What the Summer Holds for the 2010-2011 Ski Season

U.S. 2009-2010 Ski Season reports second best season in history

This year, snow reports were down but the winter sports enthusiasts kept the slopes busy in the U.S. this year. Reports show that there was an increase in skiers this season by 4.2 percent, making the 2009-2010 ski season the second best ski season in U.S. History.

Never Summer; Attend Ski/Snowboard Camp to satisfy that snow jones-ing

Mt. Hood, Parkdale, ORE. offers spring and summer ski and snowboard camps for all those Skiers and Snowboarders that refuse to let the summer sun melt their snow. The camp is situated in the Mt. Hood National Forest and offers 14 sessions of ski and snowboard activities including workshops on racing, freestyle and terrain parks for all ages. The camp caters to all ages and all the necessities needed for summer skiing can be found on the mountain.

Epic Ski Pass to include Argentina for 2010-2011 Ski Season

The Vail Resorts Epic Ski Pass has expanded for next year to include Las Lenas Resort, Argintina. The resort is open to all pass holders this summer as long as they book their trip in one of the four appointed hotels. The Epic Ski Pass already includes unlimited ski days at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin and Heavenly, Calf.

Rock Mountain Railway to Become a Reality?

Rocky Mountain Rail Authority seeks to install a high speed rail network that would connect Denver to Vail, Colo., and Cheyenne Wyo. to Pueblo Colo. The cost of such an operation would be $20 to $40 billion that would only become profitable if tickets cost $40-$50.  The rail way would host trains that can go up to 300 mph, cutting skier drive times more than in half, but there is no telling if and when the system will become a reality.

The Summer Agenda for Summit and Eagle Counties, Colorado

As sad as the last snowfall is, I have to admit that I am pretty excited for long summer days filled with lazy tubing days, hiking, biking and Bar-B-Ques. As Ski Season 2009-2010 winds down, the surrounding villages prepare for a long summer full of activities geared towards any age.

Scroll down this page to see the projected summer events for each resort and town. Click on the links on the map below to see where each town is located.

KEYSTONE/DILLON/SILVERTHORNE

I-70 separates the small towns of Dillon and Silverthorne. At the base of the western side of Eisenhower Tunnel, you can find an array of activities that center around Lake Dillon or the Outlets at Silverthorne. For the Fourth of July, Lake Dillon hosts a boat parade and fireworks show. Surrounding the lake you can find many places to picnic or take a walk. The lake’s shores can be accessed in Dillon, Frisco or even Breckenridge.

Keystone Ski Resort is located 20 minutes south-east of Dillon and Silverthorne and hosts a multitude of summer events as well. Ski runs turn into bike trails as the days of summer progress. Tourists can also perfect their fly fishing skills with the clinic offered from May 22, 2010 to September 4, 2010.

Visit the Dillon, Silverthorne and Keystone Events Calendars for more information.

BRECKENRIDGE/FRISCO

Frisco is located just past Dillon and Silverthorne with Lake Dillon as a spectacular backdrop. Summer in Frisco consists of Town Parties, BBQ Challenges, Musical Festivals and Races.

Breckenridge is located south of Frisco and has it’s own agenda for the Summer. Not only is the Resort open for biking, but the town at the base of the mountains is home to beer, music and arts festivals all summer long. Located south of Breckenridge is Quandary Peak, one of Colorado’s many 14,000 ft peaks. Camping and hiking is a popular summer activity at the base, and all the way to the top of Quandary Peak.

Visit the Frisco and Breckenridge Events Calendars for more information.

VAIL/BEAVER CREEK/EDWARDS

Vail, Beaver Creek and Edwards are all located in Eagle County, Colorado. The towns themselves are small, but put together, summer festivals, activities and concerts make for fantastic summer getaways!

In order to make all activities safe, the Turtle Party Bus can be, and usually is, rented for all occasions. The bus is an old school bus painted green and outfitted with velour and velvet upholstery, poles (for whatever illicit mood strikes you as you travel through town), and a complete bar. The bus is rented out for events like the Bridge Street Bar Crawl and Turtle Tubing to ensure that everyone has a safe ride home! Lionshead Village in Vail, is also host to summer Art, Antiques, Music and Movie festivals all summer long.

Visit the Vail, Beaver Creek and Edwards Events Calendars for more information.

Warmer Winter Colthing, 50+ Skiers, Ski Patrol Tryouts and Cat-Skiing Kick Off Spring Skiing

Warmer Winter Clothing Might Be the “New Black”
Winter warmth just got better with the Klymit Inflatable Vests and Jackets, created by a few BYU students. The outerwear can be inflated with Argon gas (non-toxic, non-flammable, safe and often used with scuba diving gear to keep divers warm) so that the wearer can adjust their vest or jacket’s insulation at the turn of a dial. When fully inflated the champers that house the gas inflate to 10mm providing comfort and warmth. Kymit also offers an array of Argon insulated gear for all seasons of outdoor activity. Klymit in the news.

Keystone Invites Skiers 50+
Every Thursday morning at 9 am during March, Keystone Ski Resort hosts their “50+ Ski With Us” program. They don’t check ID’s and seven different ski levels are offered. The program features a tour of the Resort’s best runs alongside Certified Guest Service Guides. “50+ Ski With Us” in the news.

Ski Patrol Tryouts at Vail
If you’ve ever wanted to be on the Ski Patrol, Vail Resorts begins conducting Ski Patrol Testing on Sunday March 21, 2010. Strong skiers, tele-markers and snowboarders that pass evaluation of two or three runs will be invited to attend the Patrol Hiring Academy later this month. Testing is conducted every season and though many people tryout, only a handful of testers are hired at the end of the processes. Ski Patrol Testing in the News.

Cat-skiing; Helping the Extreme Skiers and Riders Reach Powder before the Rest of Us
Sugarbrush Resort, Vt., has recently opened up an entire portion of its terrain to cat-skiers and riders only. As one of the first of Vermont’s resorts to offer cat-skiing, Sugarbrush bribes skiers and riders to book early in the morning, 6 am, to enjoy powder days before any of the lifts open. Aside from powder days and cheap fair, $75 (as much as a full day lift ticket for Sugarbrush), participants can enjoy a full breakfast of omelets and coffee while they wait for the next ride up. In Summit County, cat skiing can be accessible through Vail and Copper Mountain Resorts with Vail Powder Guides.

Worries of a Declining Winter Sports Industry Prompt Proactive Ideas

A Gateway to Winter Sports
SOS Outreach is a snow sports outreach program that began in 1993 in Vail Valley, Colo. The program originally began as the Snowboarding Outreach Society but has expanded to encompass a variety of snow sports and even summer activities across America. The program offers a multitude of events, programs and opportunities to over 4,500 youth across the nation. The programs main focus is to instill a sense of “courage, discipline, integrity, wisdom and compassion” in often times underprivileged children.

Is the Winter Sports Industry In Danger of Decline?
In August, 2009, Arn Menconi, SOS Outreach Executive Director wrote an article depicting the predicted decline in the winter sports Industry and how to reverse it. Menconi speculates that as the baby-boomers cycle out of the sports, the millions of dollars they generate will have to be replaced. About 150,000 children will need to be introduced to the sport each year to keep it going, to spend the estimated $65,000 an average lifetime snow sports enthusiast spends. Aside from introducing more people to the outdoors, the Industry will need to target more people from a wider range of demographics and work together to make snow sports more affordable.

Lindsay Hill, 22, Vail Colo., an SOS volunteer, believes that while the industry may decline as the baby-boomers cycle out, she has seen evidence that it’s booming. Hill thinks that the decline of the Industry isn’t what SOS should be focusing on. “While winter sports need to be kept alive, SOS needs to continually strive to reach underprivileged children to make a difference, to get them excited about the outdoors, and to give them opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have, regardless of how the industry is doing,” Hill maintains targeting underprivileged children should remain the main focus of SOS.

“Monopolies such as Vail Resorts, with multiple resort holdings, should be prohibited,”-Lindsay Hill

Hill says that the Winter sports Industry has indeed increased prices over time, and they should “Be working together to lower the cost of snow sports to insure the longevity of the industry.” To keep the industry affordable, Hill has a more in depth solution than Menconi.  “Monopolies such as Vail Resorts, with multiple resort holdings, should be prohibited, thus preventing monopolies and lowering prices.” Until Hill’s concern can be addressed, a few alternatives to lowering costs are: recycling gear and donating winter sports equipment, readily available and moderately priced transportation and lodging.

Learn more about how you can join, donate and support SOS Outreach.

Read Arn Menconi’s original article.