Epic Pass holders can ski Big Sky for free

by Kraig Becker on

The Epic Season Pass is an amazing deal for avid skiers. For one fee, it allows unlimited skiing and snowboarding in some of the best resorts in Colorado and the Tahoe region, including Vail, Breckenridge, Heavenly, Arapahoe Basin, and more. The trouble is, those resorts haven’t been getting their usual allotments of snow so far this winter, which has made for some less than ideal conditions on the slopes.

Enter Big Sky Resort in Montana, where the snow has more than lived up to expectations so far. With a current base depth of 30-45 inches, Big Sky has more than 3000 skiable acres, and 131 of its 155 named runs, open to the public. That means plenty of great skiing on a mountain so large that you’ll often find yourself completely alone, even on a busy day.

Due to their relatively bountiful snowfalls, Big Sky has decided to share the wealth with less fortunate skiers living in other parts of the country. For the entire month of January, Epic Pass holder can ski Big Sky for free, provided they book lodging for the duration of their stay at the resort. They’ll even extend their “Bring a Buddy” program to allow non-Epic Pass holders to ski at discounted rates as well. Full details on the promotion can be found here.

I was lucky enough to be in Big Sky last January and it truly is a great place to ski or ride. There are tons of excellent trails, plenty of lifts, and wonderful snow conditions. So while you wait for winter to catch-up with the rest of the country, consider a visit to Montana for a little fun in the snow.

Adventure Vacation Guide 2012: Queenstown, New Zealand

by Kyle Ellison on

Just as I mentioned in the Adventure Vacation Guide to Chamonix, France, what separates an adventure destination from an adventure capital is the ability to get an adrenaline rush for all 365 days of the year. Although Queenstown may be closer to the South Pole than the Equator, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t adventure activities perfectly suited for every season of the year.

Also, as an added bonus, under the country’s traveler-friendly Adventure Compensation Corporation program (ACC), many travelers to New Zealand are actually covered for any medical costs they may incur while inside of the country. Seriously. I’m not making this up. You hurt yourself, you’re covered. End of story.

So now that you know that you’re covered in the extremely unlikely event of an accident, what sort of adventures can you sniff out in Queenstown? How about throwing yourself off the Kawarau bridge at the AJ Hackett bungy center, the original bungy operation in New Zealand? Or maybe take a jet boat ride through canyons which are way too narrow at speeds which are way too fast?

Extreme sports aside, Queenstown is also within striking distance of Fiordland, the protected and mountainous region which is home to such treks as the Milford Track and the Routeborn Track, a trail which was recently chosen as one of the top ten treks in the world by Lonely Planet.

In the winter months, The Remarkables ski area stoically lurks on the craggy peaks that form the backdrop to the town, the Southern Alps providing some of the best skiing opportunities in the Southern Hemisphere. Lastly, with the New Zealand dollar currently holding steady at $.75 to the US dollar, it’s also a somewhat a cheap way to get your thrills in 2012.

[flickr image via Or Hiltch]

Mammoth Mountain offers guaranteed snow

by Kraig Becker on

It has been a real hit-and-miss season for skiers so far this winter. Some regions of the U.S. have received plenty of snow, but large sections of the country are still waiting for for the sizable accumulations that will allow them to hit the slopes in style. But visitors to Mammoth Mountain in California can rest assured that they’ll have plenty of powder to play in, as the resort is even offering a snow guarantee for pass holders.

The Mammoth Mid-Winter Pass is currently on sale for just $299 and allows skiing or snowboarding everyday of the week between January 9 and February 10. That averages out to just $12 per day, which is an amazing deal for anyone who wants to ski one of the premiere resorts in all of North America. But, it gets even better. Starting yesterday, for every day that goes by in which the resort doesn’t receive 24 inches of new snowfall, they’ll extend the length of the pass for an additional day.

I’m told that the current snow base on the mountain is between 1.5 and 2 feet, and daily measurements will be provided by the Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol to keep track of how much new snow falls. A running ticker will also be added to the Mammoth website to keep pass holders informed of those measurements and how many extra days are being added to their pass. So while you’re lamenting the fact that no fresh snow has fallen on the mountain, the value of that Mid-Winter Pass will continue to go up.

There is one small caveat however. In order to take advantage of this deal, you’ll need to purchase the Mid-Winter Pass by Monday, January 9th. To find out more and order your pass online, click here.

[Photo Courtesy of Mammoth Mountain]

Eco-friendly indoor ski resort coming to Barcelona

by Kraig Becker on

When you think about great ski destinations, Barcelona is not one that comes to mind. After all, the Spanish city boasts an average year round temperature of 68ºF. But a Dutch company known as SnowWord is hoping to change that by building an indoor ski resort that is also environmentally friendly.

SnowWorld specializes in building ski domes that allow skiers to hit the (artificial) slopes all year round, and have been using a host of creative techniques to make their buildings more sustainable. For instance, the company has designed buildings that recycle the heat generated from their snow-making machines for use in creating hot water. But the Barcelona project is their first attempt to completely eliminate the energy needs of one of their facilities.

The plan is to tap a resource that, until now, has been left largely unused, in an attempt to help cool the ski dome. Barcelona receives large, and regular, shipments of liquified natural gas, which has to be kept at temperature of -238°F while in transit. Once it arrives in the city however, it is warmed in seawater to return it to its gaseous state, cooling that water in the process. In the past, that cold seawater was simply returned to the harbor, but the city now has plans in place to start using it to cool buildings in Barcelona, and the new indoor ski resort would be one of them.

The cold seawater would provide approximately 75% of the facility’s energy needs, and create no CO2 emissions. The remainder of the dome’s energy would come from solar panels installed on the roof, which would power the lighting and a variety of other equipment. These two renewable energy sources would combine to make the ski resort completely carbon neutral.

It is estimated that the ski dome will cost approximately $55 million to build, and at this point it is still several years from opening. There are some logistical hurdles for SnowWorld to clear and partnerships to be secured before construction can commence. Once they do break ground however, it will take about 2 years to complete.

New Jersey law now requires helmets on skiers, snowboarders

by Kraig Becker on

If you’re planning on hitting the slopes in the Garden State this winter, you’ll want to take note of this story.

New Jersey is set to begin enforcing a new law this weekend that will require skiers and snowboarders under the age of 18 to wear a helmet while on the slopes. The law was passed last April, and makes the state the first in the nation to require minors to wear protective head gear.

The new law requires parents to ensure that their minor children are wearing helmets at all times, including while they’re on rope tows and lifts, or face a fine. The penalty for a first offense is $25, with each additional infraction setting them back as much as $100. The hope is that this move will make skiing and snowboarding safer activities for young people.

While New Jersey isn’t well known as a ski destination, it does have several resorts, most of which are set to open for the winter season by this holiday weekend. Warmer than normal weather has kept snow away for the most part and hampered efforts to make artificial snow as well. But resorts such as Mountain Creek are optimistic that they’ll be open in time for the Christmas holiday. In preparation for that opening, and this new law, the resort has doubled the number of rental helmets that it has on hand.

The question is, would a law requiring helmets actually catch-on in states that are more well known as ski destinations, such as Colorado or Utah? California governor Jerry Brown has already vetoed such a law, but did so out of concern for more and more authority being handed over from parents to the state. He did say that he appreciated the value of wearing a helmet however, but inferred that it wasn’t the state’s duty to mandate it.

Considering more and more people are wearing helmets while on the slopes already, I don’t think such a law would be met with much opposition. Much like wearing a seat belt while driving these days, it just makes good sense to wear a helmet as well. It’ll be interesting to see if other states follow New Jersey’s lead or if they’ll take California’s approach and put the onus back on the parents.