Skiing 2014 12

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WorldMags.net PUBLISHER & GENERAL MANAGER Andy Bigford EDITORIAL

EDITOR Sam Bass SOLDIER OF FORTUNE Doug Schnitzspahn CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kimberly Beekman, Samantha Berman, Joe Cutts COPY EDITOR Gillian Burnes COLUMNIST Rob Story INTERNS Connor Davis, J. Arthur Boyle EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Greg Ditrinco SPIRIT GUIDE Merrill George Hastings Jr. ART ART DIRECTOR Signé Higgins DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Keri Bascetta ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR Alex Stuart ART INTERNS Emily Carino, Heather Casey, Madison Rahhal DIGITAL DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA Josh Rashkin DIGITAL BRAND MANAGER Ryan Dionne ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR Elizabeth Carey ASSOCIATE TECHNICAL PRODUCER Stephen Sebestyen PRODUCTION GROUP PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Barb Van Sickle PREPRESS MANAGER Joy Kelley COLOR SPECIALIST Chris Goodspeed AD COORDINATOR Hillary Kerrick GRAPHIC DESIGNER Mark Sorenson

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SALES BOULDER 303-253-6300 VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING Al Crolius ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Stefanie Luciano WESTERN REGIONAL MANAGER Bill Garrels ACCOUNT MANAGER Ginna Larson SKIING MARKET INSIDE SALES Sean Bonser, Ileana Morales NEW YORK 917-577-0191 EAST COAST SALES DIRECTOR JoAnn Martin VERMONT 802-233-3247 EASTERN RESORT SALES MANAGER Mike Woods DETROIT 248-763-0526 SALES MANAGER Keith Cunningham TORONTO 416-363-1388 CANADA SALES OFFICE, PUBLICITAS APR Francoise Chalifour, Cyndy Fleming, Rosalind Genge MARKETING GROUP MARKETING DIRECTOR Dana Morton DIGITAL MARKETING DIRECTOR Phoebe Legg ADVERTISING COORDINATOR/EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Lori Ostrow FACILITIES MANAGER OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS Tony Pene FACILITIES MANAGER Tony Wilhelms

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CHAIRMAN & CEO Efrem Zimbalist III PRESIDENT & COO Andrew W. Clurman SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & CFO Brian Sellstrom EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Patricia B. Fox SVP, CONTENT AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Jonathan Dorn VICE PRESIDENT, CONTROLLER Joseph Cohen VICE PRESIDENT, RESEARCH Kristy Kaus

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0DWXULW\ LV D PHDVXUH RI character.

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POWDER IN THE SHADOW

OF ONE OF THE BIGGEST SKI MOUNTAINS COVERED IN SNOW LIES A FRIENDLY SMALL TOWN COVERED IN HAPPINESS. STEAMBOAT.COM

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Š 2014 Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation

12 FOCUS

skiing | DEC 2014

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CAN’T STOP Japow! Neither photographer Robin O’Neill nor skier Izzy Lynch could resist it. They’d scheduled a rest day during a three-week, powder-filled trip to Japan but opted to hike the snowy volcano of Mount Yotei, near Niseko, where they found this line. “It’s funny how you get these moments where it all just comes together,” O’Neill says.

—CONNOR W. DAVIS

Izzy Lynch at Mount Yotei, Japan, by Robin O’Neill

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SKI INGMAG.COM | 13

14 FOCUS

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COMMITMENT

A spine into a chute into a pillow field? Photographer Grant Gunderson questioned skier Mark Abma’s dicey choice of lines. Naturally, though, Abma nailed it. —CONNOR W. DAVIS Mark Abma at Selkirk-Tangiers Heli-Skiing, Revelstoke, British Columbia, by Grant Gunderson

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EDITOR'S LETTER

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ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, I was lurking in the foyer of the Boulder Theater just before the autograph session at the world premiere of Pretty Faces, the much anticipated and now highly acPYNVZRQ NYY SRZNYR `XV ¿ YZ Of OVT Z\b[aNV[ cV_ab\`\ 9f[`Rf 1fR_ AUR ¿ YZ¡` NaUYRaR` [RN_Yf d\ZR[ `Na N_ZRQ dVaU @UN_]VR` N[Q ]\`aR_` ORUV[Q Y\[T aNOYR` O_NPV[T S\_ N[ \[`YNbTUa .a #' ] Z N dNYY \S adRR[ TV_Y` P_N`URQ V[`VQR N[Q NTNV[`a aUR aNOYR` YVXR `a\_Z O_RNXR_` \cR_dURYZV[T N `RNdNYY 6¡cR ORR[ a\ N Y\a \S `XV ¿ YZ` UR_R \cR_ aUR ]N`a fRN_` Oba 6¡Q [RcR_ `RR[ N[faUV[T YVXR aUV` ;\a Y\[T NSaR_ Zf fRN_ \YQ `\[ N[Q 6 a\\X \b_ `RNa` 6 UNQ dN[a RQ a\ O_V[T Zf `RcR[ fRN_ \YQ QNbTUaR_ NY`\ @UR Y\cR` `XVV[T N[Q being a girl but was already in PJs, heading toward bed, exhausted S_\Z UR_ ¿ _`a Z\[aU \S `RP\[Q T_NQR DR Y\\XRQ N_\b[Q Na N _\\Z ]NPXRQ N[Q ObggV[T dVaU R[R_Tf AUR ¿ YZ UNQ PYRN_Yf aN]]RQ V[a\ N ]_R``b_VgRQ b[QR_Pb__R[a V[ \b_ `]\_a D\ZR[ N[Q TV_Y` N[Q Z\_R than a few men had come to celebrate the female skiing experience, dUVPU UN` UV`a\_VPNYYf ORR[ TVcR[ `U\_a `U_VSa V[ `XV ¿ YZ` 7b`a ORS\_R aUR ¿ YZ ORTN[ N` 1fR_ N[Q UR_ P\ `aN_` `a\\Q a\ aUb[ QR_V[T N]]YNb`R aUR RZPRR N`XRQ aUR NbQVR[PR a\ \O`R_cR N ]R_V\Q \S `VYR[PR S\_ ´S_VR[Q` cR_f _RPR[aYf Y\`a ¾ . Ub`U SRYY \cR_ aUR U\b`R 2N_YVR_ aUNa QNf N aRea S_\Z N P\d\_XR_ a\YQ ZR aUNa `XVR_` 7 = .bPYNV_ N[Q .[Q_RN` 3_N[``\[ UNQ ORR[ PNbTUa V[ N[ NcNYN[PUR V[ @\baU .ZR_VPN N[Q dR_R SRN_RQ QRNQ 9NaR_ 6 S\b[Q \ba aUNa `[\d O\N_QR_ 9Vg 1NYRf UNQ ORR[ XVYYRQ V[ N `R]N_NaR `YVQR V[ aUR .[QR` aUR `NZR QNf AUV` \[ aUR URRY` \S aUR QRNaU` \S `XV Z\b[aNV[RR_` /N`aV 5NNT N[Q .[Q_RN GNZONYQV V[ ;R]NY YR`` aUN[ N dRRX RN_YVR_ 3VcR f\b[T YVTUa` `[bSSRQ \ba N` aURf Ob_[RQ aURV_ O_VTUaR`a AU\`R dU\ S\YY\d \b_ `]\_a¡` _VPU N[Q aReab_RQ PbYab_R dR_R YRSa _RRYV[T Of aUR [Rd` DR¡Q ORR[ aU_\bTU Va ORS\_R Oba aUNa QVQ[¡a ZNXR aUV` RN`VR_ 3_N[``\[ 5NNT GNZONYQV N[Q 1NYRf dR_R UVTUYf NPP\Z]YV`URQ aRPU[VPNY NY]V[V`a` RNPU `a_VcV[T V[ UV` \_ UR_ \d[ dNf` a\ _RVZNTV[R dUNa¡` ]\``VOYR V[ aUR Z\b[aNV[` .[Q 7RN[ =UVY YV]R .bPYNV_ 6[ aUR RfR` \S `\ ZN[f `XVR_` .bPYNV_ dN` N UR_\³N[ RN_Yf RcR_ UbZOYR N_PUVaRPa \S `XVV[T¡` _R`b_TR[PR dU\ UNQ ORP\ZR N[ NYa_bV`aVP N[Q `aVYY V[[\cNaVcR RYQR_ `aNaR`ZN[ \S aUR `]\_a .a `\ZR ]\V[a Qb_V[T aUR ]bOYVP \ba]\b_V[T \S T_VRS N[Q Va` ZN[f `VQR P\[cR_`NaV\[` 6 dN` R ZNVYV[T dVaU d_VaR_ :VXR ?\TTR aRYYV[T UVZ 6¡Q N]]_RPVNaRQ N _RZRZO_N[PR \S .bPYNV_ UR¡Q d_VaaR[ S\_ Outside 5R _R]YVRQ ´AUV` V` dUNa dR Q\ _VTUa, DR a_f N[Q PN]ab_R aUR aVZR N[Q YRa ]R\]YR X[\d Va¡` <8 a\ `aVYY UNcR Sb[ `XVV[T ¾ 5R dN` _VTUa' .` aUR Zb`VP `aN_aRQ V[ aUR aURNaR_ N[Q aUR YVTUa` went down, and as each audience member folded an understandV[T \S aUNa URNcf `VYR[PR V[a\ UR_ \_ UV` \d[ V[[R_ c\YbZR \S `\_ rows and joys, and as heads lifted and cheers rose at the sight of a little girl on screen pushing through tears and frustration into the T_\dV[T ReUVYN_NaV\[ \S UR_ ¿ _`a ab_[`³dR X[Rd Va dN` <8

SAM BASS sam@skiingmag.com

skiing | DEC 2014

ETERNALLY MODEST: Photographer Chris Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell remembers J.P. Auclair (pictured) seeing this shot and saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It actually looks like I can ski pipe.â&#x20AC;?

Location: Copper Mountain, Colorado, 2007.

SPREAD THE LOVE Âť To support J.P. Auclairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s young son Leo and loving partner Ingrid, as well as Alpine Initiatives, the nonprofit he founded to improve the lives of those in mountain communities around the world, visit alpineinitiatives.org.

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COURTESY OF ARMADA SKIS/CHRIS Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;CONNELL

BURNING BRIGHT

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Contents

WorldMags.net DEPARTMENTS

22 26

SCENE Marijuana in the mountains.

THE MIX Silver-spooners, a backcountry game changer, insulated Vans, and the Wasatch connection.

TRUTH

34

Daniel Tisi is younger and better than you are.

36

Why the hell would anyone want to ski uphill at a resort?

40 42 44 46

CHEAT SHEET

ANATOMY Brighton, Utah.

CLASSICS Aspen, Colorado.

ODE The joy of the stash.

SHINY THINGS A smartphone wind meter, a new helmet cam, headthumping earphones, and other cool gadgetry.

48 FROM TOP: COURTESY OF MAMMOTH/PETER MORNING; RYAN HEFFERNAN; BRUNO LONG

FEATURES

48

MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

Very often, we choose where we ski based on the type of trip we can pull off: quick, extended, with the bros or girls, under the radar, Europe, Canada. Behold the first Mountain Guide designed around the trips you want to take this winter. Now get planning and go.

THIS MONTH ON SKIING MAG.COM

76 84 92 98

SELLING THE MYSTIQUE With a new owner and development on the horizon, can Taos, New Mexico, remain Taos, New Mexico?

By Devon O’Neil

PHOTO ESSAY: GREECE Tyler Ceccanti and Josh Bibby head to Greece with Warren Miller to ski Mount Olympus.

Photographs by Mike Arzt. Words by Connor Davis

BANZAI! The world’s ballsiest brand of ski racing doesn’t take place on some obscure European piste, but in California.

By Gordy Megroz

SKUNKED What do you do when your best-laid powder plans go awry? Click in and get on the chairlift. Duh.

By Kimberly Beekman

#SKIINGFACIALS

VIDEOS

IN YOUR IN-BOX

Submit your best face-shot photo at Skiingmag.com/SkiingFacials for the chance to win Line skis.

See our editors’ ski reviews. SkiingMag .com/GearVideos

Sign up to get exclusive East Coast content at SkiingMag.com/EastNews.

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ON THE COVER Cody Townsend slurps up Mt. Baker’s bounty.

Photo by Grant Gunderson.

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SKIWEAR THAT DOES WHAT SKIERS NEED. BUILT BY ATOMIC

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ATOMIC.COM

STUFF YOU NEED

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TO KNOW FROM ACROSS THE SKIING WORLD

FRONT SIDE SCENE / MIX / TRUTH / CHEAT SHEET / ANATOMY / CLASSICS / ODE / SHINY THINGS

SUGARBUSH, VERMONT Late last March at Sugarbush, photographer Brian Mohr

BRIAN MOHR/EMBER PHOTO

was crushing off-piste laps with freeskiing legend Dan Egan and Egan’s 15-year-old son, Johnny (pictured).

Mohr snapped this shot as they skied what locals call The Church, beloved for its substantial cliff drop into wide-open Vermont scenery. “It was our last opportunity to get into steeper stuff before the sun ruined it,” says Mohr. According to Mohr, Johnny “had been competing [with his father] a bit” but was stoked “just to be out having fun on skis.” Mohr loves this central Vermont resort for its awesome inbounds terrain and easy access to nearby backcountry. For more on Sugarbush, visit sugarbush.com. —J. ARTHUR BOYLE

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SCENE

SMOKE SCREEN

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WHAT YOU DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T KNOW ABOUT LEGAL MARIJUANA THAT WILL GET YOU INTO TROUBLE ON THE SLOPES.

By Tom Winter

W

hen recreational marijuana use became legal for anyone over 21 in Colorado last January 1, you would have thought the state was going up in smoke, such was the reaction. New Jersey governor Chris Christie went so far as to decry legalization as a bad idea that would destroy the quality of life in Colorado with â&#x20AC;&#x153;head shops popping up on every corner and ]R\]YR Ă&#x20AC; fV[T V[a\ f\b_ NV_]\_a Wb`a a\ TRa UVTU Âľ .[Q dUVYR aVR QfRQ NQc\PNaR` PRYRO_NaRQ \[ aUR `aR]` \S aUR `aNaR PN]Va\Y Of YVTUaV[T b] W\V[a` \aUR_` V[PYbQ V[T QR`aV[NaV\[ cV`Va\_` a\ `\ZR \S aUR `aNaR¡` OR`a X[\d[ _R`\_a` `RRZRQ a\ agree with Christie. <[R \S aUR YNaaR_ dN` 0U_V`aV[R ._NXRYVN[ N ;Rd F\_X _R`VQR[a dU\ NSaR_ hearing other skiers talk about their marijuana use at Vail, sent an outraged letter to the local newspaper that quickly went viral. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The people who live this af]R \S YVSR`afYR PN[¡a NSS\_Q a\ `b]]\_a _R`\_a` YVXR CNVY aUNa S_N[XYf PNaR_ a\ N QR Z\T_N]UVP Z\_R YVXR Zf \d[ Âľ `UR PYNVZRQ NQQV[T ´f\b PN[¡a OR N QR`aV[NaV\[ _R`\_a S\_ UVTU RN_[R_` N[Q N ]\a a\d[ Na aUR `NZR aVZRÂłf\b UNcR a\ PU\\`R Âľ DUVYR `\ZR ZNf N_TbR aUNa ._NXRYVN[¡` \ba_NTR dN` dRYY ]YNPRQ QR`]VaR aUR P\[aV[bV[T Z\_Na\_VbZ \[ _RP_RNaV\[NY ZN_VWbN[N `U\]` V[ aUR a\d[ \S CNVY her public outburst and the emotional debate following it have done little to clarify the realities surrounding Colorado law and marijuana usage in ski towns.

AUR_R PN[ OR [\ Q\bOa aUNa ZN_VWbN[N V` ORP\ZV[T YR`` \S N P\[PR_[ [NaV\[ skiing | DEC 2014

NYYf .PP\_QV[T a\ N _RPR[a 4NYYb] ]\YY "% ]R_PR[a \S .ZR_VPN[` `b]]\_a YRTNY ization. Currently 23 states allow marijuana for medical purposes and two, 0\Y\_NQ\ N[Q DN`UV[Ta\[ UNcR YRTNYVgRQ dRRQ S\_ _RP_RNaV\[NY b`R .YN`XN N[Q <_RT\[ dR_R ]\V`RQ a\ c\aR S\_ YRTNYVgNaV\[ N` \S ]_R`` aVZR N[Q aUR 1V` a_VPa \S 0\YbZOVN c\aRQ S\_ N ONYY\a ZRN`b_R aUNa NYY\d` NQbYa` a\ YRTNYYf ]\` `R`` b`R N[Q T_\d PN[[NOV` Oba [\a `RYY Va 6[ 0\Y\_NQ\ U\ZR a\ `\ZR \S ;\_aU .ZR_VPN¡` Z\`a cV`VaRQ `XV _R`\_a` =_\]\`VaV\[ #! dUVPU YRTNYVgRQ aUR `NYR N[Q P\[`bZ]aV\[ \S _RP_RNaV\[NY ZN_ VWbN[N dN` N]]_\cRQ Of "" ]R_PR[a \S aUR c\aR_` /ba V[ ZN[f ]YNPR` V[PYbQV[T aUR `XV P\ZZb[VaVR` aUNa Q\a aUR Z\b[aNV[` ZN_VWbN[N dN` NY_RNQf N [\[ V` `bR 3\_ ReNZ]YR $ ]R_PR[a \S c\aR_` V[ /_RPXR[_VQTR N]]_\cRQ aUR QRP_VZ inalization of recreational weed back in 2009. Legalization isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t everything, U\dRcR_ N[Q aUR `aNaR YNd` aUNa T\cR_[ ZN_VWbN[N b`R V[ 0\Y\_NQ\ Q\ [\a N] ply to much of the slopes.

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the rub: The vast majority of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skiable acreage is on public YN[Q` YRN`RQ S_\Z SRQR_NY YN[Q ZN[NTRZR[a NTR[PVR` Z\`aYf aUR B @ 3\_R`a @R_ cVPR .[Q \[ SRQR_NY YN[Q`ÂłV[ 0\Y\_NQ\ \_ N[fdUR_R RY`RÂłZN_VWbN[N _RZNV[` VYYRTNY @aNaR YNd NY`\ UN` _R`a_VPaV\[` \[ aUR b`R \S _RP_RNaV\[NY ZN_VWbN[N 6[ SNPa itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty much illegal to smoke marijuana openly anywhere in any Colorado ski town, from the chairlift to main street to the pub and to the alley behind that pub. <S P\b_`R Va¡` NY`\ VYYRTNY a\ Q_V[X V[ ]bOYVP N[Q N__R`a` Na YRN`a V[ /_RPXR[ _VQTR S\_ \]R[ P\[aNV[R_ YNd` N_R NO\ba N` P\ZZ\[ N` `Z\XV[T V[ ]bOYVP PVaN tions, which means they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen very often. ´DR UNcR[¡a UNQ N[f Q_N`aVP PUN[TR` Âľ `Nf` 0\YYRR[ 4\RaaRYZN[ \S aUR /_RPXR[_VQTR =\YVPR 1R]N_aZR[a NQQV[T aUNa ´6 UNcR \[Yf UNQ ad\ ]R\]YR PNYY ZR N[Q N`X Âś<U PN[ ]R\]YR Q\ aUV`,¡³^bR`aV\[` NO\ba aUR YRTNY `VQR \S aUV[T` Âľ 7RSS 5N[YR QV_RPa\_ \S ]bOYVP _RYNaV\[` S\_ aUR .`]R[ @XVV[T 0\Z]N[f agrees that the effects of legalization have been minor. ´DR UNcR [\a _RNYYf `RR[ N[f V``bR` \[ Z\b[aNV[ Âľ UR `Nf` ´DR UNcR UNQ N

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LIAM DORAN

22 FRONT SIDE

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SCENE

few instances where guests thought smoking outside was permitted simply because they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand the law. We approach this as an educational issue and have had no pushback from guests at all.â&#x20AC;?

Furthermore, adds Hanle, the Ski Company has seen â&#x20AC;&#x153;no instances of reckless skiing brought about by this that we are aware of.â&#x20AC;?

The situation is much the same at Vail. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did not see an increase in marijuana use on the mountain,â&#x20AC;? says Vailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Retail marijuana sales chief of police, Dwight Henninger, rang up $145,581 in tax who has spent every Saturday up on revenues in Summit County, Vail Mountain for the last 12 years.

Colorado, just in the month of January 2014. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are a lot of folks who thought it might be more dangerous on the hill,â&#x20AC;? he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but that is not the case.â&#x20AC;?

He also is not troubled by the use of the drug in town. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the beginning of last season we had more smoking-in-public tickets,â&#x20AC;? he says, chalking the increased violations up to the annual â&#x20AC;&#x153;freshman classâ&#x20AC;? of transient ski bums and resort employees showing up for the season unaware of the nuances of the law. Even with this increase, Henninger says smoking-in-public violations are no more common than open-container violations. As in Breckenridge, the overall number is low, and the ones that do happen are often due to ignorance.

This makes Colorado sound pretty mellow, right, dude? Think again. Just like drinking and skiing, smoking marijuana and skiing in Colorado is governed by the Skier Safety Act. That law serves up penalties for skiing under the V[Ă&#x20AC;bR[PR \S N[faUV[T dVaU Âż[R` b] a\ Y\`` \S `XVV[T ]_VcVYRTR` N[Q aUR potential for lengthy jail time if an accident involving another person happens. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very serious,â&#x20AC;? says Henninger of skiing while high. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just not tolerated.â&#x20AC;?

In this regard, skiing is similar to getting behind the wheel. Colorado 1B6 YNd` P\[`VQR_ Q_VcV[T b[QR_ aUR V[Ă&#x20AC;bR[PR \S NYP\U\Y \_ Q_bT` V[PYbQV[T marijuana, a grave offense. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re stoned and put your rental SUV into a QVaPU f\b P\bYQ OR SNPV[T N fRN_ V[ WNVY V[ Âż[R` &# U\b_` \S P\ZZb[Vty service, and a license suspension of nine months.

And Washington? Recreational sales of marijuana began there on July 8, ! ZRN[V[T `XV _R`\_a` `bPU N` :a /NXR_ UNcR[¡a UNQ a\ QRNY dVaU N[ V[Ă&#x20AC;be of toking tourists as of press time. Furthermore, legal weed in Washington _RZNV[` Z\_R QVSÂżPbYa a\ ]_\Pb_R dVaU SRdR_ aUN[ # \baYRa` `RYYV[T aUR Q_bT `aNaRdVQR P\Z]N_RQ a\ NO\ba V[ 0\Y\_NQ\ AUNa Q\R`[¡a ZRN[ f\b d\[¡a OR NOYR a\ Âż[Q ZN_VWbN[N ;\_ Q\R` Va ZRN[ you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get in trouble for misusing it. Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legal system takes as dim N cVRd \S Q_VcV[T b[QR_ aUR V[Ă&#x20AC;bR[PR \S ZN_VWbN[N N` 0\Y\_NQ\ YNd dVaU ]R[NYaVR` aUNa V[PYbQR `b`]R[`V\[ \S Q_VcV[T ]_VcVYRTR` S\_ N ZV[VZbZ \S & QNf` Still, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt that at least a few of the millions of skiers who visit Colorado and Washington each year will avail themselves of a bit of legal weed this season. These users are limited to purchasing a quarter of an ounce at a time, versus one ounce for state residents; they must be 21; and, like booze shoppers, they must present photo IDs to make their purchases.

When they do, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be contributing to a business that raked in more than ZVYYV\[ V[ aNe _RcR[bR` V[ 0\Y\_NQ\ V[ 7N[bN_f ! NY\[R aUR Âż_`a Z\[aU recreational marijuana was legally available through retail outlets. This monRf V` \[R _RN`\[ dUf YRTNYVgNaV\[ V` Re]RPaRQ a\ ]_\cVQR N dV[QSNYY \cR_ aUR [Rea QRPNQR dVaU aUR `aNaR¡` QR]N_aZR[a \S _RcR[bR N[aVPV]NaV[T ! ZVYYV\[ V[ NQQVaV\[NY aNeR` N``\PVNaRQ dVaU _RaNVY ZN_VWbN[N `NYR` S\_ ! NY\[R /ba _RZRZOR_ `U\bYQ f\b PU\\`R 0\Y\_NQ\ S\_ f\b_ [Rea `XV a_V] ON`RQ skiing | DEC 2014

40 21 5

Oh, sweet sinsemilla silhouette!

MILLION The number of marijuana tax dollars earmarked for new school construction in Colorado.

The number of Papa Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pizza franchises Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning bought in Colorado right before weed became legal.

NANOGRAMS The legal limit for the amount of THC in your system while operating a motor vehicle. Not sure what a nanogram is? Make it easy on yourself and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t smoke and drive.

upon the latest après-ski party opportunity, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take your stash with you when you leave, and if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re heading home to a job or potential job with an employer that requires drug testing, traces of marijuana use can linger in your system for up to three months for heavy users.

That means marijuana can turn up not only in workplace drug tests but also in the urine and blood tests law enforcement uses back home Qb_V[T a_NSÂżP `a\]` dUR_R N 1B6 V` `b`]RPaRQ ;\d that surprise could turn your Rocky Mountain high into a very, very bad trip indeed.

Tom Winter is a regular contributor to Skiing and currently oversees operations in the Americas for the Freeride World Tour. He is a member of the board of directors for the Mountain Riders Alliance and skis Italy more than most Americans.

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FROM TOP: TOM DALY; LIAM DORAN

24 FRONT SIDE

Athlete: Chris Davenport Location: Portillo Photographer: Jonathan Selkowitz

FX94 THE PERFORMER. The FX94 is a force of its own in any terrain.

Developed to the needs of Pro Team Athlete Chris Davenport, its metal laminated construction with rockered tip delivers the utmost in precision and control.

Available in 166, 176, 186 cm

W W W. K A E S T L E - S K I . C O M

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W W W . K 1 2 D E S I G N . AT

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26 FRONT SIDE

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MIX

LIBATIONS

PRIVATE POWDER

IT ISN’T GOING AWAY. GET USED TO IT.

By Rob Story

M

Y FIRST VISIT TO A PRIVATE SKI AREA

happened in 2005, in Montana. In a gorilla suit.

Blending civil disobedience, free-speech activism, and performance art, I departed Big Sky Resort’s public slopes and trespassed into the members-only Yellowstone Club. There, I repeatedly rode the club’s empty chairs, glaring with unspeakable menace at the confused lifties… who didn’t dare demand a pass from a giant ape that could rip their heads off with a single swat. I did it because YC’s then-owners charged a $250,000-per-year membership fee and actually trademarked the phrase Private Powder™.

Worse, the club’s slopes share the same massif as Big Sky’s— which allowed silver spooners to taunt na-nana-naah-nah! across its fence. If a prole took exception, members could run to their security guards: former Secret Service agents.

While that iteration of the Yellowstone Club declared

You’ve just witnessed columnist Rob Story coming clean as Ho-Ho the Skiing Gorilla, a slope-poaching primate our readers first met in Skiing’s November 2005 issue.

skiing | DEC 2014

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LOCAL TAPS

MEET THE BEST LOCAL BREWS ON DRAFT AT SOME OF SKI COUNTRY’S MOST ICONIC BARS.

THE RATHSKELLER Loveland Ski Area, CO Tommyknocker, Pine Bough Pale Ale. The brewers hand-picked spruce needles from Loveland’s slopes to brew this sweet, malty pale with just a hint of winter trees to it as a celebratory beer for the area’s 75th anniversary last season.

GENERAL STARK’S PUB Mad River Glen, VT Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Sip of Sunshine. Skiers line up to sip Sean Lawson’s creations at Mad River’s famed tavern, so the local brewer ensured that this sublime IPA will be available every day at the bar this season.

THE MANGY MOOSE Jackson Hole, WY Snake River Brewing, Pako’s IPA. The epitome of a ski-bum watering hole, The Moose can hardly keep up with the demand for this hoppy ale, which won gold at the Great American Beer Festival and is named after (of course) the brewery’s canine mascot.

SNORTING ELK Crystal Mountain, WA Elysian, Elk Frost.

This party hot spot draws on one of Seattle’s favorite brewers for this malty, ever-popular tap beer that goes down a bit too easy after your legs are wobbly from one final non-stop run down Exterminator.

ILLUSTRATION BY GOÑI MONTES

DROPPING IN

bankruptcy in 2008, the private-ski-area concept lives on.

Turns out, rich folks still enjoy privacy and exclusivity.

Fortunately, wealthy sliders need not patronize people like YC co-founder Tim Blixseth, who owes, but refuses to pay, more than $200 million to his creditors. They can instead invest in the vision, say, of Jim Aronstein. Intent on doing luxury turns right, Aronstein has opened the Cimarron Mountain Club in southwest Colorado, on private land near the Uncompahgre Wilderness.

For a big-money Denver lawyer, Aronstein is charming, winning over cynics with his wit and obvious affection for powder.

He notes that Cimarron means “wild and rugged” in Spanish.

He’s named several runs after Jimi Hendrix songs. Asked if he’s raiding Telluride Ski Patrol for CMC’s guides, he smiles and says, “No, just engaging in selective honoring.”

While CMC stands just 34 miles from the full-service Montrose airport, at least 80 miles separate it from Crested Butte, Silverton, and Telluride…meaning it won’t rub its privilege in regular skiers’ faces. Only 12 homes are being built below the thousand-acre, 1,600-vertical-foot ridge that makes up CMC. Instead of marring the landscape with permanent chairlifts, members reach the ridge’s couloirs and glades via snowcat (well, pimped-out luxury snowcat), promising negligible impact once the snow melts.

Last February, I skied CMC for the first time—and probably the last, as Aronstein will charge guests $45,000 annually. Said fee is less than 20 percent of the Yellowstone Club’s, but it’s still onerous even in skiing—always and forever one of Earth’s most expensive sports.

Would you pay that much every year to guarantee freshies for your self-important ass? I sure as hell wouldn’t.

But neither would I deny the moneyed among us their right to country-club skiing. If you’ve ever scoped the stunning assemblage of private jets at Aspen’s airport, you realize our sport is ruled by Mr. and Mrs. Moneybags. To them, skiing is winter’s equivalent of golf: an elite activity best practiced alongside other members of the leisured class.

Upper Crusters seldom listen to broke losers like me, but if they did, I’d advise them to check out CMC and private skiing done right. Please. Because the sooner the beautiful people go private, the sooner my dirtbag friends and I enjoy more elbow room on the socialist slopes of the USDA’s National Forests.

Swany Team Member: Senna Leith

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Glove: SX-73 X-Clusive ll

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28 FRONT SIDE

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MIX

KEVIN’S CASUAL CORNER

FOR THE LADIES

1

SKIING’S INTERNATIONAL MAN O’ FASHION HAS A FEW PRESENTS FOR YOUR GIRLFRIEND.

4

2

By Kevin Luby 1 / PATAGONIA BETTER SWEATER ICELANDIC COAT The sweater-knit face, Fair Isle detailing, and faux-horn buttons give the Better Sweater Icelandic Coat a classic look, but she won’t be sacrificing comfort for style.

The fleece lining is soft to the touch, and the coat’s lightweight construction won’t wear her down. [$179; patagonia.com] 2 / NOBIS THE MEEGO The Meego brings elegance to technical wear with rich color and tailored design. Filled with Canadian down, this windproof, waterproof vest features front and back leather yokes, piping details, and a ruched belt. [$375; nobis.ca]

5

3 / SOREL TOFINO FELT BOOT Say hello to your one-boot quiver.

The microfleece-lined, waterproof Tofino will keep her toes warm and dry while she’s stomping through powder, and the rubber outsole will (hopefully) prevent an icy-walkway yard sale. [$150; sorel.com] 4 / SMITH OPTICS COLETTE They’re fresh and flattering, but what really sets them apart are Smith’s new polarized ChromaPop lenses, which eliminate glare and filter light to create more vivid, saturated colors. That après amber ale just got…more amber. [$209; smithoptics.com]

4

5

Kevin Luby doesn’t actually work here anymore, but we’ve kept him as the mascot of this department. skiing | DEC 2014

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PRODUCT: ALEX STUART. PORTRAIT: HEATHER CASEY.

5 / NIXON THE KENZI WRAP The genuine leather double-wrap band with stainless-steel decorative hardware delivers a classic, bohemian-styled watch to help her show up to first tracks on time. [$175; nixon.com]

3

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PA RT RUSH, PART REC H ARGE . AL L YE AR , AL L YO U R S .

WHOLE OWNERSHIP STARTING AT: STUDIOS $279 ,000 • ONE BEDROOMS $453,000 • TWO BEDROOMS $782,000 • THREE BEDROOMS $1,633,000 • FOUR BEDROOMS: SOLD OUT

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: VICEROY SNOWMASS RENTAL RESERVATIONS 877.235.7577

855.923.4500 • ViceroySnowmassSales.com

The Residences at the Viceroy Snowmass are not being sold by Viceroy Hotels, LLC, the Viceroy Hotel Group and/or any of their affiliates (“Viceroy”). Developer’s use of the VICEROY and REMEMBER TO LIVE marks in connection with the development, operation, marketing and sale of the project is pursuant to a private agreement with Viceroy, which may expire or terminate without being renewed. This advertisement is not an offering. It is a solicitation of interest in the advertised property. No offers to purchase will be accepted from any person who resides in a state where the offering has not been registered or is not exempt from applicable registration requirements. This advertisement is made in accordance with Cooperative Policy Statement No. 1, issued by the New York State Department of Law. File No. CP12-0049. Developer is Snowmass Acquisition Company LLC, c/o The Related Companies L.P. 60 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10023.

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30 FRONT SIDE SNOW SMARTS

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MIX

LIFESAVING TECHNOLOGY A PROMISING NEW AVALANCHE-SAFETY TOOL FROM AVATECH.

WHILE INNOVATIVE AVALANCHE-SURVIVAL

COURTESY OF AVATECH

products have become ubiquitous—think airbag packs and idiotproof transceivers—one new Utah company aims to make sure you’ll never have to use any of them. With the September launch of its SP1 smart probe and AvaNet cloud platform, Park City’s AvaTech wants to revolutionize the way snowpack data are collected and disseminated.

Plunge the SP1 probe into the snow, and it assesses and displays snowpack structure, aspect, and angle in seconds, then geotags and uploads that info to the company’s proprietary AvaNet cloud platform. The AvaNet cloud, which can be accessed via web browser or smartphone app, lets registered users see one another’s information and, over time, a historical snowpack-data picture. According to AvaTech, the technology, when used in tandem with traditional avalanche protocol, will help arm winter backcountry travelers with more accurate knowledge for better decision making.

“We are focused on the steps and communication to help avoid avalanches before they happen,” says AvaTech brand president Thomas Laakso. “That’s the best way to survive one.” This year’s product is intended for snow-science professionals, but a simpler, less expensive recreational version is slated for release in the fall of 2015. Find out more at avatech.com.

—BRIGID MANDER

skiing | DEC 2014

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Chill MORE. Ease into the Killington state of mind and leave the rest behind.

Ski and stay two days midweek, score an extra day of chillâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;free.

Killington.com/skimore

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32 FRONT SIDE

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MIX

COMING TOGETHER

THE UTAH CONNECTION

A CONTROVERSIAL PROJECT WOULD CONNECT SEVEN UTAH RESORTS.

IS BIGGER BETTER? As far as the One Wasatch project goes, it depends on whom you ask. Ski Utah, the resort promotional group, is working diligently to hard-link seven resorts and has recently identified two linchpins in a proposed mega-connect lift system: One lift would hook up Solitude and Alta (and therefore the iconic Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons), and another would hitch Park City Mountain Resort to Brighton.

Inspired by the European model of skiing between mountain villages, a fully completed One Wasatch would roll up approximately 18,000 acres and 100 lifts—linking Alta, Brighton, Canyons, Deer Valley, PCMR, Snowbird, and Solitude—all under one pass. “It’s a game changer,” says Nathan Rafferty, Ski Utah CEO and one of the primary drivers behind the concept. “Not specifically because bigger is always better. But different can be better. This will be unlike any other current ski experience in North America.”

Vail Resorts’ purchase of PCMR earlier this fall could lead to the first tangible progress toward the One Wasatch vision because Rob Katz, Vail’s CEO, said one of his top priorities for next season is to install a lift between PCMR and Canyons. “Vail coming into this arena is like bolting a turbocharger to the One Wasatch engine,” Rafferty says.

But the Utah environmental group Save Our Canyons,

along with other detractors, is looking to pour sand into that engine. Alex Schmidt, campaign coordinator for the group, says the massive interconnect is “just another ski expansion” being sold to the community as a competitive marketing advantage. He questions the fundamental need to link the seven resorts. “There already is a lot of amazing terrain within the existing ski resorts in the central Wasatch,” he says. “We shouldn’t allow the marketers to turn us into the next Colorado or the new California.” —GREG DITRINCO

SENSIBLE FOOTWEAR DEPARTMENT

PUMPED-UP KICKS

Vans employs a highly trained squad of hipsters to rigorously test every new product.

skiing | DEC 2014

EXAMPLES ABOUND of product failures resulting from “fixing” things that weren’t broke. New Coke, for instance.

And margarine (thank God). Smart brands make incremental, and thus palatable, improvements, if improvements are needed at all, to winning products (see: Völkl Gotama). That can be said of Vans and its iconic Style 38 high-top skate shoe, now known as the Sk8-Hi. Well, kind of. Really, the shoe barely changed for 30-odd years until recently, when Vans introduced a new, winterized version, the Sk8-Hi MTE (pictured) as part of its Mountain Edition collection. While the style, with its trademark stripe, looks relatively intact from the outside, it boasts an insulated liner and a heat-retentive underfoot laminate, plus a Scotchgarded upper and high-traction, reverse-waffle sole. That disconnect you used to feel every winter between weather-ready footwear and style?

Gone. Now you can wear your shoes and eat them, too. Or something like that. [$80; vans.com] —SAM BASS

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FROM TOP: COURTESY OF SKI UTAH; COURTESY OF VANS

VANS’ NEW MOUNTAIN EDITION COLLECTION ADAPTS A CLASSIC STYLE TO WINTER.

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34 FRONT SIDE

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TRUTH

DANIEL TISI

ON GROWING UP IN JACKSON, CUTTING CLASS TO FILM, AND DRIVING HIS PARENTS TO THE EDGE.

Interviewed by Griffin Post

This 16-year-old Jackson, Wyoming, local broke onto the scene three years ago by winning Teton Gravity Research’s Grom Contest and has since won renown as an up-and-coming ripper through TGR segments and personal edits. Perpetually stoked and constantly grinning through braces, Daniel is poised for a long big-mountain skiing career—and already managing sponsorships. But beyond the silver screen, the highschool junior is just trying to be a typical kid.

The people in Jackson have made me realize that skiing should never be too serious. You need to just sit back and have fun 100 percent of the time. Otherwise you’re not embracing the culture of Jackson.

My parents, my mom in particular, get really nervous about skiing. Every time she drops me off at the Village she gets all nervous. They definitely worry about me. I don’t blame them.

My parents have always taught me to have something to fall back on. I set a goal for myself to go to college.

My sponsors treat me as they treat all other athletes, which is awesome. They treat me really well. They do the same things for me that they do for their other athletes. They give me the same respect and I give them the same respect.

All these pro skiers that I’ve met, they’re still my idols.

In my room right now I have more than 12 posters of TGR athletes, and I still look up to them just as I did before.

I think standard movies will be better than small [internet] video parts because in one sitting you get a full year’s worth of filming and sweet stuff. I think that’s really cool.

Me and my brother [19-year-old aspiring filmmaker Jackson Tisi], we’ve always had a good relationship on the snow and off the snow. We mainly fight about stuff that is not ski-related.

I’ve skied a lot of park but over the past three years I’ve started to go more into big mountain. The cool thing about big mountain is the endless terrain. You could go to Alaska, British Columbia, Europe—you could go anywhere and find totally unique terrain. Park never really changes. But with big mountain, it’s everywhere and it’s always different.

All I know is that skiing is progressing every year. A ton every year. God knows what is down the road. skiing | DEC 2014

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JACKSON TISI

When I skip school to film I don’t really detect any jealousy. My friends are pretty honest and nice and they’re cool about me going to shoots. Most of them are skiers themselves, so they’re happy for me.

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50+

Designated Trails

2

11 Lifts

New Chairlifts 2014/2015

3,100â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vertical

2,600 Acres of Terrain Washington's Largest

486" Annual Snowfall

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36 FRONT SIDE

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CHEAT SHEET

UPWARDLY MOBILE RESORT SKINNING TAKES OFF.

By Tess Weaver Strokes WHEN I FIRST SAW PEOPLE SKINNING UP GROOMED

resort trails where I live, in Aspen, Colorado, I scoffed. How ridiculous! Touring was for the backcountry and for scoring fresh turns.

But as the inbounds skinning movement gained momentum, I began a\ `RR aUR OR[R¿ a` 6a¡` aUR bYaVZNaR \baQ\\_ dV[aR_ d\_X\ba Va PN[ OR Q\[R ORS\_R \_ NSaR_ d\_X Va¡` S_RR V[ .`]R[ N[Q NSaR_ `dRNaV[T a\ aUR a\] 6 TRa a\ `XV ONPX Q\d[ =Yb` aUR_R¡` [\ [RRQ a\ PN__f N shovel or read the avalanche report. I started skinning up Buttermilk a couple times a week, and by the following season I was wearing a headband, sporty glasses, and super-light boots and skis, timing myself up Aspen Mountain. Resort skinning is so popular now, most resorts have uphill policies, and ski companies make dedicated upUVYYV[T TRN_ 5R_R¡` U\d a\ TRa `aN_aRQ Tess Weaver Strokes is a freelance writer based in Aspen, Colorado. She has written for The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic.

WE ASKED 2014 NORTH AMERICAN SKI MOUNTAINEERING CHAMPION JOHN GASTON, OWNER OF ASPENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STRAFE OUTERWEAR, TO WEIGH IN ON THE GEAR HEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TRAINED AND RACED ON IN HIS QUEST FOR THE PERFECT SETUP.

skiing | DEC 2014

SKIS > â&#x20AC;&#x153;Full-on race skis arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the way to go for anyone except high-level racers,â&#x20AC;? Gaston says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;one-step-widerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; category, which includes the Atomic Ultimate 78 ($900), the Ski Trab Magico ($1,300), and the less expensive Ski Trab Altavia Light ($700; not pictured), is where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at. They ski much better on the way down, hold an edge in variable conditions, and still weigh around 1,000 grams.â&#x20AC;?

BOOTS > Uphilling footwear should be light and comfortable, with plenty of striding motion and enough stiffness for a reliable descent. The Scarpa Alien 1.0 ($1,799) and Scarpa Alien ($799; not pictured) provide â&#x20AC;&#x153;great durability relative to other light boots and enough power to ski real stuff.â&#x20AC;? The La Sportiva Syborg â&#x20AC;&#x153;is an 800-gram boot with a really awesome walk-mode design for $750.â&#x20AC;?

BRIAN MOHR/EMBER PHOTO

GEAR

An anonymous soulskier skins up Mad River Glen for cold December pow.

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W

e all know skiers who get in 100 days a year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and boast of this accomplishment.

Inwardly we may seem a little resentful of them, but actually we envy the hell out of them. Few people can do this, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re jealous because they have the time to really become good skiers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and they do!

They are what we really want to be â&#x20AC;&#x201C; great skiers.

a device that would give the user, while wearing boots, the most realistic feeling of skiing and carving linked turns â&#x20AC;&#x201C; before they purchased.

It was never our intention to make this available to the individual skier.

After all, who would really want to spend a few minutes putting on their ski boots to go work out? Not me!

We developed a safe binding that would fit any size boot yet allow for Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that simple, just get in 100 a quick and safe exit. We added an days on the mountain â&#x20AC;&#x201C; yeah right! easy-escape platform to allow the In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast paced environment, user to quickly step right off of the itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to machine if necessary. juggle work, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was never our intention We also added a family, social lives safety balance bar to make this available to etcâ&#x20AC;Ślet alone ski to hold on to while the individual skier.â&#x20AC;? days. testing boots. The angled footpads align No matter you in the proper position over your what level we are â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we all want to boots to ingrain good technique. be better and have more days in our What we had now was a Skierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge boots. So how do we do this with machine on steroids! our current lifestyles? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in the ski industry and until now I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t figured it out.

We started working on creating a better way for ski shops to more accurately and dynamically fit ski boots to perfection. We wanted

We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect what happened next. It was a Friday morning and we all brought our ski boots in for our first trial run. We were joined by several of the Intermountain Regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top Masters racers. This

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made me a little nervous, but it was a day Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never forget. The BootMaster was born! We all absolutely loved it and wanted to know when we would get ours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Masters racers included! This was the most accurate simulation of skiing we had ever experienced.

What was meant to be a product aimed for the ski shop has quickly become our most popular model for the individual skier - The skier who wants to get in 100 days in their boots and become the level of skier they want to be.

Now with the BootMaster I get 30 minutes of skiing in every other day. When you think about it, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not much less than a full day of skiing on the mountain.

Consequently, one run equals about 10 minutes of skiing and 20 minutes of riding lifts and standing in lift lines. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get my 100 days this year.

100 days is now a piece of cake!

R. Joel Loane, CEO The Skierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge Company

800-225-9669 ext. 1025 www.SkiersEdge.com/1025 The Skierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge CompanyÂŽ 1BSL $JUZ 65 t

38 FRONT SIDE

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CHEAT SHEET

UPHILLFRIENDLY RESORTS

SKI UPHILL AT ONE OF THESE PROGRESSIVE AREAS. SEE A BIGGER LIST AT USSMA.ORG/RESORTUPHILL-POLICIES.

> Killington Ski Resort and Pico Mountain, VT Designated routes are always open, and an annual pass is $20 (free with season pass).

Just a quick ski-mo race before dinner at Aspen Highlands. NBD.

RACES

> Magic Mountain, VT Uphill-friendly for more than 20 years; preferred routes go up the east side of the resort.

> Aspen/Snowmass, CO

SKIN TO WIN AT ONE OF THESE RACES. FIND OUT MORE AT USSMA.ORG/EVENTS. ROCKIES NORTHEAST

FIVE PEAKS / Breckenridge, CO The highest ski-mo race in North America gains more than 8,000 feet of vertical and four summits in the Ten Mile range.

POWER OF FOUR / Aspen, CO The toughest race of the bunch climbs approximately 12,000 vertical feet over 25 miles across four ski areas.

N.E. RANDO RACE SERIES This series travels to Magic Mountain and Bromley in Vermont, as well as Berkshire East and Mount Greylock in Massachusetts.

U.S. SKI MOUNTAINEERING NATIONALS / Crested Butte, CO This weekend-long event involves the season’s most demanding climb—Guides Ridge to the peak of Crested Butte.

WASATCH POWDER KEG / Brighton, UT Established in 2003, this event features sprint, individual, and technical team races.

MAD RIVER VALLEY SKI-MO RACE, VT This popular race climbs from the base of Mad River Glen, traverses the Long Trail, and finishes at Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak base.

Uphilling is allowed at all four resorts; leashed dogs and 24/7 access permitted at Snowmass.

> Crested Butte, CO America’s most uphill-friendly resort is the home of the first uphill demo/lesson center.

> Arapahoe Basin, CO

CONTINUED

skiing | DEC 2014

APPAREL > “I routinely put in 10,000-vert days in my Strafe Outerwear Cham Jacket ($425) and Cham Pant ($375). They’re super light, breathe so well, and dry really quickly when you inevitably get wet. Brand-new this year, the Dynafit PDG Race Suit (jacket, $200; pants, $180) is specifically designed for uphill movement, and the entire kit weighs less than 800 grams.”

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COURTESY OF ASPEN SKI COMPANY/JEREMY SWANSON

GEAR

BINDINGS > The Hagan ZR Race ($480) “weighs the same as Dynafit’s Low Tech Race binding but is more durable and has a stronger release tension.” The Dynafit Speed Turn ($350), “a cult favorite of ski mountaineers and ski-mo racers in Europe, is available for the first time in the U.S. this fall.”

Uphill-access pass required (free, good for life); skinning is allowed on the east side of High Noon to Black Mountain Lodge during operating hours; dogs allowed.

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INNOVATION RUNS DEEP Fischer builds purposefully innovative, quality products that reďŹ&#x201A;ect our deep passion for the sport of skiing. As a family owned company since it was founded in 1924, we take pride in designing and producing ski equipment that is relied on by top athletes, adventurers, and skiers around the globe.

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40 FRONT SIDE

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ANATOMY

1 4 2

5 MARYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BOWL

GREAT WESTERN EXPRESS

3

ROCK GARDEN

MILLY EXPRESS

6

WHERE TO SKI HOW TO GET THERE

In Utahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Cottonwood Canyon, six-time X Games medalist Grete Eliassen lives in skierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heaven near Brighton and Solitude. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s logged a decade skiing the former. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good place to call your home mountain,â&#x20AC;? she says, not just because of the average annual 500 inches that dump there, but also because of its five terrain parksâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;plus plenty of poppable natural features. Here are her top spots.

1. Hidden Canyon: If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got backcountry training and avy rescue gear, access this out-of-bounds terrain from the Great Western Express lift at the top of Claytonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Peak. Head here a SRd QNf` NSaR_ N `a\_Z a\ Âż [Q ]\d `aN`UR` A\ TRa ONPX a\ aUR V[ bounds runs along Great Western, hike left.

2. Great Western Express: Scope hot laps from this lift. Recommended on a powder day, the runs off of and along the lift line Ă&#x20AC; NaaR[ \ba [RN_ aUR R[QÂł`\ _V] ¡RZ 6[ aUR Z\_[V[T P\ZZVa a\ riding Great Western; then take the Milly Express in the afternoon (or vice versa). Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a 300-yard walk from one lift to the other, so split the day between the two lifts to optimize your time.

3. Milly Express: A\ Âż [Q b[a_NPXRQ YV[R` TRa a\ aUV` YVSa RN_Yf

skiing | DEC 2014

BY GRETE ELIASSEN

Brighton doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t groom most of its expert runs, but some days Va` _b[` PN[ TRa `YNZZRQ N[Q a_NPXRQ \baÂł`\ T_NO aUR T\\Q` V[ the morning. Get playful on drops and little poppers all across this slope.

FYI

4. Kristaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park: Grete helped design this women-only progressive park. It debuted last season with six grind rails and boxes, plus two jumps for newbie and experts alike.

Âť Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free parking near the Great Western and Milly Express lifts.

And the base is in a bowl, so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be close enough to swap out a layer or switch goggles if need be.

5. Millyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cliffs: For these out-of-bounds cliffs, head left at the top of Milly Express on Scree Slope. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got backcountry expertise and avy gear, stay high right to traverse above treeline and exit the gate. Hit the upper cliffs in the trees; then continue aU_\bTU a\ Âż [Q Z\_R Q_\]` N[Q ´NYY aUR RePVaRZR[a f\b¡Q RcR_ dN[aÂľ V[ N ZV[V O\dY PNYYRQ :N_f¡` /\dY A\ aUR YRSa f\b¡YY Âż [Q the Rock Garden, where photographers come to get sick shots.

Watch for pro skiers launching off natural features. Follow them to popular rocks named Mumushka, Fun Rock, and Doggy Balls.

6. Millicent Chalet: Here at the base of Milly Express you can get cheap tasty snacks, including excellent hot chocolate and fresh fries. On bluebird days and in the spring, take a seat outside on the patio for views of Mount Millicent.

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Âť Brighton has five terrain parks total, which include more than 75 jibs and six jumps.

Âť Brightonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opengate policy means you can freely leave the confines of the resort through open gates at your own risk. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no patrol out there, so be sure youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a skilled skier with backcountry know-how, avy gear, and friends who know what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing too.

FROM TOP: COURTESY OF BRIGHTON; COURTESY OF REDBULL CONTENT POOL

GRETEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BRIGHTON

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FRONT SIDE

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CLASSICS

It’s always a party in Aspen, but the Highlands closingday bash is one of the year’s best.

THE MUST-HIT CLASSIC ON EVERY RED-BLOODED SKIER’S BUCKET LIST. Before Colorado’s late-1800s silver-mining boom and founding of the town of Aspen, the region was part of the Ute tribe’s ancestral homeland. Now Aspen is one of the world’s premier ski towns, host to international tourists and home to several thousand year-round residents, four ski areas—Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass—and a globally known glam-meets-grit vibe.

Aspen has an aiport close by but is far enough away from other population centers to keep crowds thin. It’s world-class skiing, food, music, art, fashion, and nightlife make it one of the most well-balanced ski towns on the planet.

—FIELDING MILLER

BUTTERMILK

HIGHLANDS

9,900ft SNOWMASS

ASPEN MTN.

11,212ft

12,510ft 12,392ft

ASPEN’S FOUR SKI AREAS skiing | DEC 2014

15 0 45 51,791 2,000 $17 300

MINUTES IT TAKES TO RIDE THE GONDOLA FROM DOWNTOWN TO THE TOP OF ASPEN MOUNTAIN (“AJAX”) FOR 3,267 VERTICAL FEET, 675 ACRES OF TERRAIN, AND 64 MILES OF TRAILS.

STAY

f Breakfast: Bonnie’s EAT

BEGINNER RUNS ON ASPEN MOUNTAIN

AVERAGE TIME IN MINUTES IT TAKES TO HIKE TO THE TOP OF HIGHLAND BOWL’S 160 BIG-MOUNTAIN ACRES. VERTICAL FEET SKIED IN 1 DAY ON AJAX IN ’14 BY LOCAL CHRIS DAVENPORT. HE SKIED EVERY BLACK RUN & NO RUN TWICE EXCEPT LITTLE NELL TO GET BACK TO THE GONDOLA.

f Sky Hotel on

DRINK LOCAL

f Aspen Brewing

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East Durant Ave.

Company tasting room on East Hopkins Ave.

f Eric’s, Escobar, PARTY

AVERAGE DAYS OF SUNSHINE PER YEAR

(on Aspen Mountain) Lunch: Big Wrap (in town; cash only), Cloud Nine (on Aspen Highlands) Après: Ajax Tavern patio (base of Aspen Mountain; $15 happy-hour burger/ fries/pint deal) Dinner: L’Hostaria (bar menu is best value in town)

APRÈS

WEIGHT, IN POUNDS, OF ASPEN’S FAMOUS SILVER NUGGET, PULLED FROM SMUGGLER MINE IN 1894.

COST OF FIVE SHOTS AND ONE PITCHER AT LITTLE ANNIE’S RESTAURANT ON HYMAN AVE.

$$$$ Limelight $$$$$ Little Nell

$

or Bootsy Bellows

SHOP LOCAL

f Strafe Apparel

LIVE MUSIC

f Belly Up on South

showroom at base of Aspen Highlands

Galena Street.

MATT POWER

ASPEN, COLORADO

f $$$ St. Moritz

BY THE NUMBERS

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LEGENDARY ADVENTURES

REQUIRE LEGENDARY MOUNTAINS ON SALE NOW S TA R T I N G AT

$

399

*

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

• 2 days at each destination It’s more than a pass. It’s a ticket to turn North America’s greatest mountains into your own ski adventure. Seven legendary • 50% off additional days destinations. Two days at each. Buy your Mountain Collective™ • No blackout dates pass and just ...go. * P R I C E I N U S D O L L A R S . P R I C E A N D AVA I L A B I L I T Y S U B J E C T TO C H A N G E .

• Up to 25% off lodging

NEW FOR THE

14 - 15 SE ASON

V I S I T M O U N TA I N C O L L E C T I V E . C O M O RWorldMags.net C A L L 1 . 8 0 0 .7 0 5 . 6 2 8 6

P R O U D PA R T N E R O F

44 FRONT SIDE

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ODE

TELL NO ONE: Reuben Krabbe and Brodie McLaughlin drop into hidden goods at an undisclosed location at Kicking Horse, B.C.

THE STASH DELIVERS

EVERY TRUE SKI BUM HAS ONE: THAT GO-TO SPOT THAT HOLDS SNOW, EVEN ON THE MOST DESPERATE DAYS.

By Erme Catino

skiing | DEC 2014

N_\b[Q ZNXV[T O_RNXSN`a Na aUR U\b`R N[Q aUR[ N__VcR a\ Âż[Q Zf `aN`U N TY\_V\b` b[a\bPURQ PN[cN` .[Q \S P\b_`R aUR_R N_R aUR QNf` dUR[ Va¡` Wb`a ]YNV[ OY\dR_ N[Q 6 ]_\dY N_\b[Q aUR TNaR dNVaV[T S\_ aUR `aN`U a\ \]R[ dUR[ \aUR_` Q\[¡a UNcR aUR ]NaVR[PR A\QNf ad\ SRRa UNcR SNYYR[ N[Q aUR `a\_Z V` `aVYY PUb_[V[T N SRd Âż[NY V[PUR` 6 X[\d aUR `aN`U V` `RaaV[T b] a\ OR [bPYRN_ AUR[ YVXR N ]\dQR_ ]_\]URa RZR_TV[T S_\Z aUR UVYY` N ]Na_\YYR_ `P\\a` NP_\`` N[Q Ă&#x20AC;VPX` aUR `VT[ a\ OPEN 5R Y\\X` Na ZR ´5NcR Sb[ Âľ UR `Nf` 6 \SSR_ UVZ Âż_`a` `V[PR aUR `[\d T\Q` N]]_RPVNaR ZN[[R_` AUR[ 6 NZ PN`PNQV[T Q\d[ aUR SNYY YV[R AUR SRRYV[T V` `R_R[R aUNa T_Nf `a\_Z QNf a_N[^bVYVaf 6a¡` YVXR `XVV[T V[ f\b_ Q_RNZ` 6 URNQ ONPX S\_ Z\_R Erme Catino is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City. Originally from the East Coast, he is now a committed Alta powder junkie.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;THERE HAVE BEEN DAYS WHEN I PUTTER AROUND MAKING BREAKFAST AND THEN ARRIVE TO FIND MY STASH A GLORIOUS, UNTOUCHED CANVAS.â&#x20AC;?

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REUBEN KRABBE

I

GREW UP SKIING IN NEW ENGLAND, N[Q Zf `aN`U aUR_R dN` dRYY UVQQR[ 6a UNQ a\ OR' . `aN`U V` ]N_a ]\dQR_ TYbaa\[f N[Q ]N_a Y\cR NSSNV_ /ba Va¡` [\a Wb`a `\ZR PURN] aU_VYY³aUR `aN`U QRYVcR_` aVZR N[Q aVZR NTNV[ F\b QRcRY\] N[ NSSRPaV\[ S\_ Va F\b b[QR_`aN[Q Va` [bN[PR` dVaU _RTN_Q a\ dV[Q `[\d N[Q d_RaPURQ `]_V[T `b[ Re]\`b_R 6 `U\bYQ Re]YNV[ aUNa V[ ;Rd 2[TYN[Q 6 dR[a \ba \S Zf dNf a\ UVQR Zf `aN`U <SaR[aVZR` 6 d\bYQ P_RNaR N ]U\[f a_NPX \[ Zf dNf V[a\ Va `\ aUNa N[f\[R dU\ S\YY\dRQ d\bYQ TRa `bPXR_RQ V[a\ N WNVY \S `b]R_ aVTUa a_RR` ?baUYR`` ]R_UN]` Oba N[ 2N`a 0\N`a `XVR_ UN` a\ _R`\_a a\ `\ZR QR`]R_NaR ZRN`b_R` a\ `XV ]\dQR_ AUR`R QNf` 6 `XV Na .YaN dUR_R N `aN`U [RRQ [\a OR `\ UVQQR[ AUR_R N_R P\b[aYR`` ZVP_\²aR__NV[ SRNab_R` UR_R ZN[f NPPR``RQ Of a_NcR_`R` N[Q `VQR `aR]` N[Q aURf U\YQ QRR] ]\dQR_ DV[Q` PN[ QR]\`Va `[\d N[Q _R ObSS g\[R` ZbYaV]YR aVZR` \[ N[f TVcR[ QNf ]_\cVQV[T [\\X` \S dRYY ]_R`R_cRQ ]\d S\_ aU\`R dU\ N_R dVYYV[T a\ ]\XR N_\b[Q S\_ Va 7b`a \[ aUR \]]\`VaR `VQR \S N ]YNPR 6¡YY Wb`a PNYY ´@]\[`\_ :R /_\ 5VYY¾³N g\[R dUR_R ]_\` N[Q N`]V_V[T ]_\` dNVa S\_ aURV_ PUN[PR a\ OR \[R ab_[ d\[QR_` V[ S_\[a \S PNZR_N`³YVR` N `Y\]R aUNa `]VYY` V[a\ @[\dOV_Q aUR [RVTUO\_V[T _R`\_a 5R_R ]\dQR_f `Y\a` ORadRR[ PYVSS` dVYY QR]\`Va aUR NQcR[ab_\b` `XVR_ V[a\ N `[\d TY\OR \S Rb]U\_VN 3\_ dUNaRcR_ _RN`\[ aUR `[\d V` QRR]R_ UR_R AUR_R N_R P\b[aYR`` YV[R` N[Q SRN_ \S aUR b[X[\d[ XRR]` [bZOR_` Q\d[³N[Q aUR ]_\ON OVYVaf \S N S_R`U YV[R UVTU .` `\ZR \YQR_ Y\PNY` YVXR a\ `Nf ´6a PN[ OR YVXR `XVV[T V[ N[\aUR_ b[VcR_`R ¾ AURf Q\[¡a YVR AUV` V` Zf `aN`U N[Q Va QRYVcR_` [\ ZNaaR_ aUR `[\d _R]\_a AUR_R UNcR ORR[ `YRR]R_ QNf` dUR[ Va` `aRR]` dR_R `b_]_V`V[TYf QRR] 1Nf` dUR[ 6 ]baaR_

WorldMags.net SMART EARLY TAPER

volkl.com

STIFFER TIP & TAIL SOFTER MID-BODY

LOW PROFILE FULL ROCKER

ROCKER MATCHES SIDECUT & FLEX

WIDER WAIST

#simplyvolkl

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The all-new Mantra has the perfect setup to provide incredible performance and easy handling in anything from powder to ice. A new, 100mm waist width generates additional float, while the precisely matched sidecut, rocker design, and construction deliver stability, pop, and smooth, predictable turns on the groomers.

46 FRONT SIDE

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SHINY THINGS

By Ryan Dionne / Photos by Keri Bascetta

STUFF WE WANT

STOCKING STUFFERS FOR SKIERS.

1 / WEATHERFLOW WIND METER

Responsible backcountry skiers get as much weather data as possible before heading out. Stick the WeatherFlow Wind Meter into a smartphone’s headphone jack to see wind speed and direction displayed on its free app—useful info for avy forecasting and knowing where the snow will likely deposit. Plus, you’ll know how fast the wind howled on that ski tour. [$35; weatherflow.com]

1

2

2 / SKULLCANDY CRUSHER HEADPHONES It’s easy to tune out the world with these headpounders. Not only do you get Skullcandy-quality acoustics, but the phones have a bass slider that goes from zero to dome-shaking. Sure, you get distortion while listening to Bassnectar at max thumpage, but there’s a sweet spot somewhere in the middle. They’re comfortable, foldable, and have a detachable cord with in-line mic. [$100; skullcandy.com]

3 / CONTOUR ROAM3

3

Contour’s first camera since relaunching the company less than a year ago, the Roam3 has a standard tripod mount and a 270-degree rotating lens with laser alignment. It’s waterproof to 30 feet—without the need for a case. It’ll shoot from 1080p video at 30 frames per second down to 848x480 at 120 frames, with options in between, plus five-megapixel still format. [$200; contour.com]

4 / BRUNTON REVOLT 4000 POWER PACK When your gadgets run out of juice, Bruton’s Revolt 4000 steps up. At five ounces, it’s the size of a hockey puck, shockproof, and nearly waterproof. We fully charged a Zeal HD Camera Goggle and still had power to spare. It’s said to fully charge two cell phones. A three-in-one cable has a USB connection on one end and micro USB, Lightning, and 30-pin on the other. [$100; brunton.com] skiing | DEC 2014

4

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Utahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Only Five Star Resort 800-453-1302 | SteinLodge.com

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MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015 WorldMags.net

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WE ALL LOVE OUR HOME HILLS. BUT IT’S GOOD TO GET OUT AND SKI SOMEWHERE NEW. SOMETIMES YOU’VE GOT MORE TIME TO DO THAT, SOMETIMES LESS. WHETHER IT’S A BOYS’, GIRLS’, FAMILY, OR SOLITARY TRIP, ONE THING IS CERTAIN: YOU WANT TO SKI HARD, EAT WELL, AND MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME IN THE MOUNTAINS. TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR PERFECT TRIP, WE’VE CREATED THIS POINTLESSLY ELABORATE FLOW CHART. IF YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND IT, JUST SKIP TO THE LIST AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

I LIKE TO SKI.

NO

YES

Drive to the car wash. As you watch the big soapy brushes rotate across your windshield, think about the choices you’ve made in your life.

Go to Burning Man.

I’m feeling adventurous.

YES

I’m gay. Or not. Turn to page 64.

I would like to hallucinate and become incredibly dehydrated.

I have 2–3 days to play and would like to take a WEEKEND trip.

Turn to page 54.

But I don’t want to miss the big game.

Turn to page 55.

NICOLAS TEICHROB

Take up telemarking. Wait, you already have.

But I’m female!

Turn to page 61.

NO

I would like to ski somewhere new.

I have some money and 4–6 days to burn and would like to take a BIG TRIP. Turn to page 50.

I have friends and shower regularly.

NO

What pass should I buy?

Turn to page 74.

Put on your Dr. Denton’s, pour a glass of warm milk, and play an old Warren Miller DVD.

I want to explore a NEW FRONTIER, a ski area totally unfamiliar to me and everyone I know. Turn to page 64.

I’m feeling exotic and want to ski on foreign slopes.

Screw it, let’s go to EUROPE! Turn to page 72.

YES

I want to meet my boys for a good ol’-fashioned BRO-DOWN. Turn to page 60.

I want to hit more than one ski area during my trip. Turn to page 62.

Well, mildly exotic.

Come to CANADA, eh?

Turn to page 68.

Do you have a DUI?

NO

YES

There’s always Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

CONTRIBUTORS: Sam Bass, Kimberly Beekman, Samantha Berman, Elizabeth Carey, Joe Cutts, Ryan Dionne, Greg Ditrinco, Heather Hansman, Ali Margo, Doug Schnitzspahn, Ryan Stuart

BIG TRIP pg50 WEEKEND pg54 QUICK FIX pg58 BRO-DOWN pg60 NEW FRONTIER pg64 O CANADA! pg68 GO EURO pg72 PASSES pg74 WorldMags.net

MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

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the

BIG TRIP YOU HAVE THE CHANCE FOR ONE BIG TRIP THIS YEAR. DON’T EFF IT UP. THESE BIG-LEAGUE RESORTS WERE MADE FOR MULTI-DAY GETAWAYS. THEY GUARANTEE A GOOD TIME WITH BIG TERRAIN, THE PROMISE OF EPIC SNOW, PARTY SCENES THAT COULD LAND YOU IN JAIL—AND EVEN A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE FAMILY IF YOU ARE AT THAT STAGE IN LIFE.

> MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CALIFORNIA

> ASPEN/SNOWMASS, COLORADO

CHECK THIS

WHY: If you need to be convinced to go to Aspen, you should take up snowshoeing.

WHAT: The trick to Aspen Mountain (a.k.a.

Ajax) is to traverse and work the fall lines.

Face of Bell on a powder day is a must, followed by The Dumps, east-facing shots off of FIS. And don’t forget about Snowmass— it’s the sleeping giant just down the road.

WHERE: So many bars, so little time. Hops Culture is a new beer joint on the mall, offering some 200 brews, including 30 on tap.

Chris Benchetler goes all High Sierra at Mammoth.

> CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO WHY: Who cares if the place sold out to Bud Light over the summer for a big payout? It’s still the most authentic little mountain town in the West, with steeps that test even the nerviest bro. WHAT: Push your limits on the North Face. The Poma lift accesses terrain where extreme skiers make their names. Or shinny out to the aesthetically pleasing line of the Banana Chute, right down the face of the iconic butte.

Don’t like lifts? The Butte allows skinning uphill. WHERE: Gorge yourself on a greenchile pesto burrito at Teocalli Tamale to replenish all the calories you burned in fight-or-flight mode on the hill.

> STEAMBOAT, COLORADO WHY: Steamboat serves up dry pow and sweet trees without any attitude. It’s a real town with real people, as unfussy as it gets.

WHAT: If the steep Chutes off Morningside aren’t powdery, they’re perma-chalky. Also hit the Two-Thirty trees (located between

WANT TO ESCAPE THE MOB AT MAMMOTH? YOUR TICKET IS GOOD AT NEARBY (AND VERY CHILL) JUNE MOUNTAIN.

skiing | DEC 2014

HQ at Crested Butte Mountain Guides.

the Two O’Clock and Three O’Clock runs).

WHERE: Near the base, an old patrol trailer turned hip dive bar—called the T-Bar—offers creative fare like peanut-butter-bacon paninis. It’s great in spring, when friendly locals—and their friendly dogs—party it up on the Beach.

PLANK AND CRANK? IN THE MORNING, HIT COLORADO’S POWDERHORN FOR SOFT TURNS WITH DESERT VIEWS. IN THE AFTERNOON, HOP ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE FOR GRAND JUNCTION’S LUNCH LOOPS.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COURTESY OF MAMMOTH/PETER MORNING; JEFF CRICCO

WHY: Mammoth is all about the numbers.

It’s massive, with 3,500 acres of skiable terrain; it’s vertiginous, topping out at 11,052 feet, with a vertical drop of 3,100 feet; and it’s blessed with deep snow, averaging 400 annual inches. Plus, the wind blows just right so that even on stormfree days, refilled stashes await if you know where to look. WHAT: For steeps, Chair 23 accesses legendary terrain. But don’t overlook the glades on Chair 22.

(Stay skier’s right for the aforementioned wind deposits.) And it should be no surprise, here in the land of the skateboard, that Mammoth’s eight terrain parks are so dynamic and entertaining that there’s no need to pout if the wind shuts down the top of the mountain. WHERE: At the bottom of the gondola, Mammoth Brewing Company offers 13 micros on tap. And do find Little Mill, the roving snowcat food truck, for on-mountain BBQ.

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CONDO-SHARE HELL

“We couldn’t get a condo at X Games, so 20 of us rented a U-Haul and parked it in Aspen and lived in it for a long weekend. Some pretended they were in a German synth-pop band and got interviewed by Jonny Moseley.” —JAMIE STORRS

College Snowfest at the ’Loaf.

Palmer Hoyt owns Vail’s backcountry.

Another day done at Jay Peak.

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: COURTESY OF JAY PEAK; JEFF CRICCO; COURTESY OF SUGARLOAF

> PARK CITY MTN RESORT, UTAH WHY: Deep snow and the only legit party scene in the Beehive State combine to make Park City a place where you can lose yourself for an extended dose of whiteroom therapy. WHAT: The short-but-verysweet goods are in Jupiter Bowl, so make that your priority on a powder day. Then join locals for the hike out to Pinecone Ridge. WHERE: Hit the High West Distillery, right at the base. And if you really want to party, head here during Sundance. You’ll have to plan way ahead of time to book a room, but the movie stars don’t ski much.

You get the chance to see films and party with (or at least among) the beautiful people by night, then ski Utah powder on weirdly uncrowded slopes by day.

> VAIL/BEAVER CREEK, COLORADO WHY: Because you can ski Vail for a week and never repeat a line. And then there’s Beaver Creek, just down the road, full of rich people who leave all its steep trees to you. WHAT: Make the effort to head all the way back to Blue Sky Basin on a powder day, then lap the open tree line right under the Skyline Express lift. When things firm up, don’t be lured by the famous Back Bowls. The Northwoods lift, on the front side, is as good as some entire resorts. WHERE: Grab a pre-ski shot at Yeti’s Grind coffeehouse, fill up on pizza at the Blue Moose, and do something you’ll regret at Samana Lounge.

> SUN VALLEY, IDAHO > TELLURIDE, COLORADO WHY: Telluride, a Victorian mining town in the heart of the dramatic San Juans, is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

And the skiing? It’s like a mini Chamonix, only (a little bit) easier to get to. WHAT: In a good snow year, hike to the Gold Hill and Palmyra Peak chutes for puckering steeps.

It’s the best inbounds hike-to terrain in the U.S. WHERE: The in-town scene’s great, but be sure to hit Allred’s, at the top of the gondola, for drinks and insane views.

WHY: Sure, everyone talks about the history here. Blah, blah, blah. We say come for the 3,400 feet of leg-burning vertical and crazy cougar party scene at night. WHAT: Warm Springs is the test piece for all you former racers who want to open the throttle. Lefty’s is the part of the mountain most likely to hold snow. Dollar Mountain boasts 76 rails and the country’s largest superpipe. WHERE: Grab an après schooner at iconic Grumpy’s. Whiskey Jacques’ is the place for live music and moving bodies.

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MARY JANE RULES So you’re headed to Colorado or Washington. It’s true: Marijuana is legal. Follow these tips to enjoy it.

1 / BRING YOUR I.D. You need your driver’s license or passport to purchase. Buy only from an authorized dispensary.

2 / TALK TO THE STAFF. The people behind the counter love weed and know more about it than you thought possible.

They’ll help you find the right bud for your personality. (Sativas get you up and running; indicas give you that want-tosleep high.)

3 / BEWARE OF EDIBLES. Gummi bears, chocolate, candies… Delicious, but they can also get you in trouble fast. Edible THC hits you later and often far more potently than you might expect.

4 / DON’T FLY HOME WITH IT. Look for amnesty boxes, like the one at the Aspen airport. You can leave your green where it won’t land you in jail.

5 / TRY A VAPORIZER PEN. It offers a smokeless hit that’s smooth to inhale and discreet enough not to piss off people around you.

SKI INGMAG.COM | 51

MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

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WHITE KNUCKLING

“Finished a graveyard shift at Rainier Brewing in Seattle and headed up to Alpental. I-90 was easy in my ’69 Ford conversion van. Got off the exit, hit black ice, did three 360s, and ended up facing Alpental. Looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s go skiing!’ P.S. In those days, Rainier gave free beer on the job.”

—JERRY ROBINSON

Jacob Wester grabs Telluride.

> JAY PEAK, VERMONT

CHECK THIS

WHY: Yes, as you’ve suspected, the Jay powder mystique is at least partly hype.

The place does get more snow than the average Vermont resort, but don’t show up expecting guaranteed powder. This is Vermont, after all. What’s true is that Jay definitely has some great tree skiing. And when the snow’s good, the insanely steep shots off the front of the summit are doable. Despite all the recent development, the Jay vibe is alive and feisty: Folks here love skiing and are willing to drive a little farther for it. WHAT: Yummy Quebecois mummies in bikinis at the Pump House Waterpark. Which is huge and actually pretty awesome. Oh, and poutine. WHERE: For nightlife, the resort hath thee in thrall, because there’s nowhere else to go in these

Bert Flores drops Taos.

parts. Surrender, and make the Tower Bar your party central. You could do worse.

> TAOS, NEW MEXICO WHY: Because you like big terrain with little attitude, bro (yes, people in New Mexico will call you “bro”). WHAT: The steeps of Kachina Peak should be on the résumé of any skier who’s got the chiles for it. This year, a new lift makes the hike shorter, which might attract gapers but also means you can rack up more laps.

WHERE: Get out of the Ski Valley and rage in the town of Taos proper. The Alley Cantina serves up real New Mexican food, stiff margs, live bands…and a resident ghost.

> SUGARLOAF, MAINE WHY: The ’Loaf was already huge. Then

VOTE WITH YOUR SKIS AT BLACK MOUNTAIN, MAINE. LOCAL VOLUNTEERS ARE FIGHTING FOR ITS LIFE. ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS STOP IN ON YOUR WAY TO SUGARLOAF.

skiing | DEC 2014

it annexed the vast trailless tracts of adjacent Brackett Basin and declared (in an inspired bit of marketing magic) every square inch of its acreage—trail or no trail—to be skiable. Suddenly it was the East’s biggest resort. By any measure, it’s worth the long trek into the wilds of Maine. A tip: In early winter, it’s where the sun don’t shine. Best to plan a March visit, when the famous Snowfields (rare Eastern high-alpine terrain) might just be open.

WHAT: The Snowfields, if they’re open.

Brackett Basin, if it’s a halfway decent winter. Or Narrow Gauge, where high-school Bode figured out he could crush the competition on K2 Fours. WHERE: Grab beers one and two at the Widowmaker Lounge in the Base Lodge, then post up at The Rack, down the access road.

> KILLINGTON, VERMONT WHY: For all the crap Killington takes, it’s still one huge place with plenty of legit terrain and good skiers. You’ll need days to explore it, even without making time for Pico. Just don’t be a dope and show up on a holiday weekend—you’ll be crotch-deep in skidding joeys. WHAT: Start with a K-1 gondie ride to Vermont’s second-highest peak. End up over at Bear Mountain, where the bumps on Outer Limits are all that.

WHERE: Yes, the Killington access road goes off. Don’t be shy; send them a round.

That’s what they’re here for too.

TAOS ALL SKIED OUT? TINY SIPAPU SKI RESORT BOASTS SOME SURPRISING TREE STASHES AND ONE OF THE WEST’S BEST DISC-GOLF COURSES.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MARK MAZIARZ; LIAM DORAN; BRETT SCHRECKENGOST

Hollywood in the Wasatch: Old Town, Park City.

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MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

Amie Engerbretson opens up and says “Squaw!”

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WEEKEND WHEN YOU JUST HAVE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT TO SEEK POWDER AND PARTIES, PACK UP FAST AND JET OUT TO THESE RESORTS. THEY CRAM ENOUGH INTO TWO DAYS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE WORKWEEK.

WHY: They don’t call it Squallywood for nothing. Squaw, because of its high-angle, cliff-riddled terrain—including the famed Fingers and the Palisades—has been a pro skier’s proving ground since forever. People are here to see and be seen. Keep your eyes open for folks like Cody Townsend— and expect everyone to be looking at you, too. WHAT: KT-22, obviously, but if the liftline is insane on a snowy morning (and it will be), head to Granite Chief or Silverado for less-popular steeps that rival KT-22.

WHERE: Snag a pizza bagel and some cookies at Wildflour bakery, then head next door to Le Chamois (the go-to après spot), order a pitcher, and post up on the deck.

> BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO WHY: Here’s the reason so many pro freestylers live in Summit County: huge, clean jump lines, creative rail setups, and a 22foot superpipe. They’re the hallmarks of Breck’s parks, but you can find smaller features and big-mountain terrain, too.

WHAT: Don’t want to huck your meat?

Head to Peak 10 to ski steep, tight trees, or check out Peak 6’s newly opened glades and big bowls. WHERE: To party, indulge in Cecilia’s riotous late-night dance scene.

In the morning, head to Clint’s for breakfast sandwiches.

> KEYSTONE, COLORADO WHY: It’s the grilled cheese of ski resorts— geared toward kids but secretly appealing to adults. Taste the goodness in the back bowls, which hold steep chutes and tight glades. WHAT: From the top of the gondola, keep walking and hike to Windows, where you can ski sustained tree shots. WHERE: For live music, try the Snake River Saloon. Food on the low-budget skiing | DEC 2014

Breck’s big shoulders.

Winter Park: Quaint, ain’t it?

bar menu comes out of the same kitchen as the fine-dining restaurant food next door.

> WINTER PARK, COLORADO WHY: Winter Park is the perfect weekend trip from Denver: down to earth, not too far away, and full of knee-busting bumps.

And you can smugly pull off I-70 while the rest of the traffic suffers on toward Summit County. WHAT: Take the bump-skiing test

piece: Outhouse at Mary Jane. WHERE: In December, the resort is opening a new restaurant at Lunch Rocks, on the top of Mary Jane. Real foodies, drive to nearby Devil’s Thumb Ranch.

> COPPER MOUNTAIN, COLORADO WHY: Copper has shaken off its hot-girlbehind-the-frumpy-glasses image, but people still blow by it to ski Breck or Vail.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: JEFF ENGERBRETSON; JACK AFFLECK; COURTESY OF WINTER PARK/CONNOR WALBERG

> SQUAW VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

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CONDO-SHARE HELL

“One woman. Nine guys. Beer cans and liquor bottles. Pizza boxes.

Underwear hanging to dry. Tripping over skis, boards, boots. Music cranked up. Funny-looking cigarettes. Two blocks from the lift in Breck. Wow. I would do it all over again.” —RANDY TRANSUE

Getting high at Copper.

Their mistake. They’re missing out on miraculously crowd-free terrain that ranges from the trees of the Enchanted Forest to perpetually blown-in Spaulding Bowl.

(Actually, Copper, please keep the glasses on.) WHAT: Copper’s terrain naturally segregates skiers by ability level. All the fun stuff is in the back, so make a beeline for Tucker Mountain and Union Peak to ski short but steep shots—or hop a ride on the free snowcat. WHERE: Because the après scene is pretty quiet, head to The Barn at Woodward to launch yourself into the foam pit. Childish, maybe. Awesome, yes.

> SNOWBASIN, UTAH WHY: A sleeper. An all-star. It’s steep, sustained (enough to host the Olympic downhill in 2002), and never crowded. WHAT: Prepare to hike. Short bootpacks, like the one into the Needles Cirque, reward with long descents. WHERE: Huntsville’s Shooting Star Pub is dirtbag famous. Ask about smelling the toilet seat. Or don’t.

> CANYONS, UTAH

CHECK THIS

LIAM DORAN

WHY: Remarkably vast and surprisingly playful, Canyons boasts mile-long groomers, perfectly spaced aspens, and natural

halfpipes. WHAT: Lap the Ninety-nine 90 lift for fall-line tree chutes. WHERE: Take the free bus into Park City, the best party town in Utah. That’s not an oxymoron, thanks to watering holes like the High West Distillery and the Wasatch Brew Pub.

> WATERVILLE VALLEY, NEW HAMPSHIRE WHY: Scrappy East Coast ski areas breed scrappy skiers, and Waterville Valley churns out some of the best. It sent eight athletes to the Sochi Olympics, including gold medalist Hannah Kearney. Plus it birthed freestyle skiing in the early ’70s.

NBD. WHAT: The mountain features four terrain parks, including the lauded Exhibition Park. WHERE: Shake off your hangover with a big breakfast at the Blue Moon Cafe.

> STOWE, VERMONT WHY: Because Stowe packs a big-mountain playground into little-mountain shoes: It’s steep, technical, and not afraid to crush you. WHAT: The Front Four (National, Lift Line, Starr, and Goat) off of the ForeRunner quad are Stowe’s (and some of New England’s) steepest runs. WHERE: Don’t miss

JIMINY PEAK’S WIND TURBINE, WHICH CREATES UP TO HALF OF THE RESORT’S POWER, WAS THE FIRST ONE AT AN AMERICAN RESORT.

FLAT(SCREEN) SLOPES Watching football mean more to you than skiing? Here are some resorts where you can enjoy the game and maybe get off your stool for a few runs at halftime. Patriots fan? Head to New Hampshire’s down-home Black Mountain and the Lostbo Pub to watch Brady do his Brady thing.

College ball? Pigskin is second only to Jesus in the South, so at North Carolina’s Sugar Mountain, you’ll see plenty of UNC, Duke, NC State, and Wake Forest pride on display in the Last Run Lodge. Packers?

There’s a new high-speed quad this season at Wisconsin’s Granite Peak, but you won’t see many locals on it when Aaron Rodgers is tossing bombs. Meanwhile, Vikings fans can take a few laps through Afton Alps’ terrain park before planting themselves in front of the boob tube in newly remodeled The Crest bar.

Steelers fans chow on nachos at the Foggy Goggle after a few runs at Pennsylvania’s Seven Springs Mountain Resort. —D.S.

SIP WHISKEY DRINKS AT SUNDANCE’S OWL BAR. CHANCES OF A REDFORD SIGHTING ARE RELATIVELY HIGH.

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MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

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WHITE KNUCKLING

“On our way up to Sunday River, we stopped during a wicked crazy snow storm at our favorite sketchy convenience store in Twin Mountain, New Hampshire.

This guy cut us in line for the bathroom and was deemed Bathroom Boy. Later, when our car fishtailed into a snowbank, a truck pulled over to help. It was Bathroom Boy.”

Vermont’s Mount Mansfield lookin’ mighty purty.

—KAROLYN CASTALDO

après at the Matterhorn, which is accessible by the famed Bruce backcountry run.

> SUNDAY RIVER, MAINE

> CANNON, NEW HAMPSHIRE WHY: Because who needs a resort when

James Woods rides Keystone’s parks; you can ride its back bowls.

Chris Barnes gets pitted in Sunday River’s Celestial Glade.

you can ski a state-run, no-bullshit ski hill?

Cannon’s lack of frills means its focus is skiing, including the recent expansion onto neighboring Mittersill. WHAT: Burn down the bump runs off of the Zoomer chair or take the tram to the top and rail turns all the way down Cannon. WHERE: Eat breakfast at nearby Polly’s Pancake Parlor. Because maple syrup.

> WHITEFACE, NEW YORK

CHECK THIS

WHY: Whiteface has it all (beauty, size, cool town)—if you aren’t scared of cold, ice, and a long drive. But if you’re bothered by cold, ice, and a long drive, what kind of skier are you? WHAT: When conditions allow, the

skiing | DEC 2014

hike-to (frequently closed) Slides are some of the gnarliest terrain in the East. WHERE: Go to Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, one of the best brewpubs upstate.

> SNOWSHOE, WEST VIRGINIA WHY: Don’t knock the South. Snowshoe, an upside-down mountain in the Monongahela National Forest, averages more snow than most mountains in New Hampshire.

WHAT: The Western Territory holds the steepest shots on the mountain, and probably the steepest south of the Mason-Dixon Line. WHERE: Old Spruce serves the best beer selection around these parts, including West By God Virginia microbrews.

GET FACE-SIZE SWEET ROLLS AT THE BAKE SHOP AT THE BASE OF ALYESKA.

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FORGET THE PARK AND HEAD TO BEAR MOUNTAIN’S GERONIMO CANYON.

FROM TOP: BRIAN MOHR/EMBER PHOTO; COURTESY OF SUNDAY RIVER; CHIP KALBACK

WHY: Everything’s nice at Sunday River.

At this enormous mountain, huge investments in snowmaking (including more than $1 million just this season) and impeccable grooming pay off. But there’s an edge. It’s open boundary-to-boundary, and it’s one of only a handful of Eastern resorts to have an official uphill-travel policy. And if the skiing’s feeling too softcore, head to White Cap to pound your legs and lungs. WHAT: Hit Last Tango—a long glade run that holds steeps, drops, and bumps. WHERE: To stuff as much as possible into a weekend, grab nachos at the Foggy Goggle and then go night skiing.

Sunday River re-grooms a ton of terrain on weekends and holidays.

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MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

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QUICK FIX

DON’T HAVE THE TIME FOR A FULL-ON TRIP BUT NEED TO GET SOME TURNS IN? DON’T FEAR. THERE ARE PLENTY OF BADASS LITTLE SKI AREAS WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF MOST MAJOR CITIES (DEPENDING ON TRAFFIC, OF COURSE). CALL IN SICK ONCE IN A WHILE.

> DENVER Loveland: 1 hour; 57 miles / Too many people drive by Denver’s closest skiing because it seems too close to be true. Believe.

Loveland is a rocking hill: Lap straight under Chair 1 on a pow day or head out and hop on the free snowcat. Eldora Mountain Resort: 1 hour, 15 minutes; 49 miles / Little Eldora packs a serious punch, especially when an upslope storm dumps more snow here than anywhere else in the state.

Head to Brian’s Glades for athletic tree skiing. It’s also the closest skiing to the Skiing office (just 45 minutes away). Arapahoe Basin: 1 hour, 15 minutes; 64 miles / On any given weekend you’ll find campers full of folks grilling brats and tapping growlers here, so make some new friends. It’s one of the country’s earliest openers, but the skiing is best in the spring, when the East Wall’s steep chutes open up.

> BOSTON

CHECK THIS

Blue Hills: 20 minutes; 16.5 miles / Need to satisfy that ski jones? Take the T from Government Center and get your turn on pretty much in the city. Wachusett: 1 hour; 50 miles / Sure, it’s probably a better spot for watching a Pats game than finding powder (see page 55), but at least you can get a few runs in at halftime. Loon Mountain: 2 hours, 10 minutes; 130 miles / The closest

Andy Devor and Shawn Mauer prepare for the best at Alpental.

serious skiing to The Hub is up I-93 (don’t go when traffic is heavy) in New Hampshire.

Loon’s mostly a place to bomb groomers, but the seven terrain parks and 425-footlong superpipe are first-class.

> SEATTLE The Summit at Snoqualmie: 50 minutes; 50 miles / Yeah, it looks like a wasteland of green runs from I-90, but tucked a little ways off the highway is Alpental, with its steep, classic International run, plus serious backcountry with an easy return traverse right back to the lift. Stevens Pass: 1 hour, 30 minutes; 82 miles / Stuck in the drear of the Emerald City, most Seattleites don’t realize all that rain falls as 450 annual inches a short drive out of town.

Stevens will keep hardcores entertained with lots of steep tree skiing—especially in the glades off the 7th Heaven lift.

MOST PEOPLE COME TO SANTA FE FOR THE ART AND GREEN CHILE, BUT SKI SANTA FE, AT THE TAIL END OF THE ROCKIES, CAN GET CLOBBERED WITH DEEP, SOFT SNOW.

skiing | DEC 2014

> RENO Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe: 30 minutes; 26 miles / This rollicking hill on the east side of the Tahoe basin often gets overlooked

by Californians headed to bigger-name slopes by the lake. The Slide Mountain Chutes offer up some serious terrain, and if you combine a Two ‘fer Tuesday ticket deal with a Reno casino stay, you’re looking at one of the least expensive ski-andstay vacations in the country.

> PORTLAND Mt. Hood Skibowl: 1 hour, 15 minutes; 59 miles / Timberline Lodge: 1 hour, 20 minutes; 63 miles / Mt. Hood Meadows: 1 hour, 29 minutes; 67 miles / Mt. Hood’s three ski areas are just a short drive from all those hipsters. Each area has a slightly different personality, but all benefit from the storms that shellac the volcano. Hit

THERE’S PLENTY OF SKIING CLOSE TO SALT LAKE CITY. WHILE THE TOURISTS GO BIG-NAME, LOCALS GET FACE SHOTS AT BIG COTTONWOOD’S NO-NONSENSE, WORLD-CLASS HILLS: BRIGHTON AND SOLITUDE.

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CONDO-SHARE HELL

“My Hunter (Huntah!) house was sloping into the river and had rats. Due to a fuel leak one season, any clothes left in the living room (where three or so people slept) would wind up smelling like gas. It was two blocks to Slopes (the bar, not the hill), so we could dance and drink Red Bull and vodkas until 4 a.m. and be on the slopes by nine.” —BILL BYRNE

Bryce Hanrahan eats up first tracks at Loon.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: JASON HUMMEL; COURTESY LOON MOUNTAIN; BUNO LONG; LIAM DORAN

Carlo Travarelli leaves his mark on Brighton.

TIME FOR A QUICKIE? Skibowl for night skiing, Mt. Hood Meadows’ Heather Canyon for steeps, or Timberline Lodge for yearlong turns (race and jib camps run here all summer long, and it’s an ideal base for spring mountaineering trips to Hood’s 11,249-foot summit).

> NEW YORK Campgaw Mountain: 50 minutes; 34 miles / Don’t expect Corbet’s, but the closest skiing to Times Square boasts a little but rapidly improving terrain park.

Mountain Creek: 1 hour, 20 minutes; 56 miles / It’s the terrain parks that make all the difference when you claim the title of New Jersey’s best ski area—and the three here are all that. The mountain has a decent vertical drop of 1,040 feet, too.

> DETROIT Mt. Brighton: 45 minutes; 48 miles / Part of Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass, Mt. Brighton is the ideal place to ease off Motor City’s throttle. Head for Chair 4 for Midwestern double diamonds.

No matter if you’re living large or on a budget, you’ve got options.

If you’re a one-percenter looking for a fast in-and-out, hire a private jet from NYC and beeline for Telluride. A fourseater Cessna Citation Mustang with a “ski tube” in the hold will cost about $20K each way. But if you’re spending that much, you might as well drop $65,000—plus jet fare—on the new Four Seasons Mountain Collection Ultimate Jet Set Ski Experience, which lands you three days each at Vail, Whistler, and Jackson, along with other necessities such as a private chef, branded swag, and a personal “celebrity” mountain host. If you’re, well, everyone else, fly from JFK to SLC for about $360, then catch the train from the airport and transfer to the UTA public bus to the base of Snowbird or Alta for $4.50. Register online with Alta/Snowbird before your flight, and get a half-price lift ticket within 24 hours of arrival. Score!

—G.D.

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Mt. Hood hobo

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BRO-DOWN SCREW AMENITIES. THIS TRIP IS ABOUT ONE THING: HARDCORE SKIING. IT WILL BE THE TRIP YOU TALK ABOUT IN WEDDING TOASTS (UNLESS SWORN TO SECRECY). THE TRIP WHERE YOU PUSH YOURSELVES, SCARE YOURSELVES, AND GET MORE FACE SHOTS THAN ADULT ENTERTAINERS. WHEN THE BROS CALL AND SAY DROP EVERYTHING, WE’RE FLYING OUT THIS WEEKEND, THESE ARE THE RESORTS THAT MAKE IT WORTH THE CONSEQUENCES.

> KIRKWOOD, CALIFORNIA WHY: Think big. You come here to huck cliffs and launch cornices. This off-thebeaten-path Tahoe resort offers the most reliably abundant snowfall in a region that can be feast or famine. WHAT: Home in on the Cornice Express. This chair of legends delivers high-speed access to 1,400 vertical feet of steeps, glades, bowls, and chutes, including Sisters and Sentinel. Or test yourselves on The Cirque: It’s good enough for

the Freeride World Tour, so… WHERE: True, the new-last-season K-Bar has the corporatocracy of Vail Resorts written all over it, but that’s no reason to shun its laid-back vibe and inventive apps and cocktails.

> ALPINE MEADOWS, CALIFORNIA

Mt. Bachelor’s sweet afterglow.

WHY: Squaw’s earnest, introverted little brother has all the goods without the show.

Over 80 percent of its terrain is above treeline. WHAT: Check out Scott Chute, off the Scott Chair, and the hike-to Promised Land cliffs beyond. WHERE: The Alpine Bloody at the Last Chair is a local institution.

Wrapping up another pow day at Mt. Baker.

> HEAVENLY, CALIFORNIA WHY: Sure, Heavenly may not be as burly as some of the other mountains on this list, but it warrants serious bro-down consideration thanks to the Vegas-in-the-mountains scene in South Lake Tahoe. WHAT: Meager snowfall? Groove Park still delivers thrills, and the jumps on High Roller can stain your pants. Blessed with snow? It’s time to hike for untracked turns out the Mott and Killebrew gates off the summit of Monument Peak. WHERE: The sins of South Lake Tahoe are your oyster, but you will definitely want to start the debauchery right on the mountain with après at the Tamarack Lodge.

> ASPEN HIGHLANDS, COLORADO WHY: Simple, Highland Bowl. This mountain was made for those who like to hike

for big lines in patrol-controlled terrain. Pair that on-mountain action with the beautiful people and raging party scene of Aspen, and you can burn the candle at both ends like a rock star. WHAT: It’s all about hiking for turns in the Bowl, where the wind can fill in goodies long after storms. Don’t be shy about dropping in before you reach the

Wayne Grevey gets intimate with Crystal Mountain.

WHITE KNUCKLING

“Hungover, blasting out of the parking lot, late for powder.

Last guy to put his skis on top forgot to click the lock. Skis and boards start flying off the roof into traffic. I’m in the back—I got in first—watching everybody’s gear get smashed by an 18-wheeler. Mine were the only ones not to slide out.”

—ANDREW PETERSEN

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: BRIAN BECKER; FREDRIK MARMSATER; JASON HUMMEL

MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

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Eric Bryant doing what bros do at Kirkwood.

summit if you see something good. Lap the Deep Temerity lift if the Bowl is closed.

WHERE: Embarrass yourselves with karaoke on Thursday–Saturday at the Red Onion. “Take on Me” is always a crowd pleaser.

> JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING WHY: Do you seriously have to ask? When you get the call to go to Jackson, you go.

Life is short: Careers, relationships, and other so-called “real world” responsibilities are only illusions. That pseudo-Zen platitude may not get you your jobs back, but who really cares? WHAT: It is entirely possible to ski for days at JHMR by skipping the inbounds and heading straight out the gates for lap after lap of backcountry bliss and come-to-Jesus moments of sheer terror. And next season, the new Teton lift will make it easier to access serious terrain in Granite Canyon. WHERE: Ski straight up to the Mangy Moose, imbibe, and stumble to a bed or sticky floor at The Hostel, just across the way. You, my friends, have arrived.

> BIG SKY/MOONLIGHT BASIN, MONTANA

CHECK THIS

HANK DE VRÉ

WHY: Because it is one honking test piece of a mountain complex (5,800 skiable acres with the two resorts combined) that never gets crowded. There are enough steeps here to launch your careers in ski-porn, and

the mountain has added even more glades where you can seek out Montana’s finest stashes. WHAT: The Big Couloir is mandatory—steep enough to scare the crap out of you on entry, but wide open and beautifully soft once you make it in. Quell your jitters there, then head to the North Summit Snowfield. WHERE: There are no crowds here for a reason, but if you want to wrangle with cowgirls and cowboys (and maybe get your asses kicked), head up to Stacey’s in Gallatin Gateway.

> ALTA/SNOWBIRD, UTAH WHY: You want snow, lots of freaking snow, and that’s what you get here: 513 inches annually at Alta (and a stupendous 723 inches in 2010–11). WHAT: Test yourselves on Baldy at Alta. (You might even find someone’s secret stash; see page 44.) At Snowbird, traverse skier’s right off the Mineral Basin Express, going farther and farther out on successive runs, to keep finding untracked. Definitely pony up for the pass for both mountains. WHERE: Well, it’s Utah. Your best bet is to mosey over to the bar at the Alta Peruvian Lodge, make new friends, and hope it dumps so hard that you all get Interlodged (meaning the road is closed and you get the place all to yourselves in the morning).

NEED A SUMMERTIME BRO-DOWN? NORTHSTAR HAS CALIFORNIA’S BIGGEST DOWNHILL MOUNTAIN-BIKE PARK, AND CROSS-COUNTRY RIDERS CAN ACCESS THE TAHOE RIM TRAIL RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF THE LIFTS.

THE BRA TRIP Bro-downs are not just for dudes.

What, really, are the lineaments of the bro trip? Copious drinking? Peer pressure? Going bigger than you should? Because those things are not limited to, or done better by, the penishaving half of the population.

Case in point: Crested Butte, circa 2012. Katie, Steph, and I packed the car in Denver and pointed it south. Two out of three of us were drinking by the time we passed Monarch. Three out of three of us regretted it as we sweated up the bootpack on Teocalli Bowl the next morning. One of us threw up in her mouth looking into Spellbound, but I am not at liberty to reveal which.

Burgers were consumed, dirty jokes told, hot tubs poached. We skied so hard we could barely hobble to Camp 4 for coffee. The difference from a “bro-down”? We GoPro’d less and giggled more. Plus, when we asked patrol where the snow was good, we got a guide instead of a vague answer.

—H.H.

LIKE SUDS WITH POWDER? BEND, OREGON, BOASTS A WHOPPING 19 MICROBREWERIES, AND NEARBY MT. BACHELOR GETS 387 INCHES OF SNOW PER YEAR.

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SKI INGMAG.COM | 61

MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

WorldMags.net > MT. BAKER, WASHINGTON

The Alta ice beard cometh!

WHY: Baker is a mountain for those who don’t give a shit about anything other than copious amounts of snow (it still holds the world record of 1,140 inches, from 1998–99) and terrain that’s bold and beefy. The scene here is all about sleeping in your car so you can catch first chair. WHAT: Head out Baker’s backcountry gates on the Shuksan Arm for the cathedral of white rooms (you will be quizzed on your avy knowledge, and safety gear is required). Lap Sticky Wicket when the gates are closed. WHERE: The Tap Room is your only option. Though chances are someone will offer you a sample of Washington’s newest legal mood enhancer.

> CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, WASHINGTON WHY: Hit Crystal on the right day and you will lap deep, untracked snow that keeps refilling. Even when the snow gods are

Morning traffic, Highland Bowl.

spiteful, there’s plenty of fresh to hike for in the patrol-controlled off-piste and bowls.

WHAT: An avalanche took out the famed High Campbell lift last season, but the resort has built a new, better High Campbell to whisk the powder-hungry up to the goods along the Silver Queen bootpack. WHERE: The party starts with a pint of Crystal Mountain Amber at the Bullwheel and carries over to the Snorting Elk Cellar, a bar straight out of central casting for a bro-down. Oh, and weed is legal in the Evergreen State.

TRIFECTAS Why visit just one when you can enjoy three? Here’s a list of smaller resorts and other destinations that are even better linked together.

Rob Aseltine checks his tails at Jackson Hole.

Ouray/Silverton/Durango: Drive south on Colorado 550. Ice-climb and hot-spring in Ouray. Get scared at Silverton. Calm down with crowd-free skiing and Ska beers in Durango.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: CHRIS COUNCIL/C2 PHOTOGRAPHY; LEE COHEN; CODY DOWNARD

Snow King/Teton Pass/Targhee: Skip the scene at Jackson Hole in favor of local hill banging at Snow King, deep powder at Grand Targhee, and, in between, some of the best road-accessed backcountry in the world on Teton Pass.

Wildcat/Cranmore/Tuckerman Ravine: North Conway, New Hampshire’s outdoor hot spot, gives you the longest trail in New England at Wildcat, Cranmore’s Darkside freestyle terrain park, and Tuckerman Ravine, New England’s steep-skiing proving ground.

Mad River/Sugarbush/Cat Skiing: The Mad River Valley offers the full ski spectrum, from dirtbagging at MRG to the East’s first cat skiing at Sugarbush.

Be sure to check out a New England legend, the ’Bush’s Castle Rock chair.

Schweitzer/Red Mountain/Whitewater: Proof that the Northwest is the best? Ski Schweitzer’s R Chutes, then head north across the border to immerse yourself in throat-deep powder at Red and Whitewater.

—H.H.

skiing | DEC 2014

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MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

Big views and no one else around at Monarch.

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the

NEW FRONTIER SICK OF THE USUAL RESORT OPTIONS? PUSH YOUR BOUNDARIES AND BURNISH YOUR SKIING RÉSUMÉ AT THESE RESORTS. THEY MIGHT BE HARDER TO GET TO, BUT THEY KICK SOME SERIOUS BUTT— WITHOUT THE CROWDS.

WHY: Powder. Like, 430 average annual inches of it. Though it has the honor of being Colorado’s snowiest resort, Wolf Creek remains a small-town hill with a local cult following. It’s a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Denver, which keeps it safe from the hordes of powder-hungry Front Rangers who clog I-70 and Summit County. WHAT: From the Alberta lift, it’s a half-hour hike to Horseshoe Bowl. If you see something along the way that tempts you—Knife Ridge Chutes, Dog Chutes, Keith’s Glade—drop in. The rest will wait patiently, untracked.

WHERE: Soak in the hot waters of nearby Pagosa Springs, a quaint town on the banks of the San Juan River. You have two microbreweries to choose from and high-calorie recovery food at the Malt Shoppe.

> POWDER MOUNTAIN, UTAH WHY: It’s all yours. Powder’s 7,000 acres of inbounds, sidecountry, and patrolled backcountry terrain—accessed by lifts, cats, and even a shuttle bus—see a scant 107,000 annual skier visits. WHAT: Board the Lightning Ridge snowcat (18 bucks a pop) for a ride to the top of the ridge. Drop in for 2,100 feet of sustained vert, or hike a quick 20 minutes to James Peak. WHERE: Straddle a stool at the Powder Keg for a Rooster Dark on tap.

> BRIAN HEAD, UTAH WHY: You’ve never skied this Utah before.

Brian Head’s redrock-and-desert landscape is oddly beautiful, and its summit, at 11,307 feet, makes it Utah’s highest resort. Day trips skiing | DEC 2014

to Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks?

Yes, please. WHAT: When conditions allow, grab your backcountry gear and a friend and head out the gate to double-black Devo’s Pitch, off Brian Head Peak. WHERE: It’s just three and a half hours to Vegas. What would Hunter S. Thompson do?

> DEER VALLEY, UTAH WHY: Don’t laugh. There’s some serious skiing at this posh Utah resort—and pretty much no one taking advantage of it. So what if your lunch tastes better than usual and you can stash your skis overnight for free? You say it like it’s a bad thing. WHAT: Hike to the X-Files trees (on Empire Peak, beyond Daly Chutes) and be rewarded with pristine snow, perfectly spaced aspens, and blessed solitude. WHERE: Sink into a cushy chair in the EBS Lounge at the Snow Park base lodge, sip a hot buttered rum, and commune with the godfathers of Deer Valley. Hey, when in Rome…

> SADDLEBACK, MAINE WHY: We know why you haven’t been here yet: because it’s wicked friggin’ hard to get to. But Saddleback is worth the trip.

Think Mad River Glen with way better views (look at the pretty lake!) and above-treeline snowfields. When Mainers get sick of all the phonies at nearby Sugarloaf (irony alert), this is where they go for soul skiing. WHAT: If you’ve had your fill of the keep-you-onyour-toes Casablanca glades for the day, keep traversing east to Muleskinner, a classic, narrow twister in the New England

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HOMO? HET? CONFUSED? NO MATTER, IT’S PARTY TIME! When the giant rainbow flags hang from the lampposts along Aspen’s Main Street, the whole town comes out. That’s right. It’s Gay Ski Week, and everyone loves a party. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay, straight, bi, or more in love with your skis than your partner: GSW is among Aspen’s biggest annual celebrations.

Many GSW events have garnered the same can’t-miss status as New Year’s Eve or Closing Day at Highlands. One is the Downhill Costume contest at Ajax. Think Mardi Gras meets Paris Is

Burning, except on snow and with the benefit of a little gravity.

At the Gays vs. Straights hockey game, played the night before the grand finale pool party, there’s no end to the trash talk. Spoiler alert: The Gays win it every year.

While straight girls window-shop the gorgeous men on display all week, even the straightest of dudes can appreciate what goes into creating those perfectly chiseled abs.

It’s the overall vibe—the beautiful people partying nonstop—that is oh, so very Aspen. Forget the closet.

Come out for the fun. —ALI MARGO

CASEY DAY

> WOLF CREEK, COLORADO

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MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

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WHITE KNUCKLING

“Driving down from Verbier in a 1973 VW bus. I first had to roll-start down an icy hill, missing a parked car by an inch, then drive down the road with no wipers but instead using a ski pole with a squeegee taped to the end.“ —MICHAEL DOUGLAS

Day one at Wolf Creek, 2011: 42 inches of blower.

tradition. WHERE: The Swig ’n’ Smelt, upstairs in the base lodge, has the best skibar name anywhere and is fun for a few après. Otherwise, it’s BYO nightlife here.

> SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH, VERMONT

Julian Carr sees the forest for the trees at Deer Valley.

WHY: Smuggs markets itself hard as a family resort. The beauty of that is it scares off the hardcore masses, who don’t want to share cookies and cocoa with Mogul Mouse. But after one ass-freezing ride up the awesome, fixed-grip Madonna I chair, you’ll know that for all the Storyland BS, this place has serious steeps. WHAT: Boot up at your car in the highest parking lot (it’s ski-in, ski-out). And unless you’re headed for the famous Birthday Bowls (off the Sterling lift), just stick to the Madonna I terrain. It will bruise your ego. Try Liftline, Free Fall, and Black Hole (triple black).

WHERE: Nightlife? In Jeffersonville? That’s rich. Boogie back to Burlington (about 45 minutes), ditch the car, and party like a Phish Head. Don’t miss: Nectar’s, Red Square, Three Needs, and Radio Bean.

> GORE MOUNTAIN, NEW YORK

CHECK THIS

WHY: Sick of the incessant mergers and HIT IT ON THE RIGHT WINTER AND LAS VEGAS SKI AND SNOWBOARD RESORT PAYS OUT WITH SOFT SNOW AND GNARLY TERRAIN JUST AN HOUR FROM THE STRIP’S ONE-ARMED BANDITS.

skiing | DEC 2014

acquisitions of skiing’s soul? At stateowned Gore, you can still park your car close to the lifts and descend its 2,537 vert while enjoying Adirondack Park views unmarred by slopeside development. WHAT: Beeline all the way back to Gore Peak via Straightbrook quad for short-but-steep runs like Rumor and Lies.

WHERE: It’s fun to grab a gondie and beers at the lodge’s Tannery Pub. But when you’ve got sunshine and slope-side parking, it’s best to tailgate.

> MOUNT BOHEMIA, MICHIGAN WHY: Bohemia used to be so hard up— isolated as it was in the real-man country of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—that women skied for free. Gender equality has arrived, but this challenging hill still ranks up there when it comes to wild snow (a decent 273 inches a year) and burly terrain. WHERE: Hit the Apex and Horseshoe Chutes (chutes in the Midwest? You betcha!). WHAT: The sausage fest rages in the North Pole bar, where you can sip a local Keewenaw micro on tap, eat crepes (mais oui, dude), and watch some goddamn football.

ON YOUR WAY TO CRESTED BUTTE, MAKE A POINT TO STOP AT MONARCH MOUNTAIN, WHERE YOU CAN FEAST ON FRESHIES ALL DAY LONG IF YOU HIKE MIRKWOOD BOWL.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COURTESY OF SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH; ADAM BARKER; JEFF CRICCO

Smugglers’ Notch takes back the night.

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A Fernie liftie at the office.

MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

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O CANADA! THOUGH CANADA IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR, ITS SKIING IS OTHERWORLDLY. SINCE EXOTICISM CAN BE INTIMIDATING, WE HIRED A REAL LIVE CANADIAN NAMED RYAN STUART TO CREATE A GUIDE TO HIS ENTIRE COUNTRY IN THREE PAGES, SO TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT—UH, CURD OF CHEESE (AND SOME GRAVY).

Big-mountain lines surround Kicking Horse.

Frontier serves solid eats at a good price, especially on its Indian theme nights.

> SHAMES MOUNTAIN, BRITISH COLUMBIA WHY: You’ll find only two lifts here—an old double and a T-bar—but for deep, fall-line powder skiing and easy-access backcountry, Shames is hard to beat.

This is authentic northern BC skiing, rich in friendly locals. Shames is also one of North America’s few co-operative ski hills.

CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: Tucked up against the boundary, Terminator boasts the longest vertical and a solid fall line, top to bottom. LOCAL SECRET: There’s perfect tree skiing and a few hard-tofind chutes in the Fay Zurs area, a short bootpack or skin from the top of the T-bar.

Henrik Windstedt rooster-tails his way through the longest vert in North America at Revelstoke.

WEST COAST AND B.C. INTERIOR

Canadians speak English, peppered with charming words that may leave ’Merican skiers scratching their exceptional heads.

“Puking,” for instance, means the snow is just dumping. Also, you’ll need a passport to get here, a change of currency, and the ability to calculate a 1.1 exchange rate on the fly. Despite the Satanic evil of socialized medicine, Canada still ranks higher than the U.S. on the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom. And a DUI on your record could get your Yankee ass crosschecked back south. Now then, let’s dig into our guide to the Great White— and quite often deep—North.

> REVELSTOKE MOUNTAIN RESORT, BRITISH COLUMBIA

CHECK THIS

First, some cultural literacy. Most

WHY: Revelstoke is a place no one ends up at by accident. Despite the longest vert in North America, liftlines are nonexistent. The abundant backcountry and character-rich town only add to the buzz. CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: Inbounds, but not on the map, the Grassiest Ridge splits North and Greely bowls with trees, chutes, and cliffs.

For slackcountry, hike to the summit of MacKenzie Peak and drop north into Spilt Milk. LOCAL SECRET: Wicked ski-touring areas—like the Fingers—are less busy than Rogers Pass and just as good. APR-EH: The

IT MAY NOT BE LIGHT AND DRY, BUT MORE THAN 500 ANNUAL INCHES FALLS AT VANCOUVER ISLAND’S MOUNT WASHINGTON.

skiing | DEC 2014

WHY: Legendary terrain, size, vertical, facilities, nightlife. WB is a leader in every aspect of the skiing experience. If you haven’t been, go. Now. CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: On Whistler, don’t miss the aptly named narrow groomers of Jeff’s Ode to Joy in the Symphony area. On Blackcomb, hit Spanky’s Ladder to the wideopens of Sapphire Bowl. For a bit of backcountry, Corona Bowl offers a mix of north- and west-facing open slopes and an exit right back onto the Blackcomb Glacier, ideal for an end-of-the-day powder lap. LOCAL SECRET: Tucked in blue-collar Function Junction, Wild Wood Cafe is where locals chow on American-size portions.

> BIG WHITE SKI RESORT, BRITISH COLUMBIA WHY: Big White’s position in the Monashee Mountains above desert-like Okanagan Valley serves up lots of sun, relatively mild

THE SEA TO SKY GONDOLA IN SQUAMISH, B.C., IS NORTH AMERICA’S FIRST AIGUILLE-DU-MIDI-STYLE LIFT—PART SIGHTSEEING, PART ACCESS VEHICLE TO THE COAST MOUNTAIN BACKCOUNTRY.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: RYAN CREARY; GABE ROGEL; CHRISTOFFER SJOSTROM

> WHISTLER BLACKCOMB, BRITISH COLUMBIA

WorldMags.net temperatures, and copious, dry powder.

Add 118 runs, 16 lifts, and an amusement park’s worth of non-skiing distractions, and it’s no surprise Big White is popular with families. (It’s BC’s second busiest resort.) While the skiing’s not exactly gnarly, the trees are some of the best around.

CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: The open trees between Shakey Knees and the Powder Chair are high-speed rippable.

APR-EH: Get an upper-body pump on at the ice-climbing tower at the resort’s Happy Valley Adventure Park.

as the rope drops on a powder day, head to Terminator Ridge for heli-skistyle terrain. On your second lap, let the riffraff hike, and take the lower traverse to Golden Delicious. It gets less traffic. LOCAL SECRET: A little hunting on the other side of the boundary line from Race Place will reveal a very cool rock gap. It’s well worth the effort. APR-EH: Slide up to a table at the Whitetooth Mountain Bistro in Golden for an unexpected pairing: fancy vibe and quality food that won’t blow the budget.

> SKI MARMOT BASIN, ALBERTA THE ROCKIES

> LAKE LOUISE SKI RESORT, ALBERTA WHY: Louise is like a Hollywood starlet. It’s hard to stop staring at the scenery. Though spectacular, she doesn’t always wear a lot of clothing (because she resides on the dry side of the Continental Divide). CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: Whitehorn 3 is one of the last runs to open, but it may be the longest 40-degree fall line anywhere. Watch the choke point midway down. If you want to hike out, make the trek to Hidden Bowl— it’s worth the effort. APR-EH: Head to the Northface Bistro for the pasta-bar lunch. For a post-ski pint, nothing beats St. James Gate in Banff. Time to party? Two-step at Banff’s Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon.

WHY: With $30 million invested in the last decade, Marmot Basin is now a modern resort full of high-speed lifts. Jasper National Park, Banff’s wilder and more laid-back northern neighbor, is nearby, and the ski touring is fantastic. When you’re not ripping trees, there’s plenty of elk to ogle. CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: Where everyone else traverses left in Charlie’s Bowl, go right for the steepest pitch on the hill. APR-EH: Evil Dave’s Grill in Jasper serves an eclectic menu full of deadly-delicious fare, like Cowboy Sushi (a battered, tempura-fried beef tenderloin

roll). And be sure to sign on for a nighttime tour of Maligne Canyon’s Icewalk along a frozen river.

THE EAST

> LE MASSIF, QUEBEC POURQUOI: The best skier’s resort in eastern Canada is off most Americans’ radar. Home to the longest vertical and deepest snow in Canada east of the Rockies, Le Massif also claims some of the steepest runs, including La Charlevoix, an FIS-certified downhill designated as a triple black diamond. From the top, as you look over the St. Lawrence, it feels like you’re skiing into the ocean. CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: La Charlevoix should be on your list. The resort claims it’s 64 degrees at its steepest. Bootpack to Mont a Liguori for powdery tree skiing. LOCAL SECRET: Buy a Privilège Card before Christmas and load it online at about 50 percent off the window price. Skip the rental car: The train from Quebec City stops at the base.

APRÈS: The chefs here refuse to deep-fry, preferring fresh foods low in fat and sugar.

The exception is at Camp Boule Crêperie, where they make sweet and savory treats.

FROM TOP: JASON HUMMEL; LIAM DORAN

> FERNIE ALPINE RESORT, BRITISH COLUMBIA WHY: Fernie’s a big-kid playground. The resort’s five bowls and forested ridges hide gullies, wind lips, tree gaps, rolls, kickers, and other juicy terrain features. Duck into the trees and explore. CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: Take your pick from the three runs pitching off Boomerang Ridge to the base area, but don’t stick to the piste.

Look for abundant openings in the trees.

The backcountry here is all a short traverse away. But when the conditions are right, Mammoth’s Head, a three-to-four-hour ski tour from Fernie, holds mini Alaskan-style lines, and you can ski back inbounds at the end. LOCAL SECRET: In April, Island Lake Cat Skiing opens its legendary terrain to catassisted ski touring.

Two Whistler Blackcomb absolutes: on-hill beers, ripping chicks.

Heading for a better line at Lake Louise.

> KICKING HORSE MOUNTAIN RESORT, BRITISH COLUMBIA WHY: A bare-bones lift network means lines can be long on powder days and weekends, but the place feels empty on the upper mountain. There, explore the expansive upper bowls and chutes.

CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: As soon

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MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

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> MONT TREMBLANT, QUEBEC POURQUOI: The village at the base of Tremblant (an Intrawest-owned resort) could be Whistler. And like its Western twin this town parties, but with a French sort of je

HOW CANADIAN ARE YOU? This simple test was created by Ryan Stuart, our certified Canadian writer.

You love to laugh at the way we say “about” and how we often end our sentences with “eh,” eh? But these are not the only Canadianisms. Before you visit and ask about our beanies and get a dirty look, take this quiz. Score higher than 75 percent, and we’ll allow you to sew one of our flags onto your rucksack when you travel abroad.

1. What do you call that warm, fuzzy thing that keeps your head warm?

2. What’s a “double, double” and where do

Slaying deep pow, Québécois-style in the trees at Le Massif.

you order one?

3. What is our country’s greatest sporting highlight?

4. Your national animal is the majestic bald 5. Our version of NPR is called what?

6. The president of Canada is: a. Stephen Harper b. Justin Bieber c. Francois Mitterand d. Bobby Hull e. none of the above 7. How many states does Canada have?

8. What are colour, centre, and tonne?

9. What’s a loonie? A toonie?

10. What do we like to do with a beaver tail?

11. Zed?

1. Usually a toque, sometimes a hat.

2. A coffee with two creams and two sugars from Tim Hortons.

3. Safe bets: the 1972 Summit Series against Russia and the 2010 Olympic gold medal victory over the USA. 4. The beaver.

5. CBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

6. E (Trick question.

Stephen Harper is the prime minister.)

7. Another red herring.

Canada is a parliamentary democracy in 10 provinces and three territories.

8. Examples of correctly spelled words.

9. Our one-dollar coin—it has a loon on it. And our two-dollar coin, which has a polar bear on it, obviously.

10. Eat it. Many ski resorts have BeaverTails franchises where you can sample the signature fried dough topped with sweet stuff.

11. The last letter of the alphabet, not a Led Zeppelin cover band.

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ne sais quoi. The skiing is solid—plenty of steeps, consistent coverage, and four distinct mountain faces. CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: When it’s groomed, click into your race skis and arc top-to-bottom laps. For glade skiing, try Emotion or Sensation off the Edge, an old, slow lift that ensures thin crowds and lots of fresh tracks.

LOCAL SECRET: Ski the north side of the mountain to avoid the crowds and find better snow quality. APRÈS: Rejuvenate your legs at the Scandinave Spa’s cycle of hot pools, cold pools, sauna, and steam.

Oh, and the Québécois love their fondue: La Savoie does it best.

> MONT SAINTE ANNE, QUEBEC POURQUOI: It’s like Europe, but you can drive there from East Coast cities. Welcome to the heart of Quebec, where most people will happily oblige your pathetic Franglais but speak English as a backup.

This distinctly Frencher-than-France culture is proud, delicious, and a lot of fun. The skiing’s pretty awesome too. CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: Head west. The mountain

SKI ON AN ISLAND IN THE ATLANTIC AT NEWFOUNDLAND’S MARBLE MOUNTAIN, A SOLID SKI RESORT WITH GOOD SNOW.

skiing | DEC 2014

gets steeper as you do: La Super S has 1,300 feet of vertical over a mile. Dive into the perfectly thinned forest of La Brunelle, which starts off steep and then mellows and opens. And don’t let the T-bar-only access scare you away from the West Side. It will be you and the locals tracking the powder in the afternoon. APRÈS: Five minutes from the base, Microbrasserie des Beaux Prés has the best beer in the area.

> MONT SUTTON, QUEBEC POURQUOI: Owned by the same family since it opened in 1960, Mont Sutton is known for its glades. Careful coiffing opened up 45 percent of the mountain as nicely spaced trees. Because the management leaves many slopes ungroomed, Sutton has some of the best powder-skiing terrain in eastern Canada. CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE: How can you pass up a little Séduction? Rated “extreme” on the trail map, it’s pretty steep, even by Western standards. Midweek, $89 gets you local accommodation and a lift pass for a day and a half. APRÈS: Maplesyrup pie at La Rumeur Affamée. Nuff said.

BACKCOUNTRY SKIING IN ONTARIO? CHECK OUT THE SWEET GLADES AND RELATIVELY DEEP SNOW OF KING MOUNTAIN IN THE PROTECTED LANDS OF THE ALGOMA HIGHLANDS CONSERVANCY.

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COURTESY OF LE MASSIF

eagle. What’s ours?

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MOUNTAIN GUIDE 2015

Henrik Windstedt and Chad Sayers being seen in Cortina.

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GO EURO > FRANCE: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc POURQUOI: Oui, mes amis, Cham deserves the hype. The proving ground of the recently deceased big-mountain artist Andreas Fransson will scare the merde out of you.

People ski alpine-climbing lines, like the famed Mallory route. Chamonix is a series of linked resorts: Grands Montets, L’Aiguille du Midi, La Brévent, Le Tour/Balme, and La Flégère. QUE: At the very least, ride the Aiguille du Midi tram to the mountaineering museum. Then navigate the fixed line down the ridge and rip into the more doable runs of the Vallée Blanche, an unmaintained glacier with all the dangers pertaining thereto.

Hire a guide to stay safe and find the goods.

OÙ: In a town where people come to live on the edge, you can expect to rage. Belly up to Elevation 1904 and do Fernet shots. KEY PHRASE: Je bois comme un trou! I drink like a hole. Oh yes, you do.

> SWITZERLAND: Davos/Klosters

CHECK THIS

WARUM: Davos is the Vail of Europe. It’s maybe not as steep and scary as some oth-

er legendary spots in the Alps, but it’s an expansive playground with the opportunity to head off-piste for massive lines. The complex of areas over seven mountains includes at least 60 lifts and countless tours. Again, hire a guide. WAS: The most interesting is Pischa, the freeride mountain, where you, Mr. American, with your big fat powder boards, belong. There are plenty of fun runs in-area, but the real thrill is dropping off the back side into endless untracked. Also hit the trees at Rinerhorn on a blower day. And Davos is the headquarters of the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF)—book a tour on a Friday, and read the SLF’s twice-daily bulletins if you intend to head off-piste. WO: If you want to get in trouble, play pool and drink absinthe at the Walhalla Bar. Somehow the barkeep manages to hang with the crowd and make it up first thing every morning for tree runs.

KEY PHRASE: Iigschneit. Snowed in. Also, the Swiss here say merci rather than danke.

> ITALY: The Dolomites PERCHÉ: The skiing in Italy’s iconic, cliffy peaks can be very hit or miss. Some years they get absolutely pounded, others they are as hard-packed as good espresso grounds. Watch the weather: If storms are settling here, book your ticket, because when it’s on in the Dolomites there is no more beautiful place to ski. COSA: The Dolomiti Superski consists of 12 mountains (and 450 lifts) all on one pass. It is a complicated system of prices and options so—again—

THE ALPS AREN’T THE ONLY PLACE IN EUROPE FOR GETTING YOUR SHRED ON. HOW ABOUT…POLAND? ZAKOPANE, IN THE TATRA MOUNTAINS, IS WHERE POPE JOHN PAUL II USED TO FIND BLESSED TURNS.

skiing | DEC 2014

hire a guide. Cortina is the spot to be posh, while Sass Pordoi has serious terrain. Take a sampler tour with many stops for espresso, food, and wine. You can ski anywhere.

Here, you must eat, drink, and live like an Italian. DOVE: Head to the town of Moena for dancing until dawn. KEY PHRASE: Fare una figura di merda. Figuratively, to mess up. Literally, don’t do it in the bidet, either.

SKI-TOWN SERBIA What do you do if you are the most popular film director in Serbia, a twotime winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and frontman of a punk/traditional Eastern European music band called the No Smoking Orchestra? Build your own private ski resort, of course. That is exactly what Emir Kusturica did in his idyllic village of Drvengrad (also known as Küstendorf, or “Kusta’s Town”). Kusturica built the town—a re-creation of a traditional Serbian village—as a symbolic gesture after the tragic losses of the Balkan war of the 1990s, and as a way for young, hip Serbs to connect to their traditional culture. It was also the set for Kusturica’s 2004 film, Life Is a Miracle, and is a spot for contemporary artists to show off their stuff. The skiing may consist of just four runs, but we guarantee it will be the oddest place you ever make turns. —D.S.

DON’T BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS? SHAME ON YOU! YLLÄS, IN THE FAR NORTH OF FINLAND, IS WHERE FATHER CHRISTMAS RECOVERS IN THE WHITE ROOM AFTER DECEMBER 25TH IS OVER.

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FROM LEFT: MATTIAS FREDRIKSSON; ADAM CLARK

THERE COMES A POINT WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE OPTIONS FOR SKIING IN NORTH AMERICA AND YOU THINK, SURE, THIS IS COOL, BUT I WANT TO LIVE A LITTLE LARGER. I WANT FONDUE AND GOOD WINE AND ENDLESS DAYS OF DEEP-POWDER SKIING AMONGST HIGH ALPINE PEAKS. JUST REMEMBER, THE BIDET IS NOT FOR WASHING YOUR SOCKS.

C’est vachement bien! Dusan Benes rips Chamonix.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are you ready to push yourself to the upper reaches of skiing excellence and have fun doing it? If so, the Skierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge will do miracles for you. Retraction and extension of your legs, with a calm upper body, are the key ingredients for mastering bumps and deep powder.

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PASS PAGE

By Greg Ditrinco Loaded with perks, season passes have become tickets to adventure at multiple hills. Hell, if you’re skiing more than three days at some big resorts (think Vail), buying a season pass may even save you some dough. By now, some deals have expired, but it’s never too late to start figuring out your 2015–16 strategy. Here’s an intro.

VALUE: Plan on lots of days on the hill to save cash with these passes.

> Vail Resorts Epic Passes: This is the granddaddy of discount passes. Ski anytime at any Epic resort (from Colorado to California, with bonus days around the globe) or strategically pick your days and destinations. There’s the full Epic pass, Epic Local, Tahoe Local, Keystone/A-Basin… You need to scroll twice to see all the options on your screen. $749 for the full-enchilada adult pass

Fly, Stay, then

Book your air and lodging with us by Dec. 1, 2014 and your lift tickets are FREE!

> Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus: This baby nets you unlimited skiing at Copper, Eldora, and Winter Park, plus six days at Steamboat and three days at Crested Butte.

Want more? How about 20 discounted Friends & Family Tickets; seven free days at Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand; and a selection of retail discounts. $549; $409 for college students > Intrawest Passport: Quit your job and tour North America: Steamboat; Winter Park; Stratton; Snowshoe, West Virginia; Mont Tremblant, Quebec; and Blue Mountain, Ontario. You get six days at each. Plus, kids 12 and younger ski free. $589 first adult, $449 each for five additional adults

4 night minimum stay, restrictions, and blackout dates apply.

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VARIETY: Looking for a pupu platter of powder? Plunk down!

> Mountain Collective Pass: Here’s your ticket to two days at each of these legendary hills: Alta/Snowbird; Aspen’s four resorts; Norquay, Lake Louise, and Sunshine Village; Jackson Hole; Mammoth, Squaw, and Alpine Meadows; and Whistler Black-

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Dan Vanucie’s stash of Stevens Pass passes.

comb. Take a 50 percent discount on additional days, lodging deals, and a $99 kid’s pass, and you are in for a busy winter. $399

> Powder Alliance: Here’s a deal for indie rockers. Buy a full pass at any member resort and get three free days at all of the others. The Alliance comprises Angel Fire, New Mexico; Arizona Snowbowl; Bridger Bowl, Montana; China Peak, Sierra-at-Tahoe, and Mountain High, California; Silver Star, B.C.; Crested Butte, Colorado; Mt. Hood Skibowl and Timberline, Oregon; Schweitzer, Idaho; Snowbasin, Utah; and Stevens Pass, Washington. Free. Yes: F-R-E-E. FIRST CLASS: The only way to fly. (These passes are fully transferable.)

> USSA Gold Pass: You have arrived. This golden ticket grants you turns at pretty much every resort you’ve heard of (more than 250 total) and it’s mostly tax deductible. Only 450 are issued, hotshot. $10,000 > Ski Utah Gold Pass: Help yourself to 50 days at each Utah resort (15 and counting), including summer access. $4,150

> Colorado Ski Country Gold Pass: That’s right, player, you have full privileges at 20 Colorado resorts. $3,100 LOCALISM: Who needs to travel with so many options close to home?

> Cali4nia Pass: All access to Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Bear Mountain, and Snow Summit. Rad. $689

> New England Pass: Nothing says wicked cool better than unlimited skiing at Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Loon. $1,085; $359 for college students Want more? RCR Super Pass, Nor’Easter Pass, Yeti Pass, and the Monarch Pass, formerly the One Planet Pass—the original more-is-merrier deal—to name a few...

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THE ERA OF WASHING DISHES TO EARN AN OVERPRICED PASS TO ONE HILL IS OVER. THE BEST NEW SEASON PASSES GIVE YOU DAYS AT MULTIPLE MOUNTAINS ALL OVER THE PLANET.

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The last great Colorado ski town

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$

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ellingthe

skiing | DEC 2014

Mystique

By Devon Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neil Photos by Ryan Heffernan

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T

aos Ski Valley has been a purist's dreamâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a hardcore skierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mountain run by a family that hiked the steeps and resisted corporate schlock. But with a new owner and big developments on the horizon, can this sacred space hold on to that authentic soul?

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SKI INGMAG.COM | 77

I

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tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock on a Saturday afternoon at Taos Ski Valley, in the crown of New Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

I hop off the chair and prepare to hike, just as a dozen other TaoseĂąos who like fall-line skiing and fresh snow are preparing to do. A few feet to my right, Terah Blake and Keith Stagg click out of aURV_ OV[QV[T` ]VPX b] aURV_ `XV` Ă&#x20AC;V[T aURZ \cR_ their shoulders, and begin treading uphill, just like aURf¡cR Q\[R aU\b`N[Q` \S aVZR` ORS\_R Terah and Keith are two of the 13 grandchildren of AN\` S\b[QR_ 2_[VR /YNXRÂłaURf¡_R Âż_`a P\b`V[` N[Q YVSRY\[T `XV ObQQVR` /YNXR Q_\cR b] S_\Z .YOb^bR_^bR S\_ aUR dRRXR[Q( @aNTT Q_\cR Q\d[ S_\Z /\bYder. They, as well as a longtime Taos skier named /_Raa 5VYY` UNcR ORR[ YN]]V[T aUR `aRR]` `V[PR & N Z and will continue to do so until last chair. Taos, suffering through another year of high-desert drought, had only 148 inches for the season as of March 7. No bueno /ba aUR ]N`a ad\ QNf` UNcR a_N[`S\_ZRQ aUR Z\b[aNV[ dVaU V[PUR` \S QR[`R Q_f `[\d 2cR_f run has been soft and chargeable, an ode to the elecNaV\[ !% SRRa Na aUR a\] \S aUR _R`\_a N[Q aUR predominantly north-facing steeps.

Just as we start to hike, Alejandro â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hanoâ&#x20AC;? Blake, another of Ernieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandchildren, skis off the chair and spots Terah. â&#x20AC;&#x153;T-Dawg!â&#x20AC;? he shouts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hano!â&#x20AC;? she exclaims, pleasantly surprised to see another member of the family.

AUR [Rea ad\ ZV[baR` N_R cV[aNTR AN\` 5N[\ Terah, and Keith pause their powder day to catch up on life. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see each other often, but when they do, it is usually on the snow at their familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ski area. Locals in duct-taped pants breeze past them, `\ZRaVZR` Q\YV[T \ba N UVTU ÂżcR \_ URYY\ AUR a_V\ makes dinner plans for the following week in AlOb^bR_^bR dUR_R 5N[\ YVcR` a\\ DUR[ aURf ]N_a skiing | DEC 2014

ways, off to different thrills in different stashes, they `ZVYR N[Q dNcR YVXR S_VR[Q` Till next time.

It is hard not to feel good about skiing when you `RR `bPU N[ RePUN[TR .O\cR NYY \aUR_ SNPa\_` Na Taosâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the steep terrain, high altitude, cold snow, and passionate localsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the ski areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intimacy and PUN_Z UNcR QV`aV[TbV`URQ Va `V[PR Va` S\b[QV[T V[ &"! AUV` cVOR NYdNf` PNZR S_\Z aUR /YNXR SNZVYf From Ernie to his grandchildren, the Blakes promoted a no-reason-to-rush, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-plenty-of-powdera\ T\ N_\b[Q NaaVabQR AURf cNYbRQ UVXV[T N[Q U\] ab_[` \cR_ UNYS ZVYR dVQR T_\\ZR_` ?N_R`a \S NYY they somehow made 600 employees feel like their last name was Blake too. The Taos song remained the same for generations, and a lot of souls grew richer ORPNb`R \S Va AUR ab[R U\dRcR_ V` PUN[TV[T @bQQR[Yf `\ZR \S aU\`R `NZR ]R\]YR dU\ UNcR QRc\aRQ aURV_ `XV YVcR` a\ AN\` N_R d\[QR_V[T NO\ba its future. Last December, four months before our PUN[PR ZRRaV[T Na aUR a\] \S 0UNV_ aUR /YNXR` N[nounced they had sold the ski area to one of the richR`a ZR[ V[ .ZR_VPN OVYYV\[NV_R P\[`R_cNaV\[V`a 9\bV` Bacon. Then, this past summer, following a long-inaUR d\_X` ZN`aR_ QRcRY\]ZR[a ]YN[ aUR `XV N_RN built a chairlift on the north face of Kachina Peak, AN\`¡` P_\d[ WRdRY NPPR`` a\ dUVPU b`RQ a\ _R^bV_R UVXV[T !" ZV[baR` b] N Tb`af _VQTR ;Rea `]_V[T ZbPU \S aUR ReV`aV[T ON`R cVYYNTR dVYY OR a\_[ Q\d[ N[Q _Rbuilt, with 40 new condominiums and more. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is not just a rebranding but a complete reQRÂż[VaV\[ \S aUR VQR[aVaf \S aUR `XV N_RN Âľ `Nf` 1N_VR[ 3R_[N[QRg N AN\` [NaVcR dU\ d\_X` N` N YVSa \]R_ator at the Ski Valley and who ran unsuccessfully for town council in April. ;RcR_ ZV[Q aUNa 2_[VR /YNXR UVZ`RYS P\[PRVcRQ aUR

The Ridge: 8NPUV[N YVSa `\ZR " fRN_` RN_YVR_ Silent for now, Combined with news of the sale but will the N[Q aUR VZ]R[QV[T _RQRcRY\]Kachina lift bring on the ment, the locals are in the midst masses? of an uneasy debate that raises a ^bR`aV\[ PR[a_NY a\ AN\`¡` Sbab_R' Must economic progress come at the cost of a ski areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soul?

THE EASY ANSWER IS YES, BUT THE REALITY

is more complicated. When Mickey Blake, Ernieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eldest son and Taos Ski Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general manager `V[PR &$ Âż_`a N]]_\NPURQ /NP\[ YN`a `bZZR_ a\ gauge his interest in buying Taos, Blake did so because he felt Bacon would treat his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dreamâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritageâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;right. Bacon, who dePYV[RQ N ]U\[R V[aR_cVRd S\_ aUV` `a\_f Oba QVQ `bOZVa comments in writing, says he understands what is at `aNXR dVaU AN\` N[Q ]YN[` a\ U\[\_ aUR /YNXR`¡ P\[Âżdence. It is not dissimilar to his management strategy Na UV` SNZ\b` A_V[PUR_N /YN[PN _N[PU Wb`a \cR_ aUR border in southern Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s San Luis Valley. He O\bTUa aUR $ NP_R ]Y\a S_\Z aUR 3\_OR` SNZVYf S\_ $" ZVYYV\[ N[Q YNaR_ ]YNPRQ N P\[`R_cNaV\[ RN`RZR[a \[ Va `\ Va dVYY [RcR_ OR QRcRY\]RQ ´.O\cR NYY 6 Q\[¡a dN[a a\ `P_Rd b] aUR Re]R_VR[PR of a challenging and fun mountain that caters to ski enthusiasts as opposed to resortgoers,â&#x20AC;? Bacon says .

6a ZNf `RRZ \QQ aUNa N DNYY @a_RRa ON_\[ /NP\[ founded the hedge fund Moore Capital Management and, according to Forbes dN` aUR # [Q _VPUR`a ZN[ V[ .ZR_VPN V[ dVaU N [Ra d\_aU \S # OVYYV\[ d\bYQ OR `\ QRc\aRQ a\ aUV` UVTU QR`R_a [\\X dUR_R the lifties hit you with snowballs and it sometimes SRRY` YVXR N XVaPUf SNbe /NcN_VN /ba UNcV[T `XVRQ N[Q

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Patroller Alex Mithoeffer; longtime patroller Royal Moulton; Mickey Blake, oldest son of founder Ernie and Rhoda Blake and Taos Ski Valley general manager from 1972 through last season’s sale; snowboard patroller Justin Bobb (the resort started allowing boards only in 2008); seasonal employee Wade Lee, off-duty and soaking in the last day of the 2013–14 season; local icon James Seymour; Adriana Blake, Ernie and Rhoda’s granddaughter, who, along with her brother Hano, was poised to take over management before the sale; Gordon Briner, who will oversee the ownership transition.

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WorldMags.net CLOCKWISE: Locals and libations at The Bavarian; Garret Altman gets neckdeep in enchantment in Corner Chute; one of the Ridge hikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic chutes, NiĂąos Heroes, was named for young Mexican cadets in the MexicanAmerican War.

owned property here since the mid-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s, Bacon knew all he needed to know about Taosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential. He bought the ski area partly as a business investment and partly as a personal passion. ´.a Âż_`a 6 YNbTURQ Na aUR idea of running a ski resort,â&#x20AC;? he saysâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and thus longtime Taos Ski Valley executive Gordon Briner is making the day-today decisions, with input from Baconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right-hand man, Peter Talty. Although Bacon, 56, has seven children, he does not plan to hand the reins to them the dNf 2_[VR /YNXR QVQ ´6 \SaR[ Âż[Q myself an opponent of developments. But Mickey was serious, aUR Z\b[aNV[ QRÂż[VaRYf [RRQRQ `\ZR [Rd V[cR`aZR[a N[Q 6 SRYa very honored to be considered as a steward of his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long heritage here.â&#x20AC;?

AUR /YNXR` [RcR_ ]ba AN\` b] S\_ `NYR 6[`aRNQ \[PR Mickey had approached Bacon (and one other possible buyer whose identity remains a secret to everyone but Mickey), he gathered the six grandchildren who owned most of the stock and explained the situation.

The resort was not in danger of collapseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Blakes almost never took on debtâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but given that it earned \[Yf N \[R \_ ad\ ]R_PR[a ]_\Âża RNPU fRN_ N[Q TVcR[ that their primary source of income was not real esaNaR YVXR aUR OVT _R`\_a`¡ Oba aUR ÂżPXYR P\ZZ\QVaf \S lift tickets, there was little chance they would be able

to pay for any of the upgrades they had been planning. The Blakes had turned down unsolicited offers before, but if ever there were a time to sellâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;if ever the Ski Valley could have a chance to thriveâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;this was going to be it.

Mickey was in control of a majority of the stock, but he told the grandchildren the decision of whether to sell was up to them.

Weeks passed. Doubt lingered.

Not everyone was on board dVaU `RYYV[T Na YRN`a [\a Na Âż_`a For nearly a decade, two of Mickeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four children, Adriana, 43, and Hano, 37, had essentially been training to take over management of the ski area. Mickey was nearing 70. He was tired and ready to retire. Hano and Adriana had worked every job at the Ski Valley to learn the operation. But in the end, all that really meant was they were less surprised when their father broached the subject of a sale.

After some debate, the grandchildren voted unanimously in the summer of 2013 to pursue a deal. Ernie had passed away in 1989, but Mickey consulted his Z\aUR_ ?U\QN [\d &# a\ TRa UR_ OYR``V[T 6[ ZN[f dNf` aUR `NYR a\ /NP\[ dN` NT\[VgV[T 6[ \aUR_` Va was liberating (especially since every Blake descendant is guaranteed a lifetime ski pass). The bottom YV[R, 6a dN` V[RcVaNOYR Family ski areas still exist in Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x153;not as

â&#x20AC;&#x153;IN OUR HEART OF HEARTS NOT ONE OF US WANTED TO SELL THIS...

BUT IN THE MODERN WORLD, WE JUST WEREN'T SELLING ENOUGH LIFT TICKETS.â&#x20AC;?

skiing | DEC 2014

many but still in the hundreds,â&#x20AC;? estimates Michael Berry, National Ski Areas Association presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become harder to make them work. Guest expectations have changed, says Benny Abruzzo, a longtime friend of the Blakes whose family owns and runs Ski Santa Fe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The pressures to modernize and keep your facility up to your guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations are the biggest difference,â&#x20AC;? he says.

The Blakes simply couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford to do that. ´6a dN`[¡a YVXR aUR SNZVYf SN_Z dUR_R aUR XVQ` N_enâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interested in the farm,â&#x20AC;? says Keith Stagg, who, as a child, woke up to his father delivering the snow re]\_a` RNPU Z\_[V[T ´6[ \b_ URN_a \S URN_a` [\a \[R \S b` dN[aRQ a\ `RYY aUV` 6S dR UNQ aUR PN]VaNY aUR T_\b] of us grandchildren absolutely wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve loved to run this place for another hundred years. But in the modern world, we just werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t selling enough lift tickets.â&#x20AC;?

AMONG THE TREPIDATIONS EXPRESSED by Y\PNY` Z\`a _RYNaR a\ aR__NV[ N[Q `]RPVÂżPNYYf aUR 8NPUV[N YVSa AUR ÂżeRQ T_V] a_V]YR PUNV_ ZNXR` NPPR`sible about 150 acres of what had been hike-to-only steeps, but as Briner points out, more than 70 percent of Taosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hike-to terrain remainsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likeYf a\ `RR YR`` a_NSÂżP ORPNb`R \S aUR 8NPUV[N YVSa N[Q N soon-to-be-gladed expansion called the Wild West.

There are murmurs that the lift up Kachina could spur an access gate to Lake Fork, a peak with serious big-mountain lines just south of Kachina, though Briner says no gate will open for at least two years.

Still, plenty of locals question whether gaining a new crown jewel would be worth losing the current one. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People who have been here a long time worry that the lift is going to bring a lot of people up there

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who shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be up there and werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t up there before, because they were deterred by the hike,â&#x20AC;? says Taos liftie Fernandez.

But not everyone agrees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anyone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thinking clearly about it can only think that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be good,â&#x20AC;? counters Jamie Leeson, owner of the Taos Cow deli in nearby Arroyo Seco. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kachina canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be an exclusive club. If someone is willing to spend money on the ski area to improve the infrastructure, aUNa UN` a\ OR N OR[RÂża 2cR[ VS Va¡` Wb`a ZNXV[T `b_R aUR a\VYRa` Ă&#x20AC;b`U ORaaR_ 6a¡` T\V[T a\ OR ORaaR_ Âľ â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think the soul is endangered,â&#x20AC;? adds former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, who skis QNf` N fRN_ Na AN\` \SaR[ UVXV[T 8NPUV[N ÂżcR times a day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think this is really going to be good.â&#x20AC;?

Terrain and charisma are not enough to guaranaRR Ob`V[R`` U\dRcR_ AN\` dUVPU Âż[NYYf NYY\dRQ snowboarding in 2008, has hovered around 240,000 skier visits in recent seasons, relying primarily on guests who come from within a 150-mile radius. Five years from now, Briner hopes to see that number increase to 300,000 and include a more geographiPNYYf QVcR_`R PYVR[aRYR 2cR[ d\bYQ[¡a ZNaPU Taosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heyday of the early 1990s, when Taos peaked at 360,000 skier visits and New Mexico at 1.375 million, nearly double the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2013â&#x20AC;&#x201C;14 total of 733,041.

Sometimes the question arises of which resorts Taos wants to compete with. New Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighbor to the north, Colorado, is an obvious albeit tough target. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the top ski destination in the country and totaled an all-time high of 12.6 million skier visits YN`a dV[aR_ b] RVTUa ]R_PR[a S_\Z aUR ÂżcR fRN_ NcR_age). Crested Butte, a similar area with an authentic town and legendary steeps, makes for a good comparison to Taosâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it rang up 370,000 skier visits last year.

New owner Bacon says heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll keep the magic in this scene.

skiing | DEC 2014

IN MANY WAYS, THE SALE TO BACON WAS AGONIZING. IN OTHERS, IT WAS LIBERATING (ESPECIALLY SINCE EVERY BLAKE DESCENDANT IS GUARANTEED A LIFETIME SKI PASS). THE BOTTOM LINE? IT WAS INEVITABLE. Still, Briner, who ran Breckenridge Ski Resort in the mid-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s, insists that Taos competes with no resort in particular, generally coveting â&#x20AC;&#x153;adventurous skiersâ&#x20AC;? dU\ N]]_RPVNaR N ]YNPR dUR_R ab_[` P\ZR Âż_`a Others are more direct in expressing what is an underlying sentiment in this corner of the Sangres. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to upgrade,â&#x20AC;? says Bob â&#x20AC;&#x153;Willyâ&#x20AC;? Willette, a 26-year Taos patroller, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think we want to be Colorado. I think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re better than Colorado.â&#x20AC;?

AS IT TURNS OUT, THE BLAKESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BUSINESS

V[Ă&#x20AC;bR[PR \[ AN\` QVQ [\a R[Q dVaU aUR `NYR /NP\[ who grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and learned to ski at Middlebury College in Vermont, is paying Mickey to sit on the Ski Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board of

directors and advise him and Peter Talty while they get up to speed on ski-area ownership. Because of Baconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relative seclusion as ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;he swooped V[ S\_ Wb`a N SRd ]\dQR_ QNf` YN`a `RN`\[ÂłN[Q ORcause in that seclusion heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so different from the Blake clan, who were there every day for 60 years, `\ZR Y\PNY` d\__f aUNa /NP\[ V` `VZ]Yf `]VSÂż[T b] AN\` a\ `RYY Va S\_ N URNYaUf ]_\Âża N SRd fRN_` S_\Z now. He promises that is not the case. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As for a short-term real-estate speculationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it is [\a Zf YV[R \S d\_X N[Q aUV` H]_\PR``J V` QRÂż[VaRYf going to take my involvement,â&#x20AC;? Bacon says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I look at aUV` N` N Sb[ ]_\WRPa V[ N ]YNPR 6 Y\cR =Yb` 6 TRa a\ \]R[ runs with patrolâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;how do you put a price on that?â&#x20AC;?

You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, of course, because you own the ski area so you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to. But you do put a price on the cost of change, both short-term and long. Bacon did not buy Taos to lose money, no matter how much fun it is a\ `P\_R Âż_`a a_NPX` 4VcR[ UV` $" ZVYYV\[ V[cR`aZR[a b] S_\[a ab_[V[T N ]_\Âża d\[¡a OR RN`f R`]RPVNYYf VS the drought continues. But he, like thousands of other Taos devotees, believes in something that nobody seems able to put into wordsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Taos mystique.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about the skiing, yes. And the people who can never get enough of that skiing. And the duct aN]R aURf dRN_ .[Q aUR /YNXR` dU\ `aVYY ÂżTb_R a\ be everywhere. But mostly itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about the mountain. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the end of the day,â&#x20AC;? says Brett Hills, who will be skiing the mountain religiously again this season, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kachina Peakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always going to be 12,481 feet.

No oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to change that. And when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sitting up there looking at the cirque, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still going to be a magical place.â&#x20AC;?

F\b Wb`a ZVTUa UNcR a\ dNVa V[ N YVSaYV[R S\_ Va Devon Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neil is a staff writer at ESPN and frequent contributor to Skiing. He lives in Breckenridge.

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SKIING WITH THE GODS SKIING...IN GREECE? INCREDIBLY, THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT OLYMPUS, A.K.A. THE THRONE OF ZEUS, GETS BLESSED WITH 350 ANNUAL INCHES OF SNOW. WE CAUGHT UP WITH WITH WARREN MILLER ENTERTAINMENT ATHLETES JOSH BIBBY AND TYLER CECCANTI, WHO FOUND ITS LINES TO BE DIVINE.

BY CONNOR W. DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE ARZT

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While filming No Turning Back for Warren Miller Entertainment, Tyler Ceccanti and Josh Bibby examine â&#x20AC;&#x153;the towersâ&#x20AC;? of 7,992foot Astraka Peak during a lengthy tour. OPPOSITE: Mount Olympus, Greece's highest peak, in all its godly splendor.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The film crew's LZ atop 9,573-foot Mount Olympus.

The stone hut belongs to the Hellenic (Greek) Army, which runs ski training here; Tyler pins a couple big and confident turns down Mount Olympus following a scary encounter with a large slide earlier in the day; Greece has a surprising number of ski lifts, but like anywhere, it's nice to have the helicopter; Josh and Tyler wander around the backcountry of Vasilitsa Ski Resort during their first day on snow in Greece.

After losing their bags en route from the US, their first turns felt victorious.

skiing | DEC 2014

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SKI INGMAG.COM | 87

WorldMags.net CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Tyler spends his “rest day” flipping into chilly waters; Locals say this Greek woman treks more than seven miles on foot every day; Josh and Tyler duke it out in an impromptu parkour competition on top of ancient stone bridges; Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, serves as a perfect retreat from the mountains for some sightseeing and face stuffing; Skiing in Greece is unique for numerous reasons—accessing the slopes via horse, for example.

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the moment And then it happens. Everything comes together. Time seems to pause just long enough for you to realize â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this is what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about.

sunvalley.com

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LEFT TO RIGHT: WME cinematographer Tom Day scouts the best lines on Mount Olympus for No Turning Back; Josh lays over a smooth turn after a bumpy horse ride through Greece’s rugged landscape.

NO TURNING BACK Warren Miller Entertainment's annual film tour is here. Which means your favorite season is just around the corner.

Sixty five years ago, a man with an 8mm camera who spent his nights sleeping in the parking lot at Sun Valley, Idaho, made ski history with his first feature film, Deep and Light. Warren Miller's legacy would one day be as deep as the powder in which he filmed.

Today, the film tour is run by Skiing's sister company, Warren Miller Entertainment.

But not much else has changed. Skiers still get stoked, and they still count down the days until the lifts start spinning.

This year's film, No Turning Back, features Tyler and Josh skiing—and sipping traditional tiaspouro—in Greece; Ueli Kestenholz and J.T. Holmes speedriding in Switzerland; Ingrid Backstrom and Jess McMillan crushing AK; and industry veterans Mike Hattrup and Seth Morrison on the steeps of Chamonix. Plus Norway, Montana, Beaver Creek, and more.

For tickets and showtimes, go to warrenmiller.com.

skiing | DEC 2014

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GETTING TO THE TOP IS EASY. GETTING TO THE BOTTOM TAKES SKIS.COM.

Our tools help you select gear to match your ability, budget and performance needs.

HIT UP SKIS.COM

before you hit the slopes.

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The goal for most Banzai competitors: stay upright.

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Thanks to World Cup vet and Hahnenkamm champ Daron Rahlves, the world’s ballsiest brand of ski racing doesn’t take place on some obscure European piste, but in California.

WELCOME TO THE RAHLVES BANZAI TOUR.

BY GORDY MEGROZ / PHOTOGRAPHY BY COURT LEVE

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Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m having a moment of deep, sphincter-clenching regret.

ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I SIGNED UP FOR ONE OF THE GNARLIEST

ski races in North America, and now the source of my anxiety lurks below: a 1,300-vertical-foot skiercross course at Sugar Bowl Resort near Lake Tahoe, California. But this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just any skiercross course. Those challenge racers af]VPNYYf S\b_ \_ ÂżcR Na N aVZR dVaU ZN[ZNQR WbZ]` OR_Z` N[Q _\YY` N` aURf careen through gates, jostling like pinballs down the mountain. This Sugar Bowl course has plenty of jumps, berms, and gates, but the terrain is au naturel, meaning the jumps are composed of rock formations, side hills, and knolls, and the track consists of whatever Mother Nature laid downâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;anything from moTbY ÂżRYQ` a\ ]\dQR_ a\ dRa URN]` \S P\_[ The course comes courtesy of Daron Rahlves, Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winningest World 0b] Q\d[UVYYR_ dVaU \[R Z\_R aUN[ /\QR N[Q @b]R_ 4 d\_YQ PUNZ] dU\ V[ `aN_aRQ aUR ?NUYcR` /N[gNV A\b_ AUR_R N_R S\b_ `a\]` NYY V[ aUR Lake Tahoe area and all with the same carnage-generating format: Chinese Q\d[UVYY ZRRa` E 4NZR` AUV` V` aUR Âż[NY `a\] \[ aUR a\b_ÂłN[Q 6 aU\bTUa 6 `U\bYQ PURPX Va \ba =R_UN]` aUR P_NgVR`a ]N_a \S NYY aUV` V` aUNa S\_ N " R[a_f SRR N[fO\Qf PN[ `VT[ b] S\_ aUR`R _NPR` :V[Q f\b 6 _NPRQ V[ P\YYRTR Oba 6 UNcR[¡a ]b`URQ aU_\bTU TOP TO BOTTOM: Daron Rahlves with N `aN_a TNaR `V[PR AUV` dVYY OR Zf Âż_`a `XV _NPR \S N[f XV[Q V[ sister Shannon; " fRN_` N[Q Zf P\Z]RaVaV\[ V` S\_ZVQNOYR :N[f N_R S\_ZR_ the writer (far left) college racers, some compete on the big-mountain skiing tour, definitely not getting N[Q aUR cN`a ZNW\_Vaf N_R `aVYY `NSRYf V[ aURV_ ` 6¡Z % @]\VYR_ the â&#x20AC;&#x153;hole shotâ&#x20AC;?; jockeying for position NYR_a' 6 Q\ [\a dV[ aUV` _NPR can be brutal; the :f T\NY V[ _RNYVaf V` a\ TRa N aN`aR \S aUR P_NgV[R`` dVaU\ba ONQwriter with the raceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Yf V[Wb_V[T Zf`RYS N[Q Zf Âż_`a aR`a N a_NV[V[T _b[ V` VZZV[R[a namesake. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The course is clear,â&#x20AC;? the starter says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ready when you are.â&#x20AC;?

6 TVcR UVZ N [\Q N[Q N UNYS `ZVYR ´/ba f\b ZVTUa dN[a a\ ObPXYR b] f\b_ URYZRa ¿_`a ¾ UR NQcV`R` 4\\Q PNYY skiing | DEC 2014

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AT BANZAI RACES, FOUR COMPETITORS LINE UP BEHIND A GATE

aUNa ÀV]` \]R[ `U\_aYf NSaR_ aUR `aN_aR_ `Nf` ´?RNQf µ AUR a\] ad\ NQcN[PR a\ aUR [Rea URNa :NXV[T `b_R f\b TRa \ba V[ S_\[a \S aUR P\Z]RaVaV\[ _VTUa \ba \S aUR TNaR³aUR ]N_a \S aUR _NPR X[\d[ N` aUR ´U\YR `U\a µ³V` N P_bPVNY aNPaVP aUNa \SaR[ QRaR_ZV[R` aUR dV[[R_ \S aUR URNa `V[PR ]N``V[T \aUR_ `XVR_` \[ aUR P\b_`R PN[ OR QVS¿PbYa 3VTUaV[T S\_ aUR U\YR `U\a PN[ TRa bTYf dVaU RYO\d` N[Q ]\YR` ÀfV[T 3\_ab[NaRYf Qb_V[T a_NV[V[T _b[` _NPR_` TRa a\ T\ Q\d[ aUR P\b_`R `\Y\ dUVPU V` T\\Q `V[PR 6 UNcR ]YR[af \S \aUR_ aUV[T` a\ d\__f NO\ba 6 ]b`U \ba \S aUR TNaR N[Q QR`PR[Q N $ QRT_RR _NZ] aUNa ^bVPXYf _\PXRa` ZR a\dN_Q N OVT _VTUa S\\aRQ ab_[ AUR T S\_PR` ]bYY ZR a\dN_Q N `NSRaf SR[PR dUVPU 6 [RN_Yf O_b`U b] NTNV[`a aUR[ aU_\bTU N TN] aUNa Q_\]` \SS R[\bTU a\ YNb[PU ZR NO\ba " SRRa N[Q YN[Q ZR UN_Q \[ N `RPaV\[ \S `a_NVTUaNdNf aUNa `b_TR` NP_\`` aUR SNYY YV[R a\dN_Q N OVT YRSa S\\aR_ <cR_[VTUa aRZ]R_Nab_R` Q_\]]RQ R[\bTU a\ ab_[ aUR ObZ]f PURdRQ b] aR__NV[ V[a\ N P\_NY _RRS \S S_\gR[ Z\TbY` `URR_ ]NaPUR` \S VPR N[Q V[aR_ZVaaR[a PUb[X` \S _\PX `\YVQ `[\d N[Q aUR R[aV_R aVZR Zf dU\YR O\Qf V` _NaaYV[T N` aU\bTU 6·Z ORV[T Q_NTTRQ NP_\`` aUR _bZOYR `a_V] \[ N UVTUdNf @aVYY NYY 6 PN[ aUV[X NO\ba V` aUR Z\`a \ZV[\b` ]N_a \S aUR P\b_`R' AUR 8RfU\YR N " S\\a dVQR TN] ORadRR[ ad\ O\bYQR_` dVaU N " S\\a Q_\] \[ aUR \aUR_ `VQR 0\ZR \ba \S aUR 8RfU\YR dVaU\ba ]_\]R_ QV_RPaV\[ a\dN_Q aUR [Rea ab_[ N[Q f\b·_R O\b[Q S\_ N dNYY \S _\PX .[ U\b_ RN_YVR_ 6 `YV]]RQ aUR P\b_`R a_fV[T a\ TRa N `R[`R \S aUR OR`a N]]_\NPU a\ RNPU ab_[ N[Q WbZ] .Y\[T aUR dNf 6 _N[ V[a\ ?NUYcR` dU\ dN` NY`\ TVcV[T aUR P\b_`R N Y\\X .a aUR R[Q \S aUR QNf V[ dUNa UR PNYY` aUR @b]R_ 3V[NY ?NUYcR` dVYY _NPR aUR S\b_ Tbf` dU\·cR RN_[RQ aUR Z\`a ]\V[a` S_\Z aUR `R_VR` \S S\b_ _NPR` AUR dV[[R_ \S aUNa _NPR RN_[` N " PURPX 2ePR]a S\_ YN`a fRN_ dUR[ UR QVQ[·a _NPR V[ aUR @b]R_ 3V[NY ORPNb`R \S V[Wb_f ?NUYcR` dU\·` [\d ! Oba `aVYY N `\YVQ OY\PX \S Zb`PYR NYdNf` dV[` ´6 dN` NZ]V[T dUR[ 6 `Ra aUV` µ `NVQ ?NUYcR` dU\`R YNVQ ONPX 0NYVS\_[VN cVOR ORYVR` UV` _NPR QNf aR[NPVaf ´6 dN` YVXR aUV` V` a\\ RN`f 6 [RRQ a\ aU_\d `\ZR `abSS Na aUR`R Tbf` µ ´;\d dR·YY [RRQ a\ PURPX \b_ `]RRQ NYY aUR dNf Q\d[ µ `NVQ \[R \S aUR \aUR_ _NPR_` ´Fb] µ `NVQ ?NUYcR` ´6a·` T\[[N OR N QVSSR_R[a _NPR µ 5R aUR[ T_V[[RQ N[Q `XVRQ \SS 6[ _RNYVaf Va·` ReNPaYf aUR af]R \S PUNYYR[TR ?NUYcR` UN` NVZRQ a\ aU_\d Na `XVR_` RcR_ `V[PR UR `aN_aRQ aUR a\b_ S\b_ fRN_` NT\ @bTN_ /\dY V` ?NUYcR`·` U\ZR Z\b[aNV[ aUR ]YNPR dUR_R UR YRN_[RQ a\ `XV ORS\_R T\V[T \[ a\ dV[ D\_YQ 0b] _NPR` V[PYbQV[T aUR 5NU[R[XNZZ Q\d[UVYY `XV _NPV[T·` Z\`a aR__VSfV[T aR`a ?NUYcR` UNQ NYdNf` X[\d[ NO\ba N SNZ\b` _NPR URYQ aUR_R PNYYRQ aUR @VYcR_ /RYa dUVPU QNaRQ ONPX a\ &! 6a dN` `VZVYN_ V[ P\[PR]a a\ aUR Pb__R[a _NPR RePR]a aUNa \[Yf \[R _NPR_ `XVRQ Na N aVZR AUR @VYcR_ /RYa _NPR dN` Rea_RZRYf ]\]bYN_ V[ aUR &# ` N[Q ·$ ` Naa_NPaV[T OVT [NZR _NPR_` `bPU N` /bQQf DR_[R_ N[Q 4_RT 7\[R` Oba Va QVRQ \ba V[ &$" ORPNb`R Va dN`[·a `N[PaV\[RQ Of `XV _NPV[T·` T\cR_[V[T O\Qf .SaR_ _RaV_V[T S_\Z aUR D\_YQ 0b] a\b_ ?NUYcR` QRPVQRQ UR dN[aRQ a\ _RcVcR Va ´6 dN[aRQ a\ O_V[T ONPX aUR _\dQf `afYR \S _NPV[T aURf UNQ ONPX V[ aUR QNf µ UR `Nf` ´AUR[ ZNXR Va _\dQVR_ Of V[P\_]\_NaV[T N `XVR_P_\`` RYRZR[a µ 6[ ad\ fRN_` NSaR_ ?NUYcR` UNQ _R`a\_RQ aUR @VYcR_ /RYa _NPR UR YNb[PURQ _NPR` Na .Y]V[R :RNQ\d` N[Q 8V_Xd\\Q . fRN_ YNaR_ @^bNd CNYYRf W\V[RQ N[Q ?NUYcR` UNQ N_\b[Q `XVR_` N[Q O\N_QR_` `VT[V[T b] S\_ RNPU _NPR Z\`a Y\PNY Oba `\ZR P\ZV[T S_\Z N` SN_ NdNf N` 0N[NQN N[Q `YRR]V[T V[ aURV_ PN_` Wb`a a\ P\Z]RaR /N[X \S aUR DR`a N[Q .YN`XN .V_YV[R` `\\[ PNZR \[ N` aUR ZNV[ `]\[ `\_` RNPU P\b_`R UN` N[ ´.YN`XN .V_YV[R` 3YVTUa 1RPX µ dUR_R _NPR_` PN[ dV[ a\dN_Q N[ NV_YV[R aVPXRa S\_ ´/R`a .V_µ DVaU ?RQ /bYY N[Q `RcR_NY `ZNYYR_ `]\[ `\_` aUR A\b_ [\d \SSR_` N ]b_`R \S % dVaU aUR dV[[R_` \S aUR ZR[·` `XV _NPR` aNXV[T U\ZR N[Q S\_ ZR[·` `[\dO\N_Q( & S\_ d\ZR[·` `XV N[Q `[\dO\N_Q ;\a aUNa aUR NcR_NTR /N[gNV _NPR_ [RRQ` N[f Z\_R V[PR[aVcR

a\ `XV SN`aR_ Oba aUR Z\[Rf Q\R` URY] NaUYRaR` Wb`aVSf ]YNfV[T ?b``VN[ _\bYRaaR dVaU aURV_ .09` 6·Z N YVaaYR Z\_R PNbaV\b` dVaU Zf N]]_\NPU 6 aU_\d V[ N `R_V\b` `]RRQ PURPX ORS\_R aUR 8RfU\YR _NaaYR Zf dNf aU_\bTU N O\O`YRQ YVXR P\__VQ\_ N[Q ]\b[Q Zf O\Qf aU_\bTU S_\gR[ Z\TbY` a\ aUR ¿[V`U YV[R 4\\Q R[\bTU a\ ^bNYVSf S\_ a\Z\__\d·` ZNV[ Q_Nd `XVR_P_\`` `afYR :f [R_cR` N_R NY_RNQf S_NfV[T “WE’RE AT BANZAI TOUR, WHERE THE SKY IS BLUE, THE SNOW IS

`\Sa N[Q aUR ONOR` N_R Y\\XV[T T\\Q³Na YRN`a NSaR_ N SRd @VR__N ;RcNQN =NYR .YR` µ OYN_R` aUR N[[\b[PR_ S_\Z aUR ¿[V`U YV[R \[ _NPR QNf /N[gNV A\b_ V` N` ZbPU N ]N_af N` Va V` N _NPR N[Q aUR P_\dQ ORY\d V[QbYTR` V[ Ob_TR_` N[Q ORR_` N` aURf NdNVa aUR ¿_`a `XVR_` \[ P\b_`R @\ZR \S aUR P\Z]RaVa\_` N_R SRRYV[T SR`aVcR a\\ ;RN_ aUR `aN_a GNP 5\__\PX` N ¿`UV[T N[Q Ub[aV[T TbVQR dU\ YVcR` V[ @NYa 9NXR 0Vaf BaNU N[Q 9NXR =YNPVQ ;Rd F\_X ]\b[Q` YV^bVQ P\b_NTR V[ aUR S\_Z \S =/?` N[Q `bTTR`a` aUNa O\Qf N_Z\_ S\_ aUR _NPR P\bYQ OR ZNQR S_\Z b`RQ ORR_ PN[` ´6a d\bYQ ZNXR N T\\Q ONPX ]_\aRPa\_ µ UR `Nf` AUR[ UR P_b`UR` aUR PN[ N[Q Z\cR` a\dN_Q aUR `aN_a TNaR S\_ UV` ¿_`a _b[ 6 URNQ a\ N `]\a \cR_Y\\XV[T aUR P\b_`R dVaU 8fYR 0\e\[ N[Q 7R``R :NQQRe a\ PURPX \ba `\ZR \S aUR NPaV\[ :NQQRe ! d\_X` S\_ N TY\ONY PY\bQ P\Z]baV[T P\Z]N[f V[ @N[ 3_N[PV`P\ `]R[a aVZR N` N f\b[T _NPR_ \[ aUR B @ @XV ARNZ·` QRcRY\]ZR[a `^bNQ N[Q UN` d\[ N /N[gNV _NPR V[ aUR ]N`a 0\e\[ ! V` N _RPR[a B[VcR_`Vaf \S BaNU T_NQb NaR dU\ [\d d\_X` S\_ N[ \VY P\Z]N[f 5R `UV[RQ N` N Wb [V\_ _NPR_ N[Q UN` d\[ RNPU \S aUR ]_RcV\b` aU_RR RcR[a` aUV` `RN`\[ /\aU Tbf` N_R PN]NOYR \S \]R[V[T b] `RP\[Q TN]` \[ ZR \[ aUV` P\b_`R R\[` V[ `XV _NPV[T Oba YVXR RcR_fO\Qf UR_R aURf ZNXR ZR SRRY ]N_a \S aUR PYbO ´AUR_R·` N ZbabNY _R`]RPa µ `Nf` 0\e\[ ´6S f\b UNcR aUR ONYY` a\ `R[Q f\b_`RYS Q\d[ aUV` P\b_`R f\b·_R \[R \S b` µ AUNa ]\V[a V` UNZZR_RQ U\ZR N` N ^bN_aRa \S _NPR_` `]RRQ Of AUR `XVR_ V[ `RP\[Q UVa` aUR `RP\[Q OVT WbZ] \[ aUR P\b_`R ÀVR` ! SRRa aU_\bTU aUR NV_ N[Q Re]Y\QR` \[ VZ]NPa YRNcV[T N P\[`aRYYNaV\[ \S TRN_ \[ aUR `VQR \S aUR Z\b[aNV[ :V_NPbY\b`Yf UR·` ¿[R RcR[ Z\_R ZV_NPbY\b` V` aUNa aUR_R UNcR ORR[ \[Yf ad\ V[Wb_VR`³O\aU OY\d[ X[RR`³\[ aUR a\b_ V[ S\b_ fRN_` N[Q UR TNaUR_` UV` aUV[T` N[Q ZNXR` UV` dNf \SS aUR P\b_`R AUR `PR[R V` OVa b[`RaaYV[T Oba :NQQRe N[Q 0\e\[ `RRZ b[SNgRQ ´AUR Z\`a Sb[ aUV[T NO\ba aUV` _NPR V` T\V[T N` UN_Q N` f\b PN[ N[Q ZNXV[T Va Q\d[ V[ \[R ]VRPR µ `Nf` :NQQRe

“I WANTED TO BRING BACK THE ROWDY STYLE OF RACING THEY HAD BACK IN THE DAY,” RAHLVES SAYS. “THEN MAKE IT ROWDIER BY INCORPORATING A SKIERCROSS ELEMENT.”

I MAKE IT PAST THE FIRST ROUND AND START FEELING COCKY.

2NPU _b[ V` N YVaaYR Z\_R P\ZS\_aNOYR 6[ `RN_PU \S N OVa Z\_R `]RRQ 6 RcR[ a_NQR Zf NYY Z\b[aNV[ `XV` S\_ 4@ _NPR `XV` aUR _VQR SNc\_RQ Of Z\`a \S aUR P\Z ]RaVa\_` dUVPU 6 O\__\d S_\Z \[R \S aUR \aUR_ Tbf` /ba V[ aUR _\b[Q \S # 6 ¿[Q Zf`RYS b] NTNV[`a N a_V\ \S `RN`\[RQ /N[gNV P\Z]RaVa\_` V[PYbQV[T 0\e\[ dU\ RN`VYf dV[` <[Yf ad\ NQcN[PR a\ aUR [Rea _\b[Q N[Q 6 ¿[V`U S\b_aU 6·Z _RYVRcRQ a\ UNcR P\ZR aU_\bTU b[`PNaURQ Oba 6·Z NY`\ ]V``RQ ;\a \[Yf dN` 6 TRaaV[T SN`aR_ Oba aUR _NPR dN` ORP\ZV[T Z\_R Sb[ 6 URNQ a\ aUR O\aa\Z N[Q T_NO `\ZR S\\Q N[Q aNXR V[ aUR _R`a \S aUR _NPR 6 `RR N `XVR_ YNb[PU aU_\bTU aUR 8RfU\YR N[Q YN[Q \[ aUR ONPX \S 0\e\[ V[ aUR `RZV ¿[NY X[\PXV[T UVZ \ba \S aUR @bTN_ /\dY ¿[NY N[Q \]R[V[T aUR Q\\_ S\_ @UNd[ :P4RR N A_bPXRR 0NYVS\_[VN _R`VQR[a a\ dV[ UV` ¿_`a /N[gNV _NPR :P4RR QVQ[·a ZNXR Va ]N`a N `RZV¿[NY YN`a fRN_ Oba UR a\YQ ?NUYcR` aUNa _NPV[T \[ aUR a\b_ Z\aVcNaRQ UVZ a\ TRa `a_\[TR_ V[ aUR \SS `RN`\[ `\ UR·Q OR Z\_R P\Z]Ra VaVcR 5R·` RYNaRQ NSaR_ UV` cVPa\_f Oba aUR dV[ UN` NY`\ ^bNYV¿RQ UVZ S\_ aUR @b]R_ 3V[NY `\ UR·` S\_PRQ a\ PNYZ UV` RZ\aV\[` N[Q URNQ ONPX a\ aUR a\] 0\e \[ V` aUR_R a\\ a\ aNXR \[ ?NUYcR` S\_ aUR OVT ]Nf\SS N[Q QR`]VaR aUR PURdRQ b] aR__NV[ NYY aUR _NPR_` N_P Q\d[ aUR @VYcR_ /RYa a_NVY YVXR Va·` N ZRYY\d T_\\ZR_

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SKI INGMAG.COM | 95

WorldMags.net THE SKIER IN SECOND HITS A BIG JUMP, FLIES 40 FEET THROUGH THE AIR, AND EXPLODES ON IMPACT, LEAVING A CONSTELLATION OF GEAR ON THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

Nate Holland (right) with Daron (left) and Daronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kids, Miley and Dreyson.

<[PR NTNV[ ?NUYcR` [V]` aUR ¿RYQ S\_ aUR dV[ 5R¡` UN]]f a\ XRR] aUR " V[ UV` ]\PXRa Oba [\O\Qf V` Z\_R ¿_RQ b] aUN[ McGee, who celebrates with friends and exclaims that the Super Final was the

most fun and exciting thing heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever done.

And he adds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Getting to race against Daron is pretty humbling.â&#x20AC;?

Rahlves just seems relieved to have another year of Banzai in the books, and after the awards ceremony he heads to the bar.

Between course setting and maintenance, dealing with everything from timing issues to protests from racers who say they were interfered with, and preparing to race himself, Rahlves has been in constant motion. We grab a beer and he excitedly starts talking about the tour. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to face your fear and live up to the moment,â&#x20AC;?

UR `Nf` ´.[Q f\b ¿[Q \ba aUNa f\b UNcR more courage than you think you have.

There are people who think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too gnarly for them to do it. But people who do it get a P\[ÂżQR[PR O\\`a N[Q _RNYVgR Va¡` ]\``VOYR Âľ I tell Rahlves how I was just starting to really enjoy myself in the course when I got knocked out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to come back next year,â&#x20AC;? he says. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a little surprised by what comes out of my mouth next. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe I will,â&#x20AC;? I say.

Gordy Megroz lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spending the ski season training for the next Banzai Tour. Or not.

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

OFTEN IMITATED NEVER DUPLICATED

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WorldMags.net

BRUNO LONG

This is what Red usually looks like. When our correspondents visited, it looked just like this, only without the snow.

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WorldMags.net

Skunked

What do you do when powder doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pan out? It rarely happens at magical Red Mountain, British Columbiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-kept secret. But when it does, well, we are skiers.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find the joy.

BY KIMBERLY BEEKMAN

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Somebody coming down last run said that this is the worst day theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had in 10 years,â&#x20AC;? Vinz says cheerfully as we skate onto the base lift at British Columbiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Red Mountain. The liftie is the only other person we see. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 9 a.m.

Vinz is Vinzenz Keller, a local pro whom our photographer, Keri Bascetta, has arranged to shoot. Although with the conditions as they are, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not sure exactly what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll shoot him doing. We transfer to the Motherlode chair and look down at the moguls of Centre Star. They shine in the watery morning light like shellacked desserts in a diner display case, with a garnish of giant ferns sprouting in the troughs. Low fog hunkers in the dense trees and clings to their mustaches of moss, and a blanket of clouds moves over the sun. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m thinking about the light here, now a poisonous blue. If New Mexico, with its warm, rich sun, fosaR_` T_RNa Ă&#x20AC;\dR_ N_a aUR[ / 0 ¡` Zb`RbZ dNYY` Zb`a OR YV[RQ dVaU ]NV[aV[T` \S say, abandoned cars, rusting into the snow. I put my face inside my jacket.

We knew the forecast wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t great. A warm cycle followed by bitter cold has turned the snowpack to concrete. When we pulled in this morning and saw the possibilities of this awesome, hulking mountain, something inside, perhaps near the gallbladder, felt as though it had been put in one of those wall-mounted can-crushers above the recycling bin. Keri shut off the car and checked her phone. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d gotten a text from her boyfriend back home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fourteen inches at Eldora last night,â&#x20AC;? she said, sounding betrayed. We got out of the car, and exactly one breath later my nose hairs stuck together. The warmth on my ass from the heated car seat dissipated like that of a bowl of soup put in the freezer.

The plodding Motherlode chair rumbles over the sheaves on Tower 1. Vinz is telling us how he grew up dirt-biking on the prairies near his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Manitoba dairy farm, and how he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start skiing until they moved to the Kootenays

when he was 10. And when the chair crests the ridge and the wind blows right through us, he laughs and says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh man, what a crazy awesome day to be out!â&#x20AC;?

I blink at him, eyes watering inside my goggles.

We get off the lift and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know whether to shield my face with my hands or shield my hands with my ass. And what Keri and I do next cannot really be called skiing. I can feel wind seeping in every zipper and seam, and in the space I never knew existed between my head and helmet.

But Vinzâ&#x20AC;ŚVinz is doing grabs off the catwalks, railslides through brush piles, and all kinds of other tricks whose names I should know but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. I remember being a kid, watching my brother throw what we called â&#x20AC;&#x153;airplanesâ&#x20AC;? off every bank while I poled and skated to keep up. Vinz somehow skis up a tree trunk N[Q Q\d[ N Y\d YVZO Ă&#x20AC;V]` `VQRdNf` N[Q YN[Q` `dVaPU 8R_V N[Q 6 Y\\X Na RNPU other and laugh. This guyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awesome.

I start to look around. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the back side of Graniteâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Red has three peaks: Granite, Red, and the new Grey, which was just added last season. The terrain back here would be so, so good after a storm: wide-spaced trees, perfect pitches, sneaky traverses into the woods. Just across the valley, we see Mount Roberts, with its steep Y of couloirs, the best backcountry run Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never ski.

We get on the Paradise chair and suffer through another couple laps, sticking to the groomers. What looks like corduroy sounds like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s giving my skis a base grind.

Then, near the bottom of our third run, Vinz ducks into a sneaky traverse through the woods. We follow. The tang of woodsmoke hangs in the air, and aUR Z\`` ZbSĂ&#x20AC;R` RcR_faUV[T V[PYbQV[T aUN[XSbYYf aUR dV[Q 6 TRa N Pb_V\b` feeling, likeâ&#x20AC;ŚIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just walked through the door of some magic wardrobe.

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SKI INGMAG.COM | 99

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;liftlineâ&#x20AC;? at Motherlode.

Flipcup at Rafters, lifties vs. patrollers.

to get down to the new Grey Mountain Chair.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re tight, steep, and would be permanently chalky in a normal year. Big rocks on the ridgeline form natural halfpipes, and we looked over into the bowl where skiable cliffs funnel into Coolers and Dougâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Run. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as rowdy as youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ever want it to be, but chill options abound too. Toward the bottom, we hit a mystical low-angle forest, draped in mint-green moss that swayed in the wind. The trees creak. If fairies existed, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d live here. And from the summit? Easy skin tracks lead to some sweet, open, low-angle aprons on Mount Kirkup that would make perfect powder laps.

On the top of the next run, a dude in a red onepiece stops us and offers some of the resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history.

Red was the home of Olympic champion Nancy Greene; the Le Roi mine, nearby, started a gold rush here in 1890; and the Rossland Ski Club held aUR Âż _`a _RP\_QRQ `XV _NPR` V[ 0N[NQN 5V` dN_ZaU is typical of the people here. Or at least we think it is, having only run into three so far. One of them advised us to go to Whitewater. Not because the conditions are better, but because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;way less crowded.â&#x20AC;? At this we looked around. A crow cawed from a tree. I could hear his pole tip twist in the snow. And long after he dropped out of sight with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Woo-hoo,â&#x20AC;? the scraping sound of his skis reminded me to schedule my knee injections. Wonder if I could Âż YR aU\`R b[QR_ d\_XR_`¡ P\Z] On our way back to the Grey lift, the smell of sausage lures us to a trailer parked above the catwalk. The sign says Weiner Take All and sports more umlauts than a New Yorker article about reĂŤlection coĂśrdination.* Licking ketchup from my white mitten, I make a proclamation: I love this place. And another: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for beer.

At the base lodge, we stomp up the stairs, folY\dV[T aUR `\b[Q` \S _NbP\b`[R`` N[Q Âż [Q aUNa

Rafters is going off. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s packed. Which leads me to believe this is not just an après-ski bar, because N` SN_ N` dR PN[ aRYY dR dR_R NZ\[T aUR Âż cR ]R\]YR who actually skied today. Local workers in Carhartts and baseball caps pound callused hands on picnic tables with bro-brahs in Flylow. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thursday night, the waitress explains. Payday. For drinking, anyway, our timing is just right.

We meet up with local Leah Evans, 2011 Canadian freeski champ, whom weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also planned to shoot while weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here. She tells us over bottles of B.C. pilsner that the mountain itself is drilled with mine shafts, and a smelter that made part of the Hiroshima O\ZO V` Wb`a Q\d[ aUR _\NQ AUR dVQR Ă&#x20AC; \\_O\N_Q` N_R littered with ski clothes and bags and boots, and by aUR `\b[Q \S aUR P_\dQ ]YNfV[T Ă&#x20AC; V]Pb] N_\b[Q aUR long table in the back, things are still heating up.

We order another round, and the Silverlode liftie, proudly wearing his LIFT STAFF T-shirt, comes over with a pitcher and invites us to play. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been to a ski-town bar like this before, where there is no us and them, where the hardcore locals actually want tourists to feel, well, like hardcore locals. We grab red Solo cups and join in. I swallow a quarter. Keri knocks a historical photo off â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Wall of Deathâ&#x20AC;? (a memorial to all Redâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legends who have died).

And we crush the patrollers, 6 to 0.

5VTU Âż cR` N[Q PURR_` dVaU ]VaPUR_` R[`bR .

Bernese mountain dog sneaks in through the back door and loves up to anyone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s willing. Everyone is willing. The place is a hotbox of camaraderieâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the contact high is better than I ever remember in high school. *Note from our copy chief, Gillian Burnes: The New Yorkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two dots are called a diaeresis, which is different from an umlaut and unfortunately has nothing to do with German brats, grilled or otherwise.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: KERI BASCETTA (3); BRUNO LONG

R

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Red Mountain is as close as any resort gets to a 100 percent pow guarantee. It boasts more skiable acres and puckering steeps than Jackson Hole, comparable OB terrain, and only a quarter of JHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skier visits per day. And though it has only 300 â&#x20AC;&#x153;reportedâ&#x20AC;? annual inches, locals report much, much more.

Each storm here lasts an average of four days, which, by my admittedly suspect calculations, gets you roughly 120 pow days out of a 120-day season.

If I were to draw a Venn diagram of Redâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pow days and the days the resort is open, the circles would overlap perfectly in one big happy face.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day two, and Keri, Vinz, and I are now standing under the chutes on Grey Mountain, looking up at steep, narrow shots that with pow, or any kind of snow, would be sweet. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re newly opened this seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;part of 1,000 new acres of skiable terrainâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not actually open. Where snow should be lie huge debris piles among the sprouting trees. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ski it if we wanted toâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;soft closure,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; a patroller informed us casually. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind if you head inâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;but we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t because we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have chainsaws. If I were to draw a Venn diagram of this day, it would look like a dick and some balls.

Figures. I have been skunked on more pow trips in my 10 years in the industry than most people have in their lifetimes. Island Lake Lodge? Barely saved by an early corn cycle. Snowbird? Corduroy so frozen I could feel my body swelling up from my feet. Chile? Three inches of rain polished by 90mph winds. Valdez? Five-thousand-foot runs of frozen ocean that bashed our group to bits (four broken ribs, one face laceration, one concussion, and six consistent, low-grade Yukon Jack hangovers).

But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something I realize as I watch Vinz press up on his ski tips on the catwalk. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not one minute of any of those trips, even this molar-rattling, knee-swelling, hand-searing day, that I would rather have spent doing something else. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the truth. We are skiers. Shit conditions are part of the deal.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;if painfulâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to see the potential of this place. Last run, we skied through the trees of Roots

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KERI BASCETTA (2)

EACH STORM HERE LASTS AN AVERAGE OF FOUR DAYS, WHICH, BY MY ADMITTEDLY SUSPECT CALCULATIONS, GETS YOU ROUGHLY 120 POW DAYS OUT OF A 120-DAY SEASON.

TOP: Vinzenz Keller finds the skiing is better off the hill. BOTTOM: Mount Roberts, a.k.a. Robbie, is Red’s quintessential backcountry run and the main venue for the Canadian Freeskiing Open. It’s a 40-minute skin from Badger, off the Paradise chair.

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Vinz makes himself at home in the Stagger By.

Orea Sunshine, Leah Evans, and Vinz take us on an old-mine tour on the mountain.

Red is only six miles from the U.S. border, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deeply Canadian in culture. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as hardcore as a mountain gets, with 4,200 acres of skiable terrain, incredible and easily accessible backcountry, loads of snow (really!), and zero crowds.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not much in the way of lodging or nightlife at Red or in the nearby town of Rossland, which is just the way we like it.

WHERE TO DRINK: Rafters in the base lodge might be the best après bar ever. The Flying Steamshovel in Rossland is a good bet too. Hit the Royal Canadian Legion (yes, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right) on Thursdays for a live folk band, strong drinks, and plenty of local color.

WHERE TO EAT: Idgieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is a hip spot in downtown Rossland with fresh seafood like wild sockeye salmon and B.C. halibut.

GETTING THERE: Fly into Spokane, rent a car, and drive two and a half hours north to Red. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget your passport.

They check you at the border.

LODGING: Slalom Creek is the newest property at the base, with private hot tubs on the decks.

CAT SKIING: This season, Red will run cats on 200 acres of Mount Kirkup, adjacent to Grey.

Other ops include Big Red Cats, Valhalla, and Retallack. Visit red resort.com/activities/catskiing. skiing | DEC 2014

B

Back in the forest on day one, Vinz ducks a tree branch and we follow, snowplowing because the traverse is slicker than a shot luge. An Aframe cabin appears, thatched in on all sides by the moss-tufted trees.

CV[g a_VR` aUR Q\\_ /\\ fNU DR Âż YR V[a\ N \[R _\\Z cabin thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warm from the woodstove, its table a jumble of jam jars, booze bottles, and rolling papers.

I take off my gloves and gingerly press my hands a\TRaUR_ V[ S_\[a \S aUR ¿ _R ´DUNa V` aUV` ]YNPR,¾ 6 ask Vinz, whose own hands are the color of salmon.

5R `U_bT` ´AUR`R Uba` N_R NYY \cR_ Âľ A few minutes later, the door swings open and ad\ `Ra` \S O\\a` `a\Z] \[ aUR Ă&#x20AC; \\_ ´6a¡` SbPXV[T ZV`R_f \ba aUR_R Âľ `Nf` \[R \S aUR Tbf` dU\ `RRZ` not at all surprised to see us here. I realize I have a fully formed preconception of what a hardcore skier looks like. And this guy didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the memo. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50-ish with a gray ponytail and wears old bib pants, an Arcâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;teryx jacket, a 1980s North Face backpack without waist straps, and Scarpa tech touring boots.

6 Âż Tb_R aURf¡_R Wb`a YVXR b` S\YY\dV[T d\\Q smoke and stumbling into someone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s luck. I Q\[¡a Âż [Q \ba b[aVY N /bQdRV`R_ N[Q N UNYS V[a\ aURV_ stash, procured from the old North Face backpack without waist straps, that this cabinâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;appropriately named the Stagger Byâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is theirs.

AURf OYNZR aUR Pb__R[a `aNaR \S ZV`R_f \[ AUR Curse of the New Chair, meaning Grey. Apparently every time Red puts in a new lift, it suffers a Q_\bTUa DUVPU ZRN[` Va¡` UN]]R[RQ ¿ cR aVZR` in 111 years. AURf aRYY b` dUNa a\ `XV N` `\\[ N` aUR curse lifts: Mount Roberts, the quintessential conquest, or White Wolf for a safe tour that brings you _VTUa ONPX a\ aUR =N_NQV`R PUNV_ AURf aRYY b` dUR_R a\ T\ S\_ ORR_` V[ a\d[' AUR ?\fNY 0N[NQVN[ 9R gion, because the Eagles Club, where they belong, UN` a\\ ZN[f ´\YQ PU_\[VP` ¾ 6a `a_VXR` ZR aUNa 0N nadians are comfortable in their own skins. Which

is to say, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really give a fuck.

AUR_R¡` N[\aUR_ PNOV[ PNYYRQ aUR 8YV`aR_ 8YbO they tell us, farther in the trees, where their buddies hang out. Every weekend theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there, grilling and drinking, after, of course, skiing their brains out in ?RQ¡` YRTR[QN_f ]\d AURV_ XVQ` T_Rd b] UR_RÂłXVQ` like Colston Beatson, the two-time Canadian Junior Freeski Open champion. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like a little hidden d\\QYN[Q cVYYNTR dUR_R aUR 8RROYR_ 2YcR` P\bYQ OR just around the next bend. . Ă&#x20AC; N`X \S 3V_RONYY V` ]_\QbPRQ S_\Z `\ZRdUR_R and we pass it around. My insides burn pleasantly, and we start to compose a poem for their TbR`a O\\X ´DUNa _UfZR` dVaU ÂśPb_`R¡,Âľ 6 N`X ´/_Nadb_`a,Âľ \SSR_` CV[g P\PXV[T UV` URNQ Maybe someday Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get to come back here, to experience Red in its legendary powdery glory. But right now, shooting the shit with some middle-aged construction workers in touring gear, swapping stories about our worst days ever on the hill, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m happy to just `Va N[Q dNVa S\_ aUR Ă&#x20AC; N`X a\ P\ZR N_\b[Q NTNV[ Kimberly Beekman may have bad luck with snow on Skiing assignments, but, damn, can she Venn diagram.

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KERI BASCETTA (3)

SKIING Magazine (ISSN 0037-6264, USPS 580-330) is published four times a year (September, October, November, December) by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., an Active Interest Media company. The known ofďŹ ce of publication is at 2520 55th St., #210, Boulder, CO 80301. Copyright 2013 by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. Mailing List: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable ďŹ rms. If you would prefer that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t include your name, please write us at Palm Coast, FL, address. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Skiing Magazine, PO Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142. Periodicals postage paid at Boulder, CO, and at additional mailing ofďŹ ces. Subscription rates: $9.95 for 1 year. Please add $10.00 per year for Canadian addresses and $30.00 per year for all other international addresses. Canada Post Publications agreement number #40612608. Canada Post Returns: BCI, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada. GST #R-122988066. Printed in the USA.

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SKIER: Jeff Withey LOCATION: Alta, Utah

skiing | DEC 20 14

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