After being absent for a few years the Grand Prix of Snowboarding is coming back to Park City Mountain Resort and the Eagle Superpipe.  Glad to see the Olympic halfpipe hosting an Olympic qualifier event.  Date is set as Jan 22-23, 2010.  I can’t wait to watch America’s best duel it out for slots on the Olympic team.  Here’s an excerpt from the press release.

The historic pipe where U.S. athletes swept the men’s podium and won gold in the women’s event during the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 will entertain the masses with Olympians again. The Grand Prix makes its final stop at Park City Mountain Resort for back to back night competitions, after which the winners will be crowned and the 2010 Olympic halfpipe team will be named.

Among the athletes stoked to hit the Park City pipe is White who, after having dinner with PCMR owner John Cummings, took to his Twitter page to spread the good news.

“Had dinner with John Cummings,” White wrote. “Super nice guy, he told me Park City is having Olympic qualis mid Jan! booyeah!”

A reduced field comprised of the highest scoring athletes from previous tour stops will throw down the best tricks in their bag in an attempt to be one of the few named to the Olympic halfpipe team when the event is over.

“It’s the perfect place to close the story of the Olympic team selection,” Clark said. “The pipe has the tradition of being one of the best in North America. They put a tremendous amount of pride and energy into their venue. They are very excited to have this here.”

In addition to hosting the Olympic halfpipe competition in 2002, Park City also held a Grand Prix the following December in which the Olympic medalists all returned for competition in their glory stomping ground.

With well over 100 national athletes expected to compete for a shot at the Olympic team, the 2010 Grand Prix series will be the hottest series of halfpipe competitions across the U.S.

The whole story is available here:  http://ussnowboarding.com/news?storyId=1883

That’s right now you can shred Powder Mountain in the summer.  Powder Mountain will begin Summer Safari 4 X 4 Adventure Tours in mid-June.  Guided tours in an oversized four wheel drive vehicle will take guests to spectacular sites over the 10,000 acres within the resort that would otherwise be inaccessible to the public by vehicle. The Resort will also host a series of exciting sporting events including the Powder Mountain Hill Climb presented by Diamond Peak Mountain Sports on June 27 and the Powder Mountain Motorcross presented by Monster Energy August 27–30, 2009.

Snowcat operators spent most of the day working on some areas of Little Cloud that had very little snow, large rocks and, in one case, a small river. Unfortunately, they were not able to ensure enough coverage for safe, skiable terrain. The Little Cottonwood Canyon resort received 621 inches of snowfall this season and offered skiing and riding for 194 days, the longest in Utah.

“Despite our plans and the hard work of our snowcat operators, we won’t be able to offer any more skiing and riding this spring. The recent rain and warm temperatures have dropped the snowpack more than we expected,” said Snowbird President Bob Bonar. “We thank our season passholders and guests for a great season, and look forward to an amazing summer line-up here at Snowbird.”

The Utah resort is currently offering summer Tram operations for foot passengers daily, with operating hours from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Summer activities including the new Wasatch Mining Company Gemstone Mine, Peruvian Chairlift and Tunnel, Alpine Slide, four-station climbing wall, ZipRider, Bungy Trampoline, Mechanical Bull and Inflatables, are scheduled to begin Saturday, June 13. Hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (except for the Peruvian Chairlift and Tunnel which closes at 5 p.m.) and activities may be limited. Horseback and ATV tours are tentatively scheduled to begin Fourth of July weekend, conditions permitting.

Thanks for a great season Mother Nature! We are eagerly awaiting another.

Stay tuned for Ski Utah’s new fitness blog containing details on how to stay in ski shape all winter long…

This Wednesday, June 3, 2009 Delta Air Lines is launching its inaugural nonstop flight from Salt Lake City to Tokyo, Japan. While it’s a big win for Utah skiing to welcome more Japanese skiers to the Greatest Snow on Earth, I’m looking at it as a great way for me and other Utah skiers to also check out the slopes of the Pacific Rim that I’ve heard are pretty amazing.

But the first Utah skier to take advantage of the direct flight is none other than Nathan Rafferty, Ski Utah’s President who will be on the Delta flight Wednesday morning, won’t have any snow to slide on when he arrives. Sushi anyone? I’ll take a spicy yellow tail please…

Which has me thinking, will they serve sushi on the flight?  Now there’s a brilliant idea that I’m sure someone has implemented - the 30,000′ sushi bar.  Sake, sushi and skiers - watch out Delta.

What do Japan skiers think of Utah?

Some Japanese skiers have already migrated to Utah, like ski legend Yuichiro Miura, who has skied Mt. Everest and completed a host of other alpine feats.  He currently owns a home in Park City, UT and even named his son Yutah (pronounced Utah).

“My love of Utah is profound and deep,” said Miura. “As a professional, I have skied all around the world, but the variety of terrain and the Utah people make it the best overall ski destination anywhere. I would encourage skiers, from beginners to world class athletes, to come and experience what Utah has to offer.”

Chris Waddell, the most decorated male skier in Paralympic history, has set another world record.  Waddell just returned from a groundbreaking trip to Southern Utah’s popular White Rim trail.  Waddell used a handcycle to propel himself across 103 miles of dirt road in less than three days. The previous record was six days.

Waddell spent three days peddling himself through the dirt and sand roads of the White Rim Trail.

“It is a huge deal,” explains Waddell. “What this means to me on a social level is that I can do this on my own. That feasibly I could go on this type of a ride and keep up with able-bodied friends on mountain bikes.”

Waddell spent three days peddling himself through the dirt and sand roads of the White Rim Trail. The last and most difficult leg of the trek requires a 1500-foot climb and a 12- mile uphill ride back to base.

Waddell’s determination, spirit and strength are an inspiration to many.  “Never have I seen someone put their head down and dig so deep from within,” comments Dave Penny, Waddell’s trainer and coach.  Waddell’s next and most challenging expedition is set for the fall of 2009 in Africa. This is where he plans to summit the 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro.  If successful, he will become the first paraplegic to summit the tallest free-standing mountain, unassisted.

Waddell, who was involved in a skiing accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down, was determined to get back on the slopes.  He mastered the monoski and spent 11 years on the U.S. Disabled Ski Team where he won 12 Paralympic medals over four years. The Kilimanjaro climb is just one facet of Waddell’s new concept called One Revolution (www.one-revolution.com).  While in Africa, Waddell and his team will be donating handcycles to disabled individuals in Tanzania.

The purpose of One Revolution is to change preconceived notions about the disabled community.  “One Revolution means so many things to me,” says Waddell. “One revolution of the handcycle, one revolution to change the way people see the disabled community and one revolution of the globe, which symbolizes steady, fundamental change.”

CAVTAT-DUBROVNIK, Croatia (May 22) – Utah’s Deer Valley Resort continued its preparations for the 2011 FIS Freestyle Ski World Championships with a presentation of its draft schedule to the International Ski Federation’s Freestyle Committee. The meetings were a part of the annual FIS Calendar Conference in Cavtat, near Dubrovnik, Croatia. It will mark the second time that Deer Valley has held the major international event.

A provisional event schedule for the Feb. 2-5, 2011 World Championships was accepted and will now go to the governing FIS Council in June for its final approval.

Since being named as the host by the FIS in 2006, Deer Valley has continued to hold an annual World Cup, including special test events for two of the newer freestyle disciplines of ski cross and halfpipe. A year ago, Deer Valley held a test in ski cross down its Solid Muldoon run. American Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) finished second. Ski cross will make its Olympic debut in Vancouver next February.

Deer Valley partnered with Park City Mountain Resort to hold a skier halfpipe event last January as a part of its annual World Cup. While not yet an Olympic event, ski halfpipe and ski cross have both been conducted in the FIS World Championships. American Jen Hudak (Park City, UT) took bronze at this year’s World Championships in Japan.

“Deer Valley is proud to be the host of the World Championships a second time,” said Deer Valley Events Manager Carrie Budding. “We feel very close to the freestyle community through our annual World Cup events and it’s an honor to be hosting this event.”

While Deer Valley is the host, it is partnering with Park City Mountain Resort for the halfpipe event. Aerials and moguls events will be at Deer Valley on the Olympic courses, along with ski cross on Solid Muldoon. The skier halfpipe event will be at the site of the 2002 Olympic snowboarding superpipe.

“Deer Valley is the premiere stop on the FIS World Cup for freestyle skiing. Combining with Park City Mountain Resort in 2011 only will elevate this status,” said Chief of Competition Konrad Rotermund. “Our experienced team of volunteers that have supported so many local events, give us great confidence that we can continue to push to achieve our best.”

Deer Valley is also partnering with Park City community, with support from the Park City Chamber/Bureau and the Utah Sports Commission.

“Deer Valley has become a real favorite of athletes and team officials from around the world,” said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Vice President, Events, Calum Clark. “The Teams had a great Championships in Japan this past season and are now looking forward to returning to Deer Valley in less than two years.”

The full event will span from Sunday, Jan. 30 through Sunday, Feb. 6. Competitions are scheduled Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 2-5 with a mix of daytime and night finals.

The U.S. Ski Team had a strong World Championships in Inawashiro, Japan this past season. In addition to Hudak’s bronze in the halfpipe, Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA) won gold in moguls while aerialist Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) also won. World Cup moguls champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) took bronze in dual moguls.

Deer Valley will play host to an important Olympic qualifying World Cup this January before the U.S. Ski Team heads to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Snowbird is currently offering skiing from the Tram, Little Cloud and Mineral Basin Express on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day. Starting May 29, Snowbird will have the Tram and Little Cloud open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at a reduced ticket price of $49 (sold at the Snowbird Tram ticket office, entry 2). The resort will reevaluate opening for additional weekends after June 14, to be determined by weather and snow conditions. Snowbird has received 621 inches of snowfall this season, well above the resort’s average of 500 inches annually.

Do you think there should be trains which go up Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons? Would you like to see more bike paths in the future? Would you like to have input in the future of the canyons you call home? Then NOW is your chance to participate in the Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow process.

The Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow process will help update Salt Lake County’s 1989 Wasatch Canyons Master Plan. This plan guides policy for City Creek, Emigration, Red Butte, Parleys, Millcreek, Big Cottonwood, and Little Cottonwood Canyons. The canyons provide more than 50% of Salt Lake City’s water supply, and significantly add to the quality of life for residents of the Salt Lake Valley. With the doubling of the county’s population in the next 30 years, Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow will strive to ensure the long-term health of these treasured canyons, balancing land-use, recreational, transportation, and environmental concerns.

Workshops (May 12th, 13th and 14th 2009)

Educational workshops will inform the public about canyon issues, stimulate informed participation in the process, and seek public input. Interactive keypad polling gauges reaction to planning strategies in real time; participants will anonymously vote on survey questions. Workshops will begin at 6:30 p.m. To RSVP, contact canyons@envisionutah.org

May 12th

-Alta High School Media Center: 11055 S. Hawk Highway (Sandy)

-Hunter High School Cafeteria: 4200 S. 5600 W. (West Valley City)

May 13th

-Skyline High School Cafeteria: 3251 E. 3760 S. (Mill Creek)

-Sandy City Hall (2nd floor): 10000 S. Centennial Parkway

May 14th

-Westminster College Concert Hall: 1840 S. 1300 E. (Salt Lake City)

-West Jordan High School Media Center: 8136 S. 2700 W.

Those who miss a workshop can participate online through an interactive and educational survey by visiting www.wasatchcanyons.slco.org starting May 7th.

Here are a few quotes from a review in Cowboys and Indians.

The Spicy Lady features a menu created by Wurfbain with what he calls “international peasant food” — recipes he picked up during his travels around the globe.

Everything is homemade — even the mayonnaise and salad dressing. The restaurant’s Old West ambience makes it a great place to enjoy the comfort food.

Of course you can always opt to forgo a meal and have a drink at the oldest original bar in Utah, which evokes Western saloons of yesteryear.

Snowbird is still open!  Good times until at least Memorial Day!

Earl, a resident of Eden, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on April 11 at the age of 39.  100% of the proceeds will go directly to the Earl family - Darnelle, Riley, Raj, Taj and India.

The fun of skiing and snowboarding in springtime conditions will be enhanced by live music, a silent auction, and a barbeque.  Non-skiers can join in the fun with a scenic snowcat ride of Lightning Ridge.

A minimum donation of $15 per person will provide participants with either a Sundown Lift Pass or  a scenic snowcat ride on Lightning Ridge.  Passes can be purchased online at www.powdermountain.com, at Valley Market or at Sundown Lodge on the day of the event.

Can’t attend? The Powder Mountain website is also set up to accept donations for anyone unable to attend the event.

A crew from Park City TV headed up to Powder Mountain to get in on the fun that is the Powder Safari Snowcat Sessions and this is the evidence from their day.  You may need to check back over the summer and watch this video a few extra times to keep the stoke alive.

– image by Kristian Hansen - check Snowbird’s website for more of this weeks images

But wait, the fat lady has not sung. No, not for a long shot. At Snowbird it’s moving from winter into the spring season they are so well known for that this year will surely extend until the end of May…and if we’re lucky, into June.

But for some May isn’t enough.  I for myself have skied well into July more than once and notched an August ski day a few years ago.  But for most seasons, I’m content to get an April pow day and if possible a May powder day.  After that, the bike and golf clubs come out and it’s time to switch gears.

Which makes me wonder, when do you cease to celebrate the season?  Is it generally at a specific date or does your season end with one final powder day, or perhaps a sunny spring day?  Chime in and spend your $.02.

p.s.  21″ of snow last night at Snowbird.  Who’s the dummy now?

Wear your bikini or dress in your Best Beach attire and get a $29 Adult Area Day Ticket!
Celebrate all day long on the Milly Deck!

Register for Co-Ed 6 on 6 volleyball. Only 8 teams allowed, so register quick by calling The Sports Desk (801) 532- 4731 ext 220 or register the day of at the Milly Chalet. (Tournament begins at 10)

Winner of volleyball tournament gets VIP seating in a hot tub for the Bikini Runway Show!

Enter The Downhill Ski-A-Thong Race! Fastest racer wins prizes, Race begins at 12pm. Register the day of at the Milly Chalet.

Bikini runway show at 2PM

Bikini/beach wear contest for both men & woman

Cash prize awarded for the best beach wear!

But aside from the occasional jackpot comes a lot of garbage too, unfortunately. As I’ve walked around the resorts in the summer it’s surprising how much of the discarded garbage could be recycled.

This past winter all three resorts in Park City had recycling on their mountain tops, but perhaps The Canyons has the most challenging program of all because of its size.

Read more about how The Canyons Resort expanded recycling to the top of the mountain this winter by clicking below.

Written by Lola at Recycle Utah:

Recycling is an amenity for the 21st century and The Canyons has jumped into the need for on-mountain skier recycling with both feet (skis). The Canyons expanded its recycling program from the base to the top of the mountain as of this past December.

“We recycle all materials except for glass,” said Dana Kent, Mountain Operations Manager at The Canyons. “Most of the material on the mountain is aluminum, plastic, paper and cardboard. Skiers and boarders love it and we’ve collected 25,000 pounds of material since January 1st.”

Skiers and boarders have noticed educational messages on the recycling receptacles in the Red Pine Lodge and the skier mazes of various lifts. A “recycling factoid” appears on the side of each recycling bin at The Canyons. “Recycling ten plastic soft drink bottles can make the fiberfill for one ski jacket,” reads one example.

The biggest challenge is recycling in a mountain resort as big as The Canyons, Kent says. The largest resort in Utah, The Canyons is comprised of eight peaks and more than 3700 acres.

Logistics have become more systematic as the winter progresses, says Kent. “The Food Cat (the snow cat that transports restaurant supplies) brings food up every night,” she explained. “That’s 100 boxes a night. The chefs and food commissary folks break down the cardboard and bring it down the mountain themselves or place it in the cardboard bin at the Red Pine Lodge. We’ve cut trash hauling by more than half from Red Pine – it’s mostly recycling now.”

The Canyons Resort is working to develop an environmental culture. “We have a system of operations staff and conscientious volunteers who move recyclables off the mountain“, Kent explained. “We also have a Green Team who make suggestions and environmental changes.”
The Canyons management make a concerted effort to communicate the importance of environmental consciousness to the entire staff and have made green initiatives in other areas as well.

“Snow cats run on biodiesel and rest rooms are stocked with recycled-content paper towels,” said Kent, adding that The Canyons Resort purchases 22 per cent of their electrical power from Blue Sky®, the wind power purchase program offered by Rocky Mountain Power.

“This is only the tip of the iceberg,” concluded Kent. “Next year we hope to branch out to recycle in even more on-mountain locations and even more condos and hotel rooms.

Thanks to more than eight feet of snow in the past two weeks, and a 97-inch settled base depth, Park City Mountain Resort has decided to extend our closing date by one week to Sunday, April 19. Beginning Monday, April 13, seven lifts are scheduled to continue operating including PayDay, Bonanza, Silverlode, Thaynes, Jupiter, First Time and Three Kings lifts.

Also, beginning Monday, April 13, our full-day lift ticket pricing will be as follows:
Adult: $50
Senior: $35
Youth: $30

During our additional week of winter operations, we are extending a special single day ‘locals’ lift ticket rate of only $20 to all Deer Valley and The Canyons season passholders and employees (please present your pass or ID at the ticket windows).

See you on the slopes!

From now until the close of the season, Kids 10 and under ski free with a paying adult, no blackout dates, no restrictions.  Spend time with the Easter bunny this Sunday April 12 at Brighton’s annual egg hunt on the Explorer Lift.  $29 tickets will be offered Tuesday, April 14 when customers bring a donation of non-perishable food for The Utah Food Bank.  Please, help us fight hunger. One in every eight children goes hungry in Utah.

Here’s the info:

Deer Valley -

Deer Valley Resort will close for the 2008/2009 winter ski season on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009.

The Easter Bunny will be visiting Deer Valley Resort on closing day and guests are invited to bring a camera and have their picture taken with the Easter Bunny.  The Bunny will be visiting Snow Park Lodge at Deer Valley Resort’s base from 9 to 11 a.m.

Park City-

•    8:45 a.m. Free coffee and hot chocolate for the shell shocked parents’ of the hunters.  Entrance into Kids Signature 3 Corral from walkway near Eating Establishment Express.
•    8:45 – 9:00 Easter Bunny arrives at Kids Corral to greet kids.
•    9:00 a.m. sharp, Little Kid’s Easter Egg Hunt in the Kid’s Corral (Ages 6 and under)
•    Lifts open at 9:00 a.m. for the All Mountain/ All Ages hunt - Grand Prizes are two 2009-2010 Park City Mountain Resort Season Passes!

Snowbird:

Brighton:

Brighton #13 from spencer finlinson on Vimeo.

A Salt Lake City man who tumbled about 300 feet in an avalanche at Brighton Ski Resort survived to walk from the slide.

Eric Railsback, 45, and Andrew Starr, 46, were hiking Sunday up a ridgeline at Mount Millicent to ski down the back side, said Salt Lake County sheriffs Lt. Don Hutson.

About halfway up the ridgeline about 9:45 a.m., Railsback triggered an avalanche that carried him down about 300 feet of rocky terrain, trapping him up to his chest in snow.

Despite the cold and the rough ride, he was able to dig himself out with a shovel he carried with him and walk down the mountain, Hutson said. He twisted his knee, but was not transported to a hospital, Hutson said.

“He’s incredibly lucky,” he said. “There was no one there to help him.”

Starr, meanwhile, was ahead and out of sight. He didnt realize there had been an avalanche and continued into the backcountry.

When Railsback reached the bottom of the mountain, he did not know his friend was okay, Hutson said. A Salt Lake Countys Sheriffs Office search-and-rescue operation started, but switched to a precautionary probe when Starr was found. No one else was found in the area.

The slide was about 50 feet wide and 10 feet deep. Through police, Railsback declined to be interviewed.

Avalanche danger could increase as newly warm and sunny weather affects more than 100 inches of snow that has fallen in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons over the last two weeks, said Craig Gordon, a forecaster with the Utah Avalanche Center.

“Folks should be prepared for their own rescue, carrying beacon shovels and probes,” he said. Sundays slide was triggered when a cornice, a formation caused by blowing snow, fell.

“Its a common mistake in the mountains to get too close to overhanging cornices,” he said.

He recommended people check the Avalanche Centers Web site at www.utahavalanchecenter.org or call 888-999-4019 for forecasts.

“The best avalanche is the one we dont trigger,” he said.

lwhitehurst@sltrib.com

via Man survives Brighton avalanche - Salt Lake Tribune .

Alta’s closing date is the 19th of April and while a lot can happen between now and then, I’m hopeful for at least another 2-3 powder days while the lifts are turning and expect to ski a few times after the lifts have closed.

Which had me thinking, as far as backcounty conditions go do you prefer skiing Alta before the lifts turn or after the lifts stop at the end of their season?  It seems that more people come out before the lifts turn but the snow is so deep after the lifts have stopped.

I took this photo below a couple years ago following a June storm that had me and a few friends skiing Alta in backcountry conditions. Here’s hoping for a repeat this season.

I opened my inbox this morning and saw this from Alta:

In the last 12 hours, Alta Ski Area received 17″ of new snow.
In the last 24 hours, Alta Ski Area received 25″ of new snow
In the next 24 hours, Alta Ski Area is forecasted to receive 6-11″ of new snow.
The settled mid-mountain base is currently: 175″.

So far this season we’ve received 603″ of snow!

That’s a lot of snow people.

This year-round luxury ski-in/ski out resort features 180 rooms, including 68 suites, as well as meeting facilities, recreational activities, a full-service concierge, ski valets, twice daily maid service, rental shops, and shopping.

Every room is unique in how it is arranged and designed as well as features a number of comforts and amenities that make it feel just like home, including private jetted tubs, down pillows, plush robes, Molton Brown bath amenities, and luxurious linens.

Don’t you think it’s about time to treat yourself to something nice?  Hurry up - the powder is falling and Deer Valley is closing too soon considering they still have a 100″+ base.

ps add Deer Valley as your friend on Facebook.

Celebrate with a case of Monster.

Smith Helmet

Want to help Ski Utah make a better website? Well now is your chance. We want your feedback. For taking this 5 minute survey you’ll have the chance to win a new Smith Helmet. And you’ll get the satisfaction of knowing that you helped make SkiUtah.com that much better for next season. Click here to fill out the survey.

Some Facebook friends spent some time up at Brighton taking laps in the endless freshies yesterday. No, this wasn’t some kind of weird April Fools joke, but tons of powder here in April. I wonder how long we can keep this up…

Come to The Canyons Resort on Saturday to witness one of the funniest events of the season this Saturday, a qualifying round of The Red Bull 1976 Games. Teams of four people dressed in 70’s ski gear will compete in a Snowbladecross and an Old School Air competition. The top team will win a free, all expenses- paid trip to the Red Bull 1976 finals held at Copper Mountain in Colorado, April 17-18th. Awards will be given for the most outrageous costumes and team mojo as well! The venue will be in the Red Pine Lodge area. Following the event enjoy a free concert by platinum recording artist Better Than Ezra in The Canyons’ Resort Village.

When: Saturday, April 4, 2009

Where: The Canyons Resort – Park City, Utah. Registration is in Smokie’s in the Resort Village at the top of the Cabriolet from 8:00am-9:00am. The actual event venue will be in the Red Pine Lodge area and starts at 12:00pm.

I was over at the Powder Mountain blog and was surprised to see a blog post written by Gregg Greer, the self proclaimed “Master of Stoke” and General Manger of Powder Mountain.  On March 24 he spent the entire day lapping the Hidden Lake Express, 52 times to be exact.

At the end of it all he had racked up 67,600 vertical feet skied. Better than that were the 52 trips up the lift that he shared with Powder Mountain skiers, the kind of meetings that often make the longest lasting impressions.

Check out his write up and the “buddy” photos at PowderMountain.com

Aside from being a beautiful image of what looks to be the beginning of an incredible run, it gives perspective of what Powder Mountain has to offerer - deep powder, chutes, cliffs, meadows, open glades and far below a groomer on the right.

Since Powder Mountain was the only resort to bump into the Monster Dump category today with 12″ of new snow overnight, it might be wise to get a perspective of Powder Mountain for yourself and head north where I’m sure they’ll be skiing untracked lines all day long.

Click the image to see it larger.

PUKING SNOW

After seeing that and the rest of the storm totals (The Canyons got 17″ and up north everyone got at least 12″)  on my iPhone app as I rolled out of bed this morning I think I’ve got a case of the Monday’s.  Am I the only one?

Hell Heck Yeah.

After it kind of being a garbage morning, I made it up to Brighton after seeing this post. Surely, this had to be one of the best powder days for the entires state, but Big Cottonwood was looking gorgeous, and I need some powder satisfaction.

I parked over at Milly, and headed up knowing that there would be tons of powder. Sure enough, many a powstash were found in there. The bowl was deep, Little Milly was just acres of soft pillows waiting to be stormed through. For me, Milly was a blast, just what I needed to help with my powder fix.

Next leg of the journey, I headed up Crest for some tree skiing. I know what you might be thinking, Crest? On an powder day? My friend, rest assured, Between Snake Creek and Crest, there is some of the best tree skiing in Utah. Hands down. Three quarters of the way up the lift, my thoughts were confirmed when I saw only ONE TRACK under the lift. It was going to be good…

If you are looking for fun run, head down Pacific Highway, and take a right into the trees after Tantamount. You will soon find yourself waist deep in powder. As you get near the bottom, stay kind of to the right, to avoid a flat spot.

Spent the rest of the day taking laps on Snake, there is so much powder in the trees over there, it goes untracked for days. With another couple storms in the mix, lots more powder inbound here in Utah. Make sure to take advantage before it is time to break out the two-wheelers…

With great sadness the ski community mourns the loss of a talented skier and great human being. Rest in Peace.

Photos Scott Markewitz.

Adam Barker is selling posters to benefit the family of Shane McConkey. For
more info please go to http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/

Incidentally and despite Tanner’s hovering presence, none of the goggles sold were Oakley.

To receive this special price, you must prove that you are one of Sundance’s facebook fans. Simply go to your facebook profile, click on INFO and print out that page (your INFO page should show that you are fan of Sundance’s page). Present this page to the Sundance Ticket Office to purchase your ski pass for only $20.

This offer is good for you and your family members who don’t have a facebook page (i.e. your 7 year old son or your 62 year old grandma) Get your friends to become fans so they can ski or snowboard with you for only $20! Just remember to have them print out the INFO page.

Remember, this $20 offer is good for the rest of the season INCLUDING weekends. Call 801-223-4849 for more info. See you on the slopes!

How about another “no crowds” pics?  Here is a mid-afternoon run on Claimjumper.

p.s. It snowed yesterday in Park City.

The Chill Program deserves your support so you might as well give them $5 and go to a fun party at the Circle Lounge on March 26th. That way Joe and Nick can keep showing the Chill kids that there’s a whole big world out there besides what surrounds them in the city. See you there.

After a few days of skiing (and a drained hot tub where we were staying), I was ready for a good soak.  We decide to head over to the Crater for a dip.  The water was warm and inviting, allowing us to spend about an hour soaking up our surroundings.  The Crater’s water temp was in the mid-90s helping us to rest the joints and observe those around us as scuba divers practiced technique in the 55 ft deep swimming hole.  Well worth the trip for anyone interested.  But don’t forget your towels like I did.  The cold air outside takes some getting used to from the warm water.

We also decided to check out the Sunday Brunch and weren’t disappointed.  There was plenty of food to be had and a great variety for everyone.  I personally enjoyed the pesto chicken and fresh croissants.  The restaurant had a wonderful ambiance with the piano player in the background.  Everyone in our party left with a full stomach ready for another day of skiing in Utah.

If you want to find out more about swimming/diving in the Crater or its Sunday Brunch give them a call at 1-888-327-7220.

If you aren’t already on the hill, here are a few more reasons to get up there. Snow, jumps, trees, powder, and you might see a few friends too. Turn up the volume on your computer at work and blast the Pantera from this video…

Brighton #7 on Vimeo on Vimeo

I imagine the remainder of season will be pretty slow and with a storm rolling in Sunday and Monday, it’s a great time to head on up to The Canyons for a few turns.

I’m back in Utah for a few days of Spring Break skiing.  First up - Deer Valley.  We decided to spend the day on a new pair of skis, so we head over to the Rossignol High Performance Test Center.  After signing our lives away and handing over my credit card (in case we decided to keep our skis), we spent the day skiing the wonderful spring corn of Deer Valley.  Although the day ended up a bit cloudy, the lift lines were not long at all and many of the runs were nearly empty.  I was a bit surprised by the lack of people given that it’s the middle of Spring Break.  But who am I to complain?

I can’t mention Deer Valley without talking about the food.  It was amazing as always.  Can’t go wrong with the Turkey Chili.

p.s.  Don’t forget to  return your demo skis on time (2:30 pm if you have a tough time remembering).  Those JANS employees like to jet out as soon as they possibily can.

LOADED up and ready, the helicopter revved its engine and levitated from the snow. The horizon jumped, then angled away, a swatch of sky rushing in.

Check out this article in the New York Times about skiing at Powder Mountain.

Be sure to check out the slideshow of images from Powder Mountain too.

The next round of interactive Alta games encourages those ‘characters’ to stand and be counter. Break out the camera and/or dust off those slides - the Alta Characters Slide Show needs your images. Show how you see Alta personified. What characters make your day, or give you a grin? How do people show Altatude? Whether it was history made, or it is history in the making, Alta wants to see it. Send digital ‘character’ images to connie@alta.com.

Finally, it’s not free but here’s another way to show your Alta support: The 3rd Annual Alta Gala celebrates Alta’s 70th anniversary March 21, 2009. Tickets to the dinner and silent auction at La Caille are $100 but come with a one-day ticket to Alta and a $25 gift certificate to a later visit to La Caille. Event proceeds will be split evenly between Alta’s non-profits: Alta Community Enrichment, Friends of Alta, and the Alta Historical Society. Contact Jen Clancy at info@friendsofalta.org or 801-742-9719 for more information. Make sure you put it on your calendar for next year, if you miss this year’s event .

Source: On the Snow

FREE ENTRY! FREE FOOD! CASH PRIZES!

Pre-register at www.volcom.com or March 28th  in the bus waiting area of The Brighton Center from 10-11 A.M.

Divisions included 15 and under, 16 and over, girls, and open - SNOWBOARD ONLY!!

Helmet and Lift Ticket required

Coming up on March 21st will be a Slopestyle comp between the students of area schools.  The entry fee is $10 per person and with a 09/10 on the line, the competition should be fairly entertaining.

-Join your school’s team to compete against the other schools
-Complete registration and pay entry fee: 8:00am - 9:00am at Smokie’s Bar and Grill, in the Resort Village
-Max of 20 competitors per school, 5 people per team (each team must have at least 1 female, 1 skier, 1 rider)
-Download a registration form and send in to your school’s representative (see rep info below) in order to guarantee a spot on your schools team (only 20 participants per college, so register early!)
-Practice: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
-Event: 11:00 am start

PRIZES

-Overall Winner will receive FREE SEASON PASS for the 09/10 season
-Overall Team will receive SWAG bag full of goodies
-2nd and 3rd place prizes also available, TBD

REGISTRATION PROCESS

-Click here to download the registration form for this event
-Fill out form and email or fax to your rep, info below.
-Only 20 members per school’s team, first come/first serve registration process

UVV and BYU students contact info:

Donna Sheeran
Ph: 435.615.8082
Fax: 435.649.7374
email: dsheeran@thecanyons.com

WESTMINSTER & U of U students contact info:

Camberia Rollo
Ph: 435.615.3434
Fax: 435.649.7374
email: crollo@thecanyons.com

The evening includes a guided moon-lit snow shoe around Silver Lake.  All proceeds go to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and The Midvale Family Health Clinic, a free clinic for the underinsured.  Reservations are Required!!  Please call (801) 532-4731 ext 102

Not only is it a great way to show support for the Brighton Patrol who work so hard to keep the mountain safe (and open fast like last Tuesday) they also choose a worthy non-profit organization to benefit from Patrol Day through donations and publicity.

This season the excess Patrol Day proceeds will be donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. One reason for our selection of the Prostate Cancer Foundation for this year is one of our patrollers was diagnosed with prostate cancer and is struggling to fight this form of cancer.

An Avalanche Dog Demonstration will begin at 11am with “Ren Diner” offering a $5 “Combo Lunch Deal of  sloppy joes, chips, cookie & drink from 11:30-1pm at the base of the Crest lift. They will also have some baked goods for sale (top of each lift~ all day) and these are just some of the fundraiser activities planned for the day.

In the afternoon, there will be a Raffle (11-3PM) and Auction 12-1:30PM) on the Deck of the Alpine Rose Restaurant.

Some of the Raffle and Auction prizes donated so far:

A Limousine Connection. 4-hour limo ride
2- 5 day Desolation Canyon River Trips, compliments of Colorado River & Trail Expedition
1- Bobsled Ride: Utah Olympic Park
2- Brighton 2009-2010 Season Passes
5- Brighton Season Passes for rest of 2008-2009 Season
Gift Certificate for 1 pair of Daleboot Ski Boots
4- 1 HOUR Massages by Jenni Curtis, LMT of Salt Lake Premiere Massage Therapy Team
2- 1 hour massages by Peak Performance Massage
Complimentary Room for Two at the Ogden Marriott
1 Night Stay at The Nugget in Wendover, NV
Ski/board jackets, gloves, hats, scarves from Ski Trucks
Ruby Heli Ski: Patagonia men’s zip turtleneck, Patagonia kids fleece, Patagonia men’s med. Zip turtleneck, Patagonia fleece hat, Patagonia women’s vest
2 rounds of Golf at a SLC Course by Salt Lake City Corporation
4- 1-hour Massages by Chris Harris
Vest & Harness by Lone Peak Design
2 Day Passes to Powder Mountain
Ski Poles by K2
2- Tickets to Treasure of Ballet Russes by Ballet West
4- Family Passes up to 6 people to the Utah Museum of Natural History
2- Tickets to Utah Symphony or Utah Opera Performance
2- Free Rentals from Utah Ski & Golf
2- Stone Grind Tune-Ups from Canyon Sports
4- Ski-Board Rental Packages at See-N-Ski
Wasatch Powderbird Guides: Men’s NorthFace Jacket, NorthFace thermal top, NorthFace zip thermal top
1 Night stay at Peppermill/Rainbow/Montego Bay Casino and Resorts
Two Night Stay at Suncoast Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Two Night Stay for Two at Hacienda Hotel and Casino, Boulder City, NV

Gift Certificates from:
Einstein Bros. Bagels, Porcupine Pub & Grill; Chili’s; Belgium Waffle and Omelet Inn; La Puente Restaurant, Hoppers Grill & Brewing Company; La Cocina; Lonestar Steakhouse; Macaroni Grill; The Dodo Restaurant; TGIF Fridays;

Tickets are $125 each or $200 for a couple or $1000 for a table of 10 which can be purchased here.

While staying in the area feel free to visit the Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation which is the 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum.

If you happen to be flying in today, why not a free lift ticket as well?

Hate to say it, but I told you so….

Don’t forget the Monster, too.

With spring break literally around the corner, many families are looking for last minute vacation deals. Chances are you’re one of the many.  So use your noggin’ and save some loot while still skiing the Greatest Snow on Earth.

Fortunately there’s a surplus of stellar Utah ski vacation packages that are making spring break possible without breaking the bank. Right now there are nearly 60 offers are listed on the Hot Deals section of SkiUtah.com.

Many Utah ski and snowboard resorts are rolling out packages which include lodging, lift tickets and more for as little as $100 a day per person.

What are you waiting for? Deals on Utah skiing is a click away…and it’s snowing!

March 2, 2009: 3.2.09, also known as Thirty-Two Day ay Brighton, Utah. The ThirtyTwo Crew decided to head up to their favorite mountain to throw a little party, and at the same time have a lot of fun. A crazy downhill banked slalom race on thirty-two berms and bumps followed by a rail jam were the orders of the day, and more than 132 racers and jibbers came out to have some fun and show off what they got. Timed trials yielded some fast times early on, with Brighton park ripper Ben McGill throwin’ down the fastest time the first half of the day. It took until the last few races for the fastest time of the day, though, when Tyler Eamond beat out everyone else by 6+ seconds, with a lightning-fast 123.01 down the treacherous course. Wiki Jones, all the way from Australia, made the women proud with a very respectable 139.72 time that beat all but about 15 of the men.
The afternoon sun was trying to come out on the rail jam as 81 jibbers made the walk up the hill over and over again to try to get theirs. The elimination style of judging was used-basically, the judges called out people they wanted to see, and people they didn’t want to see any more of… The last man standing was Mr. Everest Arnold, who survived just past the stylish Brandon Hobush, local favorite Ted Borland, and overall ripper Chris Brewster. The top five was rounded out by Carson Pippen. On the girls side, Madison Blackley took home the honor of top girl jibber, followed by Midori Oatari and Wiki Jones.

The overall women’s award went to top chick Wiki Jones in the Thirty spot, and second place went to Midori Oatari in the Two spot…

Since the $320 cash was given to the best overall riders of the day, Chris Brewster took home the top honor of the Thirty spot, the cash, and the 32 x StepChild collab snowboard, as well as shoes and gear from etnies and ThirtyTwo. “I’ve never had so much money at one time in my whole life,” said Brewster. Somehow, we believe it… Mr. Brewster is a real character. Carson Pippin, who ended 5th in the jib jam and was a respectable top-twenty in the race, got the other snowboard, boots from ThirtyTwo, and more gear, ending up in the Two spot…

Thanks to everyone at Brighton, ThirtyTwo, and MiloSport for the support and help with the event… Where will you be next year on 32 Day?

Read More full the full results: 32 Day Wrap Up… .

From TransWorld Snowboarding:

Pipe riders haul ass up icy 22-foot walls, rail kids dull their edges and 270 in, kicker killers point it and send it—but it’s all just snowboarding, right? That’s roughly the idea behind Park City’s all new Intelligent Design competition, featuring a grab bag of all of the above in one course at the base of Utah’s most park-friendly resort. Starting off with a 60-foot kicker into a unique step-up hip jump, jib section, Superpipe, and finally a massive quarterpipe to finish things off—this outside-the-box contest venue makes being an all around snowboarder a total pre-requisite.

Up until the last minute, the event had commitment from a wide range of top riders—from Marc Frank Montoya and Mason Aguirre to Torstein Horgmo and Andreas Wiig—but at the very last minute the roster thinned out savagely. It seems that there were some end-of-season injuries Aguirre broke his rib etc., but evidently some folks just couldn’t wrap their head around the concept. Says event mastermind Jim Mangan, Park City’s Director of Action Sports Marketing, “There were some riders who said to me, ‘Jim, it’s just too much,’ but you know we’re pushing things and this is what needs to happen for the sport.”

Read More: Shaun White Wins Intelligent Design at Park City | Transworld Snowboarding.

Scheduled to compete in the aerials event are newly crowned World Champion Ryan St. Onge, who will be looking to defend his championship title from 2008, as well as World Cup winners Jeret “Speedy” Peterson and Emily Cook, who also hopes to rein in her second national title in a row.

“It’s a huge event for us. We’re jumping with some of the best jumpers in the world when we compete at nationals, so to win it is a huge title. I’m going to go out and put down the best tricks I can do and see if I can perform my best,” St. Onge said. “But, it’s going to be difficult with the other guys. I know that they’re really hungry for it, too.”

For St. Onge, though, finishing out the 2009 season at Utah Olympic Park is something he looks forward to.

“It’s definitely coming home. I’ve taken more jumps on that site than any other site in the world. As long as the weather is good, then we should have a great contest,” St. Onge said.

Fans can catch the action in Park City on Sunday with finals beginning at 11:30 a.m. From Park City, the freestyle nationals move on to Waterville Valley, NH March 14 for upright aerials and then to Squaw Valley, CA, where the series will wrap up with moguls, dual moguls and skier halfpipe.

A number of locals and friends have been pulling out mountain bikes, making trips to Southern Utah and pulling the road bikes off the racks to get some early mileage in.

It was just a short two weeks ago that the below numbers graced the mountains of Utah:

So while I too look forward to cycling season, it’s not time for the bikes. Wax your skis, get them tuned at your favorite shop and prepare yourself for the second half of the season. It starts now.

Show up to Snowbird with  Steve Young and his posse of NFL, Olympic and Paralympic athletes for a rip roaring Western Ski Classic.  Some of the acitivites will include skiing during the day, a sumptuous dinner, and bidding on incredible live and silent auction items. All in support of Wasatch Adaptive Sports.

The event on March 8th raises funds for The Heuga Center, which supports research and wellness programs for people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Teams of three tackle the mountain in a scavenger hunt, then race gates at the Solitude Race Course. Great fun for a great cause!

At the event’s debut last year, Utah welcomed three hundred competitors including some of the biggest names in endurance sports and adventure racing from around the globe. The main event is a true test of skill and perseverance combining a 5K run on groomed snow, 5K snowshoe in powder, 10K mountain biking on snow, and an 8K ski mountaineering course with over 3,000 vertical feet of climbing. While the pros challenge each other for a share of the $10,000 prize purse, amateurs will test their skills in individual discipline races such as snowshoeing and ski mountaineering.

Athletes and spectators alike can expect a weekend of fun, excitement, and if last year’s event is any indication, dramatic finishes. After a grueling two hours, the 2008 World Championship came down to literally the final second, with Brian Smith edging past Josiah Middaugh of Vail, CO just three gates from the finish line. XTERRA will continue the festivities this weekend after the sun goes down with parties at local bars and restaurants where video highlights of the day’s events will be presented.

XTERRA Winter Schedule:
Saturday, March 7
8am-3pm   Registration/Packet Pickup at Snowbasin Resort
9am-3pm   Expo Open
9:30am      Skate Ski Start – 10K
10:30am    Snowboard “Dash for Cash” Start
1:00am      Ski Mountaineering Race Start
11:30am    Skate Ski Awards at Snowbasin
1:00pm      Cut-off for Ski Mountaineering Race
1:30pm      Snowshoe Start – 10K and 5K
3pm           Ski Mountaineering and Snowshoe Awards at Snowbasin
6pm           Race Briefing - Ogden Marriott - English Walnut Room
8pm           After Party - Brewski’s, Ogden (21 and over only).

Sunday, March 8
8am           Registration/Packet Pickup at Snowbasin Resort
9am-3pm   Expo Open
10am         XTERRA Winter World Championship Start
12:30pm    Winter World Champs Cut-off (must start ski mountaineering leg)
2pm           XTERRA Winter World Championship Awards at Snowbasin
8pm           XTERRA Winter World Championship Party