Just Because! The bums are back and they’re starting to get excited about the fall, because that means snow is around the corner. As we close out the summer, send the kids off to school, and get ready for the winter, we reflect on why we started heading toward the mountains in the first place. So let’s reminisce and open up to share the fifty shades of snow we all remember!
Weekly Flavor
- Mario : Saranac Gen IV, Session IPA
- Brian : Monster Energy Ultra Sunshine and vodka
- Andrea : Breckenridge Bourbon on the rocks
Ski News
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It’s Snowing at the Top of Whistler Right Now! (ski.curbed.com)
“Does anything else fill you with such joy? It’s about 30 degrees right now at Whistler Peak’s 7,150 feet, and it’s looking pretty socked in, judging from the peak’s webcams. This snowfall looks even better than the dusting that hit Colorado earlier. Bring on winter!” (ski.curbed.com)
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Ski club celebrates 50 years — with more than skiing (pressconnects.com)
“Triple Cities Ski Club offers year-round opportunities for recreation in the company of more than 425 members who love those activities, too.
They’ll celebrate their 50th anniversary season with a kick-off meeting at 6:30 p.m. next Thursday (Sept. 10) at Brothers 2 Banquet Facility, 2901 Watson Blvd., Endwell.
The club is not just about skiing and snowboarding. Year-round activities include hiking, biking, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, camping, rafting, golfing, picnicking and meet-to-eats at local restaurants.” (pressconnects.com)
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Revenge of the Affordable Dream Towns (outsideonline.com)
“Over the past three decades, affordable—a.k.a. subsidized or, lately, “workforce”—housing has become as polarizing as it is integral to a town’s vitality. The fact that Tarczon couldn’t afford a home in Breckenridge, which since 2000 has done more than almost any other mountain town to keep its locals living locally, underscores the scope of the problem. There are now 839 deed-restricted—or price-controlled—condos and rentals, up from 209 fifteen years ago. But it’s still not enough. “Our goal is to house 50 percent of our workforce, and we’re close to that,” says Laurie Best, Breck’s long-range planner. “But where do the other 50 percent live?”
Similar struggles are occurring across the country, in places where residents worry that their funky slice of freedom and crisp air is destined for a sad, inexorable slide into vacation-community status, with “locals” parachuting in for two weeks a year like they do in Montana’s Yellowstone Club. In Bar Harbor, Maine, housing values have risen 62 percent since 2009. In Teton County, Wyoming, where the median cost of a single-family home is $660,000, thedesperate need for workforce housing spurred the Jackson town council this spring to approve the first-ever four-story building downtown. “Twelve percent of our workforce were living out of their cars last summer because we didn’t have a place for them,” says Stacy Stoker, executive director of the Teton County Housing Authority” (outsideonline.com)
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El Nino Part 3: How will El Nino impact snowfall for the 2015/2016 ski season? (opensnow.com)
“Let’s look at a few long-range snow and weather forecasts for the upcoming 2015/16 winter.
Keep in mind that the forecasts I will show here were made in August of 2015, which means that these are 4-6 month forecasts. How accurate are forecasts for half a year in advance? In short, not very accurate. However, during a strong El Nino, these long-range forecasts can be more accurate than normal because the effects of El Nino are generally well understood (though there are no guarantees!). (opensnow.com)
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Conquering the Useless (conqueringtheuseless.com)
“There is far more to skiing than just skiing. Life, death, family, friends, endless fun and a sport that takes you to the furthest reaches of the globe are a part of what makes a life centered around skiing so special. Conquering the Useless is a story about this full scope of skiing. From a family centered around mountains to going deep into the unknown, this documentary style film tells a story about a relationship with the mountains, the friends and family created between them and the endless challenges they provide. Shot on location in Revelstoke, Bella Coola, and the Boundary Mountains on the border of Alaska and Canada.” (conqueringtheuseless.com)
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Obama to Rename Mt. McKinley, Denali in Honor of Native Americans (snowbrains.com)
“There are so many ways to die early; from risky outdoor activities to smoking. At Best Health Degrees we decided to take a look at just how much you increase your chances of dying through these activities. Life after all is one big series of risks. And some risks are worth the shot. One study shows people have a 1 in 100,000 chance of dying while attending a dance party. Another study shows the odds of dying while skydiving in the United States is 1 in 101,083 jumps. What follows is a list of activities, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, and your chances of dying from them.” (snowbrains.com)