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Headline RSS FeedRockies named for a mountain range – with killer skiing
October 24, 2007 —
My dreams have all been realized. The Dr. Seuss Series has become a reality (Rox versus Sox on FOX), and two Colorado ski areas are open for business, with excellent pre-Halloween conditions.
Now the cogs of the great Colorado ski industry marketing machine are spinning into serious action like the movement on a Manny Corpas fastball. The state’s $2.6 billion ski industry (second only to agriculture), which captured nearly a quarter of all skier days nationwide last season, is poised to pounce on an unsuspecting baseball-viewing public (see story in Real Biz).
Granted, many of the fans of ball sports, particularly the couch-bound lard butts who make up the Red Sox Nation, haven’t been near a ski slope in years. You wouldn’t bother either if you lived back East in the land of icy, dicey molehills they call ski areas.
Vail’s biggest destination market by far is New York, so we would have been much more psyched – at least from a marketing standpoint – with a Yankees-Rockies matchup. But you have to figure a few sports fans in New England can come out of their Tom Brady-worshipping, beer-swilling fog long enough to see how stellar the skiing is out here.
And if they haven’t spent all their money on Man-ram and Big Papi T-shirts, maybe a few Sawx fans can get out of the neighborhood for a few days to check out the most awesome part of the country – the home of the soon-to-be world champion Colorado Rockies. Be warned, though, Sawx fans, mouth breathing can be hazardous at high altitudes.
Sorry Sox Nation, you’re just starting another 86-year drought and you don’t even know it. But we won’t hold that against you when you come out to here to ski this winter. Go Rox!
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David O. Williams
Rocktober snowstorm pastes Vail Valley
October 22, 2007 —
Sunday in the Vail Valley was a perfect day to hunker down indoors and watch the Broncos save their season with a last-second field goal to top the Steelers and the Red Sox kick the snot out of the Indians to make the Rox-Sox World Series a reality.
That’s because, starting about 6 p.m., Saturday, a fall snowstorm rolled through the northern and central Rockies and dumped about 8.5 inches of new snow on my deck in West Vail, which equates to a lot more up on Vail Mountain.
By mid-morning Sunday, Vail Resorts was reporting 8 inches and Beaver Creek was up to 9 inches, with snow continuing throughout the day until about nightfall, with temps hovering near freezing on the Valley floor. The other Colorado resorts owned by Vail – Keystone and Breckenridge in Summit County – were both reporting 5 inches of new snow by mid-morning.
Those totals are significant for the Summit resorts, allowing both to begin snowmaking operations in anticipation of simultaneous Nov. 9 opening days. Keystone kicks things off with 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. skiing, and the U.S Ski Team begins training on its dedicated Keystone facility Nov. 1.
Meanwhile, the two resorts that are actually open – Arapahoe Basin and Loveland – were reporting 7 inches and 5 inches new, respectively, on Sunday. Look for more terrain to open at both areas in the next couple of days.
And before Keystone and Breck get things going for the Vail family of ski areas, look for Copper Mountain to crank up its lifts a week earlier on Nov. 2, as well as Wolf Creek in southern Colorado on the same day. Listed as TBD, Silverton Mountain could also surprise with an early opening (see a new story on Silverton in our Real Travel section).
As for more fall snowfall, don’t hold your breath this week. The WeatherReports.com 5-day forecast calls for a partly cloudy day Monday with highs in the upper 30s, but then things clear off and get downright toasty, with highs in the upper 50s by the end of the week.
Which means the next storm will probably roll through just in time for Game 3 of the World Series Saturday, Oct. 27, which I found out today I have tickets for. A little snow at Coors Field for the first World Series game in Colorado history would be fitting.
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David O. Williams
Loveland offers some worthy turns
October 19, 2007 —
LOVELAND SKI AREA - Day 2 of my 07-08 ski season was another balmy one.
I was expecting howling winds and a bite to the air at 10,600 feet atop the Continental Divide, but when I arrived at Loveland at around 11:30 on Friday (yes, I’m a card-carrying member of the Crack of Noon Ski Club – except on powder days), temps were in the high 30s and low 40s.
It actually had the spring-like effect of softening up the 18 inches of partially manmade, partially natural base. Loveland became the second area in the state to open on Oct. 16, joining Arapahoe Basin, which opened with one partial run on Oct. 10 (see previous O. Report).
Needless to say, with 9 inches of new snow in the last 48 hours, Loveland was considerably better than my opening day A-Basin experience (see Real Sports for a full report). But then, A-Basin has been getting some of the natural stuff, too, including 4 inches over the last two days. Both areas have one lift and a couple of trails up and running.
All of this adds up to limited terrain, and whether doing laps on intermediate runs is worth prices in the $40 range is up to you. All I can tell you is any skiing pre-Halloween is bonus to me, and it sure felt good to get out and turn my skis loose.
People this time of year smirk at my eagerness to get out on the hill, but I’ve decided it really boils down to jealously. They’re just pissed they’re not skiing.
And who knows, with a storm rolling in Saturday night into Sunday, Oct. 20-21, both areas – the only two currently open in the state – may be dropping a lot more ropes and cranking of a few more lifts in coming days. Stay tuned.
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Council debate a big first step in crucial election season
October 18, 2007 —
For those of you who like to log onto realvail.com with a cocktail after work, and I know you’re out there, stop reading right now, get up out of your Lazy-Boy and head over to Donovan Pavilion in Vail for the Vail Chamber and Business Association Vail Town Council candidate’s forum starting at 6 tonight (that’s Thursday, Oct. 18).
If you really can’t make it, check out RealVail’s coverage all over the site, including under Real Estate and Real News. An update of the actual debate will appear on our site sometime tonight or early tomorrow.
Ten people are vying for five seats, so this is an important election on Nov. 6 (aren’t they all), and the new council will decide things like the fate of the Lionshead Parking Structure and Timber Ridge (pictured).
The real reason you want to come out tonight is because RV’s David O. Williams (that’s me) and Tom Boyd (that’s the guy in the blog next door) will be moderating. And if you know us, you know there’s really nothing we do in moderation.
Anyway, hope to see you there; otherwise check out our coverage wherever you are.
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