The 2017/2018 ski season in Utah draws to a close. By April 15, only Snowbird will still be open for daily skiing …we think. Here are the most updated Utah ski area closing dates:
Alta Ski Area – Sunday, April 15 (reopen: April 20-22, 27-29 and May 4-6)
Beaver Mountain – Sunday, April 1
Brian Head Ski Resort – Sunday, April 15
Brighton – Sunday, April 22
Cherry Peak – TBD
Deer Valley Resort – Sunday, April 8th
Eagle Point – Sunday, April 1
Nordic Valley – CLOSED
Park City Mountain – Sunday, April 8
Powder Mountain – Sunday, April 15
Snowbasin Resort – Sunday, April 15
Snowbird – TBD
Solitude Mountain Resort – Sunday, April 15
Sundance Mountain Resort – Sunday, April 1
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As mentioned above, you’ll be able to ski Snowbird into late spring. There are a few other resorts that will try to stay open as long as they can:
MT. BACHELOR, ORE. closing May 27, 2018
Springtime at the area just outside of Bend, Ore., can run anywhere from winter pow to corn to spring slush bumps. End early so there’s less chance for a twisted knee and plenty of time for a few of Oregon’s mouthwatering craft brews. If you had a mind for a multi-sport day, head over to Smith Rocks State Park for rock climbing or whitewater kayaking on the Deschutes River.
MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CA closing May 28. 2018
Top to bottom skiing, apres music in the Village and hot springs at sunset. This place still lures Los Angelenos on the weekends.
Whistler/Blackcomb B.C. closing May 21, 2018
Whistler has glacier skiing year round. So even though they will close in May, the party continues when they reopen in June and July for skiing up high and world-class mountain biking below.
Arapahoe Basin, CO closing June 3, 2018
Skiing spring slush is just an excuse to partake in the biggest parking lot tailgate party in the ski industry; costumes, beer bongs, grilled meat, loud music and partial nudity. what more do you need?
Squaw Valley, CA closing May 31, 2018
Water ski at sunrise and sunset; snow ski in between. There’s also golf, mountain biking, rock climbing and river rafting on top of the ranging apres ski deck scene.
If you believe all the news reports, there are few things in this world that don’t cause cancer. Nearly everything you can touch or put in your mouth will kill you. There’s soda, wine, cellphones, microwaves and now coffee and cancer? It’s a morning ritual for skiers. Come on!!
Coffee drinkers rise up
Starbuck’s is brewing mad over a pending lawsuit in California. If it succeeds, coffee houses there would have to warn their customers and coffee companies could be required to warning label their product. Already, signs are appearing outside café windows. The biggest issue is not the silly papers themselves but stigma, panic and fear it creates.
I refuse to accept that coffee and cancer are detrimentally connected. Lack of sleep, smoking, TVs, stupid people; yes, maybe those things are deadly but not my coffee. Litigants claim that acrylamide, a chemical found in roasted coffee beans causes cancer in rats. However strong evidence from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) shows that drinking coffee actually reduces risk for endometrial and liver cancer. Coffee contains a variety of compounds that can block carcinogens, reduce cancer cell growth and promote cancer cell death. Coffee is also a source of compounds that cell culture and animal studies suggest may shift estrogen metabolism, growth factors and regulators of cell growth to reduce cancer cell growth. Also, caffeic acid in coffee seems to serve as an antioxidant that increases the pace of self-destruction of cancer cells.
The World Health Organization (WHO) further states that acrylamide is everywhere. It’s found in nearly all foods including bread, corn, breakfast cereals, poultry and fish. Stop singling out coffee! Further, although acrylamide increases risk for lab animals, no connection has been established between acrylamide in food and cancer risk for humans. So take that, you coffee haters. BTW, don’t you just hate when people go after our favorite vices?
Coffee’s possible link to cancer is a well-studied one, with over 1,000 reports on the topic. Relatively large and well-controlled population studies now provide positive evidence that even up to six cups of coffee per day does nothing but give you a sweet buzz. Coffee contains vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and a variety of phytochemicals, many of which have antioxidant properties.
Dr. Ed Giovannucci, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, determined, “We have studied coffee for decades now and have enough evidence from large, well-designed studies to say that coffee is protective for some cancers. We can confidently say that coffee is not harmful and certainly doesn’t have to be labeled the way we label tobacco, which is actually proven to be harmful and causes many cancers.”
Thirteen defendants, including Gloria Jean‘s and 7-11, have settled and agreed to put up the signs rather than fight. But good for Starbucks for not bending over. They are still waging a legal battle, arguing coffee’s health benefits. A decision is expected in the coming months.
It’s the suckiest news in all the land. No significant snow storms in Park City, Utah, till February?! Those are the rumors anyway. We might get a smattering of that Park City snow here and there but let’s face it; Utah had the driest holiday period in, like, forever. I can’t remember teaching on such limited terrain. There are runs that shouldn’t even be open right now because there are more rocks on them than snow. Unfortunately, people are so desperate, they’ll ski anything. I spoke with a local rental shop manager I spoke with a local rental shop manager and he said that they are so busy repairing people’s skis they can’t even tune their own rentals. They just check them in thrashed and send them back out with the next guest.
Park City has a meager 21” base and, if we are to believe some forecasters, we’re at least a week… or four!.. before that base climbs. It’s the lowest snowpack in 30 years. The thinned out crowds still arrived for Christmas break and, golly gee, that was so much fun to put them all on a handful of runs instead of spreading them out across the mountain.
Photo by Steve Mayer
There’s just not enough snow to keep up with the terrain demand. Oh, but how we love the local mountain reports that claim we have “packed powder” to try to entice gullible travelers. After the groomers (on manmade snow) are skied off by lunch or sooner, we have HARD PACK, hacked up moguls with rocks in between, hard pack, thousands of riders slipping and sliding into each other, and hard pack. Don’t get me wrong, a trip to the mountains is still 100 times better than Christmas week at Disneyland or a day at the office but if you are an advanced or expert skier keep your lift ticket money in your pocket (hooray for the Epic Pass, right?).
Appreciate Manmade Park City Snow
It’s a whole different story if you are a beginning skier and only need the same two bunny hills for five days. You don’t need anything more than some space, a patient instructor and comfortable ski boots. Plus, with this gorgeously warm weather it’s an ideal time to learn to ride. Just know that the “greatest snow on earth” is anything but right now despite what the local PR hype machine is spinning out- “2 FEET of Snow Fell this Holiday Weekend”? Um, that was 24 inches period…in nearly a month; on a 20” base, in Little and Big Cottonwood canyons; not Park City.
Perhaps all of the Sundance Film Festival folks will rejoice. Our temps have been hovering around a balmy 40 degrees. Filmmakers can strut their high-heeled stuff on Main Street without freezing their buttcheeks and wear flimsy designer neck scarves. According to local meteorologist Brian McInerney, it probably won’t be snowing those last two weeks of January.
Where Does The Snow Stand
We’re at about 62 percent of snowpack. Last year, more than 40 storms brought us up to 200 percent snow pack. Not so much this season. High pressure has set up camp over us, California and Colorado, while storms roll north around the Cascades, Montana, Wyoming and British Columbia. Which begs the question- do I roadtrip to Jackson Hole and ski freshies or head south to Vegas and rock climb? The earth shifts its orientation to the sun in February so that could mean snow. February?! Apparently, it looked this dismal in 1976 and then they had a banner February. Ok, I can hold out. A girl can only dream.
The bigger picture, however, is the scarier one. Our winters are getting shorter. They are starting later and ending earlier. “When you do get a storm, they will be more intense followed by long periods of high pressure,” said McInerney on KPCW radio. This dipole pattern means there’s a big-ass high pressure over the western U.S. while the central and eastern part of the country is getting hammered with snow and record low temps. “It’s because the jet stream is becoming more elongated, like a big, sine wave. Before, it used to have little wiggles. Each little wiggle would bring a storm maybe every four days,” explained McInerney. “Now the pattern has set up where the high is positioned over the west and the low is over the east. And then if you keep following the teleconnections out over the Pacific, there’s a warm pool of water in the Western Pacific that they think is causing the stagnant pattern.” Well, then, can someone please get the hell out there and stir things up?
“Not only are we warmer, but when you look at the trends, we’re going to see more of these in future weather events throughout the years,” said McInerney. “We used to have 250 parts per million when we look at CO2 levels in the atmosphere. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that doesn’t allow heat to escape in the nighttime hours. It reradiates back into the earth’s atmosphere. It was 250 and now we’re at 400 parts per million and it’s going up. It’s the most CO2 we’ve had in the atmosphere for roughly 800 thousand years.”
Local municipalities are doing a decent job trying to get carbon neutral but that’s small potatoes overall when you have countries like China spewing emissions. “The whole world has to act in unison to kind of clean this up and figure this out. I think the last thing we’ll be worried about at this point is why aren’t we skiing powder? We’re going to be trying to figure out how to get water.”
So, do your snowdances, wash your cars, pray for snow and stay positive. It’s going to be here eventually. Otherwise, what’s the alternative? Year-round mountain biking and rock climbing I suppose.
What To Do While You Wait For New Snow
Enjoy The Scenery-
Pack up your camera in the Tenba DNA 13 and head out for a brilliant photo day. The gorgeous bag fits a mirrorless or DSLR body with 2–5 lenses plus accessories. Designed for year-round use, the oversized front flap and sewn hinge weatherproofs your delicate gear. It also comes with a removable and reversible WeatherWrap cover, tons of pockets, an adjustable security strap to keep it from sliding while you bike or hike and a ton of other features.
It’s easy to find a local photog to hire as a guide and mentor for the day. Just start asking around.
Go Tubing-
A sure way to kill an hour or two- and you only need water and ice- is to hit the tubing track for high speed hijinks. Most resorts have at least one tubing hill.
Get Cozy
It’s still cold at night at a ski resort. Slip into your favorite jammies like these from Lazy One . These brushed cotton and Lycra pants and tops are durable, whimsical and oh-so soft.
Acorn Slouch Boots with berber fleece cuffs, cushion insole and rubber outsole will keep your feet and ankles warm whether you snuggle up to the fire or traipse outside for the wood.
Play Games-
It’s not practical to pack a bunch of board games unless those games are from Outside/Inside. Make a big pot of spaghetti, turn the TV off then challenge your family to a showdown of Magnetic Darts or mini Backpack Cornhole . The Campground Dartboard set comes with roll-up board for two games in one.
Drink!-
Whether you want to drown your weather sorrows or celebrate the buds and family reunion, seek out some smooth souvenirs from local brewers and distillers. Maybe it’s a six-pack of Wasatch Brewery’s Polygamy Porter or bottle of Jackson Hole’s Wyoming Whiskey. It’s all about cultural immersion, right?
Indoor rock climbing is blowing up and Momentum Climbing, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is leading the charge. With already three gyms in Utah, two in Texas and soon two in Seattle, Wash., the Momentum brand has announced the opening of bouldering gym in Historic Trolley Square.
The 15,500-square foot bouldering gym offers Salt Lake City climbers a fourth location. And it will be included in Momentum Climbing’s multi-gym membership. Set to open in December 2018, 15,500-sq. ft. Momentum Trolley Square will offer 7,000 square feet of bouldering, a 4,000-square foot training area featuring a Moon Board, Momentum E-wall (a 34- foot wide “smart woody.”), a Lattice Board assessment center, weights, and a cardio area.
What’s Inside Trolley’s Momentum
Climbing
While children are welcome, this members-focused gym won’t have any organized youth programs like it does at their other locations. It will instead provide adult programs, and a “social zone”. Guests can plug-in and catch up on email or school work.
“For the past 5 years, we’ve been following the efforts to revitalize Trolley Square, which is a precious piece of Salt Lake City history. Securing our fourth location here, and playing a part in this center’s next chapter is exciting for Momentum,” said Jeff Pedersen, co-founder, and CEO of Momentum Climbing. “Salt Lake City’s passion for climbing and training has been the foundation of our brand’s success. At Trolley, we’ve paid special attention to providing the latest in climbing-specific training technologies, so that all our climbers can realize their full potential.”
Trolley Square has long been a hub for industry. In the early 1900s, it housed a new state-of-the-art trolley fleet building that held 144 double-truck streetcars. Its iconic 50,000-gallon water tower was constructed in the event of a fire. It was the premiere trolley system of its time. It serviced 146 miles of track, with cars that ran from Salt Lake City to Holladay, Sugar House, Bountiful, and Centerville. In the 1930s, buses began replacing trolley cars and by the 1950s, Trolley Square went the way of the dinosaur. Luckily, in the early 1970s, new owners, inspired by Ghirardelli Square, the chocolate factory in San Francisco, developed the site as a shopping mall. Occupancy dropped by half during the Great Recession and the spot again fell into ghost town status. Then in 2013, local businessman Khosrow Semnani purchased Trolley Square. He revitalized it with bars, restaurants, a fitness center and retailers including Whole Foods.
Momentum Climbing Aims At Students
Many will notice that this new gym will directly compete with The Front for those trendy University of Utah students. But will it put them out of business? When Momentum Millcreek opened, it didn’t take long before Rockreation shuttered. Let’s hope The Front won’t suffer the same fate. Given the number of members at both Momentum Millcreek and The Front there should be room for all. Now, if Momentum would only open a climbing gym in Park City…..
Those interested in employment opportunities or receiving email updates on Momentum Climbing’s Trolley Square grand opening and pre-opening membership specials should visit www.momentumclimbing.com.
Omg, I missed the Warren Miller ski film premiere?! Stop the presses! It’s a rite of every fall passage. Why didn’t I go? As the days get shorter and flakes speckle the lingering autumn hours, you gotta step into a ski porn premiere. You just gotta if you want to start your winter off right. Well, I didn’t.
The annual tradition that unofficially kicks off winter – because let’s face it the ‘official’ kickoff is whenever your ski resort opens- is back to titillate your ski senses. WME’s 68th ski film, Line of Descent celebrates the snow tribe, rites of passage and the legendary lineage of snowsports athletes from icons like Tommy Moe, Jonny Moseley and JT Holmes to the fresh faces of Kalen Thorien, Marcus Caston, and Griffin Post. “We explore how skiers are shaped by picking up a pair of skis for the first time,” notes Warren Miller’s veteran producer Josh Haskins. “More often than not, it’s family who introduces us to the sport or steers us on the path towards an ongoing passion—be it a ski bum lifestyle, a professional career or simply the desire to pass on the same feeling to the next generation. There is a kinship unlike any other in the ski community, and Warren Miller is the elder, bringing generations of skiers and riders together for 68 years, and this year is no different.”
Why has WME done it every year for 68 years? Probably because there’s an audience for it every year just drooling to get amped for winter. Oh, and title sponsors like Volkswagen, travel sponsors like Montana and athletes’ sponsors make it possible. Since 1949, most ski families have cheered the official kickoff of winter with a Warren Miller ski film; I started it with my daughter in 2006- her very first winter. They have screening throughout the season and across the states but there’s nothing like catching the premiere vibe. It’s not because a Warren Miller ski film is an epic tale of adventure with an Academy Award-winning cast.
Story is irrelevant in ski porn. You’re along for the white ride as talented rippers slash jaw-dropping spines and chest deep, tree-filled lines in segment after segment until you are arcing those same turns in your head. Athletes visit Jackson Hole, Montana, Silverton, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, the French Alps, New Zealand, British Columbia, and Norway and Steamboat in Line of Descent, teasing, “Wish you were here.” You leave; successfully fluffed for ski season.
Utah’s Kaylin Richardson tears up Norway
Maybe I missed opening night of this Warren Miller ski film because I’m not ready to accept winter. I’m a skier but also a rock climber. The fall in Utah has been a mix of cooler snowy days and gorgeous fall colors under blue skies. If I don’t watch Line of Descent, perhaps I can forestall winter? Just a few more weeks and I’ll be ready for that release. Luckily, there are more screenings coming up if I happen to change my mind.
Salt Lake City – Abravanel Hall – Friday, October 13 & Saturday, October 14 – 7:30
Orem – SCERA Grand Theatre – October 17, 18 & 19
Park City – George S. and Dolores Dore’ Eccles CPA – October 20 & 21
BTW, I was bummed to learn that the super awesome local lift ticket deals to Solitude (free ticket!) and Snowbird (2-for-1) that were offered to moviegoers over so many years are no more. Film attendees instead get a discounted ticket at Solitude ($45) and a 2-for-1 to Snowbasin. But, hey, you can ski free at Steamboat! Other deals include:
– $50 off the Mountain Collective Pass – 2 lift tickets to Big Sky Resort for $139 + tax – 25% off a single purchase or 50% off a ski/board/bike rental or tune at Sports Den (*SLC screenings only) – $20 off at Alpine Sports (*Ogden screenings only)
