Skiing Quebec City: Texas Ski Council in Egypt 21
Transcription
Skiing Quebec City: Texas Ski Council in Egypt 21
January-February 2011 Volume 24 Number 1 Skiing Quebec City: French Atmosphere But Closer To Home Texas Ski Council in Egypt 21 Unique Ski Trip Concepts Extreme Skiing At Colorado Ski Resorts photo courtesy of Carve out the perfect ski vacation January-February 2011 Volume 24 Number 1 FEATURES: Make your group’s trip the best ever, both on and off the slopes! We work closely with 100 of the most popular resorts and 1,500 properties worldwide and can arrange ski and snowboard trips to your favorite mountain destinations in the United States, Canada, Europe and even South America. In addition to doing this for nearly 40 years with Ski.com agents who average more than 15 years experience in the industry, we have recently acquired Rocky Mountain Tours, solidifying our spot as the leader in group ski travel. With Ski.com you will receive the service you expect and the group experience you deserve. Experience the Ski.com difference. 800-633-7064 oookca[ge£_jgmhkÛÛÝÛÛ_jgmhk³kca[ge Extreme Skiiing at Colorado Resorts Pages 26-27 Photo this page: Hiking up from Breckinridge Imperial Express Superchair -- North Americaʼs highest lift, reaching 12,840 feet -- to do some extreme skiing from the top of Peak 8 at 12,987 feet above sea level. Photo: Courtesy of Vail Resorts. Cover Photo: Connie Cavanaugh of the Lederhosen Ski Club (NY) at Quebecʼs Ice Hotel. Photo: NSCN. Page 6 Trip Report Page 8 Resort Report Page 10 Indianapolis Ski Club in Cortina and Venice Skiing Out of Quebec City Club Management 21 New Ski Trip Concepts IN EVERY ISSUE: Page 14 Page 18 Page 19 Page 25 Ideas from Other Clubs Ski Club News Ski Council News Ski Industry News Check out past issues at www.nationalskiclubnews.com and stay up to date with our monthly Newsflashes via e-mail. EDITORIAL A Dog of An Idea By Bob Wilbanks, NSCN Summer’s been fun... Now let’s get Skirious ! Now’s the time to plan your next ski vacation and your best choice of ski specialists is World On Skis! With 38 years of experience you can trust in the knowledge, purchasing power and experience that we offer you, your family and friends when planning a ski vacation in North America or Europe. Contact us for: Hotels ~ Condominiums ~ Airfares ~ Car Rental ~ Lift Tickets ~ Pre & Post City Stays USA/CANADA ALL USA/CANADA PACKAGES INCLUDE: 4 night’s accommodation • 3-day lift pass • Hotel taxes and service charges Jackson Hole: Aspen: Whistler: from $446pp from $707pp from $563pp EUROPE Park City: Big Sky: Banff: from $534pp from $608pp from $339pp ALL EUROPE PACKAGES INCLUDE: 7 night’s accommodation • Round-trip airport transfers • Breakfast daily Hotel taxes and service charges Innsbruck: St. Moritz: Cortina: from $429pp from $883pp from $427pp Courmayeur: from $594pp Chamonix: from $631pp Bormio: from $773pp also includes dinner daily! Prices are per person, land only, based on two people sharing a room, valid for Jan 2 to Jan 30, 2010 departures. Other restrictions may apply. Call us for great deals, special airfares and a wide selection of ski destinations! Call 866.678.5858 Visit www.worldonskis.com 250 Moonachie Road, Moonachie NJ 07074 Brand of Bob Wilbanks, editor NSCN, at Quebecʼs Ice Hotel. Photo: NSCN. THE NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER is published by Rowil Publishing, P.O. Box 4704, Englewood, CO 80155. Phone or Fax: 303-689-9921. E-mail: [email protected] Bob Wilbanks, Editor 303-689-9921 -- [email protected] Katie Petito, Assistant Editor www.katiepetito.com THE NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER provides a forum for sharing ideas between the nation's ski clubs. The publication is sent to the officers of 2,200± ski clubs and 44 councils with a total membership of 750,000 skiers, and is an independent entity with no official affiliation with any ski club or ski council. I want to sound off about those airport body scanners -- although by the time you read this, the TSA may have reconsidered the whole thing -- if the deal hadn’t already been paid for. Airport security in the U.S. is becoming a sometimes dumb, expensive, and -- recently -offensive joke, especially those new body scanners and the patdowns for people who do not wish to endure being seen virtually naked by the operators of the offending machines. Anybody that doesn’t want to be seen naked via a low intensity X-ray machine is forced to endure very aggressive groping that would probably get the TSA agents arrested if they weren’t sanctioned by the government. The scanners cost $100,000 to $120,000 each and several must be installed in each of 600 airports for the concept to be effective. There are already 385 scanners at 68 airports and the two manufacturers of the machines, L-3 Communications and Rapiscon Systems, have spent $5 million lobbying congress to adopt the technology. Rapiscon’s parent company gave $60,000 and L-3 donated $460,000 (for better government?) to various 2010 national political campaigns, so one would suspect that the deal to adopt body scanners has already been bought and paid for. A better way to keep us safe? For decades airports and other installations worldwide have used trained dogs to sniff out drugs and explosives. Why can’t the government utilize this time-tested and low-tech solution at airports? Dogs don’t have to see through your clothing to know what is in your pockets or under your clothes and they cost a lot less than body scanners. Dogs could be used to sniff luggage, carry-on bags, and people for a lot less money, less intrusion, and certainly less embarrassment than the new machines -- and such a program could be up and running in all of the 600 commercial airports in the country in months, not years, for a fraction of our current cost of protection. It makes you wish that America’s dog trainers could afford to hire lobbyists or perhaps make political contributions! We know that all levels of government are in a budget crunch right now, so wouldn’t it be prudent of the government to at least consider the costs of keeping explosives off planes? We already have metal detectors in place throughout the system and adding dogs would be a lot cheaper (and less intrusive) than adding more body scanners -- and I doubt that anyone will ever file a report about any of those dogs ogling, leering at, or groping anyone they’re inspecting -- with the possible exception of a few folks traveling with their poodles. Canada’s Protected Playground TM Unless stated to the contrary in the article, any ski club wishing to copy an article in this publication may do so providing that credit is given to The National Ski Club Newsletter, the originating ski club and -- when available -- the author of the article. Articles, newsletters, and guest editorials are solicited for possible publication. We cannot be held responsible for the return of material submitted. Please include mail, e-mail, and telephone contact information with submittal. Advertising rate cards, reader and club profile information, and production schedules are available upon request. The National Ski Club Newsletter is published four times per year. For materials to be included in an issue, we need to receive them by the dates shown below. November-December issue: September 10 January-February issue: November 10 March-April issue: January 10 May-June issue: March 10 January-February 2011 Photo: Henry Georgi Protected means there are more mountains than million dollar condos, and the wildlife here have the right-of-way. And Playground because… well, we’re sure you’ll figure that out yourself. ferred your pre ntact us t c ta n o o C c rator or tour opegroup trip quote a for 54-7255 1-877-7 iBig3.com Sk groups@ On your next group trip, make real memories. Whatever your club’s desire, you’ll find it here in Canada’s Protected Playground™, Banff National Park. www.SkiBig3.com/NSCn The National Ski Club Newsletter Page 5 Indianapolis Ski Club Skis Cortina and Tours Venice, Italy I ZONAI R C OM HOR Trip Report by Randy Ridgway The Canals of Venice. Indianapolis Ski Club members joined other OVSC members for the annual European Ski Trip to Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, from March 6 to March 14. Cortina is one of Europe’s most beautiful ski destinations, sitting in a forested valley surrounded by the spectacular Dolomite Alps. We flew from New York’s JFK airport to Venice’s Marco Polo airport, where a new terminal had been built since our trip in 2002. As Cortina is just two hours by bus north of Venice, we arrived at the resort early Sunday afternoon to explore the town, rent skis, and buy our ski passes before dinner. We stayed at the Hotel Splendid Venezia which is centrally located and included breakfast and dinner. Since Cortina is fairly small, you can walk about anywhere, or you can ride the free shuttle to anywhere around town. Monday broke with clear blue skies and cold temperatures and we skied at Faloria and Cristallo our first day in fantastic corduroy snow conditions. The cable car to Faloria starts near the bus station and was easy and quick to get to from our hotel. After spending most of the morning at Faloria, we skied down to the north base and crossed the road to the Cristallo ski area, making a few more runs on Cristallo before lunch. Our OVSC hosts had planned a late afternoon welcome party for us at Col Druscie on Tofana mountain where we joined the G.A.S. ski club of California for the welcome party. They told us that G.A.S. stands for Grumpy Asian Skiers, but they certainly knew how to party! Tuesday we skied on Tofana where we had been the evening before. It was just frigid, windy, cloudy, but the snow was great! Tofana holds the annual Cortina Womens’ World Cup downhill every January, and Lindsey Vonn of Page 6 Vail had won just before Vancouver. Wednesday was an easy day. We took a day trip by bus to ski Kronplatz, near Brunico. We skied a little, had a leisurely lunch, and skied a little more. Thursday was to be the day we skied the famous Sella Ronda, around the Sella Massif (a huge complex of mountains) via four interconnected mountain passes and four valleys. Throughout our week in Cortina, some of our group took advantage of day tours to Vipiteno, Bolzano, Conegliano, and Venice. It’s a great way to take a day off from skiing and have a great time. We split up the last couple of ski days as everyone by now had their own favorite ski area. Some of us had a first-ever experience of being pulled by a horse sleigh! Near the town of Armentarola, there is a half-mile stretch up a gradual incline where you pay two Euros and grab a rope trailing behind a horse drawn sleigh. And yes, we sang Jingle Bells. Sunday we were scheduled to fly home, but 9DLO&RQGRPLQLXPV The tower of Cortina. our flight from Venice to New York was cancelled due to high winds in New York City so Delta Airlines provided us with hotel rooms and two meal vouchers and we got to spend an extra day in Venice! Like so many European ski trips, it helps to bring along equal amounts of flexibility and adventurism. When you have both, you can truly enjoy a different culture, language, and cuisine not found in the U.S. Loves Groups! ĊĔ Ĉ ććũ 5 # 1 3 ( ! + ČććĢ ũ 2 -.6$ + + Ċććũ 2 4--8 ũ " 8 2 ĉđũ + ( $ 3 2 Čũ Ą( %'3 2 ũ " ( + 8 ćũ # 7 ! 42 # 2 -"+ # 2 2 ũ $ 1 # 2 'ũ 3 1 ! * 2 )5((&RQIHUHQFH5RRPIRU<RXU*URXSҋV*DWKHULQJV )5((&RQIHUHQFH5RRPIRU <RXU*URXSҋV*DWKHULQJV &DOO6,0%$581RUHPDLOVLPED#YDLOQHW ZZZ VLPEDUXQFRP ZZZVLPEDUXQFRP The National Ski Club Newsletter January-February 2011 0 , ! 9 " ) ' .6ũ 6( 3 'ũ " ( + 8 ũ Ą( %'3 2 ũ $ 1 .,ũ .2 ũ -% # + # 2 ũ -"ũ 3 '# ũ 8 ũ 1 # ē ũ -# ũ ! + + ũ $ .1 ũ ( 1 Ĕ ũ + ."%( -%Ĕ ũ + ( $ 3 Ĕ ũ 1 # -3 + 2 Ĕ ũ + # 2 2 .-2 Ĕ ũ 3 1 -2 /.1 3 3 ( .-Ĕ ũ ,# + 2 ũ -"ũ ,.1 # ĝ ũ .-3 ! 3 ũ 2 + # 2 ũ 3 .+ + ı $ 1 # # Ė ũ đđđē Čććē ũ ĸ ďđďĐĹ ũ .1 ũ 2 + # 2 ľ, ,,.3 'ı ,3 -ē ! .,ē ũ ( 2 ( 3 ũ ,,.3 '.4-3 ( -ē ! .,ē ) N PAR T NER S HI P WI T H ) NY O .AT I ONAL & OR ES T TRIP REPORT Quebec City Ski Trip Offers 3 Ski Resorts, Culture, Plus Big-City Nightlife and Sight-Seeing By Bob Wilbanks, NSCN A ski trip to Quebec City is like going to Europe without having to cross the Atlantic. It’s North America’s most European city -- complete with European charm and architecture, wonderful French food, urban nightlife, and interesting shopping. Begun by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 as a French fur trading post and captured by the British in 1759, Quebec is the center of French culture in North America. It’s the only fortified American city north of Mexico, still has some of its cobblestone streets, and is a World Heritage Site. Quebec’s Artillery Park has historic buildings, including a redoubt from the French Regime the Musée de l’Amérique française, housed in a centuries-old seminary, the Musée des Ursulines, and the Notre-Dame-de-Québec basilica’s art collection. In Lower Town, the Place-Royale and the Petit-Champlain quarter has an interpretation centre, The Musée de la Civilisation, and arts and craft boutiques interspersed among some great restaurants, bars, and bistros. Upper Town, offers the famous Château Frontenac, Battlefields Park -- the site of the fateful clash in 1759 between the French and British armies -- and the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec. Combining city-style historic or modern hotel accommodations with experiencing history, sightseeing, and shopping, European cuisine, and some of the East’s most interesting ski resorts, Quebec City offers U.S. ski clubs a totally different kind of winter vacation -and it’s really close to home for most of us. Many clubs schedule their ski trips here to coincide with Quebec’s annual winter carnival which goes on for 17 days from late January into mid February. Now more than 50 years old, it’s the largest winter carnival in the world and features a variety of winter activities such as snow rafting, horse-drawn sleigh rides, dogsled rides, a snow sculpture competition, night carnival parades, and even a canoe race on the ice-filled St. Lawrence River. The Ice Hotel A great après-ski activity when skiing Stoneham is to visit the Ice Hotel between the resort and Quebec City. This season marks the 10th year that the Hotel de Glace has been rebuilt in its entirety for an early January opening featuring 36 rooms and theme suites. The hotel has a shared heated bathroom and an indoor fireplace, hot tub, and sauna. Take the guided tour, have a drink in their famous ice glasses (shown in the cover photo of this issue), meditate in the chapel, go down the ice slide, take lots of photograps -- and wear your ski clothes. Quebecʼs Château Frontenac Hotel. Photo: Courtesy of Fairmont Hotels Le Massif overlooking the St. Lawrence River. Photo: Courtesy of Le Massif. The Resorts Stoneham Mountain Resort is the smallest of the three principle Laurentian ski resorts and it’s the closest ski resort to Quebec -- just 20 minutes from city-center. Each evening the lights come on for night skiing amid a festive and party atmosphere. The resort’s open from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday but closes at 8:30 p.m. on Sundays. They offer 1,378 foot vertical drop with 39 runs (19 of which are lighted) and two terrain parks. Mont-Sainte-Anne, the second largest ski resort in Eastern Canada, is just 25 miles north of Québec City. It has more than 65 runs, 2,000 feet of vertical drop, and great views of the St. Lawrence River. Because of its challenging black-diamond runs on its upper south face, it’s often considered as the best expert ski terrain in the east but, despite that reputation for expert terrain, the less aggressive skiers among us have even more moderate terrain on the lower south, southwest, west, and north faces. The resort also has the largest cross-country ski facility in Canada -- with 129 miles of trails. Check out the maple sugar shack on-mountain. A couple of guys cook maple syrup, then pour it onto little boards sitting in snow where it instantly hardens for a great candy-like treat. Because the walk from the parking lot to the base-area gondola is rather long and flat, they offer a horse-drawn sleigh to transport skiers across the base area, but it’s often used by kids (and lots of adults) just to enjoy the experience. The base area Chouette Bar has a great view of the St. Lawrence River and a live band for après-ski dancing and your club may want to try the showshoe and raclette dinner at the top of the mountain for a fun après-ski event. Trying out the Ice Hotelʼs ice slide. Photo: NSCN. A little further north from Mont-SainteAnne is Le Massif de Charlevoix, which has the highest vertical drop east of the Rocky Mountains (2,050 feet) and a magnificent view of mountains falling into the enormous St. Lawrence River. The resort receives massive snowfall, offers gourmet fare with a warm French ambience and a wonderful view of the St. Lawrence River. It’s no wonder that the locals consider Le Massif de Charlevoix to be one of Canada’s best kept skiing secrets -- but that’s about to change. Le Massif is now owned by Daniel Gauthier -- one of the guys who took the centuries-old, three-ring, circus-in-a-tent concept and transformed it into the Cirque du Soleil back in the 1980’s. He’s since sold his interest in the Cirque du Soleil and is investing $200 million on a region-wide year-round tourism infrastructure for the area around Le Massif that will include an 85-mile-long tourist train from Quebec City to the village of Petite-RivièreSt.-François at the base of Le Massif, and then on to the nearby art center village of Baie-St.Paul where he is building an eco hotel to be called “The Farm”. The investment will also include another eco-hotel at Le Massif to be built by 2013, and they will also add 30 percent more ski terrain for the 2012-2013 ski season. Tourism officials hope the expanded facilities at the mountain and in Baie-St.-Paul, plus the tourist and ski train accessing the area from Quebec City, will attract much more ski and year-round tourism to both the Charlevoix area and Le Massif from Quebec, Ontario, the United States, and even from Europe. If Mr. Gauthier’s ideas play out anything like his circus to Cirque du Soleil concept, Le Massif is going to be a really major ski resort! The horse-drawn sleigh at Mont-Sainte-Anne. Photo: NSCN. SKI CLUB MANAGEMENT 21 Different and Unique North American Ski Trip Concepts Trip Ideas to Spice up Next Yearʼs Winter Adventures Selection by Bob Wilbanks, NSCN Here are 21 ideas for somewhat unique ski trip experiences. Some of them have been discussed in previous issues of the NSCN and most of them have come from ski trips run by one or more ski clubs in the U.S. Most of these ideas are simply just adding a theme to tried-and-true ski club destinations. What other ideas would you add to this list? Let us know and we’ll try to publish an additional list of unique trip ideas for America’s ski clubs. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. SKI IMPROVEMENT WEEK – This can be done at almost any resort in early December at really affordable prices. COWBOY SKI WEEK -- Wear your cowboy duds to Steamboat’s Saddleback Ranch or Jackson Hole’s Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. REALLY UPSCALE TRIP -- Stay at Salt Lake City’s Grand America, ski Deer Valley and Snowbasin, serve champagne in after 5 attire for après-ski. SKI LAKE TAHOE MIDWEEK WITH A SAN FRANCISCO WEEKEND. TOP OF COLORADO SKI SAFARI – Ski up to nine areas from Breckenridge to Beaver Creek. GO NATIVE AMERICAN -- Spend a day at American Indian sites between Taos and Santa Fe on the way to or from the resort. GLITZ ROCKS -- From the X Games and Big Air Fridays to celebrity spotting at glitzy bars and restaurants, Aspen rocks! MAMMOTH RACE WEEK – A race week on Mammoth’s seven race courses -- and more! IDITEROD SKI WEEK -- at Alyeska in early March. CARNIVAL WEEK SKI TRIP TO QUEBEC CITY -- Lodging and revelry in the city, then ski the surrounding areas. CHEAP LUXURY TRIP -- Spas, sophisticated shopping, international clientele, massive ski terrain. It’s Vail in early December! INEXPENSIVE NEW YEARS TRIP IN SALT LAKE CITY. It’s a giant New Year’s Eve block party -- complete with lots of skiing. TWO NATION VACATION -- Trip to Whitefish Mountain, Montana, with a day of skiing at British Columbia’s Kimberly. VISIT A CANADIAN NATIONAL PARK AND WORLD HERITAGE SITE -- Stay in Banff, Lake Louise, or Sunshine Village. SNOWMOBILE IN YELLOWSTONE -- While skiing Big Sky or Jackson Hole Resorts. THE SKI INTERCONNECT -- A guided adventure skiing up to five areas from one of Summit County Utah’s three resorts. TAKE THE TRAIN TO WINTER PARK, ASPEN, SNOWMASS, OR WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN. SKI AROUND LAKE TAHOE – Ski a different ski resort each day for two weeks. SALT LAKE CITY SKI SAFARI – Ski a different ski area each day for nine days -- 10 resorts if you want to also try Sundance. SKI NEW MEXICO’S ART -- Stay in Santa Fe to experience the art, history, food, and architecture. Ski Santa Fe and Taos. SKI AND SEE WORLD HERITAGE NATIVE AMERICAN SITES. Ski Purgatory and visit nearby Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. Skier above Grindelwald, Jungfrau Region Interlaken / Jungfrau Region. The classic winter sports area in the Jungfrau Region has much to offer. Glide down snowy slopes, explore wintery footpaths, race down the toboggan runs, relax in one of the wellness oasis or enjoy local specialties on a sun-terrace: the Interlaken / Jungfrau area belongs to you. Sample SkiEurope Group Arrangement Interlaken, Chalet Hotel Oberland, $1055 Grindelwald, Hotel Derby, $1295 !"#$%&'()*+'),(%&"-$')%.)/012'$3) 4) 5%(678$64##) 7'#*"-4*"%-) 5"*+) 90(%,'4-) $+4(:) 4-7) ;'5) <%(67) 4:'-"*"'#= Includes: - Round-trip air economy class from NYC to Zurich on United/Continental - Round-trip transfers by private motor coach from Zurich airport to hotel - 7 nights accommodation in specified hotel - Buffet breakfast daily - All local taxes and service charges >"#"*)!"#$"%&'%(!()*)"+,-./)4-7)."-7) *+')2'#*)%..'(#)4-7),64-)?%0()#@")*(",) 4*) 0&(+!12#33) 4"#3562/#3(57##(3) 4"#38 62/#3562%9(%&3) 63"#(:2+3) 6%33"#3) ;&<"&=3) >(8 42--/<) 4-7) :4-?) :%(')('#%(*#A Not included: - Current air taxes and fuel surcharges of $420, subject to change prior ticketing - Travel and medical insurance (recommended) - Optional day excursions - Lift tickets Prices are based on a minimum of 40 participants, double occupancy, for travel in February or March 2011 and are subject to availability at time of reservation. Flight arrangements are possible from all major airports in North America. Other hotels and destinations in the Jungfrau Region are also possible. Page 10 The National Ski Club Newsletter January-February 2011 Outdoor activities. Winter guests are simply spoilt for choice. 44 modern lifts link more than 125 miles of slopes with wonderful valley descents. That’s not all – 62 miles of winter walking trails and toboggan runs await you too! Pamper yourself. Round off a perfect day’s vacation in the fresh air with a sauna, before relaxing on a sun-bed and enjoying the spectacular scenery. The exclusive Victoria-Jungfrau Spa offers the ultimate active and passive wellness experience. Cozy huts. Imagine you’ve just had a delicious cheese fondue in the warm, rustic atmosphere of a cozy hut. And you are now about to start your descent back down to the village, walking through the forest with your torch. For reservations or more information please visit ski-europe.com or call 1-800-333-5533 Advertisement Relaxing Skiers in Garmisch-Partenkirchen THE ALPS: UNSURPASSED WINTER VALUES Ski fun in Garmisch Partenkirchen. Skiers near St. Anton By Helga Brenner Why the Alps are inimitable Often imitated but never equaled, the Alps continue to be the dream destination for U.S skiers and snowboarders. You can ski right into the village, and the lifts are close to your hotel. From the smallest bed-andbreakfast inns to luxurious five-star hotels, traditional Alpine hospitality and ambiance add greatly to the enjoyment of your ski trip. Not only do the world’s widest runs and value-priced offerings draw demanding snow riders to authentic Alpine villages, but the wealth of cultural experiences beckons within an hour or two from the snow fields. The resorts’ state-of-the-art spa facilities are famous for revitalizing treatments. U.S. tour operators and local hotels offer great deals. A trip to an Alpine ski resort could cost between U.S. $100 and U.S. $300 less than a trip to a Western ski resort. In 2011 the Alps are still more affordable than the Rockies. Cultural and natural treasures close to the pistes Vorarlberg is home to extraordinary contemporary architecture and cultural delights. Bregenz, the state capital, is renowned for its music festival. Its art museum, Kunsthaus Bregenz, and the British artist Antony Gormley are realizing a unique project in the mountains of Vorarlberg: Horizon Field is the largest landscape intervention in Austria to date. It consists of 100 life-size, cast iron figures of the human body spread over an area of 150 square kilometers in eight communities, among them the ski resorts of Lech and Klösterle. Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace, is on many a skier’s list. Its exquisite Old Town has buildings from the Middle Ages to the 19th century but is particularly famous for its baroque edifices. Hallstatt, at the foot of Mt. Dachstein, is the site of the prehistoric Hallstatt civilization, and of ancient salt mines surrounded by a scenic Alpine landscape. Switzerland has untold sights and hidden treasures. The centuriesold Grimsel Hospiz Hotel, a former abode of defiant miners, has been transformed into an elegant hotel, located at 1,954 meters on the Grimsel Pass (Bernese Oberland). Its history dates back to 1,142. The Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s longest tunnel is an engineering feat many visitors want see. The breakthrough took place in October 2010 and the tunnel will open in 2017, shortening travel time to Lugano and to Milan. Lucerne is a national treasure and bastion of culture; all around it are the roots of the Swiss Confederation. Snow-capped mountains surround Lake Lucerne: Legendary Mt. Pilatus (6km toboggan run), Mt. Rigi (9 km of ski trails), Mt. Titlis (12 km descents), and Andermatt-Sedrun (125 km of pistes), which has a fun park, toboggan run, Aqua-Wellness "Bogn Sedrun", and much more. Garmisch-Partenkirchen hosts the annual Richard Strauss Festival in June and is home to a museum dedicated to the composer. The oldest part Page 12 of the picturesque town goes back 1,200 years. Fine folklore performances delight its visitors. The baroque Ettal Monastery and the rococo Pilgrimage Church of the Wies are nearby. Oberammergau with its Pilatus House and Lüftlmalerei (façade frescoes), and King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein Castle are only a hop and a skip away. Munich is the city most Germans want to live in. World-class theaters, museums, boutiques, Viktualienmarkt, famous breweries, charming cafes, starred gourmet restaurants, and an almost Mediterranean atmosphere, add to Munich’s charm. Its recorded history goes back to 1175. Munich’s landmark, Frauenkirche Cathedral, was built in the 15th century. Snowfields of dreams Austria, the birthplace of Alpine skiing, is known for its wide powder runs. Climate conditions are favorable, resulting in abundant snowfall. Harsh winters are unknown here. St. Anton (4,303 ft./1,304 m) is a delightful resort with large skiing areas. Highest lift-served point: 2,811 meters; vertical drop: 1,507 meters. One of the Arlberg’s fantastic slopes starts right behind the village square. There is a huge terrain for skiers of all abilities, including extreme skiers. Only a short bus-ride from St. Anton is Lech- Zürs, a snow-assured village on the Arlberg. Many repeat visitors rave about this dream destination. The cradle of Alpine skiing, it has 280 km of downhill runs, 180 km of deep snow runs and 84 lifts. The resort is dotted with luxurious hotels and fine restaurants Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis offers amazing value for the whole family. Located near Landeck, the westernmost town of Tirol served by scenic Arlberg train, it boasts 178 km of pistes, 132 Nordic tracks, and 70 lifts. There are special children’s zones within the skiing area, a new Tubing Park and a variety of child-friendly accommodations. Snowboarders have their own fun park and a huge freeride area, carvers enjoy their own runs, and racers their permanent racing slope. Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland is home to Interlaken, a resort with access to some of the most spectacular snowfields in the Alps. Excellent hotels offer competitive rates during winter and spring. A mountain railway links Interlaken to the Jungfrau Top Ski Region, with more than 205 km of trails above Grindelwald, Mürren and Wengen. Lauterbrunnen is only six miles away; its 15.8-km Inferno Race is the world’s oldest and probably craziest ski race. Zermatt is Switzerland’s best all-round ski resort. The sublime beauty of the Matterhorn, the authenticity of its ancient sun-blackened houses, and time-honored traditions give Zermatt its special atmosphere. Twentynine 4,000-meter peaks surround the resort. Cable cars soar over cliffs and chasms. At 3,820 meters, the Klein Matterhorn lift is the highest cable car in the world. Zermatt’s longest run is from the Klein Matterhorn For more information please visit www.alpseurope.com January-February 2011 Salzburg in winter - Old town and fortress into town: 13 km. Vertical drop: 2,200 meters. One of Switzerland’s 250 “Typically Swiss Hotels” is Zermatt’s Riffelalp Resort 2222m*****S. Germany’s premier winter sports center, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is nestled at 720 meters at the foot of the country’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze (2,962 meters). It offers everything a demanding skier expects of a world-class resort. Generations of American servicemen discovered their love of skiing on the slopes of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Olympic town is the venue of traditional downhill races on the aweinspiring Kandahar run (940-meter vertical drop). Above the town, ski areas glitter on the Hausberg, Kreuzeck, and Osterfelder mountains. Glacier skiing is popular on the Zugspitze. The Alpspitz cable car leads up to Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s highest runs at 2,050 meters. The popular Alpspitz run is 7 km long. The Kreuzeck is reached via a rope tow. Skiers have the option to return to the valley floor via the Olympia run or the daunting Kandahar. Garmisch-Partenkirchen has 118 km of marked runs. Lift capacity: 34,000 persons/hour, 10 snowmaking machines. Ski season: November-May. Cross-border skiing into Austria is a popular option (included in the Happy Ski Card). Easy access, superb infrastructure Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, and Swiss International Airlines fly daily to the major cities in the Alps. Munich’s superbly designed lightfilled airport is the ideal gateway to the Bavarian and Austrian Alps, with non-stop service from 14 North American gateways. Alpine infrastructure is exemplary. The best theme trains are found in the Alps. Austria’s state-of-the-art trains are famous for their efficiency. Among Austria’s scenic trains is the Arlbergbahn, which runs from Bregenz (Lake Constance) to Innsbruck. The most convenient way to discover Switzerland is to travel with a Swiss Pass. It entitles visitors to unlimited travel on the outstanding Swiss Travel System’s network and includes free travel on scenic routes such as the Glacier Express, Bernina Express, GoldenPass Line, or Wilhelm Tell Express. The memorable ride on the Snow Train takes skiers holding a Swiss Transfer Ticket every Saturday until March 19 from Geneva Airport or from Zürich's Main Train Station to Valais. Skiing in front of the Matterhorn at Zermatt, Canton Valais January-February 2011 Ski Tours Packages to Alpine Destinations in Spring 2011 American tour operators offer value-priced tours to great ski resorts. Here is but a small selection to whet your appetite: Alpine Adventures Offers tours to Austria (and other Alpine countries) in Feb.-Mar. 2010. St. Anton: Round-trip air via Swiss International Air Lines (NYC/JFK to Zurich). Other cities/airports are possible. Seven nights at the three-star Hotel Kirchplatz, with breakfast for $1,450 per person. Shuttle Bus transfers. Lift pass and equipment rental not included. Local taxes included. Air taxes not included (currently $420 to $520 per per son) and Optional Travel Protection Plan (6.5% of package price). www.alpineadventures.com World on Skis Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Gateway: Munich. (Airfare not included) Seven nights at the 4-star Treff Hotel Alpina, from $626 per person. Included: All breakfasts and transfers. Resort altitude 750 feet, Mountain peak 2,962 feet, vertical drop 1,950 feet. Advanced terrain: 15%, Intermediate: 65%, Beginners: 20%, Hotel Alpina is best for health and beauty, winter sports. 70 first class rooms, all amenities. (Other resorts are available as well.) www.worldonskis.com Holidaze Ski Tours Interlaken (Switzerland): 7-nights in the 2-star Hotel Rossli: $859 Included: - Round-trip air from New York (other cities available). - Transfer between gateway city and resort. - English-speaking assistance on transfer. - Breakfast buffet daily and all local taxes during the low season. (Please note that each tour is based on a group of 42 persons with two persons going free. They are also based on low season and do not include taxes or fuel which averages about $450.) www.holidaze.com Sledding on Mt Rigi, above Lake Lucerne. For more information please visit www.alpseurope.com Page 13 IDEAS from other clubs Lederhosen Ski Club (NY) Club Holds Antiques Roadshow This Amherst, New York, club held its own antiques roadshow with a professional appraiser -- complete with top hat -- appraising antique items belonging to club members with the use of a magnifying glass and magnet. No super-valuable items were discovered but fun was had by all. Fort Wayne Ski Club (IN) Cash or Money Orders Only The Fort Wayne Ski Club’s trip brochure states that members must be paid by checks or money orders made out to the Fort Wayne Ski Club. Cash and credit cards are not accepted. Asheville Ski Club (NC) New Faces at the Meeting These guys featured several photos of new members and prospective (soon to become new) members in their October newsletter. It’s a good way to introduce new members to the club and the concept would seem to encourage new members to attend membership meetings. Fall Line Ski Club (NJ) Stopover at the Mall of America When the Fall Line Ski Club was delayed by mechanical problems for several hours in the Minneapolis airport on the way to Schweitzer, they noticed that the Mall of America was just three stops on the light rail from their terminal -- so they went to check out the destination shopping mall and shopped ‘till they dropped. Big Pocono Ski Club (PA) $99 A Day to Eat, Sleep, and Ski This Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, ski club has a drive-up ski trip to Mt. Blanc, Quebec, for just $99 per person, per day January 6-11, 2011. That price even includes a 90 minute lesson and free rental equipment for those who Page 14 don’t own or don’t want to carry their skis. Greater Johnstown Athletic Ski Club (PA) Restaurant Fund Raiser This club took advantage of a local restaurants program that offered to donate 20% of the total check of people that presented a special “cash cow card” marked with the name and group number of the club on a Friday. The cards were passed out in newsletters and at a ski club function. Participating diners got a good meal, the club received a donation and the restaurant got additional business -- and perhaps a few new customers in the process. Everybody won! Peoria Ski Club (IL) Beaver Creek Ski Week For $576 This club is selling a Beaver Creek ski trip with ski-in, ski-out condos for just $576! How did they do it? It’s in late season, April 3 to 9, but the spring skiing is usually still great. And while transportation and lift tickets aren’t included, the price of lift tickets is normally reduced in late season and the club is encouraging the use of Amtrak, where they have reserved 20 round-trip tickets for $169 each (but train travel time also extends the trip dates to April 2-10). If you want to offer an inexpensive ski trip, try shoulder season at an upscale resort rather than regular season at a second tier resort..Editor. Lafayette Ski & Snowboard Club (IN) TSA Identity Requirement Warning The Lafayette Ski Club issued this warning to its members: When you book a flight, be sure to use your full name as it appears on the government-issued photo ID you will use when traveling. Airlines are now prohibited from issuing boarding passes to passengers whose names, dates of birth, and/or gender on their photo IDs do not match the information provided when the flight is booked. The regulations are part of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which requires the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to monitor and compare pre-flight passenger information against federal watch lists. See http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/secureflight/index.shtm for details. Ohio Valley Ski Club (WV) License Plate Holders This Parkersburg W.V., club gave a license plate holder to each of their 100± members that says “Ski with the best” on top and “Ohiovalleyskiclub.com” on the bottom. It’s a great way to promote the ski club and for members to rec- It falls. You go IDEAS from other clubs The Phoenix Ski Club (AZ) Business Cards Good for Free Drink The Phoenix Ski Club has printed business cards for members to distribute to their friends. When presented to their club meeting bartenders by a visitor, the cards may be exchanged for a free drink. The Suffolk Skidaddlers (NY) Rifle/Pistol Range Excursion This club held a day trip to the Long Island shooting Range in Brookhaven, New York, in the fall. Cost of the event was $18. The Tampa Bay Ski Club (FL) Price Reduction for Multiple Ski Trips The Tampa Bay Ski Club is offering their members $50 off the price of their second and subsequent trips. There are no forms to fill out and participants simply tell their trip leader the dates of any previous trips this year. Peninsula Ski Club (VA) Skiing On Memorial Day The Peninsula Ski Club is planning to “Ski the Beach” at Arapahoe Basin on Memorial Day. They suggest that participants ditch their ski clothing and ski in swimwear for a change. The Austin Skiers (TX) October Meeting at Costume Shop The Austin Skiers held their October membership meeting during mid-month at Costume World -- allowing members to get ready for Halloween before or after attending the meeting. Members were also urged to wear their membership badges. The Toledo Ski Club (OH) Change Airline to Southwest On a Vail trip this year, this club changed their airline to Southwest Airlines from Detroit to Denver and participants not only saved a few bucks on the price of the ticket, but each participant saved an additional $120 because Southwest does not charge baggage fees. The Danbury Ski Club (CT) Sign up for Trips, Etc. on Website The Danbury Ski Club’s new website (www.dsc.clubexpress.com) allows members to sign up for club functions, trips, and even membership renewals using a credit card. Members can also create their own user names and passports to access the web-site. Once a transaction is complete the member receives a receipt for the transaction via a return e-mail. BUTTEness outside and play in it. You become 12 years old again. an attitude a joy for living a welcoming spirit away from the Interstate Highway, which is truly a wonderful thing Pure joy. How else can you explain the ear-to-ear grins that peek out from under the goggles? One of North America’s top ski club destinations with nonstop jet service to Escape the I-70 crowds. Experience Colorado’s last great ski town at skicb.com/Butteness Steamboat from 7 cities and convenient 1961 connections from over 230 airports 50 YEARS nationwide. steamboat.com 877.267.2628 The National Ski Club Newsletter 2011 RATES STARTING FROM Pure January-February 2011 $299* For information and group rates please call Nina Weyl at (888)954-6487 skicb.com *Based on 5 night/4 day stay in a 2 bedroom condominium, quad occupancy, 2010/2011 rates. January-February 2011 #2%34%$ "544% #/,/2!$/ The National Ski Club Newsletter The Ski Club of Washington, D.C. Sailing on Tuesdays and Saturdays This large club holds sailing events every Tuesday evening and every other Saturday morning in the fall. The boats are 19-foot Flying Scots and each boat had an experienced captain. Members may go along just for the ride, to learn to sail, or to learn to sail better. After the two-hour sail, most of the participants usually adjourn to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Cost for the event was $14 to $17, plus the cost of dinner. Kansas City Ski Club (KS-MO) Booth at Nearby Army Base Pair Day The Kansas City Ski club recently manned a booth at the nearby U.S. Army Combined Arms Center’s PAIR Day (Post Activities Information and Registration Day). It’s an event the Army holds to introduce local businesses, churches, clubs, and various organizations to military personnel who have recently arrived at Fort Leavenworth. Does your club have a nearby military base nearby and do they host this or a similar event? Perhaps you should contact the facilities and ask them. Warren Ski Club (OH) Ski Trip to Japanʼs North Island Ohio’s Warren Ski Club is already planning a 2012 ski trip to Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture, flying into Osaka and then to Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, then on to Niseko — the powder skiing capital of the world. The trip will include a day at Rusutsu, Hokkaido’s largest ski resort. Optional day trips will be to powdermeccas Kiroro and Teine Resorts, with optional trips to the hot springs of Noboribetsu, the Date-Jidaimura “Ninja” Theme Park, ShikotsuToya National Park. Then on to Hokkaido’s capital, Sapporo with its beer garden, shopping, and Susukino District nightlife area. Then they will fly to Tokyo to experience its famed Asakusa district, shopping, and nightlife Page 15 SKI CLUB NEWS The Phoenix Ski Club Joins The Social Networking World Just what is “Social Networking?” For me, it’s easiest to understand social networking in terms of people. Since 1948, people have joined and participated in The Phoenix Ski Club. We ski, camp, dine, and travel together. We stay in touch with other members, even when they move away from Phoenix. We share our likes, experiences, friendships, and lives. We are a group of individuals -- a “family”. The PSC is a “Social Network”! So, what’s changed to make Social Networking such a “hot” phenomenon? Today we are no longer limited to gathering in person! By making use of computers and the Internet, Facebook provides an online gathering place for friends, associates, and people with shared interests. Using Facebook, people meet, gather, and communicate. You can visit and contribute to Facebook anytime, from any location with Internet access. People can “meet” and keep in touch without having to be in the same place at the same time. This has become so popular that Facebook is now the second most-oftenvisited website anywhere! Only Google is busier! Many people today prefer Facebook over e-mail for staying in touch. For instance, suppose something happens that you want to share with a lot of people. With ONE post on Facebook all your friends get the news. Further, questions that anyone asks are seen by everyone, as is the answer. This has turned into a huge time-saver in group communication. When it comes to sharing photos, Facebook is more popular than any conventional website you can think of! Why, you ask? It’s free, for one thing. Also, one of the most appealing things about sharing photos on Facebook is that you are able to “tag” a photo, identifying the people in your pictures. So, if anyone tags a picture of you in Facebook, you are notified by the system. This happens even when someone else posts and tags one of their pictures. You get to see the pictures any of your friends have taken of you effortlessly! We’ve put together a Facebook page for your enjoyment and to promote our ski club. Of course, we’re not going to stop club meetings, events, trips (skiing or otherwise), and the like! However, by using Facebook we can add to the club experience! We have created an interactive online “club meeting” that’s available for everyone, 24-7. You can ask questions or start and participate in discussions; post your photos; locate and stay in touch with other PSC’ers, old, new; and potential, as much or as little as you like. Page 18 From the Phoenix Ski Clubʼs Slope Dope To find us, go to www.facebook.com and register. It’s free to join. Then search “Phoenix Ski Club” and there we are! While you’re there, be sure to click on the “Like” button at the top of the page so you’ll get all our updates. Let us know what you think about our Page: We’re looking forward to hearing from you! For more information on the use of social media for ski clubs, see our May-June 2009 issue..Editor. Welcome to the most social and active activities club in central Arizona. Home: Activities: Contact us: Layout above is from the Phoenix Ski Clubʼs website. S ki C l u b B e s t De a l s ! Austria Andorra France Germany Italy Switzerland Canada Bulgaria Summer Trips and more! SKI COUNCIL NEWS NSCF Offers Advantages for Ski Clubs and Councils The National Ski Council Federation (NSCF) was formally established in 1999. It consists of the 30 largest ski councils in the United States and boasts a total membership of well over 300,000 snow sports enthusiasts. Our mission is to strengthen councils, with industry participation, so they may better serve member clubs through communication, education, and benefits, and to influence issues relevant to snow sports. If your ski club belongs to a ski council, you have a wide array of benefits and services available if the council belongs to the National Ski Council Federation. The Federation provides a wide variety of services and benefits to member clubs and councils. The National Ski Council Federation has a wealth of helpful information at their website: www.skifederation.org. The Resource Center provides a forum for clubs and councils to share best practices and ideas about the operation of clubs. Clubs can ask their council to submit a program, tactic, charity, or other idea to share with other clubs around the country. The result is a vast experience base that mem- By Jo Simpson, NSCF Public Affairs Chair President Sierra League & Council bers can access. Contact your council president for the access codes to the secure Members Only section where you will find the Resource Center and Member Benefits pages among other valuable information. Why should your club join a council? The council is the link between clubs and the benefits provided by the NSCF. Councils serve as an umbrella organization for organized ski clubs in a particular area or region of the country to benefit from each other. They provide clubs with a larger voice to promote joining a ski club to enjoy snow skiing and boarding. By joining a council, clubs get the benefit of the Federation’s increased buying power and ability to negotiate discounts. A council can be a conduit of information among the member clubs. Councils can be a source of information to ski club boards on administrative issues relating to running a ski club, and provide information on best practices in membership, trip accounting, trip leader training, and member activities. Councils also link ski clubs to leadership training provided by the National Ski Council Federation. SKI SALT LAKE Safari ou will travel off the beaten path in this Ski Safari adventure all while finding out first-hand just why Ski Salt Lake is “Different by Nature.” With four unique treks at worldclass ski resorts Alta, Brighton, Solitude, and Snowbird, and your choice of mini excursions along the way, this 4-6 night expedition is sure to leave you begging for more. Y Offer valid for groups of ten (10) or more for travel between Season Opening 2010 through April 30, 2011. CONTACT US: Councils can bid and organize council-wide ski trips with multiple organized activities at the resort. The can provide interclub racing and race clinics to improve your skiing and racing skills. They provide a broader opportunity to network with other skiers and boarders. Council presidents represent your club at the NSCF and provide a voice for clubs to the sport of skiing nationally and to the snow sports industry. If your club does not belong to a council, check out the list on the NSCF website contact the one that serves your area. Your club will benefit greatly. As an example of the purchasing power benefits offered by NSCF are two companies who offer travel insurance: Travel Guard and Travel Protectors and one that offers personal accident insurance coverage, Outdoor Recreation Insurance (ORI), while skiing, all offer discounts to NSCF members. Features included in the offerings include insurance for group trips throughout the year, medical supplemental, lost luggage, and more. Check out these and other discount offerings on the Member Benefits page of the website. ...a different adventure every day. Plus, choose 1 day of ‘mini excursions’ including: Clark Planetarium and IMAX Theatre The Lion House Pantry Restaurant Utah Museum of Natural History Utah Museum of Fine Arts Red Butte Garden Utah’s Hogle Zoo The Living Planet Aquarium This Is The Place Heritage Park Thanksgiving Point Tracy Aviary Utah Olympic Park Discovery Gateway For more information, call your Ski Salt Lake Safari expert: KAITLIN ESKELSON Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau / Ski Salt Lake Email: [email protected] Phone: 801.534.4929 Since, 1985 SkiEurope has guaranteed satisfaction with customized European winter vacations, and now with Alpine Adventures, summer and active vacations around the world. Five times named by Condé Nast Traveler magazine as the Top Travel Specialist for Europe winter vacations. For more information, or a proposal for your group’s requirements and preferences, contact: Dorothea Rasser 800-333-5533 [email protected] The National Ski Club Newsletter Ski-SaltLake.com January-February 2011 January-February 2011 The National Ski Club Newsletter Page 19 Texas Councilʼs Egypt Trip Attracts 354 Members By Rachel Anderson, Trip Leader, Texas Ski Council SKI COUNCIL NEWS Cruise down the Nile After our council party at the Sonesta St. George Hotel, we returned to our boats and prepared to debark on our river cruise. While the September days were very hot, the evenings were wonderful, so at night some of us usually relaxed on the top deck with drinks while sailing down the Nile and many of the tours started early in the morning to beat the heat of the day. Some participants received early wake-up calls to see the locks and one of the boat’s managers told a small history of the locks. Stops included visits to Edfu and the Temple of Horus, Kom Ombo, and the Temple of Sobek as we sailed to Aswan. Aswan Arriving in Aswan in time for dinner and shopping, our Egyptologists took us to the L’Elysee Perfumes Palace to purchase essence and to a jewelry store. Back late from shopping, we arrived back at the boat just in time for those people going to Abu Simbel to shower, pick up a box breakfast and get on their buses. A private bus caravan was arranged to depart for Abu Simbel at 2 a.m. so that we could see the sunrise at the awesome temples of Ramses II and Nefertiti. Photo above: The Clear Lake and Armadillo Ski Clubs in front of the pyramids. Photo: Courtesy of the Texas Ski Council. Photo below: Houstonʼs Ski Jammers at the Temple of Luxor. Photo: Courtesy of the Texas Ski Council. Page 20 The National Ski Club Newsletter The Texas Ski Council took 354 people to Egypt in September 2010. Our main trip began with tours of Luxor, although we toured both sides of the river before starting a four-day cruise down the Nile river, ending at Aswan. We then flew to Cairo for three days touring the city, the pyramids and Alexandria. Many of our participants took pre- and posttrips -- with 82 people starting the base trip early with desert safaris and snorkeling or scuba diving on the western coast of the Red Sea at Hurgada. There was also a post-trip to Sharm-el-Sheikh -- the southern most point of the Sinai -- to dive and to see Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine’s Monastery but our most popular post-trip was to Petra and then on to Jerusalem that was taken by 154 participants. And ten of our participants actually experienced living in the desert with a tour called Sahara in Style. Luxor The Nile Cruise started at Luxor and we visited the West Bank and the Valley of the Kings to see the tombs of some of the pharaohs, then toured the temple of Hatshepsut, the famous Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Luxor, and the Karnak site -- after which we shopped at the Gamal Youssif Bazaar and an alabaster factory. January-February 2011 Having tea on the sand dunes during the Sahara in Style experience. Photo: Courtesy of the Texas Ski Council Following Abu Simbel, we visited the Unfinished Obelisk and the High Dam, then took an afternoon excursion by Felucca (an ancient style of Egyptian boat) on the Nile. Many of us also enjoyed an optional tour of the Nubian Village, which included time in the Botanical Gardens and a camel ride to the village. On our last day in Aswan, some participants who had late flights to Cairo were also able to visit Philae and the Temple of Isis. Alexandria We visited the Catacombe, the Pompe Pilarand, and the Bibliotheca. We stopped at a school that taught carpet making and, of course we shopped again. We ended our main trip with a farewell tremendous Egyptian party at the Ramses Hilton. Cairo We stayed three days in Cairo in the fivestar Ramses Hilton Hotel, visiting the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, the Mosque of Mohamed Ali, the Sakkarah, and Memphis. And -- to balance all that touring of antiquities -- we also shopped at the Funky Brothers Egyptian Cotton Store and the Khalili Bazaar. EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF HOLIDAZE TOURS© BRINGING YOU THE WORLD, ONE TOUR AT A TIME NOT JUST FOR SKIING ANYMORE As a family company made up of skiers, we know our clients are interested in more than skiing, so now ǁĞ͛ƌĞ using our experience and knowledge to bring you more destinations for amazing new adventures! ,Z͛^ JUST A GLIMPSE OF WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU: EGYPT - THE SPLENDORS OF THE NILE ʹ Cairo, the Pyramids, Nile Cruise and more. THE WHITE CONTINENT ʹ Ez͛Ɛ Eve in Buenos Aires & 9 night cruise to Antarctica. THE GALAPAGOS ʹ &ŝŶĚŝŶƐƉŝƌĂƚŝŽŶŝŶƚŚĞŵĂŐŝĐŽĨ͚dŚĞKƌŝŐŝŶŽĨƚŚĞ^ƉĞĐŝĞƐ͛͘ We are also proud to offer new exciting bike, hike & sailing tours throughout Europe, Africa, South America, US and more. Great for families and not limited to groups!!! EKE͛d FORGET ABOUT OUR SKI TOURS TO EUROPE, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, CHILE, ARGENTINA, US & CANADA! FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED FOR OVER 40 YEARS ͻ HOLIDAZE TOURS ͻ 810 BELMAR PLAZA ͻ BELMAR, NJ 07719 ͻ ͻ WWW.HOLIDAZE.COM ͻ [email protected] ͻ1-800-526-2827 ͻ January-February 2011 The National Ski Club Newsletter Page 21 What Else Is Happening Among the Councils? SKI COUNCIL NEWS By Bob Wilbanks, NSCN Susan Donlan, President of the New Jersey Ski Council. Photo: NSCN. The New Jersey Ski Council kicked off the ski season with a Ski and Snowboard Jamboree on October 29 at a Marriott Hotel in Whippany N.J., from 7 to 10 p.m. The show featured more than 40 council ski club, ski resort, and ski equipment booths and was open to the public. Don Anderson, President of the Intermountain Ski Council. Photo: NSCN. The recently formed Intermountain Ski Council, now with nine clubs in Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado, is hosting a long weekend ski trip to Telluride January 14-17. The trip will include a party with silent auction and offers lift tickets as low as $54 per day. Sheri Parshall, President of the Northwest Ski Club Council. Photo: NSCN. The Northwest Ski Club Council is sponsoring a Ski Fair at a Holiday Inn in Portland on November 8. Admission is free and it’s open to the public. The event will include a silent auction and booths from ski resorts, ski clubs, sports clubs, and local ski retailers. SKI COUNCIL NEWS Continued from page 22 The Texas Ski Council will host an Alaska Cruise September 6-13, 2011, sailing along 67 miles of magnificent scenery in the Lynn Canal on a Carnival Cruise Lines spirit-class ship. The Florida Ski Council is trying a new approach for a family ski trip at Snowmass for three weeks during the spring, with clubs coming in different weeks due to varying spring break periods in Florida schools. The Far West Ski Association (FWSA) has received a grant from the California Skin Cancer Prevention Program to develop a program to inform young snow sports enthusiasts and their parents on the danger of skin cancer. The Slip, Slop, Slide & Slither program will feature informative brochures, decals, and a sunscreen partner. The program will be presented at major ski shows in Los Angeles, San Jose, San Diego, and San Francisco this fall distributing informational brochures, decals, and sunscreen samples. In addition, FWSA will distribute the materials at Mammoth Mountain and Lake Tahoe area during school holiday periods in order to reach more children and their families. For more information, see www.fwsa.org. The Ski Kouncil of Illinois (SKI) will host a Lake Tahoe ski week January 29-February 5. Margaret Crum, President of the Crescent Ski Council. Photo: NSCN. The Crescent Ski Council has a new alcohol policy for it’s trip registration forms and brochures. The policy states: “The Crescent Ski Council (CSC) encourages legal and responsible behavior in the consumption of alcoholic beverages in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Each CSC member shall be solely responsible for his/her consumption of alcoholic beverages and his/her behavior and actions as a consequence of said consumption.” Dennis Hefley, President of the Bay Area Snowsports Cncl. Photo: NSCN. The Bay Area Snowsports Council will hold a ski week at Park City March 10-15. The price of $970 includes transportation, lodging, lift tickets, breakfast, and a welcome party. The Eastern Pennsylvania Ski Council will hold their annual Winter Carnival at Waterville Valley, N.H. January 26-30. The Indiana Ski Council is hosting a ski weekend for member-clubs at Boyne Highlands, Mich., on February 25-27. MORE OF WHAT CLUB IS LOOKING FOR. WE OFFER YOUR SOMETHING AMAZING IS HAPPENING AT THE CANYONS. Utah’s largest resort just keeps getting bigger and better! This season, The Canyons is introducing major enhancements including a new state-of-the-art lift with heated seats and enclosed cabins, over 300 acres of new terrain serviced by a high-speed quad and a European style ski beach. For More Information On The Ultimate Ski Club Destination THECANYONS.COM | (888) CANYONS © 2010 The Canyons Resort. The Canyons and The Canyons Mountain Logo are registered trademarks of The Canyons Resort. Page 22 The National Ski Club Newsletter January-February 2011 January-February 2011 The National Ski Club Newsletter Page 23 SKI INDUSTRY NEWS Spring Ski Show Dates, Locations, & Contacts Compiled by Paul Webber, President, PRW Group The Aspen group sales team talks to ski club officers at The Far West Ski Assn. 2010 convention. Photo: NSCN. The spring ski show and ski council convention dates for 2011 have been set. The 14 shows, meetings, and conventions across the country, some run by councils and others by entrepreneurs, provide a venue for ski club and council officers to talk with the group sales representatives of ski resorts, ski area lodges, tour operators, and tourism organizations in formats that range from table displays, convention booths, brief pre-set appointments, and social situations to see what is new and what is being offered for the following ski seasons. Mountain Travel Symposium April 6-10 (125 clubs*) Beaver Creek, CO [email protected] Texas Ski Council Delegates Meeting April 14-17 (14 clubs**) Houston, TX Cheryl Mann [email protected] Crescent Ski Council Spring Convention April 28-May 1 (22 clubs**) Myrtle Beach, SC Jim Bennett [email protected] Washington, D.C. Travel Show April 29 (60 clubs*) N. Bethesda, MD Paul Webber [email protected] New Jersey Travel Show May 1 (100 clubs*) Whippany, NJ Paul Webber [email protected] Philadelphia Travel Show May 2 (80 clubs*) King of Prussia, PA Paul Webber [email protected] Boston Show May 4 (95 clubs*) Boston, MA [email protected] Ken Cutcliffe Detroit Travel Show May 5 (26 clubs**) Detroit, MI Greg Kurze [email protected] Cleveland Travel Show May 7 (40 clubs**) Cleveland, OH Paul Webber [email protected] Minneapolis Travel Show May 12 (30 clubs*) Minneapolis, MN Paul Webber [email protected] Chicago Metropolitan Ski Council Seminar May 14 (70+ clubs**) Rosemont, IL Jody Jurgeto [email protected] Ohio Valley Ski Council Summit June 3-5 (16 clubs**) Indianapolis, IN Dan Hapner [email protected] Florida Ski Council Spring Meeting June 3 - 5 (17 clubs**) Tampa, FL Linda Walker [email protected] Far West Ski Association Convention June 9-12 (180 clubs**) Los Angeles, CA Mary Olhousen [email protected] January-February 2011 The National Ski Club Newsletter *Number of clubs the promoter expects to attend the independent shows. **Number of member-clubs in the organization for the council shows. Page 25 Extreme Skiing Is Easy to Do at Colorado Resorts SKI INDUSTRY NEWS Powder Stashes and Exciting Runs for Advanced, Expert, and Intermediates at Many Resorts By Jennifer Rudolph, CSCUSA; Bob Wilbanks, NSCN; and Scott Palat Heliskiing near Telluride. Photo, by Brett Schreckengost and courtesy of Telluride Ski Resort. t’s becoming easier than ever for skiers in Colorado to find untracked stashes of pristine powder, backcountry terrain, extreme ski terrain, and never-ending face shots. If you don’t mind I doing a bit of hiking to find the fresh powder, avalanche controlled, off piste but in-bounds hike-to options are available at many resorts to help manage the risks of skiing steep terrain and deep powder. Or you can try a snowcat ski tour which are no longer just for experts. Many resorts offer guided and unguided snowcat tours for intermediate to expert ability levels and with access to “backcountry” options and a few resorts even offer heli-skiing for those adventurous riders who want to start from the summit to rack up the vertical feet on a long, powder-laden ride down. Here are few options: Arapahoe Basin offers many hike-to options including the East Wall, recognized for its steep and open terrain, and its views. There are also four designated hiking staircases. Skiers can also hike the ridgeline to the North Pole run, and you can discover hidden powder stashes on four hike-back runs in the recently opened Montezuma Bowl. Aspen Mountain is home to Aspen Mountain Powder Tours, a snowcat operation that takes guests to untracked powder fields on the backside of Aspen Mountain. Guaranteed fresh tracks and a gourmet lunch is included. Page 26 Aspen Highlands is the local’s mountain for powder stashes. Highland Bowl has 270 acres of steep chutes, bowls, and gladed terrain with an average pitch of 40 degrees. The summit is a 45-minute hike from the top of the Loge Peak chair and dozens of lines drop into the bowl from there, or you can take a free snowcat ride that decreases the hiking time by 20 minutes. If you prefer an even safer backcountry experiences with a guide, Aspen Expeditions at the base of Aspen Highlands leads adventurers off of the backside of Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, and Aspen Mountain. The National Ski Club Newsletter At Breckenridge Ski Resort you can hike any of the four peaks to ski the extreme terrain. On Peak 8, the Imperial Express Superchair will take you almost to the top. It’s the highest chairlift in the United States and rises to 12,840 feet high -- almost to the top of Peak 8. From the top of Peak 8 on a clear day, advanced skiers can see the town of Breckenridge, Quandary Mountain, Baldy Mountain, Ten Mile Range, Lake Dillon, and even Keystone Resort, so be sure to bring your camera. Once you reach the top of Peak 8, you can choose your own way down the mountain. You can take Arts Bowl, Peak 7 Bowl, North Bowl, Imperial Bowl or the Whale’s Tale which take you to the Lake Chutes, which is some of the finest extreme skiing in Colorado. Copper Mountain’s Tucker Mountain and Copper Bowl offer experts more than 1,200 vertical feet of high alpine back bowls. Tucker Mountain offers in-bounds backcountry skiing on two runs known as The Taco and The Nacho and on the Freemont Glades -- which can be accessed by a free snowcat ride, by hiking, or by a combination of the two. From the West Ridge of Copper Bowl, hikers can access Matchless, Bradley’s Plunge, Schaefer’s, Iron Mask, and Lallarookn -- all classified as high alpine adventure or extreme terrain. It’s rarely groomed and designated for experts only, with unmarked obstacles, cliffs, very steep slopes with 50 degrees or greater pitch, rocks, and other hazards, and should be attempted only by experts. Crested Butte is famous for its Extreme Limits within its ski area boundaries, giving Crested Butte one of the largest and bestknown in-bounds, double-black-diamond skiing in Colorado. Their in-bounds hike-to options include Phoenix, Spellbound, Teocalli Bowl, and Third Bowl. You can also hike to the peak of Mt. Crested Butte and ski down. Skiers can try Crested Butte’s Adventure Guide program and ski their extreme terrain with experienced guides from Crested Butte Mountain Guides, a local adventure outfitter. The guides will evaluate guests’ abilities before taking them on an adventure they’ll never forget. The Mountain Guides also offer an inbounds tour for intermediate skiers that’s focused on trying their famed extreme terrain found off of the High Lift and the North Face with the North Face Guides. It’s a group program based on evaluation and light education, helping adventure-minded intermediate skiers learn to ski extreme terrain. January-February 2011 SKI INDUSTRY NEWS Keystone offers a more luxurious version of extreme skiing through their Keystone Adventure Tours. Guests take a heated snowcat above the tree line to 12,000 feet for a view of Keystone like they’ve never seen before. They can also take a full-day tour into Independence Bowl, complete with guides and lunch in a warming hut that is catered by Keystone's fivestar Alpenglow Stube restaurant. Keystone Adventure Tours also offers skiing in the Outback Bowls which can be hiked to from the Outpost Lodge or accessed via a $5 snowcat ride. Reservations aren’t required for the snowcat ride but the area closes at 1:30 p.m. so try the experience in the mornings. Loveland Ski Area has more than 100 acres of in-bounds hike-to terrain at the top of the Continental Divide via Chair 9. Known as The Ridge, this terrain is open and very steep and requires about 20 minutes of moderate hiking. Monarch’s Mirkwood Basin has nearly 1,100 vertical feet of extreme skiing after a 15minute hike, allowing skiers to access expert chutes with 50-degree pitches, glades, rock cliffs, open bowls, and tree skiing. Monarch Powder Cat snowcat tours also services 1,200 acres just outside the ski area boundary that’s considered some of the best snowcat skiing in Colorado. Tours average 10 to 12 runs per day at an average of 1,000 vertical feet per run. Colorado’s largest cat skiing operator, the San Juan Ski Co., is located at Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort offering 35,000 acres of ungroomed terrain in the West San Juan Mountains escorted by experienced guides. Colorado’s all-expert Silverton Mountain, about 50 miles north of Durango, has 1,819 acres of extreme terrain -- 80% of which requires a hike of five minutes or more to access. They also offer heli-skiing at the ski area. Ski Cooper’s Chicago Ridge Snowcat Tours accesses over 2,400 acres of advanced terrain. Slopes vary from 3,000 to 10,000 feet in length, with vertical drops up to 1,400 feet per run. Ski Cooper is about 25 miles south of Copper Mountain Resort. Steamboat’s Christmas Tree Bowl and the adjacent extreme double-black diamond terrain runs of No Names, North St. Pat’s, and East Face require a 10- to 15-minute hike from the top of the Morningside chairlift, and skiers can drop in through several access points along the hike for some of the steep tree terrain for which the resort is known. Steamboat’s Powdercats guide service also offers intermediate, advanced, and expert snowcat tours on 10,000 acres of pristine terrain at Buffalo Pass, which is just 20 minutes from downtown Steamboat Springs. Snowmass’ Hanging Valley Headwall, Cirque, and Elk Camp areas give powder skiers 630 acres of chutes, cliffs, and bowls after a short hike and their intermediate run, Long Shot, offers a true backcountry feel after a 10-minute hike. Never groomed, Long Shot offers a good first step for intermediate skiers and riders looking to reach the next level -- and it drops 3,221 vertical feet in three-and-a-half miles. Telluride’s Palmyra Peak has more than 200 acres and almost 2,000 vertical feet of inbounds hike-to terrain, including runs like Tram Shot, Sunrise, and Electric Shock. Telluride also works offers the services of Helitrax, a heli-ski service offering untracked powder skiing on some of the world’s highest helicopter-accessed terrain in the San Juan Mountains. Winter Park’s in-bounds, hike-to terrain is Vasquez Cirque. After 30 minutes of hiking along the ski area boundary, skiers find extreme terrain with cliffs, 50-degree slopes, rocks, and other hazards -- all of which empty into steep and gladed tree skiing. Winter Park’s Powder Addiction snowcat tours also offers skiers and boarders guided backcountry skiing with more than 2,000 vertical feet in the Jones Pass area just east of the Continental Divide. “Unquestionably one of the most beautiful places to ski in the world.” –Powder Magazine Book your next group adventure! For group information, please call 888.483.5754 or TellurideSkiResort.com January-February 2011 The National Ski Club Newsletter Page 27 Vail Resorts Purchases Northstar-at-Tahoe SKI INDUSTRY NEWS Epic Passes Will Now Be Good at Eight U.S. Ski Resorts! By Bob Wilbanks, NSCN The National Ski Club Newsletter Subscription Information We send The National Ski Club Newsletter free to the president, ski trips officer, and summer trips officer of each club. To receive The National Ski Club Newsletter, please fill out the following information. If you send us your newsletter and give permission to reprint the articles, we will also send The National Ski Club Newsletter to your editor free of charge. Club Name: _________________________________ Club’s permanent address: _________________________________ City: _________________________________ State:____ Zip code:________ Please circle the month you elect officers. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec President’s name: _________________________________ Mailing address: _________________________________ City:_________ State:____ Zip:_______ Photo above: The new Northstar base area lodgeʼs ice rink. Photo by Carrie Compton, courtesy of Northstar-at-Tahoe. Vail Resorts has acquired the stock of the companies that operate Northstar-at-Tahoe from Booth Creek Resort Properties for 63 million dollars. The operations of Northstarat-Tahoe are conducted on land that is owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties, Inc. of Florida and which will be leased to Vail Resorts under a long-term agreement. Vail Resorts also operates Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe. The Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort is not part of the acquisition and will continue to be operated by Booth Creek Resort Properties. Northstar-at-Tahoe recently completed a 100,000 square foot base area village which contains 35 shops and restaurants, a conference center, and on-site lodging -- all of which is centered around a 9,000-square-foot skating rink with large seating areas that are great for ski club après-ski activities. The resort, which had more than 700,000 skier days last season, boasts more than 3,000 acres served by 19 lifts, 92 ski trails, seven terrain parks, tubing facilities, and snowmaking on 50 percent of the trails. The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe, which opened at mid-mountain in Northstarat-Tahoe last season has 170 guest rooms, 23 private residences, and 25 fractional ownership units -- all served by the hotel’s own eight-passenger gondola connecting the hotel with the ski resort. Page 28 Epic Pass and 7-pack valid at eight resorts The Northstar purchase by Vail Resorts means that holders of Vail’s $629 Epic Pass added value for the 2010-2011 ski season will have unlimited access to both Northstar-atTahoe and Sierra-at-Tahoe in addition to Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, and Heavenly. Holders of the Epic 7-Pack for seven days of skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin and Heavenly for $479 for adults and $239 for kids may now also ski at Northstar-at-Tahoe and Sierra-at-Tahoe this ski season. Both passes were sold only through November 7, 2010. “We are thrilled by the opportunity to bring Northstar-at-Tahoe into our family of worldclass mountain resorts and offer our most loyal guests even greater value on their skiing and riding this winter,” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. “We’ve taken the best deal in skiing and made it even more compelling, as the Epic Season Pass will now offer eight great resorts for the 2010-2011 ski season. We also have added access to more resorts for both Northstar and Heavenly pass holders and have even offered new value for our Colorado Pass holders with five days of skiing at either Heavenly or Northstar. Skiers and riders want more choices and better value and our acquisition of Northstar-at-Tahoe is all about delivering that for our guests,” continued Katz. The National Ski Club Newsletter E-mail: _________________ Ski trip officer’s name: _________________________________ Mailing address: _________________________________ SKI INDUSTRY NEWS STAY INFORMED YEAR ROUND! We publish The National Ski Club Newsletter four times a year, but we also publish a monthly e-mail Newsflash. If you wish to stay informed and are not receiving Americaʼs Ski Club Officersʼ Newsflash 12 times a year, please email us at [email protected] and tell us your e-mail address to begin receiving the news about ski clubs, councils, and the ski industry on a year-round basis. And, if your president, trips officer, editor or vice president are not receiving the National Ski Club Newsletter, please show them your copy and ask them to e-mail us at [email protected] to begin receiving the trade journal for the officers of Americaʼs ski clubs. Red Lodgeʼs Chemical-Free Weed Control By Bob Wilbanks, NSCN Red Lodgeʼs weed control system working at full strength. When Montana’s Red Lodge Ski Area became overrun with Knapweed after some adjacent road construction, they tried to be “green” about their solution to the problem. Instead of spraying the infected area with herbacides or other chemicals, they hired 430 goats, a goat herder and a couple of boarder Photo: Courtesy of Red Lodge Ski Area. collies for four days to do the job. It seems that goats prefer forbs to grasses, first chewing off the blossoms and seeds and then eating the leaves off the plant leaving a bare stalk, unable to photosynthesize or compete with more desirable plant life in the area. Now that’s what we call going green! City:________ State:____ Zip :_______ E-mail:_________________ Vice President or Summer trip officer: _________________________________ Mailing address: _________________________________ City:________ State:____ Zip:_______ E-mail:_________________ Editor’s name: _________________________________ Mailing address: _________________________________ City:________ State:____ Zip:_______ E-mail:_________________ To receive The National Ski Club Newsletter, please fill out and mail this form to P.O. Box 4704, Englewood, CO 80155 or e-mail the information to [email protected]. Thanks. Bob Wilbanks, editor. January-February 2011 January-February 2011 The National Ski Club Newsletter Page 29 SKI INDUSTRY NEWS SKI INDUSTRY NEWS Whatʼs Happening in Europeʼs Ski Industry? Whatʼs Happening in North Americaʼs Ski Industry? By Patrick Thorne, AKA the Snowhunter, and Bob Wilbanks, NSCN By Patrick Thorne, AKA the Snowhunter, and Bob Wilbanks, NSCN Black Mountain Express. The new $4 million lift replaces the 1978 Exhibition fixed-grip triple, is located in the base area, and has a capacity of 2,000 skiers per hour, a length of 2,877 feet, and a 719-foot vertical rise. Lake Tahoe Pacific Crest Heli-Guides in partnership with HeliTahoe is offering helicopter skiing in Lake Tahoe this ski season. Based out of the Truckee Airport and with access to more than 100,000 acres of privately owned lands along the spine of the Pacific Crest -- about four times the total skiable acreage at all 14 Tahoe ski resorts. This will be the first full-fledged helicopter skiing operation launched in the Lake Tahoe region and it will also include year-round recreational options by helicopter such as sight-seeing, mountain biking, fishing, and hiking. Bettmeralp is a car-free resort high above the Rhone valley in Canton Valais. In the background, the chapel of Holy Mary of the Snow. Switzerland Several new lifts have been installed in Switzerland’s Valais Region. Two tow lifts in Bettmeralp have been replaced with a four-seater chairlift with safety devices to keep kids from sliding under the safety bar. Fiescheralp has a new six-seater chairlift next to the existing valley station to access the Aletsch Arena ski region and a detachable fourseater replaces two old chairlifts between Cry-d’Er and Bellalui in the The Dolomiti Superski area has installed a range of new lifts over the summer, improving passenger capacity and speed to the slopes. Italy Italy’s Val Gardena has a new funicular railway replacing an old single chairlift on Rasciesa Alp above Ortisei. The funicular’s top station offers a panoramic view of almost all of South Tyrol and the Dolomites peaks as far as Trentino, Lombardy, and Austria. Val Gardena has 83 lifts and 109 miles of pistes and is a part of the world’s largest ski-network covered by a single lift pass -- the Dolomiti Superski -- which offers 758 miles of pistes of which 310 miles are inter-connected in the Sella region served by 450 lifts. Kronplatz has a new 10-passenger gondola, the Gipfelbahn. It has heated leather seats and goes all the way to the top of Mount Kronplatz. The resort is a part of the Dolomite Superski in Sud Tirol. Alta Badia has a new four-seater chairlift connecting the Arlara summit station with the Braia Fraida station at mid-mountain. A new fourseater chairlift, La Rua, also replaces an old three-seater. Serre Chevalier now has its seventh six-seater detachable chairlift, this one connecting the villages of Villeneuve to Monetier les Bains. It’s part of the Milky Way ski area which goes from Italy into France. France Les Gets, in the giant Franco-Swiss Portes du Soleil, with its 12 linked ski resorts and 650 kilometers of ski-slopes, has a new six-seater chairlift in the Chamossiere ski area replacing both the Blanchots draglift and an old three-man chairlift. Superbagnères, in the French Pyrenees near both Spain and the French city of Toulouse, has installed a new quad chairlift, the Arbesquens, for this winter season. Barèges - La Mongie, one of the largest ski areas in the French Pyrenees, has also installed a new quad chairlift replacing two old drag lifts. Page 30 Photo: Courtesy of Swissimages. Austria Mayrhofen resort now has the world’s first lift combining eight-seater chairs with 10-passenger gondola cabins between each eight chairs on a single cable. It links the top station of the Penkenbahn gondola up to Gschössberg and is for both pedestrians and skiers, with each having a separate entrance and exit. The Schladming ski area has also installed its first Chondola lift with a gondola cabin after every three chairs. The new lift will make it easier for the uplift of skiers, boarders, and hikers. A helicopter maneuvers a lift tower for the High Noon Express into position. Photo By Cody Downard and courtesy of Vail Resorts. Colorado Vail’s Chair Number 5, a 1979-era fixed-grip triple also known as the High Noon Lift that served the Sun Up and Sundown Bowls, was removed at the end of last ski season to make way for a high-speed quad chairlift. The new High Noon Express is a high-speed quad, that will cut ride time nearly in half -- from 11 to six minutes. Crested Butte Mountain Resort celebrates its 50th anniversary this ski season. Congratulations! Ski packages start at just $79* Four Mountains, One Lift Ticket *Starting rate is per person and includes lift ticket to Mt. Rose-Ski-Tahoe. Based on double occupancy. The NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER For details visit grandsierraresort.com or call 1-800-648-5080 January-February 2011 Oregon Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor has added a new 200-foot-long covered conveyor lift for beginners in the learning center at the West Village base area. The 70-foot-long conveyor from the West Village was also relocated to the Sunrise learning area. Idaho The United State of America’s first destination ski resort, Sun Valley, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this ski season so the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and The International Skiing History Association are co-hosting the 75th Season Celebration of Skiing & Snowboarding event from March 27 to April 3, 2011 at the resort. While we can’t promise way more snow, we can promise way more everything else. Get way more time on the slopes and way more comforts off, with ski packages from Grand Sierra Resort. You can choose from 11 world-class Tahoe resorts including Northstar, Squaw Valley USA and Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe. After a day of deep snow and downhills, warm up in one of our luxurious guest rooms or start a hot streak in Reno’s hottest casino. Our ten restaurants, including Charlie Palmer Steak, Briscola and rim will satisfy any ski-induced appetite. And if you still haven’t found your fill of fun, you will once you discover the 50-lane bowling alley, the movie cinema and Reno’s best après-ski scene in our bars, clubs and lounges like Xtreme Sports Bar and Mustangs Dance Hall. Washington Washington’s Summit at Snoqualmie has replaced their front-side lift with a new triple chairlift and a double chairlift was installed on the backside. The two lifts will allow access to 65 acres of additional skiable terrain that has not been available for more than 20 years. At the White Pass ski area, two new chairlifts have opened up another 767 acres of lift-served ski terrain with 13 runs and glade skiing. Crystal Mountain has installed Washington’s first gondola. The new eight-passenger gondola will cut the travel time for the 2,456 feet rise to 10 minutes, half the time it formally required using two chairlifts. CONTACT GROUP SALES TODAY! 800-525-6200 or [email protected] www.aspensnowmass.com Arapahoe Basin Ski Area has a new detachable quad chairlift, January-February 2011 New England Maine’s Sugarloaf celebrates 60th anniversary this season by announcing a three-year, 655-acre expansion that will make it the largest since ski area on the Eastern side of the country. The resort added 270 acres of gladed backcountry styles glades this season in the Burnt Mountain area. The area will be patrolled but there will be no new lifts, no snowmaking, nor property development at the new base area. New Hampshire’s Sununu family led a group of local investors who purchased Waterville Valley Ski Area from Booth Creek Resorts, returning the area to local control for the first time in fifteen years. The ski area has one of the state's highest elevations at 4,000 feet with 52 trails on 255 acres, 12 lifts, and 100% snowmaking. Quebec Le Massif has completed their new eight-passenger Massif Express gondola with a departure point located to the east of the current GrandePointe Express Lift, and a station for passengers to board mid-mountain. The NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER Page 31 SKI INDUSTRY NEWS Return Service Requested to: The National Ski Club Newsletter P.O. Box 4704 Englewood, CO 80155 Presorted Std. U.S. Postage PAID Houston, TX Permit No. 11648