I texted my roommate last week asking if he needed to me to let his dog out because she was whining. He texted back, “Yeah. I’ve been in the hospital all day. I broke my back.” He had been trying to stick a sick trick in the terrain park at Park City Mountain and, well, didn’t. Luckily, he is able to walk. The docs want to wait six weeks to see how it heals before they operate because the injury is close to his spinal cord.
On Feb. 27, 2016, Casey Fehlberg, 30, basically tried the same thing. His friends say the Orem man landed on his face while boarding at PCM and suffered serious brain damage. He was wearing a helmet but that does nothing if you crash face first. Fehlberg was flown to the University of Utah Medical Center in an induced coma. According to his brothers, Felhberg was always flipping and jumping. And yet he has no insurance!
Fehlberg has a GoFundMe account to help cover medical expenses if you know this former BYU Cosmo the Cougar mascot (late 90s) and a social media campaign, #GoBigForCasey to help bring awareness to his accident. The biggest take away here unfortunately is that terrain parks are dangerous and you shouldn’t jump in without insurance.
I was heading down to the Thunder Chair at Jackson Hole, Wyo., when I saw the bodies tangle. A skier going way too fast, cutting across skier’s left had turned his head for a split second to look back at his buddy who was yelling, “Look out!” Just then the biggest wreck I can ever remember seeing happened. The skier smashed into a heelside snowboarder. Thankfully, though she was seeing birdies circle her head, she was fine. The skier had dislocated his shoulder, bent his pole and delaminated his ski. Ironically, they were the only two people in the bowl NOT wearing helmets.
Utah Ski Deaths
In Utah this week, a New Jersey man without a helmet struck a tree and died while skiing with friends at Snowbasin. He wasn’t as lucky as those Jackson peeps. Frank Maddaloni is the fifth person killed among Utah’s mountains so far this season. While past seasons saw spikes in avalanche deaths, this season runs the gamut among heart attacks, tree trauma and slides.
Last month (January), in Utah’s first avi death of the season, experienced backcountry guide and author Tyson Bradley triggered a slide on Gobblers Knob that carried away his client who apparently ignored directions and followed too closely. The 600-foot-wide rip across Whitesnake sent Salt Lake resident Douglas Green over 2,500 feet of terrain and 1,400 feet of vertical at speeds near 60 to 70 mph. Green, 49, died at the scene.
A week later Summit County Search and Rescue uncovered the body of 50-year-old Stephen Jones. A 60-foot wide, 500-foot long avalanche in Lamb’s Canyon buried the Wanship, Utah, skier.
Accidents have happened inbounds as well with a 67-year-old Utah man collapsing from a medical condition at the base of Tombstone lift at Canyons earlier this month and a 60-year-old Utah man dying in a snowboarding accident on an intermediate slope at Park City Mountain.
This latest cycle of warm temps, rain, snow, warms temps again will lead to some seriously sketchy backcountry conditions in the Wasatch over the next few weeks so if you are heading out the gates make sure you know before you go, have the right gear, an experienced backcountry partner and wear a helmet (in bounds and out). Think safe, be safe this spring.
Sage begged to play hooky from school when the 2016 Outdoor Retailer Show rolled around. It’s her chance to see what’s coming for kids but I really suspect it’s all about the shoes…KEEN on particular.
The Portland brand known for making sandals into shoes has been one of the fastest growing footwear companies since its inception in 2003. They are funky, functional, and highly unique. They are also Sage’ go-to shoes.
I gotta get up to Whistler. Winter, spring, summer. The behemoth resort just doesn’t quit impressing folks with their sense of progress, growth and out-the-charts party scene. In the spirit of everreaching resort endowments, Whistler Blackcomb will drop a cool $8 mill on winter and summer projects around the mountains.
“These projects demonstrate our commitment to ensuring our guests have the best possible experiences when they come to our mountains,” says Dave Brownlie, President and CEO of Whistler Blackcomb. “Reinvesting in our operations and continuing to provide new offerings to guests year after year is something we are very proud of.”
This year’s mess of projects are aimed directly at newcomers to the British Columbia area. Summertime guests should be on the lookout for work on the Harmony Lake, Peak Express Traverse, and Whistler Summit Interpretive Walk hiking trails on Whistler Mountain, and the Alpine Walk hiking trail on Blackcomb Mountain. Operators will resurface and widen each of the trails to improve their usability and access. The Samsung Alpine Theatre in the Roundhouse Lodge which shows historical films about Whistler’s past gets moved to the lower level of the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb and will expand.
For next winter, the ski and snowboard learning terrain in the Olympic Station area on Whistler Mountain will get even more beginner-friendly terrain, and the Olympic and Fantastic runs will be regraded to make them more accessible to novice skiers and riders. Whistler Blackcomb will be installing two new, covered, magic carpet lifts at Olympic Station and 25 new, energy efficient snow guns. Plans also include re-grading the Upper Whiskey Jack run above the Chic Pea Hut to make it less steep; something beginners should be psyched about.
The Roundhouse Lodge gets an added 6,000 square feet in the form of a new upper and lower deck and a new “umbrella bar” with a collapsible roof that can open and close like an umbrella depending on the weather. These upgrades give guests an extra 160 new outdoor seats. Oh, and the umbrella bar is heated so it can be open year round.
The GLC (Garibaldi Lift Company) will renovate the section of the patio overlooking Skier’s Plaza- a new roof, heaters and fire pits, 90 outdoor covered seats- making Whistler’s signature slope-side après spot even more hopping.
What can I say? Whistler is just one of those places that keeps upping their game. You have to put it on your travel bucket list whether you relish a summer mountain visit or crushing it on winter slopes.
It was opening day of the Sundance Film Festival 2016 and I didn’t feel like driving into town. So I logged onto Sundance.org/festival and clicked the YouTube icon. There was Robert Redford with John Cooper welcoming everyone to the Fest at the Day One Press Conference. Although I was driving around Salt Lake City running errands, tuning in through Bluetooth, I felt like I was there. I rarely get to the conference in the first place and now I didn’t feel guilty about it. I got to hear all about the 12,000 films submitted for the less than 200 spots at Sundance and more. (I read a statistic somewhere that said your short film has a .74 chance of getting into Sundance.)
Now, more than ever before you can enjoy Park City’s Sundance Film Festival without fighting the crowds, the parking, the shoving, the lines and the cold. You can pick what you want to see and hear (minus the actual movies- this is just for panel talks) and watch or listen from your cushy couch, office desk or driver’s seat. No more having to feel less than one of the privileged few invited to attend as filmmaker, journalist, actor, or studio exec. All you need is high-speed internet.
LIVE@SUNDANCE
Tune in for daily live content from the Sundance Film Festival, including intimate conversations at Cinema Café, two heavy-hitting Power of Story panels, and plenty of other key Festival events. All Live@Sundance events will be streamed on Sundance.org/festival and the official YouTube page.
You can also Google “Sundance Live Stream” to find various online magazines posting their live streams. Deadline Hollywood has a couple posted already.
Other ways to see what’s happening in Park City January 24-31, 2016:
FOLLOW #SUNDANCE
TWITTER
@SundanceFest – The official handle of the Sundance Film Festival. Follow for live updates, talent takeovers, and more. Each day of the festival, a different filmmaker takes over @SundanceFest to share the experience through their eyes. Follow along and ask them questions.
January 25: Nate Parker, director The Birth of a Nation
January 26: Dawn Porter, director Trapped
January 27: Gingger Shankar, co-director/performer Nari
January 28: Louis Black, co-director Richard Linklater – dream is destiny
@SundanceFestNow – Our account for Sundance Maniacs: indie film fanatics who want 24/7 breaking news at the Festival.
@SundanceLabs – Year-round news and information about Sundance Institute’s wide array of Artist Programs and Labs.
@SundanceInstitute for highlights of daily events, behind-the-scenes looks, and red carpet coverage direct from the Sundance Film Festival.
SNAPCHAT
Follow SundanceFest on Snapchat for highlights of daily happenings and exclusive behind-the-scenes instant coverage by our social media team.
TUMLBR
The official Tumblr of the Sundance Film Festival includes news coverage roundups, exclusive content, graphics, gifs, user-generated content, and more: http://sundanceinstitute.tumblr.com.
VINE
Behind-the-scenes videos from the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Capturing the best moments of the Sundance Film Festival, one six-second Vine video at a time. SundanceFilm.
Follow Sundance Institute for fresh playlists from this year’s Sundance Film Festival artists including ASCAP’s Music Cafe artists and the Celebration of Music in Film.
