaho
The United State of America’s first destination ski resort, Sun Valley, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this ski season so the U.S. Ski and
Snowboard Hall of Fame and The International Skiing History Association are co-hosting the 75th Season Celebration of Skiing & Snowboarding event from March 27 to April 3, 2011 at the resort.
While we can’t promise way more snow, we can
promise way more everything else.
Get way more time on the slopes and way more comforts off, with ski packages
from Grand Sierra Resort. You can choose from 11 world-class Tahoe resorts
including Northstar, Squaw Valley USA and Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe. After a day
of deep snow and downhills, warm up in one of our luxurious guest rooms
or start a hot streak in Reno’s hottest casino. Our ten restaurants, including
Charlie Palmer Steak, Briscola and rim will satisfy any ski-induced appetite.
And if you still haven’t found your fill of fun, you will once you discover the
50-lane bowling alley, the movie cinema and Reno’s best après-ski scene in our
bars, clubs and lounges like Xtreme Sports Bar and Mustangs Dance Hall.
Washington
Washington’s Summit at Snoqualmie has replaced their front-side
lift with a new triple chairlift and a double chairlift was installed on the
backside. The two lifts will allow access to 65 acres of additional skiable terrain that has not been available for more than 20 years.
At the White Pass ski area, two new chairlifts have opened up another 767 acres of lift-served ski terrain with 13 runs and glade skiing.
Crystal Mountain has installed Washington’s first gondola. The
new eight-passenger gondola will cut the travel time for the 2,456 feet
rise to 10 minutes, half the time it formally required using two chairlifts.
CONTACT GROUP SALES TODAY!
800-525-6200 or gsales@aspensnowmass.com
www.aspensnowmass.com
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area has a new detachable quad chairlift,
New England
Maine’s Sugarloaf celebrates 60th anniversary this season by announcing a three-year, 655-acre expansion that will make it the largest
since ski area on the Eastern side of the country. The resort added 270
acres of gladed backcountry styles glades this season in the Burnt
Mountain area. The area will be patrolled but there will be no new lifts,
no snowmaking, nor property development at the new base area.
New Hampshire’s Sununu family led a group of local investors who
purchased Waterville Valley Ski Area from Booth Creek Resorts, returning the area to local control for the first time in fifteen years. The
ski area has one of the state's highest elevations at 4,000 feet with 52
trails on 255 acres, 12 lifts, and 100% snowmaking.
Quebec
Le Massif has completed their new eight-passenger Massif Express
gondola with a departure point located to the east of the current GrandePointe Express Lift, and a station for passengers to board mid-mountain.
The NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER
Page 31
SKI INDUSTRY NEWS
Return Service Requested to:
P.O. Box 4704
Englewood, CO 80155
Presorted Std.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Houston, TX
Permit No. 11648