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Headline RSS FeedKudos to a council that understands the value of family
November 6, 2007 — I’m 32 years old, newly married, and a Vail voter. In that last regard I am fairly rare, as there are very few Vail voters who fit that demographic.
Which is why I’m pleased that, no matter what happens with today’s election results, I’m confident the new town council will understand the importance of keeping families, young people and middle-class people in Vail.
The town has done fairly well, over the years, making sure employees and seasonal workers have a place to live in town. More work needs to be done in that regard, but now it’s time to see some action toward encouraging people in their thirties and forties to stay here.
When I have children I want them to grow up here and to have the same kind of childhood I did growing up here in West Vail. There were always other children to play with, and we almost always played outdoors. Neighbors were watching us while we weren’t aware, and although we didn’t know it, we were always very safe under the collective village eye.
A completely free economy, left to its own devices, would leave Vail a large, lucrative, beautiful and empty place. People like me simply could not afford to stay. Even now, my wife and I are pulling off some highly-acrobatic financial and logistical gymnastics to keep our toehold in this town.
Despite my philosophical resistance to government interference, I believe the town government is one of a very few entities capable of encouraging families to stay in town – and I mean here in TOWN, not downvalley, but right here in Vail.
This website is another entity which I believe can help in the effort. The people involved in this site are longtime locals, or grew up here, or live elsewhere yet have old ties to the town. We all understand the importance of the real Vail.
I also believe that the candidates running for council this year, each and every one of them, understand the real Vail, and will work hard to keep it just as real as it was when I was a child.
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Photo by David O. Williams
Keystone’s opening day report card: A-51
November 3, 2007 —
Today was no powder day, yet merely the fact that I can report, at long last, that I’ve marked my first day of the season is reason enough to make this a good day. Boots, skis, poles, hat, gloves … next thing I know I’m carving down the face of Keystone mountain. Not bad.
I was in the minority equipment-wise, insofar as I had two planks and two poles while most others did not. Keystone seems wise to the idea that ski runs will be a bit boiler-plate this early in the season, whereas terrain parks, which are man-made regardless of time-of-year, can be pretty good almost immediately. Therefore snowboarders (and a few twin-tippers) swarmed around the A-51 terrain park’s 20-or-so features atop the mountain, priming themselves on the smaller features while awaiting the bigger, badder features of mid-winter to come into being.
They seemed quite happy with the park while the rest of us made the most of Keystone’s single run. This gave my legs the opportunity to reiterate their long-standing dislike of opening day’s muscle shock. Awoken to the idea that they will have to upgrade their status from “couch-ready” to “slopes-ready,” both my left and right legs agreed that I should take a “ramp-up” approach to telemarking this year, taking it a few runs at a time until ready for a full day of skiing sometime in December.
After a few runs I agreed, and we downloaded via the gondola to the base of the mountain, where grass, once again, replaced snow as the primary thing making contact with the bottom of my boots. Powder days, I was reminded, are still far off – but just to know that a ski day is now there for the taking gave me a certain sense of levity.
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Courtesy Wolf Creek Ski Area wolfcreekski.com
Wolf Creek waits for snow
October 30, 2007 —
An early season trip to Wolf Creek is at the top of my to-do list, as it should be for any Colorado skier.
With an average annual snowfall of 465 inches (compared to Vail’s 346 and Beaver Creek’s 310) Wolf Creek depends on nature, not snow guns, to open early each season. It’s one of the most reliable early-season powder stashes in the state (for more on Wolf Creek click here).
But this year it’s not looking good – yet. The resort will open Saturday, but only the Nova children’s lift, which means less than 1 percent of the mountain will be open.
Storms have a funny way of showing up and changing everything, and Wolf Creek officials are waiting to see what happens before they announce when they’ll open up more of the mountain. I’ll keep checking in with them and let you know what happens, but it all boils down to snow. So far this year, Vail has been getting the best of the snow, but as soon as the next big one hits southwestern Colorado, you can bet Wolf Creek will open up some of that great hike-to terrain along its top ridge.
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Photo by Travis Young
It's early, but it's still skiing
October 27, 2007 —
There's barely enough snow to make it happen, but that's what made it fun.
My sister and her friend Travis decided to do a little backcountry skiing this weekend near Shrine Pass (or Vail Pass, if you prefer), and although they were hardly waist-deep in powder, conditions were pretty darn good, she reports, for this early in the season.
It just goes to show ya that anytime of year is a good time of year to get outside in Colorado. There's something special that sends a thrill through the body on that first occasion of the year when the skis (or snowboard) make contact with the snow and you begin to move downhill.
It's not the kind of skiing that would satisfy a mid-season appetite, but the key is to enjoy it no matter what.
And there's a lot more of it to look forward to.
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