The Obsessive Skier Says...

Happy Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:49:00 +0000

This is an idea whose time has come.

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:15:00 +0000

Peak 2 Peak Mountain Academy.

A not for profit mountain academy for youth and family outdoor education.
The Obsessive Skier is looking forward to getting to know these guys.

Friends Don't Let Friends Drive I-70

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:10:00 +0000

Well, at least they don't on the last Sunday afternoon of January.

The regular heavy Sunday afternoon skier traffic from Summit County to the Denver area combined with extra traffic from the XGames in Aspen yesterday to create a parking lot on the two lanes of Eastbound I-70. The @ColoradoDOT twitter feed was buzzing yesterday afternoon as traffic pacing operations failed due to excessive traffic volume and traffic metering was required at the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels.

If you were stuck in that traffic yesterday, I feel your pain. Been there. Done that.

I spent the afternoon at Eldora Mountain Resort instead. Good times skiing with my 3-year-old boy and my 69-year-old dad (yesterday was his birthday...Happy Birthday Dad!).

Your Life is More Important than Skiing.

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:41:00 +0000

After numerous deaths this season, Rocky Mountain Ski Culture needs a reality check.

SKIERS, YOUR LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SKIING!

On November 18th, 20-year-old Evan Massini died after hitting a tree on the edge of the Northstar trail at Breckenridge.
On January 15th, 25-year-old Sydney Elizabeth Owens died after falling and sliding about 1500 feet on Silverton Mountain.
On January 18th, a skier was killed in a sidecountry avalanche near Snowmass Village.
On January 19th, Canadian Freestyle Skier & Olympic Medalist Sarah Burke died after she hit her head on the icy sidewall of a half-pipe on a training run.
And there are numerous others...

Too many of us in Rocky Mountain Ski Culture take way too much risk in this sport we love. We justify our self-destructive and often-deadly behavior by lying to ourselves in countless ways:

"I feel more alive when skiing like this."
"This kind of skiing is what life is all about."
"I know what I'm doing and I've accurately assessed the risk in this situation."
"I need this run/this trick/this shot/this footage so that I can get the approval I need from others in order to feel good about myself."
And there are numerous others...

So, my ski-loving friend, start repeating this mantra: "My life IS more important than skiing."

Repeat this mantra because this mantra is true. Your life is more important than skiing. Regardless of how you might feel at the top, in the middle or at the end of a run, your life is more important than skiing. You are more than your experiences. Your life has meaning and purpose apart from skiing. There are other things worth living for.

Sure, people are saying nice things about Sarah Burke all over the internet this week. But not everything being said is true. Her death is a tragedy. She did not have to die the way that she died. Neither did any of the other skiers we've lost this year.

I may be obsessive about skiing, but more importantly, I am alive. I want you to be alive too.

...you should see this.

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:12:00 +0000

The Obsessive Skier is extremely near-sighted. So, he can see small things very easily. For instance, he can see the details of one flake of snow that falls on the sleeve of his jacket. (Cool, huh?)

He is also obsessive. Particularly about skiing. And thus-ly, the snow conditions at any given time. Here is a helpful graphic for analyzing the wide variety of snow a skier might experience in Colorado:

As Mark Williams of INSTAAR at The University of Colorado at Boulder writes: "Snow on the ground is a dynamic medium. The properties and characteristics of fallen snow change constantly as a function of energy fluxes, wind, moisture, water vapor, and pressure. For example, the time window for good skiing in mid-winter may last several days after a fresh snowfall in cold continental climates. During spring conditions the time window may be only an hour or two as rock-hard boilerplate turns to ideal corn conditions before additional energy inputs turns the snowpack to unskiable slush. Physical properties of snow change over time. Furthermore, snow properties can vary widely over small distances, both vertically within a snowpack and horizontally over space."

For obvious reasons, therefore, you should see this. And study it. The quality of your next ski run is determined by what you see going on with snow crystals like these.

Where are you, la nina?

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Yesterday was my second day of skiing this season.

This photo of Peaks 7 & 8 at Breckenridge shows how little snow has fallen so far this year.

If you like cruising on the blues (intermediate runs), conditions are fine. But if you like the high alpine terrain (like me), conditions stink.

Where are you, la nina?

Thanks, Google, but it's just not the same.

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:16:00 +0000

If you go to google.com and type in "let it snow" without quotes, it starts snowing in your open window.

Thanks, Google!

That's fun & all, but it's just not the same as real snow out my real window. Maybe soon...

(Thanks @DougHaney for the hint.)

The snow will come eventually.

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:17:00 +0000

Snowfall totals in Summit County, Colorado are meager these days.

But the snow will come eventually. Keep the faith.

And if your schedule is flexible, you might want to pick up the Copper Mountain Snow Day Pass. You pay $99 for the pass, and you can ski/ride at Copper on any day when they receive 4 or more inches of snow.

Many call this the best pass deal of the season.

Cheap Ski Deals Can Still Be Found!

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:40:00 +0000

You don't have to be a trust-fund kid to be able to afford to ski in Colorado this season...

$37.00 per day for the Legends 4-Pass at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area.

$37.50 per day for a 4-pack at Eldora Mountain Resort. (No limit on the number of 4 packs you can buy, but they are non-transferable.)

$32.25 per day for a 4-pack at Loveland Ski Area. No limit on the number you can buy, and these lift passes are transferable.

$10 per day for one February day of skiing at Ski Cooper, if you buy a Colorado Gems Card.

Or you can hitchhike along US6 for as many free back-country runs off Loveland Pass as you can handle.

From "Never-Ever" to Stem Turns in 2.5 Hours

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:43:00 +0000

Congratulations to my new friend, Tony, from Sydney, Australia who learned to ski this week.

Happy 50th Breck!

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:27:00 +0000

Max Dercum (1912-2011)

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:16:00 +0000

Max Dercum (namesake of Keystone Ski Area's Dercum Mountain, and co-founder of Arapahoe Basin Ski Area) died today at age 98. Click here for an article from Summit Daily News.

The world needs more people like the Bullards.

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:10:00 +0000

Wanda Bullard, whose front-porch story-telling was the inspiration for The Moth, died this past week. Watch this video and remember with me why the world needs more people like the Bullards.

Congrats to Silverton Ski Patrollers on 1st Turns of the Season

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:07:00 +0000

Silverton, CO - A sharp cold front dropped snow across the mountains of Colorado and Utah over the weekend, and where the wind piled snow into drifts some intrepid Silverton Mountain ski patrollers got their first turns of the season in on Sunday. After a series of snowy nights at Silverton Mountain, a few lucky ski patrollers jumped on the chairlift on Sunday and headed to the top of Silverton Mountain to make turns.

Isn't it beautiful?!?!

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:36:00 +0000

It's September in Colorado.
The snow is coming back.
The Obsessive Skier is growing increasingly obsessive with each passing day and each passing storm.

Photo stolen from A-Basin's webcam on Thursday, September 15th at 10:37am.

C'est l'amour!

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Love Tap from Mike Goode on Vimeo.

Ahhhh...it's back.

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:56:00 +0000

Photos of SNOW taken today, September 6, 2011, between 3& 4pm at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area.

Ahhhh...it's back.

35 days until ski season.

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:02:00 +0000

Here's my prediction: Within 35 days, Arapahoe Basin will have beaten Loveland Ski Area in their annual race to open. And the 2011-2012 Ski Season will have begun, no later than October 10th.

People are Still Spending on Skiing.

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Colorado ski areas spending millions on upgrades

By Jason Blevins
The Denver Post

Posted: 08/31/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT

Updated: 08/31/2011 10:53:12 AM MDT

SOLVISTA BASIN The Granby facility is adding features to its terrain park, including an underground gas tank, log jibs and a 6-foot-tall satellite dish. (Special to The Denver Post)

New lifts, lodges, parks and perks are behind the more than $100 million that Colorado's ski areas are pumping into their hills for the upcoming season.

On the heels of the busiest U.S. ski season ever and defying the rumbling over a possible double-dip recession, ski areas are returning to the high times with upgrades and investments that mirror the industry's boom years in the early 2000s.

The mammoth Vail Resorts, the top dog in the state's tourism industry with four Colorado ski areas, is leading the charge with upward of $128 million in upgrades to its six hills, including a new high-speed chair in Beaver Creek's Rose Bowl, a new eatery on Vail Mountain and $30 million in work at its newest resort, California's

CRESTED BUTTE Skiers can now add zip-lining to the menu of activities at some Colorado Ski Country USA resorts. Crested Butte has a Zip Line Canopy Tour, open year-round. (Special to The Denver Post)

Northstar-at-Tahoe.

Colorado's other 22 ski areas are injecting more than $50 million into upgrades, with a new chair and terrain at Aspen's Buttermilk and new lifts at Copper Mountain, Loveland, Monarch and Ski Cooper.

Tapping the vibe of playful skiers and 'boarders, several resorts are elevating their terrain parks with creative additions such as SolVista's natural log park and trick-friendly features. Winter Park's now dug-in halfpipe will energize its Rail Yard Terrain Park and require less manmade snow (i.e., water and energy) during installation.

Durango Mountain Resort and Crested Butte Mountain Resort are boosting their above-snow play with ski-up zip lines, while Monarch adds a new Sno-Cat for its backcountry powder chasers and Wolf Creek replaces its race hut.

Aspen Skiing Co., a national leader in earth-friendly construction, is constructing its fifth super- green building with its 300-seat Elk Camp restaurant, scheduled to open for the 2012-13 season. The company is also renovating Aspen Highlands' midmountain Merry- Go-Round restaurant. Crested Butte too is revamping its midhill Paradise Warming House, and Steamboat is building a new apres- ski bar at the slopeside Steamboat Grand hotel.

STEAMBOAT A new apres-ski bar in the Cabin Restaurant at the Steamboat Grand has a new menu. The resort is among those enhancing snowmaking operations. (Special to The Denver Post)

Loveland is giving its Ptarmigan Roost Cabin a face-lift and installing its first on-hill restrooms.

Copper Mountain's new partnership with the U.S. Ski Team means a smarter snowmaking system will help American racers train in the early season. Loveland, Steamboat and Eldora Mountain Resort also are enhancing their snowmaking operations.

Then there's the simple stuff that's only noticeable when it's wrong. New paving at Monarch will shift the parking lot from a muddy dash to a simple stroll. Heated pavers will eliminate wading on the approach to Steamboat's slopes. And frills-free Silverton Mountain is going swank with a used carpet to cover the very-used carpet in its base tent.

"Talk about plush," Silverton Mountain owner Aaron Brill said.

Jason Blevins: 303-954-1374 or jblevins@denverpost.com

Don't miss these deals!

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Westword has published a list of early bird pass deals, but the best ski deal in the Centennial State is the $10 Colorado Gems card. Don't miss out.

"From Famous to Infamous...just like that."

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:36:00 +0000

Note to readers: Ski season is still a few months away, so rather than write a boring review of the 2011 Ski Magazine Buyers Guide, The Obsessive Skier is reminiscing on his youth today.

The truth is that The Obsessive Skier is almost 42. If you do the math, that means I was a teenager during the 1980's. Yes, I wore a pair of Vans (even though I lived in the suburbs of St. Louis and rarely ever stepped on my skateboard). Yes, I owned a pair of Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses in a vain attempt to look like Maverick in Top Gun. And yes, on one hot summer night, I was dancing with some friends during a Milli Vanilli concert in the Old Glory Ampitheater at Six-Flags Over Mid-America. "Girl, you know it's true" and "Blame it on the Rain" and "Baby, Don't Lose My Number" and all that. If you were alive at the time, or pay much attention at all to pop culture in the US, you know the scandalous story of Milli Vanilli's lip-synching.

This morning, while sipping an iced green tea at a Starbucks in Boulder, a new episode from The Moth popped up in my iTunes podcast list. (My cool-ness has come a long way, hasn't it?)

Fab Morvan has skillfully crafted his side of the Milli Vanilli story and shared it with the world via The Moth. Fab's version of the story a kind-of morality tale with themes of self-absorption, manipulation, and deception (things that we're all pretty good at, if we're honest with ourselves). If you carve out 15 minutes and listen to it, you will hear a man who has learned some lessons the hard way, changed and grown as both a man and an artist. I think his most poignant line he used in his story-telling was this: "From famous to infamous...just like that."

Like most of us, Fab seems to still have a few lessons to learn about life. But one thing I especially admire about Fab Morvan is that he has kept moving forward as a musician in the face of incredibly intense public scorn and humiliation. Unlike his partner-in-crime, Rob Pilatus, Fab Morvan is still alive and still making music. And for that reason alone, I'm still a fan.

Memorial Day Skiing = Family Fun

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:44:00 +0000

Monday, May 30, 2011
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
Summit County, Colorado

Watch this. It's really important.

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Sat, 28 May 2011 00:18:00 +0000

WOW Superior!

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Wed, 25 May 2011 21:46:00 +0000

Can you find Sophie in this video?

What a great snow year!

noreply@blogger.com (obsessiveskier) — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:42:00 +0000

Rock Cut, Trail Ridge Road

These photos are from Rocky Mountain National Park's public gallery on Picasa.

Near Rock Cut, Trail Ridge Road

Near Fairview Curve, Trail Ridge Road