New RockResort opens in Breckenridge in only one month

by Tom Johansmeyer on

One Ski Hill Place, the newest RockResort, is set to open on June 1, 2010. Want to be the first to sleep in a particular room or bed? This is your chance! With the “Be the First” package, you can, well, be the first. Yeah, it’s pretty straightforward. The opening rate for this property is as low as $75 a night. The hotel’s grand opening doesn’t come until November 12, 2010, because there isn’t a whole lot of skiing over the summer, so think of this as a chance to get in early, poke around and see if One Ski Hill Place will hit your winter skiing or snowboarding itinerary.

To take advantage of the special rate, you’ll need to book by June 1, 2010 and stay at the hotel during the month of June. In addition to the one-bedroom accommodation, you’ll also get a complimentary breakfast.

If you’re more interested in heading out to Breckenridge when there’s snow on the ground, consider the “Early Bird Winter Package.” You’ll be able to stay at One Ski Hill Place between November 12, 2010 (when the grand opening party is being held) and April 24, 2011 for only $81 a night (and up).

Explorer claims second of “three poles”

by Kraig Becker on

We’ve mentioned Eric Larsen and his Save The Poles Expedition on more than one occasion here at Gadling. He’s the explorer who has set out to become the first person to visit the “three poles” in one calendar year, with the three poles being the North and South Geographic Poles and the summit of Mt. Everest.

Last week Larsen took another major step in his quest by reaching 90ºN, otherwise known as the North Pole. He, along with teammates Antony Jinman and Darcy St. Laurent, spent 51 days out on the ice, battling high winds, sub-zero temperatures, massive rubble fields, and ice flowing away from the Pole that made it seem like they were on a treadmill at times. But in the end, they reached the top of the world, putting Larsen two-thirds of the way toward his goal. Eric, and two different teammates reached the South Pole back on January 2nd.

The main objective of the project is to raise awareness of global warming and its impact on the Earth’s Poles, while promoting the use of new, clean energy sources and carbon offsets. In that light, it seems all the more fitting that the team arrived at the North Pole on Earth Day.

With the North and South Pole under his belt, Larsen will now turn his attention on Everest. It is too late to make the climb during the spring season, so he’ll be planning a fall ascent. If all goes as planned, he’ll be making history later this year.

Buy a Canadian ski resort for $1 (Yes, there is a catch!)

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week Line Beauchamp, Quebec’s Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, and Parks announced a plan to sell the Mount Orford ski and golf resort, including all buildings, chairlifts and operating equipment, for just $1. But of course, like all deals that seem too good to be true, prospective buyers need to read the fine print before writing their checks.

The resort has been managed and operated by the Quebec Government for some time, and has continually run in the red. In fact, the resort has averaged a loss of $2 million a year, in part because the government was unable to use taxpayer money to promote Mount Orford. As a result, the bare minimum of funds were pumped into the operations, just to keep it up and running.

So what’s the catch on this $1 deal of the century? Who ever ends up buying the resort has to agree to keep it running for at least five years, and lay down a $4 million deposit to cover that claim. Bids are being taken through May 28th, at which time if there are no buyers, the resort will be shut down and all on-site facilities will be dismantled.

Anyone want to pool our cash together to purchase the resort? I can cover that first dollar!

Maine ski resort to charge for backcountry rescues

by Kraig Becker on

Sugarloaf Mountain, a popular ski resort located in Maine, has had enough of skiers and snowboarders going out of bounds and then requiring a rescue. In fact, they’re so fed up, that following two recent incidences, they have decided to charge the snowboarders who were rescued for the expenses incurred during the operation.

The two incidences in question took place on Friday, February 26th and the following Monday, March 1st. In both cases, snowboarders elected to ignore warning signs and fence lines, to leave Sugarloaf property and move onto privately held lands. When they became lost, search parties needed to be organized, with volunteer firefighters and Sugarloaf search and rescue teams going into action.

The first rescue involved five snowboarders, and cost a total of $2300 spread out between the local fire department and the resort. At $460 each, these boarders are getting off on the cheap side however, as the second rescue operation required the extraction of four out-of-bounds offenders, and extended to 15 hours in length. As a result, the tab came to just over $8350 or $2087.50 each. That makes for an expensive day out on the slopes.

All told, about 500 man hours were spent on the search and rescue operations, which convinced both Sugarloaf, and the Carrabassett Valley Fire Department, that they would send the bill to the people that were rescued. They argued that the snowboarders made a conscious choice to go out of bounds, and as a result, they would have to be held responsible for their own actions. Perhaps a big fat bill in the mail will help convince them to stay on the proper slopes next time.

Polar explorer sets out for second pole

by Kraig Becker on

We’ve mentioned Eric Larsen a couple of times in the past few months. First, when he set off on his Save the Poles expedition, and again when he reached the South Pole, the first of three extreme destinations he has planned for this year. During the course of 2010, Larsen expects to reach all three “poles”, which includes both the North and South Geographic Poles, as well as the summit of Mt. Everest, as he works to raise awareness for alternative clean energy sources and ways to reduce carbon emissions.

With the start of the 2010 season for arctic expeditions hitting last week, Larsen has now begun the second stage of his endeavor. Eric and his companions, Antony Jinman and Darcy St Laurent, set out from Cape Discovery in Northern Canada last week. Ahead of them is a 450 mile unsupported journey to the top of the world, which means that they are dragging all of their gear and supplies behind them in sleds, while they cover the distance on skis, battling the most extreme weather and terrain on the planet.

In his first updates from the ice, Eric says that so far, the journey north has been colder than the weather he experienced in Antarctica. The miles have been harder so far as well, with large areas of open water and giant ice fields impeding their progress. As a result, the team has not covered a lot of mileage so far, and negative drift has worked to deprive them of some of the miles they have achieved.

If successful in reaching the North Pole, Eric will be two-thirds of the way to his goal. He plans to head to Everest in the fall, and a successful summit there would make him the first person to ever reach the “three poles” in a single calendar year.