Archive for November, 2009

Jasper’s Marmot Basin Receives 60 Centimeters/ 2 Feet of New Snow in 48 hours!

Posted by admin on November 18th, 2009 | 3 comments

Once in a while, the stars align and the heavens open up and you are in the right place at the right time. Right now are those days at Marmot Basin and the time to ski Jasper is now.  Jasper’s Marmot Basin has received a stunning 60 centimeters, two feet, of powder over the past 48 hours and 85 centimeters in the last seven days and it is still snowing. Yesterday morning, November 17,  the grooming team had to clear the parking lots with snow cats rather than with a plow because there was 25 centimeters of snow that fell overnight. Lifties were shoveling out the load and unload ramps of the chairlifts along with their buried mazes.

To say Marmot Basin is having an excellent start to the skiing Jasper season is an understatement. This is the first time we have had 100 centimeters of settled snow at mid mountain in the month of November and it is only November 18th. Today Marmot Basin opened even more terrain and we now have 53 runs open. The avalanche team is working hard to open the Knob Chair. They will have to do considerable avalanche work to re-establish the safety of this area before we can open it to skiers and boarders, however, we expect the Knob area to open soon.

Skiers and riders are hooting and hollering as they ride the New Canadian Rockies Express high speed quad chair.  2000 vertical feet of perfect powder skiing and riding from top to bottom on our new quad chair. This is a perfect time to ski Jasper and head to Marmot Basin as there is another storm headed our way and we are going to need snorkels to ski and breathe if this keeps up.

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Powder Play: Eight Reasons To Ski Utah

Posted by admin on November 11th, 2009 | 0 comments

This article originally appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, written by Stephen Regenold

Utah offer some of the best ski vacation experiences in the U.S.  With it’s deep snow, steep slopes and good value, Utah is a skiers dream come true.  Stephen Regenold, a special contributor to the Star Tribune, was gracious enough to detail 8 of the top reason to ski Utah.  World on skis has many great ski deals to Utah and offers excellent value with their Utah ski packages.

Powder Play: Eight Reasons To Ski Utah

By STEPHEN REGENOLD, Special to the Star Tribune

Our tram car bucked in the wind on its way up the mountain at Snowbird Resort. I grabbed a railing and held on as it whisked me uphill in a blizzard, the slopes of Utah’s Wasatch Range below obscured in white.

“At least the snow is deep,” a stranger shouted, his face hidden, caked with ice.

Staked like a wall at the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, the Wasatch Range towers over Utah’s Great Salt Lake and the vast desert basin beyond. For skiers and snowboarders, the range’s sharp peaks and plunging valleys — plus hundreds of inches of powder snow each season –create an ultimate playground for fast descents in deep snow.

Since 1995, when I first drove west on a winter road trip, the Wasatch has ranked as my favorite ski destination in the United States. The world validated my bias in 2002 when the XIX Olympic Winter Games landed in Salt Lake City amid the Wasatch’s pyramids of white.

The mountains near Salt Lake offer a dozen resorts, including the European-flavored Snowbird with its aerial tram and steep slopes, as well as locals’ hills like Powder Mountain. For snow quality, steep skiing, price, accessibility and variety of terrain, Utah is tough to beat. Here are eight reasons I keep going back.

SNOW

1 The region’s self-proclaimed “greatest snow on Earth” is in reference to the fluffy white stuff that falls up to 500 inches deep many seasons at Snowbird Resort, Alta Ski Area, Park City Mountain Resort, Brighton and a half-dozen other areas near Salt Lake City. Mountains jutting past 11,000 feet adjacent to the Great Basin create an abrupt interruption to desert clouds coursing east. Big snow — hundreds of inches of light, airy powder every season — is the advantageous result.

ACCESSIBILITY

2 Fly to Salt Lake City International — an inexpensive hop from the Twin Cities most of the year, especially now that Southwest is in the game — and you have 11 ski areas within an hour’s drive. Rent a car and you can be booting up at Brighton, Solitude or Alta Ski Area in as little as 45 minutes. The glass skyscrapers of Salt Lake City cut a silhouette as you drive east just before the Wasatch takes over, the urban outskirts intermingling with the foothills of the mountains. Major highways then lead uphill to most resorts. Or you can jump on a bus. The city boasts a public bus system to transport skiers at low fares from the city to the ski resorts in the mountains above town.

VARIETY

3The tight fiefdom of ski areas in the Wasatch Range, though geographically aligned, maintain a variety of resort personality types. Want utter luxury? Try Deer Valley for a day. Halfpipes and stunts are popular with a freestyle crowd at Brighton, where three terrain parks are built on the hill. Alta can be a no-frills, nostalgic peek at how skiing grew out of one of America’s original big areas. Snowbird is tall, steep and serious, with a cable car whisking skiers to 11,000 feet overhead. I have skied eight areas in Utah, and no two seemed the same.

AFFORDABILITY

4 With many ski areas so close to the Salt Lake metro area, lodging is plentiful, including moderately priced options. I have stayed in Salt Lake City for as low as $49 per night. Compared with other major ski centers in the United States, lift ticket prices in the Wasatch are not significantly less. Alta Ski Area, long known for its cheap lifts, now charges $66 per adult day, an average rate for a U.S. resort of its size. Deer Valley costs $86. But smaller Utah ski areas like Sundance Resort, Brighton, and Wolf Creek offer true mountain skiing at more affordable rates ($47, $58 and $32, respectively, for full-day adult tickets).

STEEP SLOPES

5 From the precipitous “Finger Chutes” atop Allen Peak at Snowbasin resort, to “Great Scott” and other stomach-in-throat drops in Snowbird’s infamous Cirque formation, the craggy Wasatch Range has no lack of hairy terrain. Rock-lined chutes and double-black-diamond runs pepper most trail maps in the area. Compared with Colorado, Utah offers more thrills and better steep-skiing bang for the buck.

BACK-COUNTRY ACCESS

6 Avalanche-savvy skiers and boarders can access the vast Wasatch back country via chairlifts at several resorts, where boundary gates offer legal entry points into mountain wilderness outside resort property. Two years ago, entering through a gate at Snowbasin resort, four friends and I skied — with avalanche beacons on — for 4 miles and nearly 5,000 vertical feet through the outback. A car shuttle picked us up at the other end for transport back to the resort.

INTERCONNECT TOUR

7A unique guided trip operated by Ski Utah, a private company, the Interconnect Tour allows intermediate and advanced skiers a chance to sample up to six resorts in the Wasatch in a single day. You take chairlifts and link from ski area to ski area via back-country routes that traverse alpine bowls and high passes through the Wasatch. For my trip, we began at Deer Valley Resort in the morning and finished at Snowbird. In between, guides led us through the back country and Park City Mountain Resort, Brighton, Solitude and Alta Ski Area for a whirlwind day. Cost is $250 per person, including lunch and a “golden” ticket for lift access at all resorts.

RAW ACREAGE

8At the Canyons, a resort 30 minutes from Salt Lake International, there are powder bowls, alpine faces and more than 100 cut trails. Snowbird boasts 2,500 acres of terrain streaming off two peaks. Powder Mountain is a sprawling, low-budget resort near the town of Ogden that offers five mountains and vast back-country-like skiable terrain. Park City, Alta, Deer Valley and Snowbasin are biggies, too. Ample acreage — which equals more turns in fresh snow and more mountain to explore — is a hallmark of many Utah resorts.

Stephen Regenold is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities.

The original article can be found by clicking here.

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Top 10 Well-Rounded Ski Towns

Posted by admin on November 3rd, 2009 | 0 comments

We love, love, love, love, love top 10 lists! Maybe it’s the great anticipation of counting down from 10 to 1, or maybe it’s the fact that World on Skis is the leader in sending ski enthusiasts like yourself to any of these best ski resorts. Actually… it’s the combination of the two!

We would like to thank Digital City and Lauren Lamb for writing this article.

Top 10 Well-Rounded Ski Towns

By Lauren Lamb

When ski season hits, certain cities across the country come alive. While skiing may be the main attraction, many of these towns offer an enchanted experience that extends beyond the slopes.

As you plan your winter getaway, consider these well-rounded ski cities:

Ski Park City, Utah
This lively ski town is filled with acclaimed restaurants, galleries and shops. Aside from skiing, the town also offers snowmobiling, fishing, snowshoe adventures, bobsled, luge and sleigh rides.

Ski Telluride, Colo.
This quaint ski village is home to more than just beautiful slopes. Upscale boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and bars line the charming snow-covered streets. A free gondola connects Telluride to the nearby Mountain Village which features expansive views, convenient access to the slopes of the Telluride Ski Resort and world-class accommodations.

Ski Stowe, Vt.
This is a great destination for skiiers and non-skiiers alike. From snowshoeing to shopping to first-class dining, there is so much to do in this charming New England town. Be sure to make the trip to nearby Waterbury for a tour and taste at the Ben & Jerry’s Headquarters.

Ski Jackson Hole, Wyo.
In addition to downhill skiing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and snow-coach rides are very popular in this spectacular winter wonderland. Another big draw is the close proximity of Yellowstone and the National Elk Refuge.

Ski Bend, Ore.
Over the past two decades, the population in Bend has quadrupled, but its 1920s appeal has remained intact. The growth has led to an influx of talented chefs and an impressive array of new restaurants. Step outside and you’ll be surrounded by nearly 3,700 acres of awe-inspiring terrain. Strap on those snowshoes, hit the slopes or go on a dog-sledding adventure. It all awaits you.

Ski Bozeman, Mont.
Bozeman is the ultimate town for outdoor adventurist. Snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice skating, downhill skiing, snowboarding… you name it, you can do it. Yellowstone is also nearby. If you want uncrowded slopes and plenty of untouched powder to explore, this is the place.

Ski Aspen, Colo.
When you arrive in Aspen, you’ll feel the magic of this picturesque ski town. Everything is here, from fantastic skiing to the very best dining and upscale boutiques such as Prada, Louis Vuitton and Dior. Aspen is glitz and glamour with a laid-back vibe.

Ski Truckee, Calif.
Just 20 minutes from Lake Tahoe, this serene town is ideal for those who want a quieter retreat. Take a walking tour of the historically-rich downtown district, explore a state park or browse the wide selection of shops which range from chic to rustic.

Ski Burlington, Vt.
Whether you want to relax or do something exciting, Burlington offers both. You can try nearly any outdoor activity you can imagine and there are plenty of beautiful hotels and inns where you can simply just unwind. The Church Street Marketplace, Burlington’s award-winning pedestrian mall, is also a big attraction where you’ll find a wide assortment of shops, restaurants and even live entertainment.

Ski Crested Butte, Colo.
In “The Butte,” locally-owned businesses rule. There are no chain restaurants allowed, so instead of Starbucks, you’ll find Camp 4 Coffee. Exploring the unique shops and boutiques is great fun and adds to the charm of this small ski town.

The original article can be found at Digital City by clicking here.

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