U.S. ski resorts get much needed snow at last

by Kraig Becker on

It has been a very tough season so far for many of the ski resorts across the western United States. Warmer than normal temperatures and little snowfall had conspired to make it a challenging start to the winter. But things have started to change out west, and a few big storms over the past few weeks have made now made it possible for skiers and snowboarders to hit the slopes at last.

The Jackson Hole Ski Resort in Wyoming, for instance, got hit with a massive winter storm last week, resulting in 80 inches (that’s 6.5 feet!) in just eight days time. That brought their snow base up to 80 inches on the mountain, and their total seasonal accumulation to 198″. As a result, all runs are open and skiers are taking advantage of the great conditions at last.

Similarly, Mammoth Mountain in California had a big snow storm in late-January as well, getting more than four feet of accumulation in just a few days time. That brought their total base to 40-60 inches, depending on where you are on the slopes, and they currently have received over 107″ of powder so far this year. After a bit of slow start to their season, Mammoth now has all lifts and runs open for business too.

In Utah, Alta and Snowbird now have over 165″ of snowfall for the year, bringing their bases to 69 and 65 inches respectively. In Colorado, Vail has grown their base to more than 35 inches, with a foot of new snow falling in the past week alone. Montana’s Big Sky Resort now has a base between 45 and 69 inches in depth, while Sun Valley, Idaho reports similar numbers.

What does all of this mean for skiers? Winter is now officially here! Take advantage of it while you can, as it could be fleeting, but it seems that at long last, there are some excellent snow conditions for those eager to hit the slopes.

[Photo courtesy Mammoth Mountain]


Video of the day: Bryson Andres plays on Portland street corner

by Elizabeth Seward on

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why the loop pedal is one of the best inventions ever: because an electric violinist, like Bryson Andres, can perform like this on the street in Portland. I like Portland–a lot of people do. I think Portland is a town filled with gems worth seeking out and substantial food, beer, art, and music scenes. The fact that the electric violinist street performer (loop pedal extraordinaire) featured in this video set up shop in Portland and played his heart out to Beyonce’s ‘Halo’, even to the point of (apparently) drawing in the attention of another violin-playing street performer, makes me like Portland just that much more. If you don’t have time for anything else today, make time to set aside a few minutes and let the talent this guy brings to the street brighten your day.

Space travel to get boost from solar power

by Chris Owen on

The reality of manned space travel has scientists on limited budgets looking at every angle that might make it happen efficiently. Recently, five aerospace companies contracted with NASA to study the idea of a new propulsion system, designed to turn the sun’s rays into electricity for space travel.

NASA hopes the end result is a new propulsion system that will power a reusable “space tugboat” capable of ferrying satellites from low-Earth orbit to the higher geosynchronous Earth orbit.

The idea is popular because a solar powered vehicle would save money on fuel and eliminate the need for the secondary rocket booster normally required to send a satellite into high orbit.

Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Aerospace Systems sector and Boeing‘s Phantom Works unit are two of the companies involved, each winning a four-month $600,000 NASA contract to conduct early-stage studies for a high-power solar propulsion system.

“The study has no hardware, so the `work’ is all design work, and will be done here in Redondo Beach mostly,” Northrop spokeswoman Mary Blake said in the Daily Breeze.

Just one piece of the space travel puzzle, the new solar-powered propulsion system would have other uses too, including cargo transportation for human exploration and cargo transportation to the moon.

Flickr photo by y gr33n3gg


Chile’s Valle Nevado ski resort rolls out early-bird special

by Laurel Miller on

Dedicated pow hounds tend to hightail it to the Southern Hemisphere once summer rears its sunny head. Chile is justly famous for its snow, as well as its lack of crowds, above-timberline terrain, and epic backcountry and vertical accessible via heli-skiing.

Valle Nevado, located 20 miles east of Santiago, is already the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere. This year, during its June 22-October 2nd winter season, it has even more enticements to offer.

North American and UK guests who book and pay before March 31st, 2012, will receive up to 50% off a season-long package that includes a seven-night stay at any of Valle Nevado’s three hotels (which range from high-end to budget), and two interconnect tickets for the neighboring resorts of La Parva and El Colorado, which opens 7,400 acres of skiable terrain (that’s more than Vail, for you ski and snowboard die-hards).

The promotion also includes 25% off equipment rental, a complimentary 30-minute massage, and free attendance at the weekly Thursday Wine Festival. Look for forthcoming announcements on heli-skiing packages, as well. To book, call 1-800-669-0554 from the U.S., or email reservas@vallenevado.com.

Destination information tool promises increased travel safety, eventually

by Chris Owen on

Destination information from a trusted source can make for a rich travel experience and help keep us safe. Knowing where to go (and not go) in a city we have not traveled to before can be valuable information to have on hand. Trip Sentry, a new search engine for travelers, hopes to become the authority site for connecting people on the move with travel safety advice.

“Trip Sentry solves the problem of getting high quality, relevant advice to travelers completely,” said Co-Founder Adam Sculthorpe, “our new search engine allows travelers to easily get advice from trusted sources and set up travel safety alerts for any destination in just a few seconds.”

Not a bad idea really. One problem though: Multiple searches for commonly visited cities produced few or no results. Randomly selecting New York, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles: Nothing.

International destination information fared better though. London had 55 results and a search for Hong Kong came up with 85 results that included exit and entry information, safety and security data, natural disaster and weather background and alerts along with information about culture, laws and customs.

Trip Sentry also has a member portal allowing travelers to configure alerts for multiple-city destination information and set up departure notes to be sent out just before a trip begins.

I input destinations coming up this year on my travel schedule as well as dream destinations I hope to visit some day. Trip Sentry is a work in progress that promises to have real, personal value in the future.

“We’ve already delivered travel safety advice to people in more than 403 Cities, most of them in Europe and North America but quite a few in Southeast Asia too. I’m very pleased with the feedback we’ve had so far but we have a way to go yet, it’s early days,” said Sculthorpe.

Flickr photo by keithusc