Podcast appearances and mentions of Bear Valley

PRESENTED BY 6D HELMETSOn August 21-24, Big Bear Mountain in Southern California will host the inaugural Big Bear MX Grand Prix at the Bear Valley resort. The event has been years in the making, and our DMs and inboxes have been flooded with questions about the exciting developments, so we asked CMXRS Race Director Aaron Cooke to come in and share every single bit of information about the race with us. Registration opens on August 1st at 12:00 p.m. Mark your calendars!

Amy talks with Friends of Big Bear Valley Executive Director Sandy Steers about Jackie, Shadow, and their eaglets that have captured the hearts of YouTube watchers from all over the world.

Executive Director Sandy Steers discusses the Friends of Big Bear Valley Eagle Cam

Anchorage and Mat-Su residents were battered overnight Saturday into Sunday by a severe windstorm that saw a peak gust of 110 mph in Bear Valley, a pedestrian bridge partially collapse onto the Seward Highway, and part of a roof rip off a Muldoon home that was caught on video. The aftermath of the storm is covered on Alaska's News Source.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode I chatted to the Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate about his journey from Germany to OKC. Born and raised in Frankfurt, Germany, Mickelthwate grew up in a home filled with classical music. He received his degree from the Peabody Institute of Music, and has worked with orchestras in Atlanta, Winnipeg and Los Angeles. He is Music Director Emeritus of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Canada, and in 2022, accepted the position of Music Director for the prestigious Bear Valley Music Festival in Bear Valley, California. In early 2023, Mickelthwate traveled to Hanoi where he was Guest Conductor at the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra. Since he's been in Oklahoma, Mickelthwate has received numerous awards and honors, including being twice-named “The Face of Music” by 405 Magazine. The OKC Friday newspaper named him one of the “Top 50 Most Powerful,” and the Ladies Music Club of Oklahoma City lauded him “Musician of the Year.” https://www.okcphil.org/about-us/history/alexander-mickelthwate/ Huge thank you to our sponsors. The Oklahoma Hall of Fame at the Gaylord-Pickens Museum telling Oklahoma's story through its people since 1927. For more information go to www.oklahomahof.com and for daily updates go to www.instagram.com/oklahomahof The Chickasaw Nation is economically strong, culturally vibrant and full of energetic people dedicated to the preservation of family, community and heritage. www.chickasaw.net Diffee Ford Lincoln Third generation Oklahoma business, the Diffee family continues to do business the right way, the family way. Go to www.diffeeford.net for all your new and used car needs and follow them on instagram www.instagram.com/diffee_ford Dog House OKC - When it comes to furry four-legged care, our 24/7 supervised cage free play and overnight boarding services make The Dog House OKC in Oklahoma City the best place to be, at least, when they're not in their own backyard. With over 6,000 square feet of combined indoor/outdoor play areas our dog daycare enriches spirit, increases social skills, builds confidence, and offers hours of exercise and stimulation for your dog http://www.thedoghouseokc.com/ #ThisisOklahoma

Sunday Adult Bible Class

Stop Yelling At Me! | Game Changers | Calgary Business Welcome to another episode of our Game Changer series! Today, Robin Finley sits back down with Steve Parsons from Bear Valley Solutions to discuss leadership in the episode titled "Stop Yelling at Me."In this episode, we explore how to recognize leadership potential, manage talent, and overcome roadblocks in leadership development. Steve shares insights on the evolution of leadership styles, emphasizing the importance of soft skills, empathy, and adaptability in modern leadership. We also discuss the significance of having the right person in the right position at the right time, and identify outdated leadership practices that need to be left behind.Join us for an engaging conversation that blends sportsmanship with business strategies, aiming to create effective leaders who can inspire and drive their teams to success. Remember, in the Game Changers series, we never lose; we either win or learn.#yycbusiness #GameChangers #Leadership #LifeLessons #SportsAndBusiness  #BearValleySolutions #Teamwork #Resilience #WinningStrategies About our guest: Steve is the co-founder of Bear Valley Solutions Inc. Bear Valley Solutions specializes in commercial support for projects and contract work. Providing expertise in Indigenous Supply Chain Management and Project Management support, Bear Valley has the skills to support your goals. You can connect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-parsons-b8052049 Robin Finley is a dedicated athletic coach and a highly motivated and energetic oil and gas professional with a penchant for leadership coaching. The life lessons he's learned through sport have carried him throughout his business career. Robin is bringing his love of coaching in sport and business to his Game Changer vodcast, where he will be sharing the leadership lessons he learned along the way. Connect with Robin on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-finley Game Changers features in-depth discussions on topics ranging from team leadership and coaching to the advantages of hiring former team sport athletes in your business. Each episode showcases guests who are former athletes or coaches now thriving in the business world. These guests, often business leaders themselves, share valuable insights into the life lessons they've learned from sports and how they apply them to their professional and personal lives.   Game Changers is the ideal choice to showcase your leadership and coaching skills. Promote your business expertise on Game Changers and: -Reach a global audience via the YYC Business website and the MegaPixxMedia YouTube channel.   -Gain additional viewers of your Game Changers episodes through free publication on YYC Calgary Business social media platforms.   -Download your Game Changers episode to your personal and company social media pages. Episodes are also available in podcast format, and you can listen to them on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcasts. Filmed and edited by ENTA Solutions   https://www.entasolutions.org

I'm Accountable! | Game Changers | Calgary Business Join us for an inspiring episode of the Game Changers series with host Robin Finley! Today, we delve into the culture of accountability with our guest Steve Parsons from Bear Valley Solutions and Edge Boss Hockey. In this episode, we explore the journey of self-development and leadership. Steve shares insights on facing leadership challenges, maintaining self-accountability, and the importance of kindness in leadership. Don't miss this episode filled with valuable lessons and inspiring stories. Whether you win or learn, every moment is an opportunity. Stay tuned for more insights from Game Changers! #yycbusiness #GameChangers #Leadership #LifeLessons #SportsAndBusiness #BearValleySolutions #Teamwork #Resilience #WinningStrategies About our guest: Steve is the co-founder of Bear Valley Solutions Inc. Bear Valley Solutions specializes in commercial support for projects and contract work. Providing expertise in Indigenous Supply Chain Management and Project Management support, Bear Valley has the skills to support your goals. You can connect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-parsons-b8052049 Robin Finley is a dedicated athletic coach and a highly motivated and energetic oil and gas professional with a penchant for leadership coaching. The life lessons he's learned through sport have carried him throughout his business career. Robin is bringing his love of coaching in sport and business to his Game Changer vodcast, where he will be sharing the leadership lessons he learned along the way. Connect with Robin on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-finley Game Changers features in-depth discussions on topics ranging from team leadership and coaching to the advantages of hiring former team sport athletes in your business. Each episode showcases guests who are former athletes or coaches now thriving in the business world. These guests, often business leaders themselves, share valuable insights into the life lessons they've learned from sports and how they apply them to their professional and personal lives. To be our Next Guest on scroll down to the sign-up form. Game Changers is the ideal choice to showcase your leadership and coaching skills. Promote your business expertise on Game Changers and: -Reach a global audience via the YYC Business website and the MegaPixxMedia YouTube channel. -Gain additional viewers of your Game Changers episodes through free publication on YYC Calgary Business social media platforms. -Download your Game Changers episode to your personal and company social media pages. Filmed and edited by ENTA Solutions https://www.entasolutions.org

Life Lessons Through Sports | Game Changers | Calgary Business Welcome to the Game Changer series! In today's episode, host Robin Finley is back with Steve Parsons from Bear Valley Solutions to discuss life lessons learned through sports. Dive into the arena of Game Changers and explore the strategic plays, teamwork dynamics, and resilience found in sports and how they apply to the business world. Stay tuned for more episodes where we continue to explore the winning strategies that transcend the field and the boardroom. Catch the next episode where we'll discuss developing leaders. #yycbusiness #GameChangers #Leadership #LifeLessons #SportsAndBusiness #BearValleySolutions #Teamwork #Resilience #WinningStrategies About our guest: Steve is the co-founder of Bear Valley Solutions Inc. Bear Valley Solutions specializes in commercial support for projects and contract work. Providing expertise in Indigenous Supply Chain Management and Project Management support, Bear Valley has the skills to support your goals. You can connect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-parsons-b8052049 Robin Finley is a dedicated athletic coach and a highly motivated and energetic oil and gas professional with a penchant for leadership coaching. The life lessons he's learned through sport have carried him throughout his business career. Robin is bringing his love of coaching in sport and business to his Game Changer vodcast, where he will be sharing the leadership lessons he learned along the way. Connect with Robin on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-finley Game Changers features in-depth discussions on topics ranging from team leadership and coaching to the advantages of hiring former team sport athletes in your business. Each episode showcases guests who are former athletes or coaches now thriving in the business world. These guests, often business leaders themselves, share valuable insights into the life lessons they've learned from sports and how they apply them to their professional and personal lives. To be our Next Guest on scroll down to the sign-up form. Game Changers is the ideal choice to showcase your leadership and coaching skills. Promote your business expertise on Game Changers and: -Reach a global audience via the YYC Business website and the MegaPixxMedia YouTube channel. -Gain additional viewers of your Game Changers episodes through free publication on YYC Calgary Business social media platforms. -Download your Game Changers episode to your personal and company social media pages. Filmed and edited by ENTA Solutions https://www.entasolutions.org

How to Evolve Talent | Game Changers | Calgary Business Welcome back to our Game Changer series! In this episode, we're joined by Steve Parsons from Bear Valley Solutions to delve into the art of evaluating talent. We kick off with an in-depth discussion on leadership skills and the strategies for building effective teams and fostering a strong culture. Drawing from his extensive background in both hockey and business, Steve shares invaluable insights on recognizing and nurturing talent, the importance of patience, and the significance of consistent communication. Don't miss out on this episode packed with wisdom and practical advice for leaders in any field. Stay tuned as we continue to explore the intersection of sports and business to unlock the secrets of success. #yycbusiness #GameChangers #HighPerformanceLeadership #LeadershipSkills #BusinessSuccess About our guest: Steve is the co-founder of Bear Valley Solutions Inc. Bear Valley Solutions specializes in commercial support for projects and contract work. Providing expertise in Indigenous Supply Chain Management and Project Management support, Bear Valley has the skills to support your goals. You can connect with Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-parsons-b8052049 Robin Finley is a dedicated athletic coach and a highly motivated and energetic oil and gas professional with a penchant for leadership coaching. The life lessons he's learned through sport have carried him throughout his business career. Robin is bringing his love of coaching in sport and business to his Game Changer vodcast, where he will be sharing the leadership lessons he learned along the way. Connect with Robin on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-finley Game Changers features in-depth discussions on topics ranging from team leadership and coaching to the advantages of hiring former team sport athletes in your business. Each episode showcases guests who are former athletes or coaches now thriving in the business world. These guests, often business leaders themselves, share valuable insights into the life lessons they've learned from sports and how they apply them to their professional and personal lives. To be our Next Guest on scroll down to the sign-up form. Game Changers is the ideal choice to showcase your leadership and coaching skills. Promote your business expertise on Game Changers and: -Reach a global audience via the YYC Business website and the MegaPixxMedia YouTube channel. -Gain additional viewers of your Game Changers episodes through free publication on YYC Calgary Business social media platforms. -Download your Game Changers episode to your personal and company social media pages. Filmed and edited by ENTA Solutions https://www.entasolutions.org

Let's learn about the grueling and exhilarating world of the Endeavor Team Challenge with race director, Denis Dumas. Scheduled for August 24th and 25th, this unique 30+ hour competition covers over 40 miles of California's scenic Bear Valley, pushing competitors through diverse challenges like the Crucible Road March, Competitor Field, Night Orienteering, and the climactic Final Run. You can also visit them at the Big Bear Spartan Race, they'll have a booth set up. Then we talk with Ian Hosek, Vice Chair of USAOCR. We learn all about the brand new 2024 USA OCR Championship they are holding in October in North Georgia in conjunction with Phoenix Races. Today's show is sponsored by Frontline OCR. Join us in Illinois for one of the best OCR's in the midwest on May 25th in Byron, Illinois. Follow today's guests: Endeavor Team Challenge and USA OCR. Use code ORM-2024 for all Tough Mudder and Spartan Races for 20 percent off. Support Us On Patreon for LOTS MORE behind the scenes. All other Obstacle Racing Media Links. Intro  Music – Paul B. Outro Music – Brian Revels and John Wesley Harding.

First up we talk to Matt from VJ along with Alex from Mudgear to talk all about the all new SpeedRuck. Then, we dive into an exclusive interview with Phillipe Levy from the Belgian Obstacle Racing Federation (BOCRA), as he candidly shares his experiences. Despite promises of support in resources and funding, he reveals how BOCRA felt abandoned by its parent organization, World Obstacle, led by Ian Adamson. In this revealing discussion, Phillipe unpacks the challenges faced before, during, and after last year's World Obstacle Championship held in Genk. Today's show is sponsored by Frontline OCR. Join us in Illinois for one of the best OCR's in the midwest on May 25th in Byron, Illinois. Today's show is also sponsored by: Endeavor Team Challenge Register now and get 20% OFF for this year's event hosted in Bear Valley, California, in the Stanislaus National Forest. Enter ORM20 at checkout between now and April 15th, 2024. Use code ORM-2024 for all Tough Mudder and Spartan Races for 20 percent off. Support Us On Patreon for LOTS MORE behind the scenes. All other Obstacle Racing Media Links. Intro  Music – Paul B. Outro Music – Brian Revels and John Wesley Harding.

First from Spartan Georgia it's RJ Lora, Antonius, Melissa Nuñez and Taryn Terrell, Follow this week's guests: See above links. Today's show is sponsored by: Endeavor Team Challenge The event takes place in areas selected for their beautiful and challenging terrain. Competitors enjoy scenic panoramas as they move up mountains, rappel down cliffs, and paddle across beautiful alpine reservoirs. Teams work together to accomplish more than they thought possible, and they do it in a safe, professional, and friendly competitive environment. Register now and get 20% OFF for this year's event hosted in Bear Valley, California, in the Stanislaus National Forest. Enter ORM20 at checkout between now and April 15th, 2024. Use code ORM for all Tough Mudder and Spartan Races for 20 percent off. Support Us On Patreon for LOTS MORE behind the scenes. All other Obstacle Racing Media Links. Intro  Music – Paul B. Outro Music – Brian Revels and John Wesley Harding.

Veejay is back to talk about his Alula performance, GOV Games, an update on Spartan payments, potential OCR retirement, and more. Today's show is sponsored by: Endeavor Team Challenge The event takes place in areas selected for their beautiful and challenging terrain. Competitors enjoy scenic panoramas as they move up mountains, rappel down cliffs, and paddle across beautiful alpine reservoirs. Teams work together to accomplish more than they thought possible, and they do it in a safe, professional, and friendly competitive environment. Register now and get 20% OFF for this year's event hosted in Bear Valley, California, in the Stanislaus National Forest. Enter ORM20 at checkout between now and April 15th, 2024. Follow this week's guests: Veejay Jones Support Us On Patreon for LOTS MORE behind the scenes. All other Obstacle Racing Media Links. Intro  Music – Paul B. Outro Music – Brian Revels and John Wesley Harding.

Hey BillOReilly.com Premium and Concierge Members, welcome to the No Spin News for Tuesday, January 9, 2024. Stand Up for Your Country.Tonight's rundown: Talking Points Memo: Bill breaks down former First Lady Michelle Obama's appearance on a mental health podcast and her political comments. Pollster John McLaughlin joins the No Spin News to discuss dishonest polling, Iowa, and New Hampshire. What is happening regarding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization? New accusations have been levied against Fulton County DA Fani Willis. A claim made by Cassidy Hutchinson regarding Donald Trump on Jan. 6 is now under scrutiny. This Day in History: The Battle of Bear Valley. Final Thought: Shop around. In Case You Missed It: Read Bill's latest column, "Here Comes the Mud." Election season is here! Now's the time to get a Premium or Concierge Membership to BillOReilly.com, the only place for honest news analysis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sunday Adult Bible Class

Sunday Adult Bible Class

✝️ Ranger Bill is a Christian radio program from the 1950s, produced by Moody Radio. With over 200 episodes produced, Ranger Bill stars Miron Canaday as the title character and Stumpy Jenkins and Ed Ronne, Sr as Grey Wolf. The main character, Ranger Bill, is a forest ranger located in the town of Knotty Pine along the Rocky Mountains. The show describes the various tales of the adventures of Ranger Bill and his friends. CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported The Old Time Radio Researchers 123 Davidson Ave Savannah, Ga 31419

The science behind heat waves across the country and world. Database tracks heatstroke deaths in vehicles. Why a child trafficking bill drew controversy at the state Capitol. The Bear Valley Music Festival starts this weekend. The science behind heatwaves

Meet the Friends of Big Bear Valley, a group that maintains two solar powered webcams focused on Jackie and Shadow, a pair of bald eagles in Big Bear Valley, California. Executive Director Sandy Steers and Candee Roberts join us to share a little of Jackie and Shadow's life while describing the continuous challenges that the eagles face. Listen to the show to learn how you can observe these eagles in your classroom for environmental awareness, appreciation and enjoyment. Show notes at: https://laboutloud.com/2023/03/the-bald-and-the-beautiful-tales-from-the-nest-in-big-bear-valley 

In this episode we speak with Jim Keegan of Keegan Ranch about the impending wildflower superbloom and his family history ranching in Bear Valley.

Aspen World Cups were exciting and fun and although we did not see an American Downhiller on the Podium, we did see some excitement from the back of pack - in Super-G a couple of Americans ended up in the top 15!!!Our guest today is one of those racers. He scored his best EVER SG result with a 14th starting 52nd!!! He is on the B Team and from Woodside, CA. He was the 2016 World Jr Champion in Downhill - a race in which Marco Odermatt was 11th! He raced four years on the NCAA circuit for the Panthers at Middlebury College. And was a 2023 Member of the World Championship team.He is none other than Erik Arvidsson!Erik shares a ton of great info about growing up with heroes like Kyle Rasmussen, Julia Mancuso and our own Daron Rahlves on the slopes of Bear Valley and then Palisades. Other topics we cover;His tactics in SG and how they differ from Downhill.How GS helps SG which helps DH!Taking risk - especially in training and how to translates into race day speed.Who he watches on video and why.Why he left the US Ski Team and attended Middlebury College.Why the NCAA path works for some athletes.Competition and betting among the American Downhillers in trainingAND finally, what Erik needs to work on to make the final step to the podium.Thanks to our sponsors: ADL Ski Club, WEND Wax, American Downhiller Camp and ELITEAM Fitness Programs.

Ranger Bill is a Christian radio program from the 1950s, produced by Moody Radio. With over 200 episodes produced, Ranger Bill stars Miron Canaday as the title character and Stumpy Jenkins and Ed Ronne, Sr as Grey Wolf. The main character, Ranger Bill, is a forest ranger located in the town of Knotty Pine along the Rocky Mountains. The show describes the various tales of the adventures of Ranger Bill and his friends. Listen to our radio station Old Time Radio https://link.radioking.com/otradio Listen to other Shows at My Classic Radio https://www.myclassicradio.net/ Remember that times have changed, and some shows might not reflect the standards of today's politically correct society. The shows do not necessarily reflect the views, standards, or beliefs of Entertainment Radio

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Feb. 3. It dropped for free subscribers on Feb. 6. To receive future pods as soon as they're live and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription.WhoBrett Cook, Vice President and General Manager of Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, and Laurel Mountain, PennsylvaniaRecorded onJanuary 30, 2023About Seven SpringsOwned by: Vail ResortsPass affiliations: Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Northeast Value Epic Pass, Northeast Midweek Epic PassLocated in: Seven Springs, PennsylvaniaYear opened: 1932Closest neighboring ski areas: Hidden Valley (17 minutes), Laurel Mountain (45 minutes), Nemacolin (46 minutes), Boyce Park (1 hour), Wisp (1 hour), Blue Knob (1 hour, 30 minutes)Base elevation: 2,240 feetSummit elevation: 2,994 feetVertical drop: 754 feetSkiable Acres: 285Average annual snowfall: 135 inchesTrail count: 48 (5 expert, 6 advanced, 15 intermediate, 16 beginner, 6 terrain parks)Lift count: 14­­ (2 six-packs, 4 fixed-grip quads, 4 triples, 3 carpets, 1 ropetow)About Hidden ValleyOwned by: Vail ResortsPass affiliations: Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Northeast Value Epic Pass, Northeast Midweek Epic PassLocated in: Hidden Valley, PennsylvaniaYear opened: 1955Closest neighboring ski areas: Seven Springs (17 minutes), Laurel Mountain (34 minutes), Mystic Mountain (50 minutes), Boyce Park (54 minutes),Wisp (1 hour), Blue Knob (1 hour 19 minutes)Base elevation: 2,405 feetSummit elevation: 2,875 feetVertical drop: 470 feetSkiable Acres: 110Average annual snowfall: 140 inchesTrail count: 32 (9 advanced, 13 intermediate, 8 beginner, 2 terrain parks)Lift count: 8 (2 fixed-grip quads, 2 triples, 2 carpets, 2 handle tows)About Laurel MountainOwned by: Vail ResortsPass affiliations: Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, Northeast Value Epic Pass, Northeast Midweek Epic PassLocated in: Boswell, PennsylvaniaYear opened: 1939Closest neighboring ski areas: Hidden Valley (34 minutes), Seven Springs (45 minutes), Boyce Park (1 hour), Blue Knob (1 hour), Mystic Mountain (1 hour, 15 minutes), Wisp (1 hour, 15 minutes)Base elevation: 2,005 feetSummit elevation: 2,766 feetVertical drop: 761 feetSkiable Acres: 70Average annual snowfall: 41 inchesTrail count: 20 (2 expert, 2 advanced, 6 intermediate, 10 beginner)Lift count: 2­­ (1 fixed-grip quad, 1 handle tow)Below the paid subscriber jump: a summary of our podcast conversation, a look at abandoned Hidden Valley expansions, historic Laurel Mountain lift configurations, and much more.Beginning with podcast 116, the full podcast articles are no longer available on the free content tier. Why? They take between 10 and 20 hours to research and write, and readers have demonstrated that they are willing to pay for content. My current focus with The Storm is to create value for anyone who invests their money into the product. Here are examples of a few past podcast articles, if you would like to see the format: Vail Mountain, Mt. Spokane, Snowbasin, Mount Bohemia, Brundage. To anyone who is supporting The Storm: thank you very much. You have guaranteed that this is a sustainable enterprise for the indefinite future.Why I interviewed himI've said this before, but it's worth repeating. Most Vail ski areas fall into one of two categories: the kind skiers will fly around the world for, and the kind skiers won't drive more than 15 minutes for. Whistler, Park City, Heavenly fall into the first category. Mt. Brighton, Alpine Valley, Paoli Peaks into the latter. I exaggerate a bit on the margins, but when I drive from New York City to Liberty Mountain, I know this is not a well-trod path.Seven Springs, like Hunter or Attitash, occupies a slightly different category in the Vail empire. It is both a regional destination and a high-volume big-mountain feeder. Skiers will make a weekend of these places, from Pittsburgh or New York City or Boston, then they will use the pass to vacation in Colorado. It's a better sort of skiing than your suburban knolls, more sprawling and interesting, more repeatable for someone who doesn't know what a Corky Flipdoodle 560 is.“Brah that sounds sick!”Thanks Park Brah. I appreciate you. But you know I just made that up, right?“Brah have you seen my shoulder-mounted Boombox 5000 backpack speaker? I left it right here beside my weed vitamins.”Sorry Brah. I have not.Anyway, I happen to believe that these sorts of in-the-middle resorts are the next great frontier of ski area consolidation. All the big mountains have either folded under the Big Four umbrella or have gained so much megapass negotiating power that the incentive to sell has rapidly evaporated. The city-adjacent bumps such as Boston Mills were a novel and highly effective strategy for roping cityfolk into Epic Passes, but as pure ski areas, those places just are not and never will be terribly compelling experiences. But the middle is huge and mostly untapped, and these are some of the best ski areas in America, mountains that are large enough to give you a different experience each time but contained enough that you don't feel as though you've just wandered into an alternate dimension. There's enough good terrain to inspire loyalty and repeat visits, but it's not so good that passholders don't dream of the hills beyond.Examples: Timberline, West Virginia; Big Powderhorn, Michigan; Berkshire East and Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts; Plattekill, New York; Elk Mountain, Pennsylvania; Mt. Spokane, Washington; Bear Valley, California; Cascade or Whitecap, Wisconsin; Magic Mountain, Vermont; or Black Mountain, New Hampshire. There are dozens more. Vail's Midwestern portfolio is expansive but bland, day-ski bumps but no weekend-type spots on the level of Crystal Mountain, Michigan or Lutsen, Minnesota.If you want to understand the efficacy of this strategy, the Indy Pass was built on it. Ninety percent of its roster is the sorts of mountains I'm referring to above. Jay Peak and Powder Mountain sell passes, but dang it Bluewood and Shanty Creek are kind of nice now that the pass nudged me toward them. Once Vail and Alterra realize how crucial these middle mountains are to filling in the pass blanks, expect them to start competing for the space. Seven Springs, I believe, is a test case in how impactful a regional destination can be both in pulling skiers in and pushing them out across the world. Once this thing gels, look the hell out.What we talked aboutThe not-so-great Western Pennsylvania winter so far; discovering skiing as an adult; from liftie to running the largest ski resort in Pennsylvania; the life and death of Snow Time Resorts; joining the Peak Pass; two ownership transitions in less than a year, followed by Covid; PA ski culture; why the state matters to Vail; helping a Colorado ski company understand the existential urgency of snowmaking in the East; why Vail doubled down on PA with the Seven Springs purchase when they already owned five ski areas in the state; breaking down the difference between the Roundtop-Liberty-Whitetail trio and the Seven-Springs-Hidden-Valley-Laurel trio; the cruise ship in the mountains; rugged and beautiful Western PA; dissecting the amazing outsized snowfall totals in Western Pennsylvania; Vail Resorts' habit of promoting from within; how Vail's $20-an-hour minimum wage hit in Pennsylvania; the legacy of the Nutting family, the immediate past owners of the three ski areas; the legendary Herman Dupree, founder of Seven Springs and HKD snowguns; Seven Springs amazing sprawling snowmaking system, complete with 49(!) ponds; why the system isn't automated and whether it ever will be; how planting more trees could change the way Seven Springs skis; connecting the ski area's far-flung beginner terrain; where we could see additional glades at Seven Springs; rethinking the lift fleet; the importance of redundant lifts; do we still need Tyrol?; why Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, and Laurel share a single general manager; thinking of lifts long-term at Hidden Valley; Hidden Valley's abandoned expansion plans and whether they could ever be revived; the long and troubled history of state-owned Laurel Mountain; keeping the character at this funky little upside-down boomer; “We love what Laurel Mountain is and we're going to continue to own that”; building out Laurel's snowmaking system; expansion potential at Laurel; “Laurel is a hidden gem and we don't want it to be hidden anymore”; Laurel's hidden handletow; evolving Laurel's lift fleet; managing a state-owned ski area; Seven Springs' new trailmap; the Epic Pass arrives; and this season's lift-ticket limits.        Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewWhen Vail bought Peak Resorts in 2019, they suddenly owned nearly a quarter of Pennsylvania's ski areas: Big Boulder, Jack Frost, Whitetail, Roundtop, and Liberty. That's a lot of Eagles jerseys. And enough, I thought, that we wouldn't see VR snooping around for more PA treasures to add to their toybox.Then, to my surprise, the company bought Seven Springs – which they clearly wanted – along with Hidden Valley and Laurel, which they probably didn't, in late 2021. Really what they bought was Pittsburgh, metropolitan population 2.3 million, and their large professional class of potentially globe-trotting skiers. All these folks needed was an excuse to buy an Epic Pass. Vail gave them one.So now what? Vail knows what to do with a large, regionally dominant ski area like Seven Springs. It's basically Pennsylvania's version of Stowe or Park City or Heavenly. It was pretty good when you bought it, now you just have to not ruin it and remind everyone that they can now ski Whistler on their season pass. Hidden Valley, with its hundreds of on-mountain homeowners, suburban-demographic profile, and family orientation more or less fit Vail's portfolio too.But what to do with Laurel? Multiple locals assured me that Vail would close it. Vail doesn't do that – close ski areas – but they also don't buy 761-vertical-foot bumps at the ass-end of nowhere with almost zero built-in customer base and the snowmaking firepower of a North Pole souvenir snowglobe. They got it because it came with Seven Springs, like your really great spouse who came with a dad who thinks lawnmowers are an FBI conspiracy. I know what I think Vail should do with Laurel – dump money into the joint to aggressively route crowds away from the larger ski areas – but I didn't know whether they would, or had even considered it.Vail's had 14 months now to think this over. What are these mountains? How do they fit? What are we going to do with them? I got some answers.Questions I wish I'd askedYou know, it's weird that Vail has two Hidden Valleys. Boyne, just last year, changed the name of its “Boyne Highlands” resort to “The Highlands,” partly because, one company executive told me, skiers would occasionally show up to the wrong resort with a condo reservation. I imagine that's why Earl Holding ultimately backed off on renaming Snowbasin to “Sun Valley, Utah,” as he reportedly considered doing in the leadup to the 2002 Olympics – if you give people an easy way to confuse themselves, they will generally take you up on it.I realize this is not really the same thing. Boyne Mountain and The Highlands are 40 minutes apart. Vail's two Hidden Valleys are 10-and-a-half hours from each other by car. Still. I wanted to ask Cook if this weird fact had any hilarious unintended consequences (I desperately wish Holding would have renamed Snowbasin). Perhaps confusion in the Epic Mix app? Or someone purchasing lift tickets for the incorrect resort? An adult lift ticket at Hidden Valley, Pennsylvania for tomorrow is $75 online and $80 in person, but just $59 online/$65 in person for Hidden Valley, Missouri. Surely someone has confused the two?So, which one should we rename? And what should we call it? Vail has been trying to win points lately with lift names that honor local landmarks – they named their five new lifts at Jack Frost-Big Boulder “Paradise,” “Tobyhanna,” “Pocono,” “Harmony,” and “Blue Heron” (formerly E1 Lift, E2 Lift, B Lift, C Lift, E Lift, F Lift, Merry Widow I, Merry Widow II, and Edelweiss). So how about renaming Hidden Valley PA to something like “Allegheny Forest?” Or call Hidden Valley, Missouri “Mississippi Mountain?” Yes, both of those names are terrible, but so is having two Hidden Valleys in the same company.What I got wrong* I guessed in the podcast that Pennsylvania was the “fifth- or sixth-largest U.S. state by population.” It is number five, with an approximate population of 13 million, behind New York (19.6M), Florida (22.2M), Texas (30M), and California (39M).* I guessed that the base of Keystone is “nine or 10,000 feet.” The River Run base area sits at 9,280 feet.* I mispronounced the last name of Seven Springs founder Herman Dupre as “Doo-Pree.” It is pronounced “Doo-Prey.”* I said there were “lots” of thousand-vertical-foot ski areas in Pennsylvania. There are, in fact, just four: Blue Mountain (1,140 feet), Blue Knob (1,073 feet), Elk (1,000 feet), and Montage (1,000 feet).Why you should ski Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, and LaurelIt's rugged country out there. Not what you're thinking. More Appalachian crag than Poconos scratch. Abrupt and soaring. Beautiful. And snowy. In a state where 23 of 28 ski areas average fewer than 50 inches of snow per season, Seven Springs and Laurel bring in 135-plus apiece.Elevation explains it. A 2,000-plus-foot base is big-time in the East. Killington sits at 1,165 feet. Sugarloaf at 1,417. Stowe at 1,559. All three ski areas sit along the crest of 70-mile-long Laurel Ridge, a storm door on the western edge of the Allegheny Front that rakes southeast-bound moisture from the sky as it trains out of Lake Erie.When the snow doesn't come, they make it. Now that Big Boulder has given up, Seven Springs is typically the first ski area in the state to open. It fights with Camelback for last-to-close. Twelve hundred snowguns and 49 snowmaking ponds help.Seven Springs doesn't have the state's best pure ski terrain – look to Elk Mountain or, on the rare occasions it's fully open, Blue Knob for that – but it's Pennsylvania's largest, most complete, and, perhaps, most consistent operation. It is, in fact, the biggest ski area in the Mid-Atlantic, a ripping and unpretentious ski region where you know you'll get turns no matter how atrocious the weather gets.Hidden Valley is something different. Cozy. Easy. Built for families on parade. Laurel is something different too. Steep and fierce, a one-lift wonder dug out of the graveyard by an owner with more passion, it seems, than foresight. Laurel needs snowmaking. Top to bottom and on every trail. The hill makes no sense in 2023 without it. Vail won't abandon the place outright, but if they don't knock $10 million in snowmaking into the dirt, they'll be abandoning it in principle.Podcast NotesThe trailmap rabbit hole – Hidden ValleyWe discussed the proposed-but-never-implemented expansion at Hidden Valley, which would have sat skier's right of the Avalanche pod. Here it is on the 2010 trailmap:The 2002 version actually showed three potential lifts serving this pod:Unfortunately, this expansion is unlikely. Cook explains why in the pod.The trailmap rabbit hole – LaurelLaurel, which currently has just one quad and a handletow, has carried a number of lift configurations over the decades. This circa 1981 trailmap shows a double chair where the quad now sits, and a series of surface lifts climbing the Broadway side of the hill, and another set of them bunched at the summit:The 2002 version shows a second chairlift – which I believe was a quad – looker's right, and surface lifts up top to serve beginners, tubers, and the terrain park:Related: here's a pretty good history of all three ski areas, from 2014.The Pennsylvania ski inventory rabbitholePennsylvania skiing is hard to get. No one seems to know how many ski areas the state has. The NSAA says there are 26. Cook referenced 24 on the podcast. The 17 that Wikipedia inventories include Alpine Mountain, which has been shuttered for years. Ski Central (22), Visit PA (21), and Ski Resort Info (25) all list different numbers. My count is 28. Most lists neglect to include the six private ski areas that are owned by homeowners' associations or reserved for resort guests. Cook and I also discussed which ski area owned the state's highest elevation (it's Blue Knob), so I included base and summit elevations as well:The why-is-Vail-allowed-to-own-80-percent-of-Ohio's-public-ski-areas? rabbitholeCook said he wasn't sure how many ski areas there are in Ohio. There are six. One is a private club. Snow Trails is family-owned. Vail owns the other four. I think this shouldn't be allowed, especially after how poorly Vail managed them last season, and especially how badly Snow Trails stomped them from an operations point of view. But here we are:The steepest-trail rabbitholeWe discuss Laurel's Wildcat trail, which the ski area bills as the steepest in the state. I generally avoid echoing these sorts of claims, which are hard to prove and not super relevant to the actual ski experience. You'll rarely see skiers lapping runs like Rumor at Gore or White Lightning at Montage, mostly because they frankly just aren't that much fun, exercises in ice-rink survival skiing for the Brobot armies. But if you want the best primer I've seen on this subject, along with an inventory of some very steep U.S. ski trails, read this one on Skibum.net. The article doesn't mention Laurel's Wildcat trail, but the ski area was closed sporadically and this site's heyday was about a decade ago, so it may have been left out as a matter of circumstance.The “back in my day” rabbitholeI referenced an old “punchcard program” at Roundtop during our conversation. I was referring to the Night Club Program offered by former-former owner Snow Time Resorts at Roundtop, Liberty, and Whitetail. When Snow Time sold the ski area in 2018 to Peak Resorts, the buyer promptly dropped the evening programs. When Vail purchased the resort in 2019, it briefly re-instated some version of them (I think), but I don't believe they survived the Covid winter (2020-21). This 5,000-word March 2019 article (written four months before Vail purchased the resorts) from DC Ski distills the rage around this abrupt pass policy change. Four years later, I still get emails about this, and not infrequently. I'm kind of surprised Vail hasn't offered some kind of Pennsylvania-specific pass, since they have more ski areas in that state (eight) than they have in any other, including Colorado (five). After all, the company sells an Ohio-specific pass that started at just $299 last season. Why not a PA-specific version for, say, $399, for people who want to ski always and only at Roundtop or Liberty or Big Boulder? Or a nights-only pass?I suppose Vail could do this, and I suspect they won't. The Northeast Value Pass – good for mostly unlimited access at all of the company's ski areas from Michigan on east – sold for $514 last spring. A midweek version ran $385. A seven-day Epic Day Pass good at all the Pennsylvania ski areas was just $260 for adults and $132 for kids aged 5 to 12. I understand that there is a particular demographic of skiers who will never ski north of Harrisburg and will never stop blowing up message boards with their disappointment and rage over this. The line between a sympathetic character and a tedious one is thin, however, and eventually we're all better off focusing our energies on the things we can control.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 9/100 in 2023, and number 395 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Want to send feedback? Reply to this email and I will answer (unless you sound insane, or, more likely, I just get busy). You can also email skiing@substack.com. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Jan. 13. It dropped for free subscribers on Jan. 16. To receive future pods as soon as they're live and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription.WhoJim van Löben Sels, General Manager of Mt. Spokane, WashingtonRecorded onJanuary 9, 2023About Mt. SpokaneClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Mt. Spokane 2000, a nonprofit groupPass affiliations: Freedom Pass – 3 days each at these 20 ski areasReciprocal partners: 3 days each at Mt. Ashland, Mount Bohemia, Great Divide, Loup Loup, Lee Canyon, Snow King, White Pass, Ski CooperLocated in: Mt. Spokane State Park, WashingtonYear opened: 1938Closest neighboring ski areas: 49 Degrees North (1 hour, 45 minutes), Silver Mountain (1 hour, 45 minutes), Schweitzer (2 hours, 10 minutes) – travel times may vary considerably in winterBase elevation: 3,818 feetSummit elevation: 5,889 feetVertical drop: 2,071 feetSkiable Acres: 1,704Average annual snowfall: 300 inchesTrail count: 52 (15% advanced/expert, 62% intermediate, 23% beginner)Lift count: 7­­ (1 triple, 5 doubles, 1 carpet)Why I interviewed himPerception is a funny thing. In my Michigan-anchored teenage ski days any bump rolling more than one chairlift uphill seemed impossibly complex and interesting. Caberfae (200 acres), Crystal (103), Shanty Creek (80), and Nub's Nob (248 acres today, much smaller at the time) hit as vast and interesting worlds. That set my bar low. It's stayed there. Living now within two and a half hours of a dozen thousand-plus-footers feels extraordinary. In less than an instant I can be there, lost in it. Teleportation by minivan.Go west and they think different. By the millions skiers pound up I-70 through an Eisenhower Tunnel framed by Loveland, to ski over the pass. Breck, Keystone, Copper, A-Basin, Vail, Beaver Creek – all amazing. But Loveland covers 1,800 acres standing on 2,210 vertical feet – how many Colorado tourists have never touched the place? How many locals?It seems skiers often confuse size with infrastructure. Loveland has one high-speed chairlift. Beaver Creek has 13. But the ski area's footprint is only 282 acres larger than Loveland's. Are fast lift rides worth an extra 50 miles of interstate evacuation drills? It seems that, for many people, they are.We could repeat that template all over the West. But Washington is the focus today. And Mt. Spokane. At 1,704 acres, it's larger than White Pass (1,402 acres), Stevens Pass (1,125), or Mt. Baker (1,000), and just a touch smaller than Summit at Snoqualmie (1,996). But outside of Spokane (metro population, approximately 600,000), who skis it? Pretty much no one.Why is that? Maybe it's the lift fleet, anchored by five centerpole Riblet doubles built between 1956(!) and 1977. Maybe it's the ski area's absence from the larger megapasses. Maybe it's proximity to 2,900-acre Schweitzer and its four high-speed lifts. Probably it's a little bit of each those things.Which is fine. People can ski wherever they want. But what is this place, lodged in the wilderness just an hour north of Washington's second-largest city? And why hadn't I heard of it until I made it my job to hear about everyplace? And how is Lift 1 spinning into its 67th winter? There just wasn't a lot of information out there about Mt. Spokane. And part of The Storm's mission is to seek these places out and figure out what the hell is going on. And so here you go.What we talked aboutFully staffed and ready to roll in 2023; night skiing; what happened when Mt. Spokane shifted from a five-day operating week to a seven-day one; a winding career path that involved sheep shearing, Ski Patrol at Bear Valley, running a winery, and ultimately taking over Mt. Spokane; the family ski routine; entering the ski industry in the maw of Covid; life is like Lombard Street; Spokane's long-term year-round business potential; who owns and runs Mt. Spokane; why and how the ski area switched from a private ownership model to a not-for-profit model; looking to other nonprofit ski areas for inspiration; a plan to replace Spokane's ancient lift fleet and why they will likely stick with fixed-grip chairlifts; the Skytrac-Riblet hybrid solution; sourcing parts for a 67-year-old chairlift; how much of Lift 1 is still original parts; which lift the mountain will replace first, what it will replace it with, and when; the virtues of Skytrac lifts; parking; the Day-1-on-the-job problem that changed how Jim runs the mountain; why Northwood lift was down for part of January; what it took to bring the Northwood expansion online and how it changed the mountain; whether future expansions are possible; Nordic opportunities; working with Washington State Parks, upon whose land the ski area sits, and how that compares to the U.S. Forest Service; whether Mt. Spokane could ever introduce snowmaking; how eastern Washington snow differs from what falls on the west side of the state; glading is harder than you think; where we could see more glades on the mountain; the evolution of Spokane's beginner terrain; why Mt. Spokane tore out its tubing lanes; expanding parking; which buildings could be updated or replaced and when; whether we could ever see lodging at the mountain; why the mountain sets its top lift ticket price at $75; why Mt. Spokane joined Freedom Pass; exploring the mountain's reciprocal pass partnerships and whether that network will continue to grow; and the possibility of joining the Indy Pass.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewIn August, Troy Hawks, the marketing mastermind at Sunlight and the administrator of the Freedom Pass, emailed to tell me that Mt. Spokane was joining the Freedom Pass. I asked him to connect me with the ski area's marketing team for some context on why they joined (which I included in this story). Then I asked if Jim would like to join me on the podcast. And he did.That's the straight answer. But Mt. Spokane fits this very interesting profile that matches that of many ski areas across the country: a nonprofit community hill with dated infrastructure and proximity to larger resorts that's been pushed to the brink not of insolvency but doors-bursting capacity despite successive waves of macro-challenges, including Covid and EpKon Mania. Weren't these places supposed to be toast? As a proxy for the health of independents nationwide, Mt. Spokane seemed like as good a place as any to check in.There's another interesting problem here: what are you going to do with a Riblet double built in 1956? The thing is gorgeous, tapering low and elegant up the hillside, a machine with stories to tell. But machines don't last forever, and new ones cost more than some whole ski areas. Mt. Spokane also has no snowmaking and dated lodges and too little parking. Will it modernize? If so, how? Does it need to? What is that blend of funk and shine that will ensure a mountain's future without costing its soul?In this way, too, Mt. Spokane echoes the story of contemporary independent American skiing: how, and how much, to update the bump? Jim, many will be happy to learn, has no ambitions of transforming Mt. Spokane into Schweitzer Jr. But he does have a vision and a plan, a way to make the mountain a little less 1950s and a little more 2020s. And he lays it all out in a matter-of-fact way that anyone who loves skiing will appreciate.Questions I wish I'd askedI'm so confused by Mt. Spokane's trailmap. Older versions show the Hidden Treasure area flanking the main face:While new versions portray Hidden Treasure as a distinct peak. Again:Meanwhile, Google Maps doesn't really line up with what I'm seeing above:While I love the aesthetic of Mt. Spokane's trailmap, it seems wildly out of scale and oddly cut off at the bottom of Hidden Treasure. The meanings of the various arrows and the flow of the mountain aren't entirely clear to me either.Really, this is more a problem of experience and immersion than anything I can learn through a knowledge transfer. A smart professor made this point in journalism school: go there. I really should be skiing these places before I do these interviews, and for a long time, I wouldn't record a podcast about a ski area I hadn't visited. But I realized, a year and a half in, that that would be impractical if I wanted to keep banging these things out, particularly as I reached farther into the western hinterlands. Sometimes I have to do the best I can with whatever's out there, and what's out there can be confusing as hell. So I guess I just need to go ski it to figure it out.What I got wrong* I intimated that Gunstock was a nonprofit ski area, but that is not the case. The mountain contributes revenue to its owner, Belknap County, each season.* I stated that Mt. Spokane didn't have any beginner surface lifts. In fact, it has a carpet lift.* Jim and I discussed whether Vista Cruiser was the longest contiguously operating chairlift in the United States. It's not – Hemlock has been serving Boyne Mountain, Michigan, since 1948. It's a double that was converted from a single that originally served Sun Valley as America's first chairlift in the 1930s. Still, Vista Cruiser may be the most intact 1950s vintage lift in America. I really don't know, and these things can be very hard to verify what with all the forgotten upgrades over the years, but it really doesn't matter: a 67-year-old chairlift is a hell of an impressive thing in any context.* While discussing reciprocal agreements, I said, rather hilariously, that Mt. Ashland was “right there in Oregon.” The ski area is, in fact, an 11-hour drive from Mt. Spokane. I was vaguely aware of how dumb this was as I said it, but you must remember that I grew up in the Midwest, meaning an 11-hour drive is like going out to the mailbox.Why you should ski Mt. SpokaneLet's start here:How many 2,000-vertical-foot mountains post those kind of rack rates? A few, but fewer each year. And if you happen to have a season pass to any other Freedom Pass ski area, you can cash in one of your Mt. Spokane lift tickets as you're floating through.As for the skiing itself, I can only speculate. It looks like typical PNW wide-open: wide runs, big treed meadows, bowls, glades all over. Three hundred inches per winter to open it all up. I mean there's really not much else that's necessary on my have-a-good-time checklist.Podcast Notes* Jim mentioned that Schweitzer was working on adding parking. More details on their plan to plug 1,400 more spaces into the mountain here.* I was shocked when Jim said that Mt. Spokane's $75 lift tickets ($59 midweek) were the second-most expensive in the region after Schweitzer's, which run $110 for a full-day adult pass. But he's correct: 49 Degrees North runs $72 on weekends and holidays and $49 midweek. Silver Mountain is $71 on weekends (but $65 midweek). And Lookout Pass is $66 on weekends and $55 midweek. I guess the memo about $250 lift tickets hasn't made its way up I-90 just yet.* The best way to support Mt. Spokane, which is a nonprofit ski area, is to go buy a lift ticket. But you can also donate here.* Here's a bit more Mt. Spokane history.* And some stoke Brah:The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 4/100 in 2023, and number 390 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Want to send feedback? Reply to this email and I will answer (unless you sound insane, or, more likely, I just get busy). You can also email skiing@substack.com. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Sunday Adult Bible Class

To support independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Nov. 7. It dropped for free subscribers on Nov. 10. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription.WhoBill Cairns, President and General Manager of Bromley Mountain Resort, VermontRecorded onOctober 24, 2022About BromleyClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Joseph O'DonnellOperated by: The Fairbank GroupPass affiliations: NoneReciprocal pass partners: 1 day each at Jiminy Peak, CranmoreLocated in: Peru, VermontClosest neighboring ski areas: Magic Mountain (14 minutes), Stratton (19 minutes)Base elevation: 1,950 feetSummit elevation: 3,284 feetVertical drop: 1,334 feetSkiable Acres: 300Average annual snowfall: 145 inchesTrail count: 47 (31% black, 37% intermediate, 32% beginner)Lift count: 9 (1 high-speed quad, 1 fixed-grip quad, 4 doubles, 1 T-bar, 2 carpets - view Lift Blog's of inventory of Bromley's lift fleet)Uphill capacity: 10,806 skiers per hourWhy I interviewed himVermont is one of those states where you can see a lot of ski areas from the tops of other ski areas. I find this thrilling. I love all ski areas. Relish them. That such machines, so similar yet so distinct, could be so concentrated sparks within me some thrill of exotic immersion, of adventuring into zones dense and wild and compelling.Of these peak-to-peak views, none is more dramatic than south-facing Bromley viewed from north-facing Stratton. In Vermont, which manages sprawl better than the rest of U.S. America, your view is most often of mountains, the endless Greens, treed and rippling toward Canada, radio towers blinking against the sky. But Bromley, etched magnificently into the expanse, owns the view from its larger neighbor.Bromley and Stratton are two points of Southern Vermont's so-called Golden Triangle. The third is Magic. The three ski areas have a weird joint history. Of owning and buying and selling and sometimes closing one another. Right now they're all friends. Or so they say. They're each so different that it's hard to even think of them as competitors. Ultimate Indie Magic gets the beards and the FTW narrative. Ultimate Corporate Six-pack-a-tron Stratton gets the Ikon Pass-toting New Yorkers.And what is Bromley? Bromley is Ultimate Bromley. I'm not sure how else to describe it. And Bromley skiers ski Bromley. And they love the place. And why wouldn't they? The front side is blue square glory, fall lines straight and steady, cut New England narrow through the woods. There are chairlifts everywhere, flying in all directions from the base. Old doubles mostly. How ski areas once were before they simplified and streamlined. The Blue Ribbon side (like Pabst Blue Ribbon, like PBR – get it guys*), is a slightly shorter, black-diamond version of the frontside.All of this oriented gloriously toward the sun. When there's sun. In Vermont, in the winter, when it's a thousand degrees below zero, that matters a lot. This is not a great position for snowpack. Most North American ski areas face north for a reason: shadows block the sun, preserving snow depth. But skiing into May is not the point of Bromley, or its goal. The place gets enough snow, and has a good enough snowmaking system, that it can usually make the first weekend in April. Which is when Bromley skiers are tired of skiing.Or maybe they buy the Killington spring pass and keep going into June. In Vermont, you have options. The state has the same number of ski areas (26) as California, which is 17 times its size by area and 60 times larger by population. To succeed here, a ski area needs something compelling. Thirty miles south of Bromley lies the Hermitage Club, formerly Haystack, 1,400 vertical feet and 200 acres, a near Bromley clone size-wise. Yet the ski area has closed at least three times since its 1964 founding. No one could ever figure out how to compete with – or be little brother to – Mount Snow, the snowmaking Godzilla four and a half miles up the road. And yet Bromley, half the size of Stratton, which sits gigantic in the vista from Sun Mountain's frontside trails, has operated for 85 consecutive seasons. It's not like Bromley skiers don't know they have choices. They just don't care. Ultimate Bromley, with its little base village and its one high-speed lift and its zillion low-speed lifts and its sunshiney aspect, is home.*That sound you hear is every hipster in Brooklyn simultaneously mounting their single-speed banana-seat bicycles and riding north toward Vermont.What we talked aboutThe accidental career; Snow Valley, Vermont; Bromley in the ‘80s; the complex and interesting challenge of the ski business; where loyalty comes from; “our efforts are the same on a Tuesday in January as they are on a holiday Saturday at Christmas”; Vermont's first chairlift; the incredible puzzle of modernizing Bromley's snowmaking in the ‘90s; the importance of water pressure; “summer's always been a big deal at Bromley”; grab a PBR and pop a tab for this Bromley Mountain origin story; Fred Pabst's unlikely skiing legacy; snowmaking in the 1960s; Stig Albertsson buys the mountain; the arrival of the current owner, Joe O'Donnell, and his legacy and style as an owner; that one time Bromley owned Magic, or Magic owned Bromley, or Stratton owned Bromley, or something; why Bromley closed Magic; the return of The Golden Triangle; what happened when a fire hit Bromley 10 days before Christmas; the Fairbank Group arrives; last year's massive upgrade to the Sun Mountain Express; why Bromley upgraded rather than replaced the lift; the incredible resilience of Hall chairlifts; the biggest challenge in running a fleet of decades-old lifts; where else a detachable lift might make sense on the mountain; a thought experiment in what would make sense to upgrade the Plaza chairlift and Lord's Prayer T-bar; the utility and future of the old double-double; the incredible efficiency of modern snowmaking and the concomitant rise in lift-maintenance costs; managing snow quality with Bromley's southern exposure; the Bromley snow pocket; Bromley's lost trails; potential future glade and trail development; backcountry access now and in the future; the challenges of Forest Service expansion; “in some respects, the very best skiing at Bromley is not cut”; the base village; pricing season passes in the Epic and Ikon era and how Bromley has maintained its pricing power; rethinking the mountain's lift-ticket pricing structure; why we're unlikely to see a Bromley-Jiminy Peak-Cranmore joint pass anytime soon.         Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewThe Epic Pass hit New England like a tsunami. For decades, season pass prices had ticked upward like post-IPO Google stock. Then Vail bought Stowe, and everything instantly changed. As I wrote in March 2020 (a few days before I had something more urgent to write about), in an article headlined “The Era of the Expensive Single-Mountain Season Pass Is Over in the Northeast”:  For the 2016-17 season, the last before the Broomfield Big Boys scooped up Stowe, a season pass at that most classic of New England rough-and-tumble mountains was $2,313, according to New England Ski History. Pass prices to the other large Vermont resorts were similarly outlandish: $1,779 for Sugarbush, $1,619 for Okemo, $1,486 for Killington, $1,199 for Stratton, $1,144 for Bromley (!), $999 for Mount Snow, $992 for Mad River Glen, $974 for Jay Peak, $899 for Burke, and on and on.Granted, these were probably not early season prices, and these are presumably adult no-blackout passes. But price differential from just four seasons ago – four! – is remarkable. And none of these passes, with the exception of Killington, which gave you Pico access, came with additional days at any other mountains as far as I am aware [2022 note: the Mount Snow pass, as I'm now aware, was a Peak Pass, which would have been good for unlimited access at three New Hampshire ski areas, Hunter, and all of Peak's smaller ski areas in Pennsylvania and the Midwest]. In 2020, you can now get full unrestricted access to Stowe, Mount Snow, and Okemo for $979 on an Epic Pass [2022 note: this was the season before Vail lowered Epic Pass prices by 20 percent]. You get full Sugarbush and Stratton access for a $999 Ikon Pass, and a Beast 365 pass would be $1,344 and get you unlimited Killington and access to Sugarbush and Stratton every day of the season outside of a few blackout days.In other words, for less than the price of a Stowe season pass four years ago, you can now have season passes to six of Vermont's largest mountains. If you don't mind dealing with blackout days, you could pick up a $729 Epic Local Pass and a $699 Ikon Base Pass and ski Vermont every day of the season for $1,428 (and Okemo and Mount Snow are still not even blacked out on the Epic Local Pass). And you can further reduce this by, say, picking up a $599 Northeast Epic Pass and a (if you're renewing), $649 Ikon Base pass, which would give you blacked-out season passes to Okemo, Mount Snow, Stratton, and Sugarbush, and 10 days at Stowe and five at Killington, for all of $1,248.I could go on. There is no need to. Skiers will figure this out for themselves, and quickly. Anyone buying a season pass in Vermont just four years ago was more or less locked into that mountain for the season, as the number of ski days required to justify the pass purchase was significant, and any days invested elsewhere probably seemed excessive and indulgent. In the three-year instant it took Vail to buy Stowe and Okemo and Peak and integrate them into a regional pass, and Alterra to buy Stratton and Sugarbush and introduce the Ikon Pass and then significantly expand access in the region, the consumer expectation has shifted from season pass as an aspirational indulgence reserved for locals and second-home owners to a bargain product that offers limitless access to not one but multiple high-quality mountains, not just across the East, but in the snowy towering West.I then called out Bromley in particular:In this environment, not even the burliest mountains can stand alone. Killington just conceded that. Boyne did something similar with its New England Pass last week, tossing an Ikon Base Pass in with its $1,549 Platinum-tier product, which provides unlimited access to its standout trio of Sugarloaf, Sunday River, and Loon.All of this leaves skiers – especially mountain-hopping skiers like myself – in the best pass-shopping position imaginable. No matter which pass we buy, it will come not just with limitless days at our local mountain, but bonus or unlimited days at at least half a dozen other mountains that we can easily travel to.All of which creates a very difficult reality for independent mountains: skiers now expect access far beyond their core mountain when purchasing a season pass, and they expect those passes to be massively discounted from what they were less than one presidential election cycle ago.On both price and additional access, many independent ski areas are far behind. Bromley's season pass, for example, is $925 (all prices are for adult, no-blackout passes, unless otherwise indicated). That's early-bird pricing. It includes no free days at any other mountains, even though its parent company also owns or operates Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts and Cranmore in New Hampshire [2022 note: Bromley, Cranmore, and Jiminy Peak passes now include one day at each of their sister mountains]. It does offer some non-holiday discounts of up to half off day tickets at partner resorts, including Jay Peak.This is a completely untenable position. Bromley is a fine mountain. It is terrific for families. It has some fun terrain off the Blue Ribbon Quad. It is very easy to get to. But it is right down the road from Stratton, which is far larger, has a far more sophisticated lift network, and is on the Ikon Pass, meaning a pass to Stratton is only $74 more than a pass to Bromley and also includes a pass to Sugarbush, days at Killington, etc., etc. Unless you have a condo on the mountain and you ski there and only there and have for years and years and have no aspirations or intentions of going anywhere else ever, there is no way to justify that pass price with no access to any mountain other than your own in today's competitive ski pass environment.One of two things needs to happen in order for independent mountains to remain competitive in the season pass realm: they need to join a coalition of other independent ski areas to offer reciprocal free days at one another's mountains for passholders, or the price needs to come way down. And in most cases, the answer is probably some combination of both of those things.Well I was wrong. Bromley never joined a pass coalition and its pass price keeps increasing, and yet every year, the mountain sells more passes. So I'll own my mistake. My template was too simplistic, too focused on price and variety and size as a skier's primary motivating factors, too anchored to the assumption that all skiers were like me, seeking the most mountains for the lowest cost. It would have been like saying Whole Foods business model sucks because Kroger has larger stores and sells groceries for less money. Consumers will pay a premium for exclusivity and quality. And Bromley offers both: good snow, fewer people. A predictable, repeatable experience for a tight community of families and condo owners. These things matter more than I had supposed.Select independent ski areas all over the country are thriving in the megapass era by snubbing the trends of the megapass era: Wolf Creek, Mt. Baker, Bear Valley, Whitefish, Bretton Woods, Wachusett, Plattekill, Holiday Valley. Part of this is Epkon burnout, refugees seeking respite from the crowds. Part of it is atmosphere and community, skiers buying into a gestalt as much as a place or activity. Bromley operates in one of the toughest neighborhoods in skiing, seated within a two-hour's drive of dozens of competitors, many of them bigger and cheaper, with more terrain variety and more snowfall and more and faster lifts. And yet the Sun Mountain keeps winning. There's a reason for that, and I wanted to figure out what it was.What I got wrongI stated in the interview that Joseph O'Donnell had purchased Bromley in 1990, intimating that marked the start of his involvement with the ski area. Cairns points out that O'Donnell had worked with Bromley beginning in the 1980s.Why you should ski BromleyMount Snow and Stratton, nice as they are, tricked out as they are, have downsides. Especially on weekends. Especially midwinter. Neither does a great job managing skier volume, and neither seems particularly interested in trying. I don't know how much that really matters. It's New England, and skiers expect crowds. It's all part of the experience, like overgrooming and boilerplate and safety bars dropped on your dome before the chair is out of the barn.How to escape the human anthill ski experience? Well, you could join the Hermitage Club, which at last check-in cost $50,000 upfront and $15,000 annually thereafter. You could ski Magic, which is uncrowded but snowmaking-challenged, with just 50 percent of the mountain covered and one fixed-grip double to the top (though the Black Quad may finally be close to launch). Or you could ski Bromley, with the snowmaking and grooming firepower of its bigger corporate neighbors, but without the mosh-pit atmosphere. Unlike most of Vermont, the place is tolerable even at its busiest.And the sunshine effect is real. Stratton is often abandoned after 2:30 p.m. The sun dips, the snow bricks up, and everyone leaves. When the clouds aren't bunching heavy over New England and the wind stays down, Bromley is just a more pleasant place to be. It doesn't have the tough-guy terrain like Killington or the expanses of glades like Stratton. And it doesn't need them. Bromley, the Ultimate Bromley, is just fine being exactly what it knows it has to be.Podcast notes* We go deep on Bromley's long history, but New England Ski History has a great overview of the ski area's development, going back to the wild early days of recorded Vermont history.* Bill and I discuss the lost Snow Valley ski area extensively. Though this little spot, parked off Vermont state highway 30 between Bromley and Stratton, closed in 1984, it remains popular among backcountry skiers. Someone still maintains several runs, and the property was recently listed for sale (it was scheduled for auction in September, but I'm uncertain how that went). While it's highly unlikely that anyone could redevelop Snow Valley as a lift-served ski area, it could become New England's version of the uphill-only Bluebird Backcountry ski area in Colorado. Here's a 1982 trailmap:* Bill discusses the rising cost of everything, but point in particular to the exploding price of chairlifts. He notes that the Sun Mountain Express cost Bromley $2.7 million in 1997, and estimates that it would run $7 million to install a similar lift today. Had chairlifts followed general inflationary trends, the lift would run around $5 million today.* Bill references a 1950s trail called “Bromley Run,” that ran off the summit and didn't return to the lifts. You can see it marked as trail 10 on this “Big Bromley” trailmap from 1950:* Bill and I discuss potential terrain expansions (unlikely), and the possibility of backcountry skiing – possibly guided – from the summit down to Peru, to the east, and East Dorset, to the northwest. He also refers to the Best Farm quite a bit, which is the large circled area off highway 11. The Fairbank Group's website currently has this space scoped for real estate development. Here's the ski area in relation to these various areas:The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 120/100 in 2022, and number 366 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Want to send feedback? Reply to this email and I will answer (unless you sound insane, or, more likely, I just get busy). You can also email skiing@substack.com. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

In this week's episode of Pages n' Pages, we're celebrating spooky month by discussing the source material some of the most well-known scary movies we know! No jump scares here, just lots of spooky movies and the books they're based off of. Have you read any of these books that were turned into iconic scary movies? What We've Read and What We Are Reading: Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt and narrated by Robbie Daymond Lore Olympus: Volume Two by Rachel Smythe Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid and narrated by Stacy Gonzalez, Patrick Mcenroe, Rob Simmelkjaer, Brendan Wayne, Max Meyers, Reynaldo Piniella, Vidish Athavale, Tom Bromhead, Heath Miller, Julia Whelan, Sara Arrington Owen (The Shifters of Bear Valley #1) by Elle M. Drew Kulti by Mariana Zapata Every Summer After by Carley Fortune Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey and narrated by Xe Sands The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty For the Throne (Wilderwood #2) by Hanna Additional Book Mentions: The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata Psycho by Robert Bloch The Exorcist by William Peter Blattey Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan Ring by Koji Suzuki The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix Jaws by Peter Benchley The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris Carrie by Stephen King Hocus Pocus by A.W. Jantha Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz The Legend of Sleepy Hollow- Washington Irving Goosebumps by R.L. Stine The Witches- Roald Dahl Casper the Friendly Ghost by Lars Bourne Check out Pages n' Pages on Instagram. These opinions are entirely our own. Image by Kapona via Vector Stock.

In this week's episode of Pages n' Pages, we fully embrace the fall spirit with some fun fall-related book tags. From our favorite autumnal covers to snacks we love to eat in the fall, we cover a wide variety of topics and books that remind us of our favorite season. What We've Read and What We Are Reading: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid Owen (The Shifters of Bear Valley #1) by Elle M. Drew. Thanks to the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Kulti by Mariana Zapata The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty and narrated by Caroline Lee Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano and narrated by Angela Dawe Additional Book Mentions: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten (Wilderwood #1) All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata The Simple Wild by KA Tucker (Wild #1) Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe Born a Crime by Trevor Noah House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune Running Wild by KA Tucker Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill Home Before Dark by Riley Sager Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell The Princess Bride by William Goldman Her Soul to Take by Harley LaRoux Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells The Shadows by Alex North Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Carry On by Rainbow Rowell The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah Circe by Madeline Miller The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab Renegades by Marissa Meyer The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid Electric Idol by Katee Robert Heatwave by TJ Klune The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead For the Throne by Hannah Whitten Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell Check out Pages n' Pages on Instagram. These opinions are entirely our own. Image by Kapona via Vector Stock.

✝️ Ranger Bill is a Christian radio program from the 1950s, produced by Moody Radio. With over 200 episodes produced, Ranger Bill stars Miron Canaday as the title character and Stumpy Jenkins and Ed Ronne, Sr as Grey Wolf. The main character, Ranger Bill, is a forest ranger located in the town of Knotty Pine along the Rocky Mountains. The show describes the various tales of the adventures of Ranger Bill and his friends. CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported The Old Time Radio Researchers 123 Davidson Ave Savannah, Ga 31419 ✝️ Please consider liking our page "Jesus Answers Prayers" and joining our "Jesus Answers Prayers Group"

To support independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Paid subscribers receive thousands of extra words of content each month, plus all podcasts three days before free subscribers.WhoKarl Kapuscinski, President and CEO of Mountain High and Dodge Ridge, CaliforniaRecorded onJune 6, 2022About Mountain HighClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Invision Capital and Karl KapuscinskiLocated in: Wrightwood, CaliforniaClosest neighboring ski areas: Mt. Waterman (45 minutes), Mt. Baldy (1 hour, 15 minutes – they’re only 8.4 miles apart as the crow flies, but 57.4 miles apart via road!), Snow Valley (1 hour, 25 minutes), Big Bear/Snow Summit (1 hour 40 minutes)Base elevation | summit elevation | vertical drop:West Resort: 7,000 feet | 8,000 feet | 1,000 feetEast Resort: 6,600 feet | 8,200 feet | 1,600 feetNorth Resort: 7,200 feet | 7,800 feet | 600 feetSkiable Acres: 290Average annual snowfall: 117 inchesNight skiing: North onlyTrail count: 60 (35% advanced, 40% intermediate, 25% beginner)West Resort: 34 (1 expert, 16 advanced, 12 intermediate, 5 beginner)East Resort: 16 trails (1 expert, 4 advanced, 7 intermediate, 4 beginner)North Resort: 10 trails (6 intermediate, 4 beginner)Lift count: 14 (2 high-speed quads, 2 fixed-grip quads, 3 triples, 4 doubles, 3 carpets - view Lift Blog’s inventory of Mountain High’s lift fleet)West Resort: 1 high-speed quad, 3 triples, 2 doubles, 2 carpetsEast Resort: 1 high-speed quad, 1 quad, 2 doubles, 1 carpetNorth Resort: 1 quadAbout Dodge RidgeClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Invision Capital and Karl KapuscinskiLocated in: Pinecrest, CaliforniaClosest neighboring ski areas: Bear Valley (2 hours, 6 minutes), June Mountain (2 hours, 24 minutes), Mammoth Mountain (2 hours, 37 minutes), Badger Pass (2 hours, 45 minutes), Kirkwood (2 hours 58 minutes)Base elevation: 6,600 feetSummit elevation: 8,200 feetVertical drop: 1,600 feetSkiable Acres: 862Average annual snowfall: 300 to 500 inchesNight skiing: NoTrail count: 67 (40% advanced, 40% intermediate, 20% beginner)Lift count: 12 (1 fixed-grip quad, 2 triples, 5 doubles [2 of these doubles - lifts 1 and 2 below, are making way for one triple chair for the 2022-23 ski season], 1 T-bar, 1 ropetow, 2 conveyors - view Lift Blog’s of inventory Dodge Ridge’s lift fleet)Why I interviewed himIn the Midwest of my youth, the calculus was simple: north, cold; south, warm. The only weather quirk was lake-effect snow, tumbling off Michigan and Superior in vast snowbelts west and north, and across that mysterious realm known as the UP. Altitude wasn’t a factor because there was no altitude. Iowa, Nebraska, the Dakotas get rounded up by the chortling masses reaching for a flatland target to ridicule, but they overlook Michigan by ignorance, or, if they’re Michiganders, denial and self-preservation. Midland County, where I grew up, is the flattest place I have ever seen, a forever plain that disguises itself in treed horizons.  It was California that alerted me to the notion that altitude could override latitude. It could snow in the south. You just had to get to the sky. The mountains went there. Humans have so overrun modern SoCal that it is easy to forget what an amazing natural monster it is: foreversummer – or at least foreverspring – on the coast. From the beach with bare feet in the sand you can see the mountains*, snow-capped and forbidding, impossible and amazing, thrusting Tolkien-ish over pulsing Los Angeles. Beyond that, deserts vast and inhospitable, stretching hundreds of miles toward the rest of America. Cross that wasteland to understand why California so often feels like a nation of its own – geologically, it may as well be.But what we care about here are those mountains. There is no reason that LA, America’s second-largest city, must have skiing. But it does. Big Bear and Snow Summit, Baldy and Waterman, Snow Valley and Mountain High. From the ocean, the land lurches skyward with astonishing speed. Mt. Waterman, 40 straightline miles from the coast, sits at 7,000 feet. Mt. Baldy, base elevation 6,500, is 52 miles. Snow Valley, 6,800 feet, 67 miles. Snow Summit, 6,965 feet, 74 miles. Big Bear, 73 miles, 7,104 feet. And Mountain High, seated between 6,600 and 7,200 feet, depending upon which parking lot you pull into on any given day, standing 52-ish miles from the ocean.And it snows. Not what-the-hell amounts. This isn’t Tahoe. But enough that, 98 years ago, someone said “well by gum we ought to be snowskiing on these here hills” (in my head, everyone in the past either talks like Yosemite Sam or Winston Churchill), and set up a snowskiing operation at Mountain High. The ski areas of Southern California are not, like the Poconos or the mountains of the Southeast, the products of technology, of machines providing snow where nature provided hills and cold. Mountain High is the fourth-oldest ski area in the country, opened in 1924. Snow Valley opened in 1937. Waterman in ‘42. Big Bear in ‘46. Baldy and Snow Summit in ‘52. From a technology point of view, 1924 may as well have been a different planet. Electricity was this newfangled thing. Forget about snowmaking, or even chairlifts. I’m almost positive dudes must have been up there in top hats and bowties. And indeed here’s a photo of a fellow rocking a kerchief while smoking his pipe:I’ve been processing this for decades, and it still amazes me: there is skiing in Southern California. Of the many geological and geographic wonders packed into our sprawling continent, the mountains-looming-over-the-seaside-city phenomenon remains one of the most stunning in its asymmetric, improbable glory.And here, in the clouds, dwells Mountain High. Once, this complex was three competing ski areas, fighting it out for families scaling the mountains in rear-wheel drive Buicks and skiing in peacoats. Everything is different now. Those three ski areas – Blue Ridge (West), Holiday Hill (East), and Table Mountain ne Sunlight (North) – are still three separate ski areas, but they operate as one. The cars are better, the gear is better. Vapers and backpack speakers rule the day (Though were I to spy a chap swiveling downslope with poles tucked underarm while puffing on a pipe, I daresay I would invite the old swell to a game of backgammon and a bottle of my finest mead [and there’s the Churchill]). Somewhere along the way, Mountain High installed chairlifts, and then, snowmaking. But despite all this change, a century on, there is still skiing in Southern California. And what a marvelous fact that is.*“on a clear day,” one must always addWhat we talked aboutThe 2021-22 ski season at Mountain High and Dodge Ridge; a record broken at Dodge Ridge; growing up at Ascutney, Vermont; ascending the ranks to the top of Mountain High; Ascutney’s disadvantages compared to the rest of Vermont; how three once-separate ski areas united to form the modern Mountain High; the novel big-business prospects of “snow play” zones at the base of high-altitude urban-adjacent ski areas; why snow play is “drought-resistant”; Mountain High’s snowmaking source, limitations, technology and potential; the incredible efficiency of modern snowmaking; undeveloped land within Mountain High’s permit area and whether we could see expansion anytime soon; the possibility of connecting Mountain High East and West, and whether that would be done through lifts or skiing; the mountain-to-mountain connection we’re most likely to see; humoring me on the could-we-connect-North-to-East-and-West-with-a-gondola question; the most likely next lift upgrade at Mountain High and what it would take to make it happen; whether we could ever see Mountain High North expand lifts back down into the bowl where trails ran at the old Sunrise ski area; the cultural importance of night skiing and why it’s unlikely to ever expand beyond its current footprint; why Kapuscinski purchased Dodge Ridge last year; how Dodge Ridge is “very culturally different” from Mountain High; the amazing percentage of Dodge Ridge skiers that also have an Epic or Ikon pass; a long-term vision for Dodge Ridge; replacing chair 1 and 2 with a single lift this summer, and how the new alignment will enhance the experience for beginners; how much money the ski area is saving by putting in a new lift rather than a used one; possible alignments for high-speed lifts at Dodge Ridge; what a high-speed lift will run you these days; thoughts on Lift 8; the big expansion opportunities at Dodge Ridge and what sort of terrain skiers would find there; the differences between running a ski area that relies heavily on snowmaking and one that doesn’t; Dodge Ridge’s nascent snowmaking system; whether the ski area could ever get night skiing; reciprocity between Dodge Ridge and Mountain High season passes; the Saturday problem; the number of season passes each mountain sells; an estimate of Ikon Pass sales in Southern California; forming the Powder Alliance; and whether the ski areas are considering joining the Indy Pass.   Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewKapuscinski has been the king of Mountain High for decades, taking the CEO job in the mid-90s and eventually buying out his partners to take full control of the resort. He gradually grew the place, and in 2004 purchased nearby Sunrise, now Mountain High North, in what was essentially – as he tells me in the interview – an estate sale.That may have been practice for what came last summer, when Kapuscinski purchased big and snowy Dodge Ridge from Frank and Sally Helm, who had run the joint for 45 years.“I’d had my eye on Dodge Ridge for quite some time,” Kapuscinski tells me in the interview. “It was an area that I knew probably wouldn’t draw a ton of interest from the bigger ski companies. There’s not a lot of those areas that are well-positioned, where they still have a fair amount of upside, but aren’t going to get gobbled up by the bigger ski companies.”Dodge Ridge is one of a series of larger-than-you’d-think ski areas – Bear Valley and China Peak are the others – that hangs off the west side of the Sierras, in an awkward limbo that’s invisible to Epic- and Ikon-wielding skiers racing off to Mammoth and Tahoe. It’s a bit of a time machine, a fixed-grip redoubt that lacks material amounts of snowmaking and is seated, in a very un-California way, far from a large city or interstate. But it has terrain, room to expand, and 300-plus inches of snow per season. That’s plenty to work with.With a full season of operations behind him, I figured it was a good time to check in with Kapuscinski to see where Dodge Ridge was sitting and where he planned to take it, and how the ski area may work with Mountain High – six hours away – to form a little in-state ski network. He has plenty of ideas, particularly when it comes to blowing out the lift fleet. Dodge Ridge skiers tired of the 10-minute ride up Lift 7 are going to like where Kapuscinski’s head is at with an upgrade. Things are already starting to happen: this summer, Chairs 1 and 2 are making way for a used-but-rebuilt replacement, and the resort has, for the first time, the whispers of a snowmaking system.With skier visits up across the country and multi-mountain passes opening the state’s resorts to a new generation of skiers, this is an exciting time for California skiing. Kapuscinski is, and will continue for some time to be, an important part of the whole scene.Questions I wish I’d askedGiven that Kapuscinski ran Stevens Pass for many years, I ought to have asked him about Vail’s struggles up in Washington this past season. There was enough, however, to talk about with his two ski areas, and that seemed like the better place to focus. I also neglected to ask which runs, in particular, Kapuscinski had in mind for Dodge Ridge trail improvements when he mentioned that as a priority.What I got wrongThis isn’t really something I got wrong so much as something I didn’t explain properly – when I mentioned Loon’s base-to-base railroad connection, I commented that it “would never get environmental approval” in California. The reason why is that this is an old-fashioned steam train with an exhaust pipe that would embarrass the Onceler:I’m sure it’s grandfathered in in New Hampshire as some sort of tourist novelty, but any base-to-base transit between Mountain High East and West would have to, um, not run on wood. Not that they would propose it, but that explains my remark in the podcast.Why you should ski Mountain High and Dodge RidgeThere was a moment, before I turned against it, when I was in thrall to U.S. America’s car-first notion of civilization-building. Dropping out of the high desert after a cross-country roadtrip my buddy Ron and I found Los Angeles and its spectacular network of freeways. For days we explored, Midwest teenagers awestruck and eager, zippering through staggered herds of Hondas and BMWs in a beat-up GMC pickup with a topper and a brand-new transmission we’d acquired after a mid-night breakdown in Victorville*. What was this magical realm, sandwiched between sparkling ocean and spectacular mountains, with its Beach Brah vibe and its bristling subtext of hustle and ambition? City-strong, nature-adjacent, nearly rainless with moderate coastal temps, it struck me as a sort of American Utopia, everything great about the nation organized into a self-contained realm.It was the skiing, as mentioned above, that most fascinated me. Access to winter without the doldrums of winter, the ice and the wind, the endless months in jackets and boots, the extra 20 minutes in the morning to warm and de-ice the car and clear it of snow. While my infatuation with Southern California freeway culture would not last the week – shattered in a four-hour dead stop southbound on the 5 while the authorities tended to an overturned and fire-blackened vehicle – my belief in the awesomeness of its top-of-the-world skiing never abated. Most of America’s warm-weather cities – Miami, Houston, Dallas – are considerable journeys from easy turns. Not Los Angeles. There are a half dozen choices, right there. Vertical drops up to 2,000 feet. Glades aplenty and skiing into May when the snow comes. Parks, nights, whatever you want. I’m not saying it’s Mammoth. But I’m saying that it’s right goddamn there, and that’s pretty incredible.I never did move to Los Angeles, or anywhere in California. But if I had, I imagine I’d treat that halo of resilient little SoCal ski areas the same way I treat Mountain Creek now – as my local to notch turns between my runs farther north. The season passes are not expensive – Snow Valley’s is just $329 and grants you the option of a discounted Indy Pass add-on. Baldy and Mountain High run $499. Big Bear and Snow Summit are, of course, on the Ikon Pass, and I suppose that’s become the default for so many Southern California residents as a result. But Mountain High remains compelling – North is a beginner’s paradise, completely free of Radbrahs. West is a parks and night-skiing haven. East is the more traditional trails-and-glades option. I guess many people in Southern California simply choose none-of-the-above and wait out winter between trips to Tahoe and Salt Lake. Which, OK. But, I don’t know man, if there’s turns to be had, I’m taking them.Dodge Ridge is a whole different thing. How, exactly, does a mountain sandwiched between Tahoe and Mammoth stand out? Well, by not being Tahoe or Mammoth. The terrain gets plenty of snow. The mountain is big enough. It’s a good place to hide out, especially from high-speed lift snobs with the patience of a fruit fly, who act as though a 10-minute lift ride were the equivalent of waterboarding.Kapuscinski seems committed to changing that and upgrading the rusty lift fleet, but the mountain will always be a smaller alternative to California’s ski resort royalty. He told me in the interview that an amazing percentage of Dodge Ridge passholders also have an Epic or Ikon Pass. For them, Dodge Ridge is where they go when they can’t – or don’t want to – go to the chest-beaters. It is, as Kapuscinski says, “a multi-generational mountain.” Meaning, for a lot of people, it’s home.*To this day (this was 1996), my buddy is convinced that it was my insistence to reroute off I-70 and up US 6 in Colorado that strained the transmission to its breaking point later in the journey. He’s probably right, but I really, you know, NEEDED, to drive past Arapahoe Basin.More Mountain HighIn our interview, Kapuscinski mentioned mothballed plans for a gondola to connect the resort to lower-altitude terrain, which would have eliminated the need for “mountain driving.” I couldn’t find any of these old plans – if you have any materials on this, please send them over.I had a lot of fun poking around in the archives for trailmaps to Mountain High’s predecessor resorts. Here are a few:Table Mountain/Sunlight (now Mountain High North)Poma #1 in this 1970 trailmap of Table Mountain runs in the approximate line of the modern-day Sunlight quad at Mountain High North. Lift service is now restricted to the top portion of the mountain, and Poma #3 on this map stretches down into a bowl that is just a wide-open snowfield on the current trailmap. Holiday Hill (now Mountain High East)It’s hard to make out the modern hill in this map from 1976.In this version, it’s easier to recognize the basic footprint of modern-day Mountain High East. I’m not entirely confident on the date here, as skimap.org suggests this is from 1980, and some sources indicate that the resort merged with its neighbor in 1979.Mountain High WestI couldn’t find any trailmaps of Blue Ridge, as West was originally known. But this 1978 map of the ski area is pretty cool. You can see the outline of modern Mountain High West here: Chairlift #2 here runs along the approximate line of modern-day Lift 6, Exhibition. The resort long ago abandoned the Wild West-themed trailnames, but, for context, “Calamity Jane” is “Calamity” at the modern ski area.This podcast hit paid subscribers’ inboxes on June 10. Free subscribers got it on June 13. To receive future pods as soon as they’re live, consider an upgrade.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 63/100 in 2022, and number 309 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Want to send feedback? Reply to this email and I will answer (unless you sound insane). You can also email skiing@substack.com. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Corey from @bearvalleyoverland comes on to talk about their new shop in Big Bear then we talk about the shenanigans from Winter Expedition at #koh in #johnsonvalley

On January 31, 1911 the weather records show that Tamarack, California, closed the books for the month on snowfall there with 390 inches or 32.5 feet of snow that had fallen. That established a record that still holds well more than a hundred years later as the most snow in a calendar month in the United States. Tamarack, formerly known as Camp Tamarack, is an unincorporated community in Calaveras County, California, in the United States. It was founded in the 1920s. It sits at an elevation of 6,913 feet on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada near Bear Valley and south of Lake Tahoe. It is prone to getting huge snowfalls as storms blow into northern California from off the Pacific ocean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mr. Lynn Williams was baptized when he was 18 years old. He entered into ministry in 2014 after studying at Bear Valley bible Institute for a year. Lynn did mission work in Hiral Peru. Mr. Williams is currently preaching at the Shelbyville Church of Christ in Kentucky. ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:2‭‭ “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/check-it-out License code: 6JH6HYU4XVLVL25Zvv --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/meettheministerspodcast/support

Rob Melton was baptized in February of 1978. Mr. Melton entered into ministry in 2016. Rob has been at the Keenesburg Church of Christ for 5 1/2 years. He received a bachelors degree from Bear Valley. Before he entered into pulpit ministry, Rob served as a Deacon for 15 years at the Columbine Church of Christ. ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:2‭‭ “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/check-it-out License code: 6JH6HYU4XVLVL25Zv --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/meettheministerspodcast/support

Brett was baptized in January of 2001 at the age of 15 and entered into ministry March of 2009 as a Youth and Family Minster. Brett has been at Bear Valley Church of Christ for 13 years, studied at Harding and has 2 degrees from Bear Valley which are a Bachelors and Masters. Mr. Petrillo also teaches part-time at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/meettheministerspodcast/support

Demand grows in Anchorage's overburdened mass shelter; A Fairbanks police detective was arrested Friday; Anchorage firefighters were called to a home in the Bear Valley neighborhood; Anchorage's tree lighting ceremony kicked off

✝️ Ranger Bill is a Christian radio program from the 1950s, produced by Moody Radio. With over 200 episodes produced, Ranger Bill stars Miron Canaday as the title character and Stumpy Jenkins and Ed Ronne, Sr as Grey Wolf. The main character, Ranger Bill, is a forest ranger located in the town of Knotty Pine along the Rocky Mountains. The show describes the various tales of the adventures of Ranger Bill and his friends. CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported The Old Time Radio Researchers 123 Davidson Ave Savannah, Ga 31419 ✝️ Please consider liking our page "Jesus Answers Prayers" and joining our "Jesus Answers Prayers Group"

Tim Petrick has had a pretty epic ski career. From ski instruction, to the PSIA Demo Team, to Powder Magazine, to Aspen, to K2, to Booth Creek, to K2, to Rossignol, to K2, to Silverton……  You get the idea, Tim has done it all and most of it, at the corporate executive level….  But Tim Petrick is not your typical exec, he's a ski bum at heart and this podcast is a testament to how much this dude loves to ski.  Tim Petrick Show Notes: 3:00:  Skipping work to ski, growing up in MN and NY, and wanting to be a skier for a living as a kid 10:00:  Going to college near Stowe, PSIA Demo Team, and the end of Stowe 17:00:  Snowbird, Bear Valley, Aspen, and endurance sports 23:30:  Stanley:  Get 30% off sitewide with the code drinkfast Rollerblade:  Find out all about the award-winning Skate to Ski program 10 Barrel Brewery:  Buy their beers, they support action sports more than anyone 26:00:  Powder Magazine, Olin Skis, and round 1 with K2. 27:00:  Dealing with a shift in production and laying people off 42:15:  Peter Glenn Ski and Sports Elan skis:  Making the best ski 75 years 44:00:  The 90’s K2 Grateful Dead Collection, The K2 Four, and leaving K2 when they are on fire 54:00:  Booth Creek, K2 again, Markovich, leaving for Rossignol, and the S7 days 62:00:  Replacing DeRocco and heart attack in the mountains 65:00:  Inappropriate Questions with Anonymous

Mission-minded Monday! One way the Gospel is spread is through the training of preachers and teachers in Bible schools. So, would you pray with me for the efforts of the Bear Valley Bible Institute?

On January 31, 1911 the weather records show that Tamarack, California, closed the books for the month on snowfall there with 390 inches or 32.5 feet of snow that had fallen. That established a record that still holds well more than a hundred years later as the most snow in a calendar month in the United States. Tamarack, formerly known as Camp Tamarack, is an unincorporated community in Calaveras County, California, in the United States. It was founded in the 1920s. It sits at an elevation of 6,913 feet, on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada near Bear Valley and south of Lake Tahoe. It is prone to getting huge snowfalls as storms blow into northern California from off the Pacific ocean.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ranger Bill is a Christian radio program from the 1950s, produced by Moody Radio. With over 200 episodes produced, Ranger Bill stars Miron Canaday as the title character and Stumpy Jenkins and Ed Ronne, Sr as Grey Wolf. The main character, Ranger Bill, is a forest ranger located in the town of Knotty Pine along the Rocky Mountains. The show describes the various tales of the adventures of Ranger Bill and his friends. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------Sherlock Holmes Radio Station Live 24/7 Click Here to Listenhttps://live365.com/station/Sherlock-Holmes-Classic-Radio--a91441---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ranger Bill is a Christian radio program from the 1950s, produced by Moody Radio. With over 200 episodes produced, Ranger Bill stars Miron Canaday as the title character and Stumpy Jenkins and Ed Ronne, Sr as Grey Wolf. The main character, Ranger Bill, is a forest ranger located in the town of Knotty Pine along the Rocky Mountains. The show describes the various tales of the adventures of Ranger Bill and his friends. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------Sherlock Holmes Radio Station Live 24/7 Click Here to Listenhttps://live365.com/station/Sherlock-Holmes-Classic-Radio--a91441----------------------------------------------------------------------------Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ranger Bill is a Christian radio program from the 1950s, produced by Moody Radio. With over 200 episodes produced, Ranger Bill stars Miron Canaday as the title character and Stumpy Jenkins and Ed Ronne, Sr as Grey Wolf. The main character, Ranger Bill, is a forest ranger located in the town of Knotty Pine along the Rocky Mountains. The show describes the various tales of the adventures of Ranger Bill and his friends. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sherlock Holmes Radio Station Live 24/7 Click Here to Listen https://live365.com/station/Sherlock-Holmes-Classic-Radio--a91441 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today in chapel at the Bear Valley Bible Institute, Donnie Bates brought a lesson on "Organizing Growth." The Bear Valley Bible Institute has been training preachers in Denver since 1965 and now has 43 schools in 26 countries around the world. The school is a work of the Bear Valley church of Christ (www.bearvalleycofc.com) and is under the oversight of her elders.

Today in chapel at the Bear Valley Bible Institute, John Moore brought a lesson on "Annuasl Reports to the Congregation." The Bear Valley Bible Institute has been training preachers in Denver since 1965 and now has 43 schools in 26 countries around the world. The school is a work of the Bear Valley church of Christ (www.bearvalleycofc.com) and is under the oversight of her elders.

Cory Waddell, our new preachers, begins his ministry today at Bear Valley. His first lesson “Who Are You and Where Did You Come From?” is available here

On this episode of The Party Gamecast featuring the Party Game Cast, Bruce is joined by Mike, Rocki and Bryan to talk about a couple new games from the folks at Stronghold Games, Bear Valley and Stellar Conflict. WHAT THE FOOD!?! This time we decide which of the "new" M&Ms is the best, Chili Nut, Honey Nut or Coffee Nut. What the Food is sponsored by Steamworks Coffee steamworkscoffee.net.   Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Quick Looks from The Long View, I'm pleased to be joined once again by Elhannan Lloyd Keller as we review two new titles. First up is a new release from Stronghold Games and designer Carl Chudyk, Bear Valley. Is this another masterpiece from the mad genius of multi use card games? Tune in to hear our thoughts! Finally, we review a new title from Steve Finn and Dr. Finn's Games, Foragers. Is this another winner from the maker of Biblios? Listen to get our impressions of this interesting pick up and deliver game. Thanks to my sponsor, www.gamesurplus.com for their continued support of The Long View, thanks to Joel Eddy for his help with the show as always, and thanks, of course, to YOU for listening! If you enjoy the show, please consider checking out other great podcasts in The Dice Tower Network!

Six Top 10s + Pandemic: Legacy - game or expansion? SHOW NOTES: 2016 Games of Interest Geeklist: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/201740/rahdo-runs-through-2016-games-interest Boardgame Pricing Utility: http://www.spielboy.com/GeekPrices.php Pandemic Legacy: the expansion thread (warning: spoilers) https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1518368/legacy-4th-pandemic-expansion-spoilers-course London Walking Map http://content.tfl.gov.uk/walking-tube-map.pdf •••[00:00:42]New Games of Interest►►► Aeon's End, Retreat to Darkmoor, Fight for Olympus, Oracle of Delphi, Castles of Burgundy the Card Game, Grim Heroes, Brettspiel Easter Basket, Dale of Merchants 2, Bear Valley, Survival: Frogs of SE Australia, Agility, Knit Wit, Touria, Medici, Spirit Island, First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet, Pandemic Reign of Cthulhu, Dominion: Empires, Coal Barons The Big Card Game, Istanbul: Brief & Siegel, Heir to the Pharaoh •••[00:37:28] Q&A►►► The Nintendo Story?, Dixit a themeatic game? How successful was my videogame career? Ever going back to work? Jen jealous of virtual Jen? Would we miss Malta? Love for Gold West? Out of print games? How important is having local gamers to play with? Fave anime? Boardgame bubble? Boardgame conventions worth it? Different types of attackey games? Advice for teaching games? Where do we vote? How to use Boardgamegeek.com? Best of London? Revisiting older games? Fave podcasts? Boardgames too expensive? Best EU online boardgame retailer? •••[02:13:00] Top10 Recaps►►► Civilizations, Surprises, Best of 2016, Anticipated of 2016, Videogames, Expansions •••[02:50:49] Pandemic Legacy: The Expansion •••Help Rahdo run @ https://patreon.com/rahdo •••Send your questions to questions@rahdo.com