Learn to snowboard at Copper Mountain Ski Resort

by Kraig Becker on

Located a short drive from Denver, Colorado, Copper Mountain Ski Resort is amongst the premiere ski destinations in all of North America. With 125 total runs, spread out across nearly 2500 skiable acres, and an average snowfall of 280 inches per year, Copper Mountain truly is a fantastic winter playground that is set to open for the 2011-2012 season on November 4th.

One of the top attractions at the resort is the Woodward at Copper snowboard training center, which features a 19,400 square foot indoor training facility affectionately known as “The Barn.” Woodward was designed from the ground up to be a place where snowboarders can improve their terrain park and pipe skills, learning new tricks and acrobatic maneuvers, in a safe and supervised environment.

Visitors to the Barn will discover all kinds of unique training tools designed to help them master whatever skills they’re looking to add to their repertoire. For example, the facility features a long jump that lands in a foam pit 55 feet in length, allowing snowboarders to catch big air, pull flashy moves, and still land softly every time. Other features include plenty of boxes and rails to grind, trampolines to help develop acrobatic skills, and several runs that incorporate Snowflex, an artificial surface designed to simulate real snow. Copper hasn’t reserved all the fun for the boarders however, and skiers can hone their skills in the Barn as well.

The Barn is open every day and offers a variety of training programs ranging in length from a few hours to multi-day camps. If you’re a snowboarder or skier looking to improve your skills or learn new tricks, then you’ll want to see what the Woodward can do for you. Check out the video below to get a sense of what the program is all about, and then head over to the website to find a program that suits your needs.

[Photo credit: Roland Zumbuhl via WikiMedia]


Woodward at Copper Ski and Snowboard Camp from Woodward at Copper on Vimeo.

Kickass Boots for Fall and Winter Travels

by Pam Mandel on

I’m so not girly when it comes to style and I won’t wear heels, I just won’t. I don’t care how cute they are, I’m not running for a train or to the bus that’s pulling away from the stop while I’m wearing heels. No way. That doesn’t mean I don’t like cute shoes, I do, and I really like it when it comes to fall and I have an excuse for new winter boots.

Here’s the sacrifice I’ll make, given my boot fetish. Boots are heavy and they take up a lot of space in your bag. They’re a hassle in the airport, getting in and out of them in the security line is a drag. But if there’s bad weather — wet or cold conditions — I want my feet to be warm and dry. I’ll wear my boots on the plane or I’ll figure out how to get them in my bag. I can be really resourceful when it comes to packing. And often we’re on bad weather weekend getaways in the Pacific Northwest so I can just toss my boots in the car. That means I can take two pairs, if I’m so inclined.

Here are three styles I like this fall, all from different brands.

I love my Bogs (picked up at hardware store in Forks, Washington). Whenever I wear them, I get compliments. And my feet are wildly happy in them. They’re comfortable, they keep my feet warm and dry, they are great for winter beach walks and stomping around in snow and just dealing with relentlessly wet city days. Adventure cruises often give you boots to use while you’re on board but I love these so much that I packed them for my trip to Antarctica. I was the only person who wasn’t crew that had their own boots. Crazy, maybe, but my cabin mate complained the whole time about her boots while I was at home in mine. It was totally worth the space and the weight. The boots I have list for $100 on the Bogs site, I paid about $75 for mine. They come in a bunch of colors and patterns.

Keen makes those bumper toed sandals that I’m not crazy about, style wise, but they make a lot of other stuff too. I tried to fight it, but I’m becoming a convert to their shoes because they keep my feet happy. I’m wearing Keen’s Silverton for stomping around my city this fall. They’re insulated and waterproof. I can vouch for how warm they are, but I haven’t yet had a chance to see how dry they keep my feet. My sense is that they run just a little small — I wish I’d got a half size bigger, but after just a few wearings, they’re relaxing nicely and are fast becoming my favorites for the season. The styling is a bit like a clog meets a wellie, chunky and solid, but I like that look. They’re built to walk in, too, and that matters a lot in a shoe you’re packing for travel. They retail for $170, they come in brown and black.

Teva is probably best known for their sport sandals but they’ve got a full line of hikers and casual shoes as well. I’m totally digging their new Vero boot. It’s a little bit like a Converse high top fell in love with a pair of Sorels and they had a love child. They’ve got that “I’m off to harness the dogsled” look about them, but they’re nowhere close to the weight of a pair of Sorels. (I have a pair of those and trust me, that is more boot than you want to drag across the planet. I’ve done it.) The Vero is insulated and waterproof and ready for snow. And I think they’re cute as all get out, great for hanging out at the lodge after that day on the slopes, but also, for swanning about the city doing holiday shopping on those biting cold days.The Vero retails for $180 and comes in five different colors.

Photo: Fall by Istelleinad via Flickr (Creative Commons).

Why early season Colorado snow may spell danger for backcountry skiers

by Kyle Ellison on

Here on Gadling we recently reported that Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin Ski Area officially opened for business on October 13, thereby kicking off the start of the new winter season. As of opening day the resort was reporting 18 inches of powder on the ground, and with yesterday’s massive dump of over a foot of new snow the slopes are surely covered in a lot of the white stuff all over again.

While this undoubtedly puts a smile on the face of skiers and boarders who have been frothing all summer to get back on the slopes, some experts claim that large, early-season dumps such as those experienced thus far can ultimately create unstable conditions that contribute to fatal avalanches.

According to a new post by Unofficial Networks, early season snowfall mixed with cold temperatures can create what are known as “depth hoar crystals” that form an unstable layer of ice beneath the snowpack and aid in triggering avalanches later on in the winter.

Essentially ball-bearings that rest beneath the snow, the longer a thin, early season snowpack sits on the slopes, the greater potential it has to eventually form into the hated depth hoar crystals. While coastal resorts along the Sierra Nevada remain relatively warm after an early season dump, inland locations such as Colorado can see cold temperatures linger long after an early season snow, thereby lengthening the time that early season snow stays on the ground.

This is why, according to Unofficial Networks, Colorado is the leading state for avalanche deaths by nearly double the second leading state (Alaska) over the last 50 years. Should warm temperatures help to melt some of the October snow, however, it helps to create a much more stable base.

It’s important to note, of course, that the large majority of Colorado avalanche deaths occur in backcountry terrain that isn’t professionally groomed by qualified resort staff. Given that these in-bounds runs are monitored by the resorts, the chances of depth hoar crystals affecting your run down the bunny slope are far less than if you’re venturing out of bounds.

So while I’m as stoked as the next guy to get back out onto some powder this winter, it’s worth keeping an eye on how all of this early season Colorado snow is going to effect what experts are predicting could be another winter of epic proportions.

Salvage team searches for Sir Francis Drake off the coast of Panama

by Kraig Becker on

A salvage team has discovered the wreckage of two ships off the coast of Panama that once belonged to naval legend Sir Francis Drake. The ships have not yielded up any treasure, but the team believes that their discovery may lead to finding the remains of the British sailor as well.

Drake earned his place in history when he became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe in 1580. That was an impressive feat in and of itself, but he became a true hero when he defeated the mighty Spanish Armada in 1588, securing British supremacy of the seas for decades to come. In early 1596 he died of dysentery, and according to his wishes, he was dressed in full armor and placed inside a lead coffin, before receiving a burial at sea.

The two ships that were recently discovered near Panama, the Elizabeth and the Delight, were stripped of all items of value and scuttled by Drake’s crew following his death. It is believed that his watery resting place is not far from where those ships went down however, and the 12-member salvage crew is hoping to soon discover the remains of Drake himself. It took just one week of searching to find the privateer’s missing ships, and they’re hoping to have fortune smile upon them once again.

Locating Drake’s body would be a significant historical find, but it’s unclear what the team would do were they to come across his remains. The legendary captain wished to be buried at sea and it seems wrong to disturb that resting place now. Perhaps they’ll simply take some photos and record his location, leaving him where he is for eternity. After all, it only seems fitting for one of the greatest naval commanders of all time to be resting at the bottom of the ocean.

Photo of the day: New Orleans after Katrina

by Elizabeth Seward on


People have been talking about New Orleans differently since Hurricane Katrina. No matter how the city’s name slips into conversation, the disaster named Katrina is typically addressed and typically, it must be. Anyone who knows NOLA will vouch for the tremendous damage caused by this storm and the circumstances surrounding it. But many people who know NOLA will also confess: the city still has life in it; New Orleans is still teeming with an energy exclusive to the city. And as an homage to the trip I’m taking to New Orleans tomorrow, I am posting this photo of New Orleans post-Katrina, taken by Arla Parker.

I’m visiting New Orleans through next week, generally speaking, for Voodoo Festival and Halloween. But a broader reason for my trip is my desire to keep up with the city. I have been visiting the Big Easy regularly since 2005, but my first visit to the city was exactly a month before Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans has gripped me since the first visit and I look forward to exploring the paths this upcoming trip leads me down. Have you been to New Orleans since Katrina? What are your thoughts?

And, as always, if you’d like to submit a photo for Photo of The Day, just upload a photo to the Gadling Flickr Pool.