…any-goddamn-day. Yup, the bums are stuck in the Northeast and we were really spoiled last year. We’re saying our prayers to Ullr and hoping the flakes start falling soon.
Weekly Flavor
- Mario : Walking Dead Blood Orange IPA, Terrapin Brewing Co, 6.7%
Terrapin Beer Co. and The Walking Dead have teamed up to brew the official beer of the undead. Made with blood orange peel, and a horrific amount of hops, this bloodthirsty Red IPA will have you prepared for the upcoming Zombie Apocalypse!
- Brian : SMaSH Project #1, Long Trail Brewing Co., 6.8%
Pilsner malt // This strongly-flavored malt delivers a pale color and distinct sweetness. Galaxy hops // An Australian variety with clear-cut citrus and passion fruit notes.
Ski News
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Heavenly & Northstar Opening 6 Days Early
We received word that Heavenly and Northstar in Lake Tahoe will open on Saturday, November 14th. This is six days ahead of the originally scheduled opening day of November 20th.
“We’ve already received about three feet of snow overall this season which, combined with around-the-clock operation from the West Coast’s two largest snowmaking systems, has created a great early-season base and the best snow surface conditions at Lake Tahoe,” said Pete Sonntag, Tahoe region vice president and chief operating officer. “Opening early creates even more value for Tahoe Local pass holders, who are already getting the best pass deal in Tahoe.”
This is the earliest the resorts have opened since 2012, and the first time opening six days ahead of schedule since at least 2009. Heavenly plans to operate the Gondola, Tamarack Express and Dipper Express, accessing upper California Trail and Orion’s, which, at over a mile long, will be the longest run available in the Tahoe basin. Northstar will open top-to-bottom, spinning the Big Springs Gondola, Vista Express, Arrow Express and Comstock Express accessing West Ridge, Luggi’s, Skid, Pinball, Lumberjack and Lower Main Street. Northstar will also operate a surface lift near the Big Easy Chair to offer children’s ski and snowboard lessons.
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NOAA: Winter Weather Advisory for Jackson Hole, WY | 5-14″ of Snow Forecast Today/Tonight
NOAA is calling for 5-9″ of snow above 7,500-feet for the Tetons and Gros Ventre mountains with up to 14″ of snow for higher elevations.
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The Great Siberian Traverse
The Great Siberian Traverse from TheEnthusiastNetwork on Vimeo.
The Great Siberian Traverse documents a 6,000-mile ski journey through Russia, along the Trans-Siberian Railway. Produced by Sherpas Cinema, in partnership with POWDER magazine and The North Face, the documentary showcases a fringe backcountry skiing community, deep
Siberian powder, and skiing’s ancient origins. Skiers Ingrid Backstrom, Callum Pettit, and Nick Martini share their insights along the adventure. -
Skiing’s Unsung Heroes – Ski Patrol Rescue Dogs
Photo originally from Forbes.com
Skiers and snowboarders love snow. So do dogs. When you hit the slopes out West this winter, you may notice Man’s Best Friend riding the lifts, cruising around piggy-back on snowmobiles, running behind a skier, or just chilling out. Take the time to give them a good petting. After all, they are there to save your life.
Virtually every Western (and European) ski resort has a canine staff, a team of highly trained rescue dogs who use their speed, on snow agility and incredible sense of smell to locate buried avalanche victims faster than any known alternative. It is believed that one dog and its handler can do the job of 150 trained human searchers in the same amount of time. For much of skiing history, this canine safety net has been hidden behind the scenes, but resorts have given them an increasingly public persona in recent years – and guests love them.
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Skiing In North Korea –
Welcome to North Korea’s Masik RyongNorth Korea’s first ski resort opened in January 2014. Created by Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, it has 10 north-facing runs, six lifts, and 2,300 vertical feet—a bright spot among the Communist country’s prison camps, poor health care system, and lack of adequate food.
Author Tim Neville and photographer Dan Patitucci were among the first skiers to (safely) ride its lifts—thanks to their adherence to strict protocols and guidance from a North Korean-approved tour company. Here, the duo shares an exclusive glimpse inside the shiny ski area with extra footage from the trip.
Around the Horn
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Hypersonic Travel Could Be Just 20 Years Away
And thanks to some engineers in England, we could soon be zipping around the world in a plane that makes the Concorde look like a horse and buggy.
In an interview with CNN, Mark Thomas, Managing Director for Reaction Engines, explained that hypersonic travel could come to passenger carrying vehicles in the next two decades. In aerodynamics, hypersonic usually refers to speeds five times above the speed of sound, or Mach 5. This means that it would take just one hour to fly from New York to London.
Reaction Engines is a UK-based engineering firm that has developed what they call the Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine or SABRE. This revolutionary piece of engineering is an air-breathing engine that uses ultra-lightweight heat exchangers to cool very hot air streams that are typically encountered at hypersonic speeds.
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GoPro takes you surfing in virtual reality with latest 360-degree video on Facebook
In September, Facebook launched 360-degree video support, which is perfect for a virtual reality headset. GoPro was one of the first companies to jump on the opportunity, alongside the likes of Discovery, Vice, and Star Wars (yeah, you’ve probably seen that Star Wars video by now). On Thursday, GoPro announced its third 360-degree video: surfing in virtual reality with Anthony Walsh and Matahi Drollet. The video release coincides with Facebook’s announcement on the same day that 360 video support is now rolling out to mobile devices (meaning it’s no longer limited to desktop).
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Dubai has ordered 20 jetpacks for firefighters and first responders
Dubai’s firefighters could one day use jetpacks to tackle blazes in high-rise buildings. The oil-rich emirate signed a contract this week with the Martin Aircraft Company to purchase 20 jetpacks and two training simulators for the Dubai Civil Defense service (DSD). The jetpacks are intended to be used in a “first-responder role,” said Lt Col Ali Hassan Almutawa of the DSD, who said they would be particularly useful for emergencies in the city’s ever-growing number of skyscrapers.
The jetpacks in question are built by the Martin Aircraft Company and aren’t quite as compact or maneuverable as we might expect from the long and imaginative history of the device. Rather than jets, the Martin Jetpacks uses twin ducted fans powered by a V4 engine. Their technical specs are impressive: they can fly up to 3,000 feet high at speeds of up to 74 kmph, and have a range of 30 to 50 kilometers or around 30 minutes of flight. However, like many other players in the jetpack industry, their production schedule has been hit by delays and their price is a challenge too: $150,000 per unit is the company’s current estimation.
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Inventor creates cruel alarm clock that slaps you awake with rubber hand
Simone Giertz, a video blogger and inventor, built an alarm clock that slaps her in the face to start her day.
Using a clock, a motor and a Halloween prop hand, Giertz built the cruel contraption which she calls “The Wake-Up Machine.” The drawback, the machine occasionally rips some of her hair out
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Elton John Details Planned Vladimir Putin Meeting
Just a few weeks after a pair of Russian pranksters fooled Elton John into thinking he was speaking with Vladimir Putin, the actual Russian president did call him up on the phone. “He was so nice and apologetic,” John tells Rolling Stone. “And couldn’t have been friendlier.”
Putin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the conversation took place back in September. “Putin called him and said, ‘I know you were pranked by those telephone guys. Don’t be offended by them, they’re harmless, but that of course doesn’t excuse them,'” he said. “And Putin said he knows how popular a performer Elton John is. If in the future their schedules allow, he’s ready to meet with him and discuss any questions that interest him.”
John says that he eagerly awaits that day. “I’m looking forward to having a date in the diary and going to see him and discussing some important things,” he says. ” But I’m not going to go in there with a sledgehammer. I’m going to go in there as a musician — I’m not a politician — and try and sort things out. We’ll have a cup of coffee or a cup of tea and hopefully have a lovely conversation about music, sports and then the political thing about gay people.”
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Roy Lichtenstein’s Nurse just sold for $95,365,000, a #worldauctionrecord for the artist.
Damn…