Category Archives: Outdoor News

Covid Vaccine Passports: Everything You Need To Know

20210312

Ready to shake off those cobwebs and travel in 2021? As the borders begin to loosen their velvet ropes, there is still a ton of confusion surrounding restrictions, quarantines, spikes, and vaccinations. Here’s what the CDC has presented this week:

Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19. However, international travel poses additional risks and even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading new COVID-19 variants.

CDC recommends delaying international travel until you are fully vaccinated.

If you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine:

You should continue to follow CDC’s recommendations for traveling safely and get tested 3-5 days after travel.

You do NOT need to get tested before leaving the United States unless your destination requires it.

You do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.

Empty Airport

But despite this announcement, misinformation continues to swirl around us. Here’s a quick roundup of truths and myths when it comes to traveling this spring-

You Will Need To Have A Covid Vaccine Passport To Travel

showing off my covid vaccine passport

Covid “Vaccine passports” aren’t a thing, they don’t exist; at least not like those government passport blue ‘books’ you have to spend $110 on and wait an eon to receive. A vaccine passport is more like a concept where you show the vaccination card you got from the place that gave you your shot and it gets you past certain quarantine restrictions like those two-week waiting periods Hawaii had during the winter. It’s not a physical card you would have to pay for.

Furthermore, right now you could hop a plane to Mexico or Costa Rica (although it’s not recommended) without any testing or quarantine required, or proof of vaccination. Dozens of other countries, i.e. Kenya and Aruba, just ask for a recent negative test. (CNN has an up-to-date list here.)

Covid Passport to Beaches

There are a handful of countries—Belize, Ecuador, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Montenegro, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Iceland—where proof of vaccination currently allows you to bypass testing or quarantine requirements (though Iceland still requires all visitors to take a free, rapid Covid test upon arrival and quarantine until it shows negative). That list will likely grow, especially for travel to Europe, where officials just announced American travelers will be welcome this summer (exact dates/details still TBD).

But in almost all cases, unvaccinated travelers are still permitted.

London Guards

BTW, free digital apps are coming —Travel Pass and CommonPass are two —that would allow you to store and flash your vaccination record so you didn’t have to worry about losing anything.

No Vaccine Means No Entry

There’s a lot of murmur out there that in order to travel internationally you’ll need proof of vaccination. Not exactly. Not one single destination has announced only vaccinated travelers can enter. What your vaccine does do is ease your entry. Many countries require a recent negative test or proof of recent infection like a positive antibody test in order to gain entry. But if you have been vaccinated, you get to bypass those requirements and step right in. Of course, restrictions vary from country to country and, with the COVID-19 variants, even fully vaccinated travelers need to pay close attention to what’s going on with their particular destination. 

For example, anyone coming into the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated folks, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the US.

You Have to Be Vaccinated to Travel Within the U.S.

Not even close to being true. Hawaii is the only state that currently requires all visitors to show a recent negative COVID test before flying. Without one, travelers must quarantine for 10 days. But Hawaii plans to soon allow vaccinated travelers to bypass that requirement. The other 49 states simply ask that you stay six feet apart and recommend you wear a mask. To find out what states specifically request, sign up for alerts through the CDC or go here.

Hawaiian sunset

A viral TikTok video floated around the web warning Americans that their white cards were no good for travel. They would need a yellow WHO vaccine “passport” to go overseas. Phooey. There is no country in the world that has confirmed this. Your little white CDC card is solid proof of Covid vaccination.
The yellow vaccine passports—International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis— is a legit product and countries like those in Africa have required it for years – but as proof of other vaccines. but zero countries require it for Covid-19.

To Be Fully Vaccinated, It Needs To Have Been At Least Two Weeks Since Your Final Injection

Yep. No getting around this one.

 

 

You’ll Need Proof Of Vaccination To Fly

View from Plane window

If your destination doesn’t require a vaccine, neither will the airline you take to get there. That said, if you’re flying to where vaccinated travelers can bypass testing/quarantine requirements, expect the airline to ask you for proof of vaccination before your flight and when you arrive at your destination.

Kids Can’t Get A Covid Vaccine Passport

Currently in the U.S., only those over 16 can get vaccinated. (Pfizer is waiting for FDA approval to vaccinate 12-15 year olds.) If you’re traveling somewhere that lets vaccinated visitors bypass Covid requirements, your kids won’t be able to skip those. The simple solution is to have them Covid tested before departure and upon arrival. Every country that’s adopted covid vaccine passports is allowing in unvaccinated kids with a negative test.

Now that you’re clear on this stuff, on your mark, get set, go! Put those Revenge Travel panties on, along with your mask, and stop wasting away like Miss Havisham.

Author Traveling With Covid vaccine Passport

 

Outdoor Research Essential Face Mask Kit | REI Co-op regularly $20.00 on sale $9.83

To Ski Utah Or Not To Ski Utah in 2021

empty slopes of park city

Nope, nothing to see here, Folks. Move along. I’m sorry to report that any significant storm events that any website hinted would come our way have evaporated like Aladdin’s genie. It’s been dry as a bone overall since the Utah ski season began in December. Remember that year it didn’t snow until February? Yeah, it’s like that. Now add in a global pandemic.

This all begs the question, “Should you take a Utah ski vacation this year?” Well, let’s see: no “Greatest Snow on Earth”, the Beehive State Covid-19 spiking big time, you risk your life if you travel by plane, stay in a hotel, dine in at a restaurant, stand in a lift line, and then there’s the whitty bitty task of making a reservation to ski. Will you risk your health traveling to a ski resort if you can’t even ski?

The planning of a ski vacation during the continuation of Covid-19 protocols is enough to make you jump into your bed and hide under your sheets. But do you scrap everything and wait until the world calms down and it’s “safe”?

“Safe” is relative.

If you are a skier like me, waiting out the summer is tough, but can we imagine not skiing for a whole year? Hell, no. Luckily, as a local ski area employee, I get a free pass so if the mountain closes I’m not out $1200. Destination skiers must plan everything- and fork out thousands. I can just hop in my car avoiding the local shuttle filled with tourists who wear masks like chin diapers, I ride the lifts alone, take a few runs and head home. Whether to leave your home resort to venture to Utah comes down to your own personal choice for your family, health and bank account. Here are some pros and cons that can help you with your decision.

no snow to ski utah

REASONS TO NOT SKI UTAH IN 2021

Not everything is open. Park City skiers are riding on a 42-inch base of manmade snow during a month that typically hits 100+ inches, which means your favorite blue and black runs, tree shots and steep chutes are closed. There is indoor dining on the hill, and off, but it’s difficult to get reservations because seating is limited. If you wait until the hour before you want to eat you may be SOL. Many guests are brown bagging it, grabbing takeout from Five Guys or cooking for themselves.

Crowds over the holidays and reduced loading capacity on the lifts are causing ridiculous wait times. The longest so far being 48 minutes. I would hate to find out what it will be like on a powder day.

There is no consistency. Every Utah resort has its own Covid-safety protocols that could change at any minute. The toughest restrictions at the moment come from Park City Resort which requires you to make advance ski reservations whether you have a day pass or Epic pass. Even if you have a week booked at your favorite hotel, you might not be able to book the ski days you want. If you’re not the kind of person that likes to plan everything down to the minute of every day, it could be a stressful time to travel.

Lift riding procedures vary at each resort as well. Snowbird’s tram ops will make you wear a mask with ear loops, Park City and Deer Valley are cool with neck gaiters so long as they are over your nose. Yes, there are hosts and lifties empowered to make you pull up your mask or leave if you don’t comply and the Resort has requested that other guests and employees help in the policing of this.

You have to be flexible. The ski areas are still learning to navigate this pandemic. Despite best efforts you might wake up to find your favorite resort closed like they did at Hunter Mountain, New York. Some areas, like Snowbird which typically stays open through Memorial Day, are considering a shortened season. You will need to be able to go with the flow and have a few “alternative plans” at the ready until things normalize.

Not everyone is behaving responsibly. Every day there’s a post on the Park City Facebook page asking about the best places to party. Groups are gathering indoors for dinner and drinks, taking shuttles without their masks and hanging out in clusters both on the hill and in the lodges. If that sketches you out, you may want to wait to travel to Utah. On the other hand, there are social distancing and mask mandates everywhere. There’s no party scene this winter, the energy on the hill is subdued and we have no idea when and if things will feel “normal” again. This pandemic is unprecedented and it will definitely take a long period of time before things begin to feel pre 2020.

Lift ticket prices have gone through the roof! If you didn’t purchase a season pass you are looking at $179-$229 depending on the day. A 6.5-hour private lesson will set you back $1000-1100.

fresh corduroy

REASONS TO SKI UTAH IN 2021

You don’t want to miss out on a ski season. The champagne powder is bound to arrive sooner or later and you want to be here when it does. Some people have skied one week every year since they began or they count the days every season that they ski. Missing a whole season is just not an option.

Big room discounts. Hotels and property management companies are trying to lure people back at a time when occupancy has dropped to devastating levels. The end of January will be a ghost town, with the cancellation of the in-person component of the Sundance Film Festival this year.

Come visit if you’ve been here before and want something different. Your trip will not be a normal or usual experience. It’ll be unlike anything you’ve ever done (and hopefully unlike anything you will ever do again). You won’t get that same awesome ski vacation vibe you might if this was your first time visiting but if you’ve been here before, you might appreciate the low crowds on the slopes and the tales you’ll tell of skiing during a pandemic.

waiting for snow and waiting in line to ski utah

So should you go skiing in Utah in 2021? There’s no blanket statement that we can give like, “Yes go skiing,” or “No, 2021 just isn’t the year for it.” We don’t know how vaccines will change the experience as the season wanes or whether the lifts and lodging and restaurants will decide the worst is over and can allow more people. We can’t even say, “If I were you….” Because we’re not you. We don’t know how you feel about the world right now.

The one thing we can recommend is if you are planning to travel, make sure that there are cancellation flexibilities in everything you choose. Flights, hotels, lift tickets, adventure activity reservations. With spikes or county mandates things could close in a heartbeat so you need to be ready to change your plans as well. Make sure you can cancel without fees or you’re okay losing your deposits.

Last year, I was skiing one day and told the season was over the next. If you had 2020 lift tickets it was a fight to get them refunded; same with AirBnB reservations. Make sure you understand the individual cancellation policies for each aspect of your trip. If your hotel shuts down are you okay with changing your reservations? Restaurants in Utah are open for indoor dining but if they have to close like in Aspen are you okay with takeout? Bars closing at 10:00 p.m.? Making reservations to eat lunch on the mountain? Cooking in your hotel room?

For me, I travel because it’s another story to tell. I was in my apartment when the Pasadena earthquake struck and all the reports said to stay inside, stay off the roads. I grabbed my camera and drove to the epicenter to get my video for a story for school. The adrenaline was pumping. This year, the story is “skiing during a pandemic” but if you aren’t into that kind of narrative this might not be the year for you to ski Utah. Only you can make that call.

Your 2020-2021 Season Ski Pass and Covid Assurances

Kids and the Ski Utah Passport

If you’re anything like me when it comes to buying, you don’t pull the trigger until you have all of the factors laid out. But buying a season ski pass and Covid protection for 2020/21 is anything but simple.

The global pandemic and dictator of physical distancing swooped down upon us like the plague of the first born in the Ten Commandments; leaving ruined businesses and devastated economies in its wake. People bought a season pass expecting as usual to ski a full season and Covid left us with a useless pass two and three months early and no one to reimburse them for the loss. Yes, a ski pass is a contract. You pay the mountains and they promise to let you ski there. If they close, they shouldn’t be entitled to keep your money. Not all of it anyway.

Season Pass and Covid shut skiing down

Ultimately, most resorts and the megapasses like Epic and Ikon came up with a way to placate consumers and not lose their shirts in the process. They gave you a “credit” to use towards this season’s pass. Of course, they increased the price for 20/21 which offset your “credit” and minimized their loss. Plus, if you didn’t buy for this season, the credit is worthless.

It really makes one think about where you should be spending your money. Even with making a pros and cons list, you are left scratching your head and wondering, should you even bother with skiing this season? 

The ski landscape will be nothing like we’ve ever known. Long lift lines, strangers won’t ride on the same chair lift, cafeterias will be relative ghost towns, you’ll need to make some sort of reservation just to get on the mountain at most resorts and what was once a very social sport will feel isolated. And don’t get me started on the lack of après.

There is less than a month till ski season and, while the diehard skiers have made that commitment, here is some info that might help those still on the fence when purchasing a season pass and Covid is still around. These are the policies of the main season pass players along with any refund deadlines:

Ikon Season Ski Pass and Covid Coverage–

The Ikon comes with Adventure Assurance. If you don’t use your 20/21 Ikon Pass, for any reason, you will be able to defer the purchase price paid toward the purchase of a 21/22 Ikon Pass, no questions asked. You can decide anytime up to April 11, 2021 so long as you have not used your pass.

If you have used your pass but the destination you ski at closes due to Covid-19 you may get credit towards next year’s pass based on the percentage of days it was open. It all gets VERY complicated from here, unless you’re a math major.

The Ikon season pass is $1049 until Oct. 14, 2020. The base pass which has blackout dates sells for $749. For daily reservation policies, see the individual resorts.

Epic Season Ski Pass and Covid Coverage

Epic Coverage provides cash refunds for just about any reason- illness, job loss, injury and certain resort closures, including those due to COVID-19 based on how much you have used your pass. If you used your pass more than seven days, you are SOL. No refund for you! If you only skied three days you would get a percentage back, Again, math whizzes have at it. You have until April 4, 2020, to get your refund.

Also, the Vail Resorts season pass requires all guests to make a reservation to ski. Only passholders will be able to ski before Dec. 8, 2020. You can reserve up to seven Priority Reservation Days for the core season (Dec. 8 – April 4), and after that you can make more priority reservations as you use up the ones you have. You can make as many week-of reservations as you want and they don’t count toward those 7 priority days. The full Epic Pass sells for $999.

Mountain Collective Season ski pass and (no) Covid Coverage

For $489, you get two lift tickets to each of their 23 destinations and 50% off of the ticket window price after that. If you purchase this pass and back out before Nov. 16, 2020, you can get a full refund. After that, you are SOL. Their website mentions that they will “monitor the Covid-19 situation throughout the North American ski season and will make adjustments to our policies as necessary should Covid-19 significantly impact the operations of our member resorts” however, last season they refused to issue refunds or credits to passholders. In SPL’s opinion this is the worst pass option you can choose. Given the reality of COVID-19 shutting everything down after Nov. 16, you take a huge risk with your money.

Indy Pass      

The $199 Indy Pass covers 56 resorts across N. America. You get two tickets per resort then get 25% off additional tickets. The resorts are all mom and pop type places like Snow King and Beaver but if you live near one of these it would make sense to buy it and stay closer to home this season. Advance reservations are required and if you fail to cancel, it will count as one of your tickets. If things shutdown due to COVID you will get credit towards next season’s pass sla you have not skied more than 4 days.  

Powder Alliance

PA is an add on pass that’s free with your main season pass if that pass is one of the resorts within the Powder Alliance family. For example, if you have a pass to Bogus Basin, you get three free tickets to any of the other resorts in the collection.  Covid-19 contingencies are up to your home resort.

Ski Play Live TV Talks Covid Season Skiing

To hear more about what this ski season will look, like take a listen to this chat I had with Ski Writer and YouTuber Marc Guido-

WOODWARD PARK CITY OPENS UTAH’S NEWEST LIFT-SERVED MOUNTAIN BIKING

woodward park city mountain biking

Woodward Park City, Utah’s only indoor/outdoor action sports and ski hill is gearing up to take over the lift-served mountain bike scene in the Wasatch. A giant hole was left when Vail Resorts axed their mountain bike parks, and riders all across the state felt the hurt. Now Woodward has closed the gap. The training facility just opened Utah’s newest-lift served downhill mountain bike flow trails. and are the first to start spinning lifts this summer.

While the majority of riders in Park City skip the lifts and use the town’s Gold Level cross country trails, saving their cash for apres beer and bike tunes, some dig the rush of jumps, banks, and berms that are tough to find on all-access trails. 

 

Mountain Bikes at REI

 

 

 

 

“Lift-served mountain biking plays a big role in how Utah families recreate,” says Shaydar Edelmann, general manager of Woodward Park City. “Operating our chairlift for summer mountain biking is our next step in empowering and inspiring the next generation of action sports athletes through intuitive programming and innovative environments.”

BMX dirt jumps open at Woodward Park City later this summer

Several zones and services in the indoor Action Sports Hub are also open: Five Olympic fly-bed trampolines and two SuperTramps, parkour zone, gym floor, and indoor airbags.

Woodward Park City’s mountain biking rental shop is open with a fleet of Transition full suspension bikes, Fox full-face MTB helmets, and more protective gear. along with food service upstairs at the Grind dining area. Woodward Park City’s rental shop will open with a fleet of Transition full suspension bikes, Fox full-face MTB helmets, and more protective gear. There will also be Food service in the upstairs Grind dining area.

Action Sports Summer Camp

Utah’s newest summer camp at Woodward Park City will run for six weeks, July 6 – August 14. Multi-day programs for campers ages 6 and up are available in five- and 10-day increments. Campers can choose between full week and multi-week programs. Camp days are from 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Monday – Friday.  

Full-day camps include instruction, lunch, arts and crafts, and game time. Camp disciplines include mountain bike, skateboard, BMX, scooter, parkour, cheer and digital media options. Additional multi-sport sessions are available with instruction in trampoline, parkour, skateboard, scooter, and BMX. More information on camp registration can be found at http://woodwardparkcity.com.

COVID Concerns For Woodward Park City Mountain Biking

Woodward Park City will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 and follow all local, state and national regulations, which may require operational adjustments through the summer.  The resort is taking every available measure to create as safe an environment as possible, but a risk of exposure for guests remains. You’re expected to have read this Woodward Park City blog before your arrival.

Certain policies will be in effect to ensure the health and safety of members, visitors, staff and community, including:

  • Hours: Operating hours from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
  • Registration:  Advanced registration is required, with limited capacity per session
  • Sessions: 90-minute indoor sessions will begin at 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm. Outdoor lift tickets are valid all day
    • Indoor Sessions
      • Concrete parks, ramps, pump track, parkour, gym floor, trampolines, airbag, outdoor action sports zones 
      • Outdoor action sports zones 
      • Foam pits remain closed 
    • Outdoor Sessions
      • Lift-served MNT biking, outdoor action sports zones 
    • All-Access 
  • Health Screening: Prior to entry, all staff and guests will be asked to complete a short verbal medical screening. On a daily basis, staff will have their temperature taken and undergo medical screenings onsite.
  • Sanitization: Staff & guests will be expected to wash and sanitize hands regularly and avoid shaking hands or giving high-fives. Staff will clean and disinfect the facilities throughout the day and after-hours with a focus on high-touch surfaces and high-traffic surfaces.
  • Social Distancing: Practice social distancing of 6 feet in passive areas and 10 feet in activity zones. Avoid congregating in parking lots or on trails.
  • Face Coverings: For staff, face coverings are required in all indoor work areas; in addition, we will provide PPE to employees. Guests are expected to wear face coverings when practical.
  • Capacity: All sessions will be capped.

Where Else To Ride Lifts

DEER VALLEY – The proposed opening date for summer activities is June 26, 2020. Spread over six mountains and featuring up to 3,000 vertical feet of elevation change, Deer Valley Resort offers nearly 70 miles of mountain bike trails, including four flow trails designed by Gravity Logic. The trails are accessed via three chairlifts- Silver Lake Express, Sterling Express and Homestake Express. $50 weekdays/$55 weekends.

SOLITUDE Weekend lift access to the 20 miles of trails is suspended temporarily. Last year’s prices: $30 or $5 with an Ikon Pass.

PARK CITY MOUNTAIN/CANYONS TBD

SUNDANCE RESORT – 25+ miles of lift-serviced, single-track mountain biking. $30

 

 

Summer Skiing Could Still Happen

UPDATE: Arapahoe Basin reopened May 28, 2020, with a TBD closing date. All passholders and day ticket purchasers ($99) have to submit to a raffle two days prior and make a reservation if their name is drawn before they can head up. The ski area is allowed to admit only 600 skiers and snowboarders but there will be no tailgating and partying after slushing it up on the 20 open runs and three chairlifts. They will have to wear face coverings in designated areas and no food will be sold. Still, they get to ski!

With no more ski areas open – HUGE shout out to COVID-19 for that- and just a smattering of diehards uphilling for turns, we can officially call an end to the 2019/20 ski season. But what about summer skiing?

According to the National Ski Areas Association, some 460 ski areas in 37 states could lose $2 billion from the shutdown. Most areas began to shutter around March 15, 2020, just when spring ski breakers were marking off their vacation to-do lists. Jackson Hole had already announced that they would stay open a week past their normal closing to accommodate for the late Easter weekend. With fresh snow in the forecast, resorts were primed for a bustling spring before pandemic panic struck. Then everything came to a screeching halt; everything but our desperate need to keep skiing.

We Weren’t Done Skiing

March is not only one of the snowiest months of the year but also the busiest after December, pulling in about 20 percent of overall skier visits for the season. Not so for 2020. We won’t harp on the financial hits that the resorts will sustain. You can read about that here. It’s the emotional hit that rippled through ski communities, causing mass devastation.

Thousands of season passholders sat sad faced, wondering if the areas would reopen or at least if they were going to reimburse them for the lost ski days. Those who only ski two weeks a year won’t understand. When you are a local with six ski areas to choose from and you measure your ego by the number of days you ski, one of the major factors to consider before dropping $1k on a pass are the projected closing dates.

Last year, Snowbird stayed open through June and reopened for a special 4th of July ski day. Whistler closed May 27, A-Basin June 2, Squaw Valley July 7 and Mammoth Mountain on July 28. Therefore, if you lived in Utah and purchased a Bird 19/20 season pass you potentially missed out on three months of skiing. Let’s break it down. With the season starting in December, you might predict seven months of skiing based on last year. Yet even without counting on July 4th skiing, Snowbird traditionally skis through May. That’s six months. They closed March 15 giving you only 3.5 months on a “six-month pass.” Most ski resorts, by the way, have yet to address this concern but perhaps they won’t have to if they can reopen before it’s too late.

Summer Skiing Not out of the Realm of Possibility

There may still be a slim (albeit VERY slim) possibility that a few areas will re-open for summer skiing if the quarantine ends before all of the snow melts. As of this post, Arapahoe Basin posted on their site that they could reopen even if it’s as late as June if conditions allow. “Don’t be discouraged. This is a marathon and A-Basin is a marathon runner. What other area stays open from mid-October to July 4th? We all need to do the right things now if we want to get open again.” Update: The Governor of Colorado extended the closure order through May 23, 2020.

Mount Baldy ski area in Southern California reopened on April 22 when San Bernadino County allowed golf courses to reopen. After 11 days, they closed out the season, “Thanks to the most solid crew any mountain has ever had, several feet of late season snow and some very respectful skiers & riders we were able to open again on 4/22/20 to finish off a season like this properly,” the resort’s website stated.

Summer Skiing

photo by Gary Westwell

Vail Resorts (which includes Whistler, Breckenridge and Heavenly resorts) posted, “We made the difficult decision to close our North American resorts and retail stores for the 2019/20 winter season. ” Mammoth Mountain’s statement: There is no estimated reopening date for Mammoth Mountain at this time. Reopening the ski area is dependent on the COVID-19 situation, state and federal mandates, as well as other safety factors.

Squaw Valley hasn’t changed their stance that “while the possibility of Squaw Alpine reopening for skiing and riding still remains, we have no estimate for such action. The resort will be closed until further notice.”

Oregon Ski Resorts At The Ready?

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said this week that the state will allow ski resorts to reopen. Mt Bachelor, Ore., had earlier announced they are “closed for now but our goal is to reopen as soon as we can.” In the meantime, they were the first ski area to officially offer a $100 voucher to all 19/20 season passholders and can be used for pass products, lessons and rentals in 20/21. Timberline Ski Area is usually running race camps throughout the summer so this has to be good news for them. The plan as outlined is that guests must make online reservations but prepurchased lift tickets and passes will be valid. Food would be to go and social distancing practiced in the parking lots and chairs.

Season Passholder Reparations Coming

Utah skiers, in particular, were underwhelmed with the response from Alterra’s Ikon Pass which is good at Solitude and valid for five days at Deer Valley and Snowbird/Alta. Extended purchase deadlines, slight discount for renewals (about $120), interest-free payments, and insurance against another pandemic closure just aren’t enough enticements. My friend and former ski instructor Tony Fantis told the Salt Lake Tribune, “Why would I reinvest now for a season I don’t know is going to happen? From a risk standpoint, I would rather wait and pay more later.” That is despite Alterra promising customers can defer their pass to the 2021-22 season if it looks like they couldn’t use it this season … so long as they do so by December 10.

Vail Resorts announced their “severance package” shortly after a class action lawsuit was filed against them and Alterra. Epic Pass holders will be credited 20-80 percent toward a 2020-21 pass renewal, depending on how often their 2019-20 pass was used. For skiers ready to renew, VR has offered a pass deposit of $49 with the remainder due in September.
Mountain Collective is the worst of the bunch and you would be wise to avoid it. From their website- “The Mountain Collective Pass is non-refundable and non-transferable. All purchases are final and may not be refunded, transferred between parties, or transferred to another season.” Basically, you get nothing for last season and if anything happens to cause the season to end early next year, you are SOL.

If the Resorts Do Reopen for Summer Skiing Will We Even Care By Then?

Though we still wish we could ski, many coronavactioners are finally ready for summer; for the rain to stop, the snow to melt, the warm skies to shine because, hell, if you can’t ski and don’t have backcountry skills, at least we can hike and bike. The other thing to consider is once we get in the summer groove, will we want to go back to skiing? TBH, it might take two feet of fresh powder to get me back in the mood.

But after you get your fill of dirt, there’s always a trip to Argentina in July; if the country lifts their air travel ban before September. The resorts down south are poised to open for their winter season but they are tracking the spread of COVID-19 as we speak. If ever there was a time to visit the southern hemisphere, it would be this year, weather and COVID contingent of course.

Must Haves for Summer Skiing

Shred Goggles – Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Ted “Shred” Ligety knows something about skiing year-round. So trust him when he makes goggles that kick butt on summer sun. The Shred goggles won’t fog no matter how heated your dome gets. It has a spherical lens with a dramatically wide field of vision so you can spot bikini-clad Betties from anywhere. The contrast boosting lens (CBL) allows you to see just as well in flat light as bright sun and, even though the lens doesn’t look super dark to the naked eye, it provides plenty of UVA, UVB, UVC protection. The NoDistortion tech in the lenses prevents, yes, distortion you get from a curved lens at altitude while the high quality “Whipped Cream” multilayer face foam ensures that this go-to goggle fits under just about every helmet. Plus, it won’t pack down like most foams so you can count on them for next season too.

summer skiing goggle

BRYNJE Women’s Wool Thermo Longs Base Layer with Inlay might look like something from a steampunk rave but it totally makes sense when you think about the heat generated skiing in 60-degree temps. All you want to wear is a shell pant but that feels nasty against bare skin. You won’t overheat in the Mesh Thermo Longs and the integrated shorts and reinforced knees keep you from chafing.

brynje fishnet baselayers

Helly Hansen’s Odin Mountain Softshell Jacket is the ultimate spring and backcountry shell. It’s a warm, breathable, comfortable worn alone or with a mid-layer or thin puffy underneath for cooler days. This lightweight beauty is made of 4-way stretch with a weather protective membrane and another with maximum breathability. It moves with you whether you climb or ski.

summer skiing jacket

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