Podcasts about treetops

In this episode, two of Justin's close-range UFO encounters are shared. The first took place during a quiet evening on the front porch of his home, when he looked up to see a large, disc-shaped craft hovering low over the neighborhood. It moved slowly, completely silent, with a ring of white lights underneath and a strange, circuit-like texture across its surface. The second encounter happened a few years later. While riding as a passenger in his sister's car, Justin witnessed an enormous triangular craft drifting just above the treetops. Despite its massive size, it moved slowly and silently. Both sightings left a lasting impression on Justin. But first, before we hear from Justin, we have two voice submissions sent in from Ben in the UK and Bob in the US.More information on this episode on the podcast website:https://ufochroniclespodcast.com/ep-339-the-georgia-skies/Hidden Cults (Promo)It is a documentary-style podcast that digs deep into the world's most extreme, elusive, and explosive fringe groups. Listen on all podcast apps: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Q0kbgXrdzP0TvIk5xylx1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-cults/id1816362029If you enjoy this podcast, please support the show with a virtual coffee:https://ko-fi.com/ufochroniclespodcastFollow and Subscribe on X to get ad free episodesX: https://x.com/UFOchronpodcast/Want to share your encounter on the show?Email: UFOChronicles@gmail.comOr Fill out Guest Form:https://forms.gle/uGQ8PTVRkcjy4nxS7Podcast Merchandise:https://www.teepublic.com/user/ufo-chronicles-podcastHelp Support UFO CHRONICLES by becoming a Patron:https://patreon.com/UFOChroniclespodcastAll Links for Podcast:https://linktr.ee/UFOChroniclesPodcastThank you for listening!Like share and subscribe it really helps me when people share the show on social media, it means we can reach more people and more witnesses and without your amazing support, it wouldn't be possible.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ufo-chronicles-podcast--3395068/support.

Episode 699: Summer golf, dining options, a special school for women and more at Treetops Resort (May 10-11, 2025)Behind the Mitten is Michigan's premiere travel radio show and podcast, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025. Co-hosted by Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez, the show has released nearly 700 episodes and been recognized by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters as best weekend speciality show. It airs on 22 radio stations over 15 markets in Michigan. More information on amyandgonzo.com.This weekend they spotlight Treetops Resort in Gaylord, which was recently named Resort of the Year at the Pure Michigan Governor's Conference on Tourism. General Manager Barry Owens speaks on leadership, the emphasis on overall guest experience and introduces two key members of his team who make Treetops Michigan's Most Spectacular Resort.Learn more at treetops.com.Segment 1: GM Barry Owens talks about the start of a busy golf season and creating lasting memories. He also emphasizes some of the priorities that make Treetops successful - attention to detail, which “is crucial in guest services,” as well as learning from mistakes.Segment 2: Treetops Director of Recreation Doug Hoeh stops by the podcast to talk about how driven his team is to maintain all 81 holes on five golf courses, as well as some of the new initiatives like Ladies Golf School that coincides with National Women's Golf Day (June 1). Ladies Golf School is a multi-day experience (June 1-July 9) designed for all levels. Learn more at https://www.treetops.com/summer/golfing/golf-academy/ladies-golf-academy/.Segment 3: We celebrate Michigan's vibrant culinary scene with Brian Smith, the new Food and Beverage Director at Treetops Resort. We discuss the new menu offerings, including award-winning dishes and local partnerships, as well as the upcoming launch of a signature beer, Legendary Tees. Yes, it's our Beer of the Week! Brian adds that the new menu focuses on quick, hearty options for guests, such as bourbon pork belly and tater kegs, which are liked a loaded baked potato in a tater tot. The conversation also highlights the importance of local ingredients and catering to diverse dietary preferences, all while enjoying the beautiful backdrop of Gaylord, Michigan.Segment 4: Barry Owens returns to the show to talk about Treetops' major award as Resort of the Year by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association during the Michigan Governor's Conference on Tourism on Wednesday, April 16 in Novi, Michigan. The annual MRLA Stars of the Industry Awards recognizes outstanding members of all roles within Michigan's hospitality industry who have demonstrated professionalism and creativity while going above and beyond their role to contribute to the positive image of the industry. Owens said he was humbled by the recognition, but added “it was great validation for what we've been doing” and showed the “importance of having passionate staff" when you're in the hospitality industry.Learn more about Treetops at https://www.treetops.com/.

Behind the Mitten - Episode 697Behind the Mitten is Michigan's premiere radio show and podcast. It airs on 21 radio stations across 14 markets in Michigan. Co-hosts John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman are celebrating 10 years and nearly 700 episodes in 2025.On this weekend's show, it's all about grilling season!Segment 1-Matt Smith of Pit Stop Catering in Grand Rapids talks about Michigan's unique style of BBQ.Segment 2-Brittany Buti Primeau of Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville talks about the popular Beer & Brat Festival, which this year is celebrating its 18th season. This year's event is May 24. More details at crystalmountain.com.Segment 3-Barry Owens of Treetops Resorts in Gaylord talks about Grill on the Hill, which brings out about 12 teams competing in a BBQ competition at the bottom of the Treetops ski hill. The festival also includes beer and wine. It is May 3, 2025. More info at treetops.com.Segment 4-Andy Walcott of Gaylord joins the show to talk about competing at local competitions, including styles and techniques. He has competed for several years at Grill on the Hill. He also picks a Beer of the Week, Snowbelt Brewery's My Chest Hurts IPA.Learn more about Behind the Mitten at amyandgonzo.com.

January 17, 2025 ~ TreeTops is full of Michigan outdoor activities right on sight. General Manager, Barry Owens joins Kevin to share more about what the resort has to offer.

SEASON 6, EPISODE 49GAYLORD, MI - This weekend we take you slope side at Michigan's Most Spectacular Resort, Treetops!Centrally located just minutes off of I-75 in Gaylord, Treetops has just received record breaking amounts of snow this week, and first chair ran on Thursday (Dec. 5, 2024). It's a winter wonderland here!We'll learn about what's new at the resort this year from general manager Barry Owens. Treetops is celebrating their 70th year of skiing, and Owens shares a little about the unique ski culture at Treetops (think low-key) and about how the resort is focusing on those beginning skiers, with their Cool School ski packages, as well as more experienced snow bunnies with the opening of two new runs.Snow making is a very big deal at Treetops, where it is considered both an art and a science. Even when they get dumped on, Brad Jacobsen, Director of Flake Making at Treetops and his team are constantly making and moving snow to create the perfect conditions for you to enjoy. It's super interesting how it all happens, plus Brad tells us about his big rig, the giant snow cat that he gets drive around when he's grooming.If we are visiting Treetops, you know we aren't going to miss a chance to see what's happening in one of our favorite towns, so we bring our buddy Christy Walcott on from the Gaylord Michigan Tourism Bureau by. The downtown elk herd awaits you, as does unique shopping in this Alpine-inspired village. Christy likes to eat just as much as we do, so she has some great restaurant and coffee shop recommendations.It's time to go all outdoors. It's time to embrace winter. It's time for Treetops!Learn more at treetops.com or call for a reservation at 866-348-5249.Learn more about Behind the Mitten at amyandgonzo.com.

September 9, 2024 ~ Barry Owens, General Manager Treetops Resorts discusses the Treetops Charity Classic and great fall golf packages.

The LACE index is a prognostic algorithm for predicting the likelihood that a newly discharged patient will come back into hospital within 30 days because of complications. Today's IMJ paper describes a validation of the LACE index in a regional Victorian setting. Identifying patients who are at risk could allow for better targeted care at the first admission, reducing harm to patients and inefficient use of healthcare resources.  The researchers also tested a novel classification tool for scoring which readmissions are avoidable and which are just an unfortunate outcome of the patient's illness. This could help more accurately track quality of care within and between healthcare service providers.GuestsProf Christian Gericke PhD FRACP FAFPHM AFRACMA FRCP Edin FEAN FAAN (Calvary Mater, Newcastle; University of Newcastle; University of Queensland) Dr Reinhardt Dreyer (South West Medicine ; University of Stellenbosch) Dr James Gome FRACP (South West Medicine, Clinical Director General Medicine) ProductionProduced by Mic Cavazzini. Music licenced from Epidemic Sound includes ‘Treetops' by Autohacker and ‘The Cold Shoulder' by Kylie Dailey. Image created and copyrighted by RACP. Editorial feedback kindly provided by RACP physicians Aidan Tan, Joseph Lee, David Arroyo and Stephen Bacchi.Key ReferenceCauses for 30-day readmissions and accuracy of the LACE index in regional Victoria, Australia [IMJ. 2024]Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references. Login to MyCPD to record listening and reading as a prefilled learning activity. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify,Castbox or any podcasting app.

This week, I had the privilege of engaging in a fascinating conversation with Dr. Meg Lowman. Known as "Canopy Meg," she is a globally-renowned forest canopy scientist. The Wall Street Journal dubbed her the "Einstein of the treetops". Meg has dedicated her life to the conservation of trees and forests worldwide. A pioneer in forest canopy ecology, Meg has conducted extensive research in forests spanning 46 countries across all seven continents.. Her work has earned her the title of one of the world's foremost "arbornauts" — individuals who study the intricate ecosystems of forest canopies. Meg refers to them as the Earth's "eighth continent."

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on May 3. It dropped for free subscribers on May 10. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below:WhoJosh Jorgensen, CEO of Mission Ridge, Washington and Blacktail Mountain, MontanaRecorded onApril 15, 2024About Mission RidgeClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Larry ScrivanichLocated in: Wenatchee, WashingtonYear founded: 1966Pass affiliations:* Indy Pass – 2 days with holiday and weekend blackouts (TBD for 2024-25 ski season)* Indy+ Pass – 2 days with no blackouts* Powder Alliance – 3 days with holiday and Saturday blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Badger Mountain (:51), Leavenworth Ski Hill (:53) – travel times may vary considerably given weather conditions, time of day, and time of year.Base elevation: 4,570 feetSummit elevation: 6,820 feetVertical drop: 2,250 feetSkiable Acres: 2,000Average annual snowfall: 200 inchesTrail count: 70+ (10% easiest, 60% more difficult, 30% most difficult)Lift count: 7 (1 high-speed quad, 3 doubles, 2 ropetows, 1 carpet – view Lift Blog's inventory of Mission Ridge's lift fleet)View historic Mission Ridge trailmaps on skimap.org.About BlacktailClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Larry ScrivanichLocated in: Lakeside, MontanaYear founded: 1998Pass affiliations:* Indy Pass – 2 days with holiday and weekend blackouts (TBD for 2024-25 ski season)* Indy+ Pass – 2 days with no blackouts* Powder Alliance – 3 days with holiday blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Whitefish (1:18) - travel times may vary considerably given weather conditions, time of day, and time of year.Base elevation: 5,236 feetSummit elevation: 6,780 feetVertical drop: 1,544 feetSkiable Acres: 1,000+Average annual snowfall: 250 inchesTrail count: (15% easier, 65% more difficult, 20% most difficult)Lift count: 4 (1 triple, 2 doubles, 1 carpet – view Lift Blog's inventory of Blacktail's lift fleet)View historic Blacktail trailmaps on skimap.org.Why I interviewed himSo much of Pacific Northwest skiing's business model amounts to wait-and-pray, hoping that, sometime in November-December, the heaping snowfalls that have spiraled in off the ocean for millennia do so again. It's one of the few regions in modern commercial skiing, anywhere in the world, where the snow is reliable enough and voluminous enough that this good-ole-boy strategy still works: 460 inches per year at Stevens Pass; 428 at Summit at Snoqualmie; 466 at Crystal; 400 at White Pass; a disgusting 701 at Baker. It's no wonder that most of these ski areas have either no snowguns, or so few that a motivated scrapper could toss the whole collection in the back of a single U-Haul.But Mission Ridge possesses no such natural gifts. The place is snowy enough – 200 inches in an average winter – that it doesn't seem ridiculous that someone thought to run lifts up the mountain. But by Washington State standards, the place is practically Palm Beach. That means the owners have had to work a lot harder, and in a far more deliberate way than their competitors, to deliver a consistent snowsportskiing experience since the bump opened in 1966.Which is a long way of saying that Mission Ridge probably has more snowmaking than the rest of Washington's ski areas combined. Which, often, is barely enough to hang at the party. This year, however, as most Washington ski areas spent half the winter thinking “Gee, maybe we ought to have more than zero snowguns,” Mission was clocking its third-best skier numbers ever.The Pacific Northwest, as a whole, finished the season fairly strong. The snow showed up, as it always does. A bunch of traditional late operators – Crystal, Meadows, Bachelor, Timberline – remain open as of early May. But, whether driven by climate change, rising consumer expectations, or a need to offer more consistent schedules to seasonal employees, the region is probably going to have to build out a mechanical complement to its abundant natural snows at some point. From a regulatory point of view, this won't be so easy in a region where people worry themselves into a coma about the catastrophic damage that umbrellas inflict upon raindrops. But Mission Ridge, standing above Wenatchee for decades as a place of recreation and employment, proves that using resources to enable recreation is not incompatible with preserving them.That's going to be a useful example to have around.What we talked aboutA lousy start to winter; a top three year for Mission anyway; snowmaking in Washington; Blacktail's worst snowfall season ever and the potential to add snowmaking to the ski area; was this crappy winter an anomaly or a harbinger?; how Blacktail's “long history of struggle” echoes the history of Mission Ridge; what could Blacktail become?; Blacktail's access road; how Blacktail rose on Forest Service land in the 1990s; Blacktail expansion potential; assessing Blacktail's lift fleet; could the company purchase more ski areas?; the evolution of Summit at Snoqualmie; Mission Ridge's large and transformative proposed expansion; why the expansion probably needs to come before chairlift upgrades; Fantasy Lift Upgrade; and why Mission Ridge replaced a used detachable quad with another used detachable quad.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewWashington skiing is endangered by a pretty basic problem: more people in this ever-richer, ever more-populous state want to ski than there are ski areas for them to visit. Building new ski areas is impossible – you'd have better luck flying an American flag from the roof of the Kremlin than introducing a new mountain to Washington State. That shortage is compounded by the lack of slopeside development, which compels every skier to drive to the hill every day that they want to ski. This circumstance reflects a false commitment to environmental preservation, which mistakes a build-nothing philosophy for watching over Mother Earth, an outmoded way of thinking that fails to appreciate the impacts of sprawl and car culture on the larger natural ecosystem.Which is where Mission Ridge, with its large proposed ski-and-stay expansion, is potentially so important. If Mission Ridge can navigate the bureaucratic obstacle course that's been dropped in its path, it could build the first substantial slopeside village in the Pacific Northwest. That could be huge. See, it would say, you can have measured development in the mountains without drowning all the grizzly bears. And since not everyone would have to drive up the mountain every day anymore, it would probably actually reduce traffic overall. The squirrels win and so do the skiers. Or something like that.And then we have Blacktail. Three-ish years ago, Mission Ridge purchased this little-known Montana bump, one of the West's few upside-down ski areas, an unlikely late addition to the Forest Service ski area network seated south of Whitefish Mountain and Glacier National Park. I was surprised when Mission bought it. I think everyone else was too. Mission Ridge is a fine ski area, and one with multi-mountain roots – it was once part of the same parent company that owned Schweitzer (now the property of Alterra) – but it's not exactly Telluride. How did a regional bump that was still running three Riblet doubles from the ‘60s and ‘70s afford another ski area two states away? And why would they want it? And what were they going to do with it?All of which I discuss, sort of, with Jorgensen. Mission and Blacktail are hardly the strangest duo in American skiing. They make more sense, as a unit, than jointly owned Red Lodge, Montana and Homewood, California. But they're also not as logical as New York's Labrador and Song, Pennsylvania's Camelback and Blue, or Massachusett's Berkshire East and Catamount, each of which sits within easy driving distance of its sister resort. So how do they fit together? Maybe they don't need to.Questions I wish I'd askedThere's a pretty cool story about a military bomber crashing into the mountain (and some associated relics) that I would have liked to have gotten into. I'd also have liked to talk a bit more about Wenatchee, which Mission's website calls “Washington's only true ski town.” I also intended to get a bit more into the particulars of the expansion, including the proposed terrain and lifts, and what sort of shape the bedbase would take. And I didn't really ask, as I normally do, about the Indy Pass and the reciprocal season pass relationship between the two ski areas.What I got wrongI said that Mission Ridge's first high-speed quad, Liberator Express, came used from Crystal Mountain. The lift actually came used from Winter Park. Jorgensen corrected that fact in the podcast. My mis-statement was the result of crossing my wires while prepping for this interview – the Crystal chairlift at Blacktail moved to Montana from Crystal Mountain, Washington. In the moment, I mixed up the mountains' lift fleets.Why you should ski Mission RidgeMission Ridge holds echoes of Arapahoe Basin's East Wall or pre-tram Big Sky: so much damn terrain, just a bit too far above the lifts for most of us to bother with. That, along with the relatively low snowfall and Smithsonian lift fleet, are the main knocks on the place (depending, of course, upon your willingness to hike and love of vintage machinery).But, on the whole, this is a good, big ski area that, because of its snowmaking infrastructure, is one of the most reliable operators for several hundred miles in any direction. The intermediate masses will find a huge, approachable footprint. Beginners will find their own dedicated lift. Better skiers, once they wear out the blacks off lifts 2 and 4, can hike the ridge for basically endless lines. And if you miss daylight, Mission hosts some of the longest top-to-bottom night-skiing runs in America, spanning the resort's entire 2,250 vertical feet (Keystone's Dercum mountain rises approximately 2,300 vertical feet).If Mission can pull off this expansion, it could ignite a financial ripple effect that would transform the resort quickly: on-site housing and expanded beginner terrain could bring more people (especially families), which would bring more revenue, which would funnel enough cash in to finally upgrade those old Riblets and, maybe, string the long-planned Lift 5 to the high saddle. That would be amazing. But it would also transform Mission into something different than what it is today. Go see it now, so you can appreciate whatever it becomes.Why you should ski BlacktailBlacktail's original mission, in the words of founder Steve Spencer, was to be the affordable locals' bump, a downhome alternative to ever-more-expensive Whitefish, a bit more than an hour up the road. That was in 1998, pre-Epic, pre-Ikon, pre-triple-digit single-day lift tickets. Fast forward to 2024, and Whitefish is considered a big-mountain outlier, a monster that's avoided every pass coalition and offers perhaps the most affordable lift ticket of any large, modern ski area in America (its top 2023-24 lift ticket price was $97).That has certainly complicated Blacktail's market positioning. It can't play Smugglers' Notch ($106 top lift ticket price) to neighboring Stowe ($220-ish). And while Blacktail's lift tickets and season passes ($450 early-bird for the 2024-25 ski season), are set at a discount to Whitefish's, the larger mountain's season pass goes for just $749, a bargain for a 3,000-acre sprawl served by four high-speed lifts.So Blacktail has to do what any ski area that's orbiting a bigger, taller, snowier competitor with more and better terrain does: be something else. There will always be a market for small and local skiing, just like there will always be a market for diners and bars with pool tables and dartboards hanging from the walls.That appeal is easy enough for locals to understand. For frequent, hassle-free skiing, small is usually better than big. It's more complicated to pitch a top-of-the-mountain parking lot to you, a probably not-local, who, if you haul yourself all the way to Montana, is probably going to want the fireworks show. But one cool thing about lingering in the small and foreign is that the experience unites the oft-opposed-in-skiing forces of novelty and calm. Typically, our ski travels involve the raucous and the loud and the fast and the enormous. But there is something utterly inspiring about setting yourself down on an unfamiliar but almost empty mountain, smaller than Mt. Megaphone but not necessarily small at all, and just setting yourself free to explore. Whatever Blacktail doesn't give you, it will at least give you that.Podcast NotesOn Mission Ridge's proposed expansionWhile we discuss the mountain's proposed expansion in a general way, we don't go deep into specifics of lifts and trails. This map gives the best perspective on how the expansion would blow Mission Ridge out into a major ski area - the key here is less the ski expansion itself than the housing that would attend it:Here's an overhead view:Video overviews:The project, like most ski area expansions in U.S. America, has taken about 700 years longer than it should have. The local radio station published this update in October:Progress is being made with the long-planned expansion of Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort.Chelan County is working with the resort on an Environmental Impact Statement.County Natural Resources Director Mike Kaputa says it'll be ready in the next eight months or so."We are getting closer and closer to having a draft Environmental Impact Statement and I think that's probably, I hate to put a month out there, but I think it's probably looking like May when we'll have a draft that goes out for public comment."The expansion plan for Mission Ridge has been in the works since 2014, and the resort brought a lawsuit against the county in 2021 over delays in the process.The lawsuit was dismissed earlier this year.Kaputa gave an update on progress with the Mission Ridge expansion before county commissioners Monday, where he said they're trying to get the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement right."You want to be as thorough as possible," Kaputa said. "You don't want to overdo it. You want to anticipate comments. I'm sure we'll get lots of comments when it comes out."In 2014, Larry Scrivanich, owner of Mission Ridge, purchased approximately 779 acres of private land adjacent to the current Mission Ridge Ski and Board Resort. Since then, Mission Ridge has been forging ahead with plans for expansion.The expansion plans call for onsite lodging and accommodations, which Mission Ridge calls a game changer, which would differentiate the resort from others in the Northwest.I'm all about process, due diligence, and checks-and-balances, but it's possible we've overcorrected here.On snowfall totals throughout WashingtonMission gets plenty of snow, but it's practically barren compared to the rest of Washington's large ski areas:On the founding of BlacktailBlacktail is an outlier in U.S. skiing in that it opened in 1998 on Forest Service land – decades after similarly leased ski areas debuted. Daily Inter Lake summarizes the unusual circumstances behind this late arrival:Steve Spencer had been skiing and working at Big Mountain [now Whitefish] for many years, starting with ski patrol and eventually rising to mountain manager, when he noticed fewer and fewer locals on the hill.With 14 years as manager of Big Mountain under his belt, Spencer sought to create an alternative to the famous resort that was affordable and accessible for locals. He got together with several business partners and looked at mountains that they thought would fit the bill.They considered sites in the Swan Range and Lolo Peak, located in the Bitterroot Range west of Missoula, but they knew the odds of getting a Forest Service permit to build a ski area there were slim to none.They had their eyes on a site west of Flathead Lake, however, that seemed to check all the right boxes. The mountain they focused on was entirely surrounded by private land, and there were no endangered species in the area that needed protection from development.Spencer consulted with local environmental groups before he'd spent even “two nickels” on the proposal. He knew that without their support, the project was dead on arrival.That mountain was known as Blacktail, and when the Forest Service OK'd ski operations there, it was the first ski area created on public land since 1978, when Beaver Creek Resort was given permission to use National Forest land in Colorado.Blacktail Mountain Ski Area celebrates its 25th anniversary next year, it is still the most recent in the country to be approved through that process.On Glacier National Park and Flathead LakeEven if you've never heard of Blacktail, it's stuffed into a dense neighborhood of outdoor legends in northern Montana, including Glacier National Park and Whitefish ski area:On WhitefishWith 3,000 skiable acres, a 2,353-foot vertical drop, and four high-speed lifts, Whitefish, just up the road from Blacktail, looms enormously over the smaller mountain's potential:But while Whitefish presents as an Epkon titan, it acts more like a backwater, with peak-day lift tickets still hanging out below the $100 mark, and no megapass membership on its marquee. I explored this unusual positioning with the mountain's president, Nick Polumbus, on the podcast last year (and also here).On “Big Mountain”For eons, Whitefish was known as “Big Mountain,” a name they ditched in 2007 because, as president and CEO at the time Fred Jones explained, the ski area was “often underestimated and misunderstood” with its “highly generic” name.On “upside-down” ski areasUpside-down ski areas are fairly common in the United States, but they're novel enough that most people feel compelled to explain what they mean when they bring one up: a ski area with the main lodge and parking at the top, rather than the bottom, of the hill.These sorts of ski areas are fairly common in the Midwest and proliferate in the Mid-Atlantic, but are rare out west. An incomplete list includes Wintergreen, Virginia; Snowshoe, West Virginia; Laurel, Blue Knob, Jack Frost, and Ski Big Bear, Pennsylvania; Otsego, Treetops, and the Jackson Creek Summit side of Snowriver, Michigan; and Spirit Mountain and Afton Alps, Minnesota. A few of these ski areas also maintain lower-level parking lots. Shawnee Mountain, Pennsylvania, debuted as an upside-down ski area, but, through a tremendous engineering effort, reversed that in the 1970s – a project that CEO Nick Fredericks detailed for us in a 2021 Storm Skiing Podcast.On LIDAR mappingJorgensen mentions LIDAR mapping of Mission Ridge's potential expansion. If you're unfamiliar with this technology, it's capable of giving astonishing insights into the past:On Blacktail's chairliftsAll three of Blacktail's chairlifts came used to the ski area for its 1998 opening. The Crystal double is from Crystal Mountain, Washington; the Olympic triple is from Canada Olympic Park in Alberta; and the Thunderhead double migrated from Steamboat, Colorado.On Riblet chairliftsFor decades, the Riblet double has been the workhorse of Pacific Northwest skiing. Simple, beautiful, reliable, and inexpensive, dozens of these machines still crank up the region's hills. But the company dissolved more than two decades ago, and its lifts are slowly retiring. Mission Ridge retains three (chairs 1, 3, and 4, which date, respectively, to 1966, 1967, and 1971), and has stated its intent to replace them all, whenever funds are available to do so.On the history of Summit at SnoqualmieThe Summit at Snoqualmie, where Jorgensen began his career, remains one of America's most confusing ski areas: the name is convoluted and long, and the campus sprawls over four once-separate ski areas, one of which sits across an interstate with no ski connection to the others. There's no easy way to understand that Alpental – one of Washington's best ski areas – is part of, but separate from, the Summit at Snoqualmie complex, and each of the three Summit areas – East, Central, and West - maintains a separate trailmap on the website, in spite of the fact that the three are interconnected by ski trails. It's all just very confusing. The ski area's website maintains a page outlining how these four ski areas became one ski area that is still really four ski areas. This 1998 trailmap gives the best perspective on where the various ski nodes sit in relation to one another:Because someone always gets mad about everything, some of you were probably all pissed off that I referred to the 1990s version of Summit at Snoqualmie as a “primitive” ski area, but the map above demonstrates why: 17 of 24 chairlifts were Riblet doubles; nine ropetows supplemented this system, and the mountain had no snowmaking (it still doesn't). Call it “retro” or whatever you want, but the place was not exactly Beaver Creek.On Vail and Alterra's Washington timelineI mentioned Washington's entrance onto the national ski scene over the past decade. What I meant by that was the addition of Summit and Crystal onto the Ikon Pass for the 2018-19 ski season, and Stevens Pass onto the Epic Pass the following winter. But Washington skiing – and Mt. Baker in particular – has always been a staple in the Temple of the Brobots, and Boyne Resorts, pre-Ikon, owned Crystal from 1997 to 2017.On Anthony LakesJorgensen mentioned that he applied for the general manager position at Anthony Lakes, a little-known 900-footer lodged in the western Oregon hinterlands. One triple chair serves the entire ski area: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 33/100 in 2024, and number 533 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Tree-Tops to Table Tops... Luke 19:1-10   Luke 19:1 v.1 v.2 v.3-4 v.5, 6 v.7 v.8 v.9, 10

SEASON 6, EPISODE 17On this weekend's Behind the Mitten Show with Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez -- This week we travel to Gaylord and visit with our good friends at Treetops, Michigan's Most Spectacular Resort. They are hosting their annual Grill on the Hill barbecue event this Saturday, May 4, and we got all the details. Plus, lots about golf, equipment, new food menus, and more on this episode of Behind the Mitten.We start off with an all-resort update from Treetops general manager Barry Owens, who is a regular on BTM. The Treetops team has been working hard all winter to be ready for the busy summer golf season.While winter was a bit of a bust, the lack of snow means that courses will be opening earlier than ever, and that is a great thing for Treetops. Tim Maddie, Director of Recreation Maintenance, and Mark Hogan, Recreation Manager at Treetops join us to talk all about golf. Course conditions are looking good across all five championship courses, including the famous par-3 Threetops course.New food and beverage director Jessie King is joining Treetops this season, after spending a few years working on Mackinac Island. She brings a new energy to the resort, and is working on menu and restaurant changes that you'll see throughout the season. Tune in to hear what its like to manage the food scene at a large property like Treetops.Grill on the Hill is one of the resort's signature events, and it's been reimagined for 2024 in partnership with Ebels General Store. We have Mr. Owens back on, along with our buddy Stephanie Adkins who works with Ebels. (Inside tip: You might remember her from when she was a reporter on TV 9&10 News).This mouth-watering event will feature a fierce BBQ competition, and tasting event, plus awards and prizes. Individual teams will showcase their grilling expertise in a lively competition, while guests get to indulge in delicious BBQ, interact with expert grillers, and enjoy live music, drinks, and entertainment suitable for all ages. You'll also be able to hang out with Amy if you go, as she is one of the judges for this smoke show.Where are we going to be next week? We don't know. But tune in to find out.Follow John and Amy:Website: amyandgonzo.comFacebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemittenTwitterX at @BehindTheMittenInstagram at @BehindTheMitten

Felder is still on the road but makes time to answer your gardening questions. Now is the perfect time to plant for the summer and Felder gives his brand of advice while spending time with a few friends in Hattiesburg. Email Felder anytime at FelderRushing.Blog and listen Friday mornings at 9 and Saturday mornings at 10 to The Gestalt Gardener on MPB Think Radio. And in the meantime, in the words of Felder, "get out and get dirty."If you enjoyed listening to this podcast, please consider making a contribution to MPB: https://donate.mpbfoundation.org/mspb/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ear-cuperation Episode 3: Treetops, Giant Lakes, and Galagos in Ghana (Sneak Attack!!! 9 Replay) While Meg's off ear-cuperating, crack open a bag of broccoli or a mouth watering can of spaghetti and join us for another listen to Sneak Attack!!! 9 from Season One of Storypillar. Sneak will visit a giant lake, hang out in the treetops with some teeny but jump-tastic galago friends, and laugh his knee socks off with some amazing jokes featuring trees and bugs.Also…OUR STORYPILLAR STORE IS LIVE!!! Holy tomato toes! Head to storypillarstore.threadless.com for t-shirts, mugs, puzzles, and even more fantasterrific Storypillar swag.See you on Monday, 4/1/24 for the rest of Season 3 of Storypillar!!!Links for Kids: Ghana Facts Kakum National Park Demidoff's Galago Facts Fastest Backward Run Info/Get in Touch: Website: www.storypillar.com Instagram: @storypillar Join our mailing list. Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/storypillar Created, Written, and Produced by: Meg Lewis Storypillar Theme Song: Lyrics by Meg Lewis Music by Meg Lewis, Andy Jobe, and Suzanna Bridges Produced by Andy Jobe Episode Cover Art: Meg LewisSound Effects and Additional Music: https://freesound.org/ https://freesound.org/people/BlondPanda/sounds/659889/ Pixabay Artists: SOFRA, The_Mountain Know a kid with cool facts, great jokes, or good advice for sticky situations? Tell us! Details at www.storypillar.com/contact. © 2024 PowerMouse Press, LLC

SEASON 6, EPISODE 5:Welcome to Behind the Mitten, Michigan's premiere travel radio show and podcast, hosted by the dynamic duo Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez.On this show, Amy and Gonzo debut in Grand Haven, then take you around the state to things you can do INDOORS!Segments include:Segment 1: John and Amy welcome listeners of 92.1 WGHN-FM "Grand Haven's Finest" to Behind the Mitten, where the show debuted this week. They talk about some of their favorite places to visit when they're in the area. John also talks about some of the work he is doing for a local nonprofit, Tri-Cities-Puentes Initiative.Segment 2: Nick Myers, general Manager at Altitude Trampoline Park in Grand Rapids tlaks about the popularity of trampoline parks. He's also a former NFL player who played one season with Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell in New York, and we talk about his love for what Lions did this season for fans across the country.Segment 3: Connie Weaver, Spa Director at Treetops Resort in Gaylord, talks about all the great services available this winter season, including some February specials. She also talks John and Amy into getting a facial on their next visit.Segment 4: Tanya Bardy, Advertising and Public Relations Manager for Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, talks about the renovation of their buffet into a Food District to house four additional restaurants including Guy Fieri's Chicken Guy!, Ike's Love and Sandwiches, Bubbakoo's Burritos and Bonanno's New York Pizzeria. She also runs down all of the upcoming shows. Additionally, "big names" will be announced soon for this summer's outdoor concert season.Don't miss out on the latest in travel, spirits and events throughout the state at amyandgonzo.com.Follow John and Amy:Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemittenX (formerly Twitter) at @BehindTheMittenInstagram at @BehindTheMitten

1/ BLU & ROY ROYAL. The royal.  2/ CRIMEAPPLE & PRESERVATION. Melena Dorada. feat RLX. 3/ MASTA ACE AND MARCO POLO. Life Music. Ft. Stricklin, Speech, E Smitty. 4/ BENNY THE BUTCHER. Back Again. feat. SNOOP DOGG. 5/ CONWAY THE MACHINE. Mutty. 6/ CHE NOIR. Junior High ft. Evidence & Your Old Droog . 7/ BIZARRE. Ratt poison. 8/ SPEED WALTON. Click bait. 9/ HUS KINGPIN. King is Born. feat. Roscoe P Coldchain. 10/ KOTA THE FRIEND. Yuma. 11/ SLUM VILLAGE. Request. feat. Earlly Mac y Abstract Orchestra. 12/ SHOTTIE AND FARMA BEATS. Spam sandwiches. 13/ JRoberts. Keep It Moving Ft. RJ Payne.). 14/ Reek Osama & Machacha. Bombs over Baghdad. feat. Starz Coleman. 15/ ELZHI & OHNO. Bishop. 16/ CZARFACE. Gatecrasher. feat. LOGIC. 17/ MARK 40RD. Treetops.Escuchar audio

In this episode, we explore the world of tree service and arboriculture with expert Apollo O'Neil. Apollo shares his journey in growing a successful tree service company, discusses the intricacies of tree climbing, pruning techniques, and the ethics of tree care. He also delves into the importance of tree inspections, particularly in Florida, and the unique qualities of Live Oak trees. This enlightening conversation offers insights into Apollo's experiences, the challenges he faced, and his passion for educating others in this vital field.IN TODAY'S EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT: Tree service company's growth and success.Work experience and industry background. Tree trimming and climbing experiences. Becoming a top tree climber and passion for education. Ethics in the tree care industry. Proper tree pruning methods and addressing client concerns. Tree inspections and their importance in Florida real estate. The significance and unique qualities of Live Oak trees in the US. Oak trees' resilience and reproductive strategies.CONNECT WITH APOLLO: Website: www.oneilstreeservice.comFacebook: facebook.com/ONeilsTreeServiceInstagram: www.instagram.com/oneilstreeserviceYoutube: /www.youtube.com/@oneilsllcCONNECT WITH DONNIE: Follow Donnie: @donnie.hathawayFollow Palm Harbor Local: @PalmHarborLocalFor more real estate information - www.thehathaway.groupJOIN THE LOCALS  for exclusive discounts and specials from our local business owners and stay up to date on what's happening in Palm Harbor. Together, we keep Palm Harbor local.Stroll through the laid-back streets of the Palm Harbor community with this informative podcast, proudly brought to you by Donnie Hathaway with The Hathaway Group, your trusted guide and local expert in navigating the diverse and ever-changing property landscape of Palm Harbor. Work with me + FREE Resources Would you like help buying a home in Palm Harbor? - Buyer ConsultationWould you like help selling your house in Palm Harbor? - Seller Marketing ConsultationDownload our free buyer's guide today - Buyer's Guide

SEASON 6, EPISODE 1:Welcome to Behind the Mitten, Michigan's premiere travel radio show and podcast, hosted by the dynamic duo Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez.On the first show of the year - recorded when there was very little snow - Amy and Gonzo capture all the things you can do at the beautiful Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Michigan.Even though we have tons of snow now, Treetops has been making snow since early December, with multiple runs and lifts open. You can even do EXTREME TUBING, which we'll just say is one of Michigan's WILDEST rides, and totally awesome.Oh, and if you're a new to skiiing like Gonzo, they offer a terrain-based learning program to make you sure ready to tackle the slopes whenever you're ready! Don't forget they have snowboarding, too, and great dining options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.You can learn more about Treetops and make your reservations at treetops.com or call 866-348-5249.Don't miss out on the latest in travel, events and the spirit of the season! Learn more about Behind the Mitten at amyandgonzo.com.Follow John and Amy:Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemittenX (formerly Twitter) at @BehindTheMittenInstagram at @BehindTheMitten

Jan. 5, 2024 ~ Christy Wolcott, Gaylord Outdoor Marketing Director joins Kevin and Tom live from Treetops.

Jan. 5, 2024 ~ Dough Hoeh, Director of Recreation at Treetop Resort

Jan. 5, 2024 ~ Full Show. Kevin and Tom live from Treetops in Gaylord. Update on the school shooting in Iowa, Congresswoman Lisa McClain is back from her trip to the border. Joe Biden kicks off his campaign year and there's a large recall of Ford F-150s.

Welcome to Behind the Mitten, Michigan's premiere travel radio show and podcast, hosted by the dynamic duo Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez.On this show, your hosts take you on a journey through the snowy landscapes of Michigan, featuring exclusive interviews and insider tips.Nick Nerbonne, the Resident Ski Bunny from Pure Michigan, joins the show to spill the beans on the best ski resorts now open for action. From the slopes of Treetops resort in Gaylord to the thrills at Boyne Mountain and Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, Nick shares the latest updates and a fantastic deal – $60 for a beginner lesson, rental equipment, and a lift ticket. It's an offer you won't want to miss!For more details, visit https://www.goskimichigan.com/discover-michigan-skiing/.This show aired on December 16-17, 2023.Don't miss out on the latest in travel, events, and the spirit of the season! Learn more about Behind the Mitten at amyandgonzo.com.Follow John and Amy:Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemittenX (formerly Twitter) at @BehindTheMittenInstagram at @BehindTheMitten

Welcome to Behind the Mitten, Michigan's premiere travel radio show and podcast, hosted by the dynamic duo Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez.Your hosts take you on a journey through the snowy landscapes of Michigan, featuring exclusive interviews and insider tips. Nick Nerbonne, the Resident Ski Bunny from Pure Michigan, joins the show to spill the beans on the best ski resorts now open for action. From the slopes of Treetops resort in Gaylord to the thrills at Boyne Mountain and Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, Nick shares the latest updates and a fantastic deal – $60 for a beginner lesson, rental equipment, and a lift ticket. It's an offer you won't want to miss!For more details, visit https://www.goskimichigan.com/discover-michigan-skiing/.Next up, Gina Thorsen, CEO of Stormy Kromer, unveils the fascinating history behind this iconic Michigan brand. Learn how her family took over the legendary business and brought it to the heart of Michigan. Since 1903, Stormy Kromer has embodied the independence, wit, and grit of the upper Midwest, starting with a simple cap. Discover the story of how a practical solution turned into a century-old brand that stands for style, durability, and a sense of fun.But that's not all — tune in as John and Amy discuss the age-old debate of the proper way to eat a UP Pasty. Ketchup or gravy? It's a contentious issue, and John shares a firsthand account of spotting a Yooper committing a culinary faux pas by choosing gravy. Join the conversation and let us know your stance on this hot-topic pasty preference!Don't miss this jam-packed episode of "Behind the Mitten" as we dive into Michigan's winter wonders, iconic brands, and the great pasty debate. Subscribe now for a thrilling exploration of the Mitten State!This show aired on December 16-17, 2023. Check it out hereDon't miss out on the latest in travel, events, and the spirit of the season! Learn more about Behind the Mitten at amyandgonzo.com.Follow John and Amy:Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemittenX (formerly Twitter) at @BehindTheMittenInstagram at @BehindTheMitten

Stephen A., Shannon Sharpe, Pat McAfee and Jeff Saturday discuss if Dak Prescott has the best MVP case, if it's panic time in Philadelphia and Stephen's A-List of Top 5 NFL teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Rockin' Around the Christmas tree”, first released in 1958, reached number one on the Billboard charts for the very first time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we bring you missives from glorious Gaylord, Michigan!Our great friend Mr. Paul Beachnau (or as we like to call him, Paulie B) is back to share everything he loves about his hometown, including cool things to do downtown during the holidays. Paulie is the director of the Gaylord Tourism Bureau, so trust us when we say he knows what he's talking about. He's also a major fan of winter. Yes, winter! Gaylord lies in the "snowbelt" of Michigan, which makes it an ideal destination for winter adventures across the northern lower peninsula. Paulie shares some tips on making the most out of your time in Gaylord.Christy Walcott from the Gaylord Tourism Bureau loves to eat, just like we do. She joins us and shares new spots to nosh at as Gaylord's culinary scene grows. You'll still find old favorites like Bennethum's Northern Inn and The Alpine Tavern welcoming guests with classic menus and warm atmospheres. But now you'll also find breweries, authentic Mexican and German spots, sushi and bourbon bars scattered across downtown. Christy's passion for Gaylord always shines through.We have updates on the fast-approaching winter ski season because ski hills are already making snow and will be open before you know it. Gaylord is home to two ski resorts, the historic Otsego Resort and Treetops, known as Michigan's Most Spectacular Resort. This family-friendly spot is the ideal place for both new and experienced skiers, with over 1500 acres to explore. This year, the resort is offering a new way to learn how to glide down the hills with ease. Barry Owens, general manager at Treetops shares how "terrain-based learning" works, and why you might want to give it a try.And yes, we WILL talk about winter rafting.....which is one of the COOLEST pure Michigan things you can do outside in the cold.....and something that will definitely have you EMBRACING WINTER. If you know, you know how very cool this activity is, and why you really should give it a try in Gaylord. We'll also talk about other ways to get on out there and really learn to love the cold, from snowshoeing to extreme tubing.To get more information and to help plan your next visit to the Gaylord region, check out:https://www.gaylordmichigan.net/Follow John and Amy:Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/behindthemittenTwitter at @BehindTheMittenInstagram at @BehindTheMitten

Cross Culture Church is a Houston, Texas based Jesus-centered Christian church led by Pastor Elliott Warren, focusing on motivational, inspirational and educational messages. Visit us @ www.crossculturechurch.com www.facebook.com/CrossCultureHouston

November 15, 2023 ~ Barry Owens, General Manager Treetops Resort gives us a preview of what's going on at Treetops this winter.

It is a sunny morning in June, and we are at Strynø - a Danish island in the South Funen Archipelago. In this track you can hear Strynø's birds singing from the treetops, while wind from the ocean blows through the leaves with shifting intensity. Strynø, Denmark

Season 5 Episode 29:  In this episode, host Pete Codella, managing director of business services at the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, interviews Christina Lux, a certified arborist and founder of Tree Lux, a tree care services company. Lux shares her journey from being a single mother and former massage therapist to becoming an arborist and professional tree climber. Lux discusses her passion for trees, the importance of proper tree care, and why it's essential to hire certified professionals to ensure the health and safety of trees. She discusses the challenges and rewards of running her own business and balancing work with family life as a single mother. Lux also talks about the unique beauty of Utah's landscape, the variety of trees in the state, and the importance of preserving and caring for these natural resources.

Sign up for The Breathing for Better Mental & Emotional Health 4-Week Course:https://breathing-for-better-mental-and-emotional-heal.teachable.com/p/aug2023Purchase iCalm using Discount Code NICK20:https://icalm.com?sca_ref=4079430.jIBlGS8VgPYou can read the text version and sign up for The Breathing 411 Email Newsletter here:https://www.thebreathingdiabetic.com/blog/finding-answers-within-tree-tops-how-to-breathe-for-joy

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on July 27. It dropped for free subscribers on July 30. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe for free below:WhoJared Smith, President and CEO of Alterra Mountain CompanyRecorded onJuly 26, 2023About Alterra Mountain CompanyAlterra is owned by a joint venture between KSL Capital and Henry Crown and Company. Alterra owns and operates the following properties:The company's Ikon Pass delivers access to these resorts for the 2023-24 ski season:Why I interviewed himIf I could unleash one artifact of 2023 skiing on the winters of my teens and twenties, it would be these passes. Ikon, Epic, Indy, Mountain Collective. It doesn't matter which. They're all amazing. Punchcards to white-capped horizons. The kind of guidebook I could have spun a winter around, sating those impulses for novelty, variety, constant motion.Not that I mind them now. For anyone, especially families, that lives near skiing and vacations to skiing, they basically saved the sport. Day trips to Windham, weekends at Stratton, a spring break run to the Wasatch: a tough itinerary – perhaps an impossible one – without that plastic ticket secured the previous March.But man I coulda used one of those little Ski Club cards when I was untethered and unmoored and wired at all times on Mountain Dew. And broke, too, by the way. Teenage Stu's ski circuits followed discount days more than snowstorms. Fifteen-dollar lift tickets after one on Sunday at Sugar Loaf? I'm there, rolling three-deep in a red Ford Probe, the driver's-side passenger seat dropped for the skis and poles and boots angled in through the hatchback.I would have preferred a membership. In my 1990s Indy Pass fantasies I roll the Michigan circuit early winter – Nub's and Caberfae and Crystal and Shanty Creek and Treetops. Then 94 to 80, popping into all the snowgun-screaming High Plains bumps along the route west. Chestnut and Sundown and Seven Oaks and Mt. Crescent and Terry Peak. Then the big mountains and the big snows. Red Lodge and Lost Trail and Brundage and Silver and 49 North and White Pass. Or I skip the Midwest and roll Ikon, spend a week circling California. Another in Utah. A third in Colorado on the way home.It's weird how much I think about this. Alternate versions of winters long melted away. I'm not one to dwell or regret. Or pine for the lost or never-was. But that's the power of the multi-mountain ski pass. I never re-imagine my past with an iPhone or the internet or even the modern skis that have amped up the average skier's ability level. But I constantly imagine how much more I could have skied, and how many more places I could have visited, and how much sooner I would have discovered the ski world outside of the destination circuit, had the Ikon and Epic passes arrived 15 to 20 years before they did.These passes are special, is my point here. As a catalyst to adventure and an enabler to the adventurous, they have no equal that I can think of in any other industry. It's as though I could buy some supper club pass and use it at every restaurant in town for an entire year without ever paying again. And among these remarkable products, the Ikon Pass is currently the best of them all. It's hard to dispute this. Look again at the roster above. What they've built in just six years is remarkable. And it keeps getting better.What we talked aboutThe sudden passing and legacy of Aspen managing partner Jim Crown; why Aspen is not part of Alterra; from entry-level salesman to CEO at Ticketmaster; the dramatic evolution of Ticketmaster and its adaptation to the digital age; skiing's digital transition; entering skiing at a high level as an outsider; “we don't make it easy at all for people to come enjoy our sport”; how to better meet consumers on their Pet Rectangles; balancing affordability with crowding and capacity; could lift ticket pricing be more like baseball or concerts?; finally some sensible thoughts on lowering lift ticket prices; $289 lift tickets; filling midweek ghost towns; “we're on the front end of our pricing and product-packaging journey as an industry”; why Alterra bought Snow Valley; rethinking the mountain's lift fleet; chairlift safety bars; Snow Valley expansion potential; housing and bed development at Snow Valley's base; considering a lift connection between Bear Mountain and Snow Summit; whether Alterra could purchase more city-adjacent ski areas; why Alterra bought Schweitzer; expansion potential; how Ikon Pass access may evolve at Schweitzer; the Ikon approach to adding new partners; whether the Ikon Base Pass' value is eroding over time as high-profile partners exit that tier; comparing Epic and Ikon prices; and Alterra's Impact Report.  Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewSmith pinned his CEO nametag onto his shirt almost exactly one year ago, on Aug. 1, 2022. He's had a busy year. The Ikon Pass has added five new partners (Alyeska, Sun Peaks, Grandvalira, Panorama, and Lotte Arai). Alterra purchased its first two ski areas since Sugarbush in 2019, scooping up Snow Valley, California in January and Schweitzer – the largest ski area in Idaho – last month. And the company acquired gear-rental outfit Ski Butlers and released its first Impact Report. A setback, too: while Ikon has still never lost a partner, Taos jumped off the Ikon Base Pass for next ski season, making it the seventh resort (along with Sun Valley, Snowbasin, Alta, Deer Valley, Aspen, and Jackson Hole) to exit that product.Meanwhile, check out the growing price differential between the Ikon and Epic passes over the past several seasons:After three years of relative parity, Ikon prices blew past Epic when Vail Resorts slashed prices in 2021. So this isn't news. But what's interesting is that Alterra has been able to hold that premium price. Vail lobbed its discount hand grenade three weeks after Alterra had locked in 2021-22 Ikon Pass prices. Rather than follow Vail into the basement, Alterra raised prices again in 2022. And again in 2023. Stunning as those early-bird differentials are, the gap is even more pronounced now: the current sticker price of a 2023-24 Ikon Pass is $1,259, a 36 percent premium over Epic's $929 pricetag. Ikon Base currently runs $929, which is 35 percent more than the $689 Epic Local Pass.So what? A Porsche costs more than a Ford. But when did the Ikon Pass become skiing's luxe label? For years, no one had an answer for Vail. Now it's hard to imagine how the Epic Pass will ever catch up to Ikon. Since 2020, Ikon has added Alyeska, Mt. Bachelor, Windham, Snow Valley, Schweitzer, Panorama, Sun Peaks, Chamonix, Dolomiti Superski, Kitzbühel, Lotte Arai, Sun Valley, and Snowbasin to its roster. Vail has added three ski areas in Pennsylvania and two (really one) in Switzerland, while losing Sun Valley and Snowbasin to Ikon. The Broomfield Bully, which spent the 2010s gobbling up everything from Whistler to Park City to half the Midwest and New England, suddenly looks inert beside its flashy young competitor.For now. Don't expect the dragon to sleep much longer. Vail – or, more accurately, the company's investors – will need to feast again soon (and I'll note that Vail has invested enormous sums into technology, infrastructure, and personnel upgrades over the past 16 months). Which is why Smith's job is so enormous. It won't be enough to simply keep Alterra and the Ikon Pass relevant. They must be transformative. Yes, that means things like terrain expansions and $50 million gondolas and new tickboxes on the Ikon Pass. But it also means the further melding of the physical and the digital, a new-skier experience that does not feel like Alaskan bootcamp, and more creativity in pricing than a $5 season pass purchased seven years in advance and a $4,500 day-of lift ticket.It's 2023. The Pet Rectangle has eaten the world. Any industry that hasn't gotten there already is going to die pretty soon. Skiing is sort of there and it's sort of not. Smith's job is to make sure Alterra makes it all the way in, and to bring us along for the run.Questions I wish I'd askedSo many. The most obvious being about the recent death of 50-year-old Sheldon Johnson, who fell out of a Tremblant gondola after it struck a drilling rig and split open. The photos are insane – it looks as though the car was sliced right in half. My minivan goes apeshit with sensors and auto-brakes if I'm about to back into a fence – why does a gondola, with all the technology we have, keep moving full speed into a gigantic piece of construction equipment?I also wanted to check in on Crystal's decision to jump off the Ikon Pass as its season pass, get an update on the new lifts going in at Alterra's resorts this summer, and ask when Deer Valley was going to get rid of that icky snowboard ban.Podcast NotesOn the sudden passing of Aspen managing partner Jim CrownPer the Aspen Times:Billionaire philanthropist Jim Crown was driving a single-seat, open-top Spec Racer with a 165-horsepower engine on June 25 in Woody Creek when it struck a tire barricade backed by a concrete wall that was surrounding a gravel trap.His son-in-law, Matthew McKinney, drove the Spec Racer a few hours before Crown drove it that day. McKinney remembered the car handled normally, although the brakes “were somewhat stiff, and the brake pedal had to be pressed somewhat firmly.”Aspen Motorsports Park staff told McKinney the brakes were new.These are some of the findings in the Pitkin County sheriff's report, released on Thursday, investigating Crown's death at the 50-acre park last month.A beloved Aspen and Chicago resident, he was not a racetrack rookie. The managing partner of Aspen Skiing Co. and adviser to former President Barack Obama, he enjoyed the Aspen tracks and once owned a Ferrari. He celebrated his June 25 birthday with family at the park.Around 2:20 p.m., deputies were alerted to a crash at the park's eighth corner wall. Dispatchers relayed that the 70-year-old driver was conscious, breathing but bleeding badly from head injuries. And his pulse was weak.McKinney and his wife told the officer in charge, Bruce Benjamin, that they never heard brakes screeching before the crash. (Benjamin noted skid marks near the crash). Crown's car hit the tire barricade “with such force, that it came off the ground a few feet.”Sheriff's deputies, Aspen Ambulance, and Aspen Fire Protection District first responders cared for Crown at the crash site. The report says they took turns giving him CPR chest compressions, but they were unable to save him. Crown was pronounced dead, with daughters Hayley and Victoria nearby.On why Aspen is not part of AlterraSmith and I discussed Aspen's decision to remain independent, rather than become part of Alterra, of which it is part owner. Former Aspen CEO Mike Kaplan told the full story on this podcast two years ago (49:28):On acquisitionsHere are my full write-ups on Alterra's purchase of Snow Valley and Schweitzer.On the evolution of the Ikon Base PassThere's little question that the Ikon Base Pass was underpriced when it hit the market at $599 in 2018. As the pass gained momentum, flooding some of the coalition's biggest names, resorts began excusing themselves from the cheapest version of Ikon. While the coalition has added more partners since inception than it has lost from the Base Pass, losing marquee names like Aspen, Jackson Hole, and Alta contributes to a sense that the pass' value is eroding over time, even as the price continues to climb (the Ikon Base Pass is currently on sale for $929). Here's a look at how Ikon Pass access has evolved since 2018:On Snow Valley's ghost lift fleetSnow Valley may be home to the most abandoned lifts of any operating ski area in the country. A Snow Valley representative confirmed for me earlier this year that lifts 2 and 8 have not run in at least five years, yet they remain on the trailmap today:Even more amazing, when I skied there in March, lifts 4 and 5 are still intact. Lift 5 hasn't been on the trailmap for 20 years!I also referenced a long-cancelled proposal to expand Snow Valley – here's where it sits on old trailmaps (looker's right):On Schweitzer's masterplanSmith alludes to Schweitzer's masterplan. Here's a look:And here, for reference, is the resort today (this map does not include the Creekside lift, which is replacing Musical Chairs this offseason):On Alterra's 2023 lift upgradesAlterra is at work on six new lifts this offseason:* The biggest of those projects is at Steamboat, where phase two of the Wild Blue Gondola will transport skiers from the base area directly to the top of Sunshine Peak. This 3.16-mile-long, 10-passenger gondola will be the longest in North America.* Even more exciting for skiers: the Mahogany Ridge high-speed quad will open an additional 650 acres of terrain looker's left of Pony Express, transforming Steamboat into the second-largest ski area in Colorado:* Mammoth will upgrade Canyon Express (Lift 16) from a high-speed quad to a high-speed six-pack:* Winter Park will upgrade Pioneer from a high-speed quad to a high-speed six-pack with a mid-station:* Solitude will upgrade Eagle Express from a high-speed quad to a high-speed six-pack:* Snowshoe will replace the Powder Monkey triple with a fixed-grip quad:On Smith leaving TicketmasterI referenced a Q&A that Smith did with Pollstar in 2020. You can read that here.On Alterra's Impact ReportSmith and I discuss Alterra's first Impact Report. You can read it here.More Alterra on The Storm Skiing PodcastFormer Alterra CEO Rusty Gregory appeared on the podcast three times, in 2020, 2021, and 2022. I've also hosted the leaders of several of Alterra's ski areas:* Palisades Tahoe President and COO Dee Byrne – May 4, 2023* Deer Valley President & COO Todd Bennett – April 20, 2023* Solitude President & COO Amber Broadaway – March 5, 2022* Steamboat President & COO Rob Perlman – Dec. 9, 2021* Crystal Mountain President & CEO Frank DeBerry – Oct. 22, 2021* Sugarbush President & GM John Hammond – Nov. 2, 2020* Sugarbush President & COO Win Smith – Jan. 30, 2020I've also hosted the leaders of many Ikon Pass partner mountains and related entities, including:* Valle Nevado GM Ricardo Margulis – July 19, 2023* Sun Peaks GM Darcy Alexander – June 13, 2023* SkiBig3 President Pete Woods – May 26, 2023* Snowbasin VP & GM Davy Ratchford – Feb. 1, 2023* Aspenware CEO Rob Clark (Alterra purchased Aspenware in 2022) – Dec. 29, 2023* Loon Mountain President & GM Brian Norton – Nov. 14, 2022* Boyne Resorts CEO Stephen Kircher – Nov. 21, 2022* Sun Valley VP & GM Pete Sonntag – Oct. 20, 2022* The Summit at Snoqualmie GM Guy Lawrence – April 20, 2022* Arapahoe Basin COO Alan Henceroth – April 14, 2022* Big Sky President & COO Taylor Middleton – April 6, 2022* The Highlands President & GM Mike Chumbler – Feb. 18, 2022* Jackson Hole President Mary Kate Buckley – Nov. 17, 2021* Boyne Mountain GM Ed Grice – Oct. 19, 2021* Mt. Buller GM Laurie Blampied – Oct. 12, 2021* Aspen Skiing Company CEO Mike Kaplan – Oct. 1, 2021* Taos CEO David Norden – Sept. 16, 2021* Sunday River GM Brian Heon – Feb. 10, 2021* Windham President Chip Seamans – Jan. 31, 2021* Sugarloaf GM Karl Strand – Part 1, Sept. 25, 2020* Sugarloaf GM Karl Strand – Part 2, Sept. 30, 2020* Boyne Resorts CEO Stephen Kircher – April 1, 2020* Sunday River President & GM Dana Bullen – Feb. 14, 2020* Loon Mountain President & GM Jay Scambio – Feb. 7, 2020 * Boyne Resorts CEO Stephen Kircher – Nov. 21, 2019* Killington & Pico President & GM Mike Solimano – Oct. 13, 2019You can view all archived and scheduled podcasts here.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 63/100 in 2023, and number 449 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. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Our oldest sister Kim has been mentioned time and time again over the life of TQS, and she's finally here to defend herself. A little reminiscing, and a fun talk over-all. 

On this monologue-style episode of the NHRA Insider podcast, host Brian Lohnes takes you through all the news and storylines from Denver and looks forward to this weekend's Northwest Nationals at historic Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington.    The last Mile High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway will be marked by three things. A weekend sellout, seemingly impossible track records, and dramatic victories across the Camping World Drag Racing Series classes. There were moments of sheer frustration, of amazing success, and of shocking upsets. The inside story? Lohnes is here to bring you that.    The second half of the show is relating what we saw last weekend to what we may see this weekend in Washington State. There's plenty to wonder about, like whether Gaige Herrera can sweep the swing, whether the success of Clay Millican follows him back to sea level, and whether Matt Hagan is busting out to make a run for his fourth title.    All that and more on this episode!

Sneak Attack!!! 9: Treetops, Giant Lakes, and Galagos in Ghana (Mini-Episode) Join Sneak for facts about our next Storypillar destination and kid-approved jokes that will make you laugh your face off! Region: Ghana Jokes: Trees and Bugs! Links: Ghana Facts Kakum National Park Demidoff's Galago Facts Fastest Backward Run Grownups, don't forget to check out our Summer Break Survey and let us know what YOU (and your kids) want to hear while we're away. Info/Get in Touch: Website: www.storypillar.com Instagram: @storypillar Join our mailing list. Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/storypillar Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you love listening! Created, Written, and Produced by: Meg Lewis Storypillar Theme Song: Lyrics by Meg Lewis Music by Meg Lewis, Andy Jobe, and Suzanna Bridges Produced by Andy Jobe Sound Effects and Additional Music: https://freesound.org/ https://freesound.org/people/BlondPanda/sounds/659889/ -Pixabay Artists: SOFRA Know a kid with cool facts, great jokes, or who wants to share how they're feeling? Tell us! Details at www.storypillar.com/contact. © 2023 PowerMouse Press, LLC

Community:Join our Membership to get ad free episodes and A LOT more: http://talesoftheforgotten.com/membership A special shoutout to our Keepers of the Tales Wes!Hangout with Show Creators and Voice Actors of the Tales Network Shows you love: https://discord.gg/BHwu97sxdYShow Description:Colin and Nia return to their world. Enlisting the help of their children and a special ally, they must fight to rescue the Unicorn and the lost pieces of themselves.Show Credits:When you believe and a Walk in the Treetops were composed and arranged by Tarrah G.A Fairy Tale was written and directed by Crystal Storm. Sound design by Hannah Cardeilhac.Staring Zoe Lee as Daniella the Narrator, Tarrah as Nya, Rob Patrick as Colin, Kay Reily as Allie, Ren Alberg as Ethan, Georgia Warley-Cummings as Raziel, Crystal Storm as Sparks the Teddy Bear, Lena Garcia as Princess the Stuffed Pig. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tales-of-the-forgotten-audio-dramas/donations

Hey everybody keith dotson here welcoming you back to another episode of the fine art photographer podcast.In this episode, a field recording of rowdy crows loudly cawing in the treetops amidst the sounds of other birds -- and since this was recorded in an urban park -- also you may hear the sounds of morning traffic.I recorded this audio while out with my camera just after sunrise. And now, the energetic sounds of crows cawing. Full episode transcripts are available on my photography blog here: ⁠⁠icatchshadows.com⁠⁠ Join the new Fine Art Photography Discord channel here: ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/sAWJbKUquy⁠⁠ How to Support the Podcast Make a one-time donation: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/keithdotson⁠⁠ Subscribe on Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/keithdotson⁠⁠ Buy a fine art print: ⁠⁠https://keithdotson.com⁠⁠ Buy a copy of my book: ⁠⁠https://amzn.to/3jFnxqv⁠⁠ (Amazon affiliate link) *Contains Amazon Affiliate links. I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-dotson/support

Are you curious about what it would be like to sleep in a tiny house that is nestled in a treetop or hanging from the side of a cliff? Django Kroner, founder of The Canopy Crew, shares his insights on the challenges of building in unconventional locations and the special considerations required for these remarkable structures. Get ready to be inspired by the ingenious ideas behind these incredible tiny spaces.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/262In This Episode:An idyllic home up highSpecial considerations for building in and around treesThe one cabin that might be too adventurous Modern amenities in hard-to-reach places Safety for building and living in a treehouseSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Google Podcasts More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon (my favorite!) Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

This is the Michigan Golf Live Radio May 6th season premier featuring the Gaylord Golf Mecca. With 17 courses and tons of lodging and dining options, the Gaylord Golf Mecca is a hotbed for golf in northern Michigan. You'll hear reps from all across the Mecca and have the chance to win FREE GOLF, so be sure to listen for all the details! ---------------- MGL 24/7 Listener Hotline - 989-787-0193 - we want to hear from you! Subscribe to the MGL/FGN Podcast Watch our videos on YouTube  

Now to West Auckland, where bush clad Muriwai, Karekare, Piha and other settlements on the coast have been hard hit. Arborist companies are literally working around the clock to fell and clear trees threatening homes. Zach Fell - from TreeTops says there's no let up.

We were joined by Alex Hughes from The Treetops Resort in Gaylord. He joined us to tell us all about the "Par 3 Challenge" at the Golf Show this weekend, and what you have a shot at winning. He also talked about all of the proceeds from the Challenge going to "Folds of Honor."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next riot season may have had a false start in Atlanta this past weekend. What happened, who's involved and what is it over? We cover this in the only way we know how, by name calling on a fifth grade level. But with sound clips of more professional people bringing the info. Hockey is not gay enough in Philadelphia. George Santos has some splainin' to do. ENJOY!   AJ+ mini doc on “Cop City”:   https://youtu.be/fPMW47tCA1g

It's not Christmas until Ken and his family roll through the B-Bops drive-thru with the Christmas tree on top!

  I was going to say - "...and now for something completely different" because this mix is louder than normal. But having recently posted a Robert Fripp mix I guess this isn't "completely different." However, this mix is, as the title says, a little louder than a normal Low Light ambient mix. As per usual the mix started with one album in particular - Mox by Mox from 1998. I absolutely loved it when it came out in '98. I stumbled upon it a couple weeks back and decided to build a mix around non-ambient instrumentals. Some of the tunes have a kraut rock vibe, some are jazzy, some have a retro feel, and others are just cool. More than half the tracks are from 2022 with one of the old ones going all the way back to 1973. I hope you enjoy this diversion. We'll be back to ambient soon. Oof, I just realized that I should start thinking about best of the year lists. Any suggestions? Cheers!   T R A CK L I S T : 00:00 MOX - Wig (MOX 1998) 04:40 Project Gemini - Scorpios Waltz (The Children Of Scorpio 2022) 07:52 Surprise Chef - New Ferrari (Daylight Savings 2022) 12:05 Ghost Power - Asteroid Witch (Ghost Power 2022) 15:33 Pneumatic Tubes - Saw Teeth (A Letter from TreeTops 2022) 19:25 Cathode Ray Tube - Invisibility (The Burning Century 2022) 24:50 Oren Ambarchi & Johan Berthling & Andreas Werliin - I (Ghosted 2022) 32:32 The Comet Is Coming Lucid Dreamer (Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam 2022) 35:57   Passengers - One Minute Warning (Original Soundtracks 1 1995) 39:10 Dungen - Trollkarlen och fageldrakten version 2 (Haxan Versions 2017) 44:20 Can - Spray (Future Days 1973) 49:23 AI Lover - Stereoscopic View (Cosmic Joke 2022) 54:10 Polyoctopus - Ill Patience (Central Standards, A Strange Melodic Shape 2004) 57:43 Rain Tree Crow - Big Wheels In Shanty Town (Rain Tree Crow 1991) 63:59 end

Welcome to the Fore Golfers Network Podcast Ep 345 - Kevin McKinley - One On One w/ the MI PGA Golf Exec of the Year. We sit down for an extended conversation with one of our favorite people in all of golf, Kevin McKinley, recently named the Michigan Section PGA Golf Executive of the Year. ---------------- FGN 24/7 Listener Hotline - 989-787-0193 - we want to hear from you! Subscribe to the FGN Podcast Check out FGN videos on YouTube !

To support independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Oct. 26. It dropped for free subscribers on Oct. 29. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription.WhoLonie Glieberman, President of Mount Bohemia, MichiganRecorded onOctober 21, 2022About Mount BohemiaClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Lonie GliebermanPass affiliations: NoneReciprocal pass partners (view full list here):* 3 days each at Bogus Basin, Mission Ridge, Great Divide, Lee Canyon, Pine Creek, White Pine, Sleeping Giant, Mt. Spokane, Eaglecrest, Eagle Point* 2 days each at Porcupine Mountains; Crystal Mountain, Michigan; Giants Ridge; Hurricane Ridge* 1 day each at Brundage, Treetops, Whitecap Mountains, Ski Brule, Snowstar* Free midweek skiing March 1-2, 5-9, 12-16, and 24-25 at Caberfae when staying at slopeside MacKenzie LodgeLocated in: Mohawk, MichiganClosest neighboring ski areas: Mont Ripley (46 minutes), Porcupine Mountains (2 hours), Ski Brule (2 hours, 34 minutes), Snowriver (2 hours, 35 minutes), Keyes Peak (2 hours, 36 minutes), Marquette Mountain (2 hours, 40 minutes), Big Powderhorn (2 hours, 43 minutes), Mt. Zion (2 hours, 45 minutes), Pine Mountain (2 hours, 49 minutes), Whitecap (3 hours, 8 minutes).Base elevation: 600 feetSummit elevation: 1,500 feetVertical drop: 900 feetSkiable Acres: 585Average annual snowfall: 273 inchesTrail count: 147 (24% double-black, 49% black, 20% intermediate, 7% beginner)Lift count: 2 lifts, 4 buses (1 double, 1 triple - view Lift Blog's of inventory of Mount Bohemia's lift fleet)Bohemia has one of the most confusing trailmaps in America, so here's an overhead view by Mapsynergy. This displays the main mountain only, and does not include Little Boho, but you can clearly see where Haunted Valley sits in relation to the lifts:Here's an older version, from 2014, that does not include Little Boho or the newer Middle Earth section, but has the various zones clearly labelled:Why I interviewed himImagine: America's wild north. Hours past everything you've ever heard of. Then hours past that. A peninsula hanging off a peninsula in the middle of the largest lake on Earth. There, a bump on the topo map. Nine hundred feet straight up. The most vert in the 1,300-mile span between Bristol and Terry Peak. At the base a few buildings, a cluster of yurts, a green triple chair crawling up the incline.Here, at the end of everything, skiers find almost nothing. As though the voyage to road's end had cut backward through time. No snowguns. No groomers. No rental shop. No ski school. No Magic Carpet. No beginner runs. No beginners. A lift and a mountain, and nothing more.Nothing but raw and relentless terrain. All things tucked away at the flash-and-bling modern resort made obvious. Glades everywhere, top to bottom, labyrinthian and endless, hundreds of acres deep. Chutes. Cliffs. Bumps. Terrain technical and twisting. No ease in. No run out. All fall line.To the masses this is nightmare skiing, the sort of stacked-obstacle elevator shaft observed from the flat shelf of green-circle groomers. To the rest of us – the few of us – smiling wanly from the eighth seat of a gondola car as ya'lling tourists yuck about the black diamonds they just windshield-wipered back to Corpus Christi – arrival at Mount Bohemia is a sort of surrealist dream. It can't be real. This place. Everything grand about skiing multiplied. Everything extraneous removed. Like waking up and discovering all food except tacos and pizza had gone away. Delicious entrees for life.And the snow. The freeze-thaws, the rain, the surly guttings of New England winters barely touch Boho. The lake-effect snowtrain – two to eight inches, nearly every day from December to March – erases these wicked spells soon after their rare castings. And the snow piles up: 273 inches on average, and more than 300 inches in three of the past five seasons. In 2022, Boho skied into May for the third time in the past decade.There is no better ski area. For skiers whose lifequest is to roll as one with the mountain as the mountain was formed. Those weary of cat-tracks and Rangers coats splaying wobbly across the corduroy and bunched human bowling pins and the spectacular price of everything. Boho's season pass is $109. Ninety-nine dollars if you can do without Saturdays. It's loaded with reciprocal days at nearly two dozen partners. It's a spectacular bargain and a spectacular find. At once dramatic and understated, wide-open and closely kept, rowdy and sublime, Mount Bohemia is the ski area that skiers deserve. And it is the ski area that the Midwest – one of the world's great ski cultures – deserves. There is nothing else like Mount Bohemia in America, and there's really nothing else like it anywhere.What we talked aboutOctober snow in the UP; how much snow Boho needs to open; “we can get five feet in December in a matter of days”; why the great Sugar Loaf, Michigan ski area failed and why it's likely never coming back; a journey through the Canadian Football League; what running a football team and running a ski area have in common; “Narrow the focus, strengthen the brand”; wild rumors of a never-developed ski area in the Keweenaw Peninsula overheard on a Colorado chairlift; sleuthing pre-Google; the business case for a ski area with no beginner terrain; “it's not just the size, it's the pitch”; bringing Bohemia to improbable life; the most important element to Bohemia as a viable business; how to open a ski area when you've never worked at a ski area; community opposition materializes – “I still to this day don't know why they were mad”; winning the referendum to build the resort; how locals feel about Boho today; industry reaction to a ski area with no grooming, no snowmaking, and no beginner terrain; “you actually have created the stupidest ski resort of all time”; the long history of established companies missing revolutionary products; dead-boring 1990s Michigan skiing; the slow early days with empty lifts spinning all day long; learning from failure to push through to success; the business turning point; Bohemia's $99 season pass; the kingmaking power of the lost ski media; the state of Boho 22 years in; “nothing is ever as important as adding more and new terrain”; why Bohemia raised the price of its season pass by $10 for 2022-23; breaking down Boho's pass fees; the two-year and lifetime passes; why the one-day annual season pass sale is now a 10-day annual season pass sale; why the ski area no longer sells season passes outside of its $99 pass sales window; protecting the Saturday experience; could we see a future with no lift tickets?; the potential of a Bohemia single-day lift ticket costing more than a season pass; “reward your season ticket holders”; the mountain's massive reciprocal ticket network; the Indy Pass and why it wouldn't work for Bohemia; the return of Fast Pass lanes; “we have to be very careful that Bohemia is a place for all people that are advanced or expert skiers”; why Bohemia's frontside triple functions as a double; what could replace the triple and when it could happen; considering the carpet-load; what sort of lift we could see in Haunted Valley; whether we could ever see a lift in Outer Limits; a possible second frontside lift; where a lift would go on Little Boho and how it could connect to and from the parking lot; why surface lifts probably wouldn't work at Bohemia; what sort of lift could replace the double; whether the current lifts could be repurposed elsewhere on the mountain; what Bohemia could look like at full terrain build-out; the potential of Voodoo Mountain and what it would take to see a lift over there; whether Voodoo could become a Bluebird Backcountry-style uphill-only ski area; why it will likely remain a Cat-skiing hill for the foreseeable future; sizing up the terrain between Bohemia and Voodoo; where to find the new glades coming to Bohemia this season; the art of glading; breaking down the triple-black-diamond Extreme Backcountry; why serious injuries have been rare in Bohemia's rowdiest terrain; the extreme power of the Lake Superior snowbelt; Bohemia's magical snow patterns; why the Bohemia business model couldn't work in most places; whether Bohemia could ever install limited snowmaking and why it may never need it; how a mountain in Michigan without snowmaking can consistently push the season into May; “Bohemia is a community first and a ski area second”; why Bohemia is more like a 1960s European ski resort than anything in North America; and Bohemia's stint running the Porcupine Mountains ski area and why it ultimately pulled out of the arrangement.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewIt may be the most-repeated trope on The Storm Skiing Podcast: “skiing is a capital-intensive business.” It's true. Scope the battle corps of snow cannons lined hundreds deep along resort greens and blues, the miles of subsurface piping that feed them, the pump houses, the acres-big manmade ponds that anchor the whole system. The frantic rental centers with gear racked high and deep like a snowy Costco. The battalions of Snowcats, each costing more than a house. The snowmobiles. The cavernous day lodges. The shacks and Centers and chalets. And the chairlifts. How much does a chairlift cost? The price seems to increase daily. Operators generally guard these numbers, but Windham told me in March that their new 389-vertical-foot D-line detachable quad will cost $5 million. Again: more than a house. More than a neighborhood. And that's before you turn the thing on.But what if you get rid of the, um, capital? What if you build a ski resort like Old Man MacGregor did in 19-aught-7? Find a snowy hill and point to it and say, “there's my ski area, Sonny, go do yourself some ski'in. Just gimme a nickel and get the hell out of my face so's I can kill me a chicken for supper.”OK, so Boho stood up a pair of modern (used) chairlifts instead of MacGregor's ropetow slung through a Model-T engine, but its essential concept echoes that brash and freewheeling bygone America: A lift and a mountain. Go skiing.This isn't supposed to be good enough. You need Magic Carpets and vast lineups of matching-jacket ski instructors and “impeccably groomed” trails. A place where Grandpa Earl and Earl Jr. and Earl Jr. Jr. can bond over the amazing logistical hassles of family skiing and enjoy $150 cups of chili together in the baselodge.But over the past two decades, the minimalist ski area has emerged as one of skiing's best ideas. It can't work everywhere, of course, and it can't work for everyone. This is a complement to, and not a replacement for, the full-service ski resort. If you've never skied and you show up at Bohemia to go skiing, you're either going to end up disappointed or hospitalized, and perhaps both. This is a ski area for skiers, for the ones who spend all day at Boyne peaking off the groomers into the trees, looking for lines.There is a market for this. Look west, to Silverton, Colorado, where an antique Yan double – Mammoth's old Chair 15 – rises 1,900 vertical feet and drops skiers onto a 26,000-acre mecca of endless untracked pow. Or Bluebird Backcountry, also in Colorado, which has no chairlifts but marked runs rising off a minimalist base area, a launch point for Uphill Bro's bearded adventures. Neither pull the sorts of Holy Calamity mobs that increasingly define I-70 skiing, but both appear to be sustainable niche businesses.Of the three, Bohemia appeals the most to the traditional resort skier. Silverton is big and exposed and scary, a beacon-and-shovel-required-at-all-times kind of place. Bluebird is a zone in which to revel and to ponder, as much a shuffling hike as it is a day on skis. Boho skis a lot like the vast off-piste zones of Alta and Snowbird, with their infinite choose-your-own-adventure lines, entire acres-wide faces and twisting forests all ungroomed. Both offer a resort experience: high-speed lifts, (a few) groomed boulevards, snowguns blasting near the base. But that's not the point of Little Cottonwood Canyon. I skied Chip's Run once. It sucks. I can't imagine the person who shows up at Snowbird and laps this packed boulevard of milquetoast skiing. This is where you go for raw, unhinged skiing on bountiful and ever-refilling natural snow. For decades this was Utah-special, or Western-special, the sort of experience that was impossible to find in the Midwest. Then came Bohemia, with a different story to tell, a version of the Out West wild-nasty in the least likely place imaginable.What I got wrongIn discussing a possible skin/ski between Mount Bohemia and Voodoo Mountain – where Boho runs a small Cat-skiing operation – I compared the four-mile trek between them to the oft-skied route between Bolton Valley and Stowe, which sit five miles apart in the Vermont wilderness. The drive, I noted, was “about an hour.” In optimal conditions, it's actually right around 40 minutes. With wintertime traffic and weather, it can be double that or longer.I also accidentally said that the new name for the ski area formerly known as Big Snow, Michigan was “Snowbasin.” Which was kinda dumb of me. But then like 30 seconds later I said the actual name, “Snowriver,” so you're just gonna have to let that one go.Why you should ski Mount BohemiaMidwest skiing in the ‘90s was defined largely by what it wasn't. And what it wasn't was interesting in any way. I use this word a lot: “interesting” terrain. What I mean by that is anything other than wide-open groomed runs. And in mid-90s Michigan, that's all there was. Bumps were rare. Glades, nonexistent. Powder unceremoniously chewed up in the groom. The nascent terrain parks were branded as “snowboard parks,” no skiers allowed. A few ski areas actively ignored skiers poaching these early ramps and halfpipes – Nub's Nob was especially generous. But many more chased us away, leaving us to hunt the trail's edge in search of the tiniest knolls and drop-offs to carry us airborne.It didn't have to be this way. As often as I could, I would wake up at 4 and drive north across the border into Ontario. There lay Searchmont, a natural terrain park, a whole side of the mountain ungroomed and wild, dips and drops and mandatory 10-foot airs midtrial. Why had no one in Michigan hacked off even a portion of their Groomeramas for this sort of freeride skiing?In those years I visited friends at Michigan Tech, forty-five minutes south of where Bohemia now stands, each January. Snow always hip-high along the sidewalks, more falling every day. One afternoon we drove north out of Houghton, along US 41, into the hills rising along the Keweenaw Peninsula. Somewhere in the wilderness, we stopped. Climbed. Unimaginable quantities of snow devouring us like quicksand at every step. In descent, leaping off cliffs and rocks, sliding down small, steep chutes.We did not bring skis that day. But the terrain, I thought, would have been wildly appropriate for a certain sort of unhinged ski experience. Like a super-Searchmont. Wilder and bigger and rowdier. We could call it “The Realm of Stu's Extreme Ski Resort,” I joked with my friend on the long drive home.But I didn't think anyone would actually do it. The ski areas of Michigan seemed impossibly devoted to the lifeless version of skiing that catered to the intermediate masses. When Boho opened in 2000, I couldn't believe it was real. I still barely do. Live through a generation or two, and you begin to appreciate impermanence, and how names carry through time but what they mean evolves. The Michigan ski areas that once offered one and only one specific type of skiing have, as I noted in my podcast conversation with Nub's Nob General Manager Ben Doornbos a couple weeks ago, gotten much more adept at creating what I call a balanced mountain. Boyne, The Highlands, Caberfae – all deliver a far more satisfying product than they did 25 years ago.Boho drove at least some of this change. Suddenly, an expert skier had real options in the Midwest. Not that they new it at first – Glieberman recalls the dead, dark days of the ski area's first few seasons. But that's over. Bohemia is, on certain days, maxed out, in desperate need of more lifts and a touch fewer skiers – the famous $99 pass will increase to $109 this season for anyone who wants to ski Saturdays. The place works, as a concept, as a culture, as a magnet for expert skiers.Most ski areas, if you look closely enough, exist to serve some nearby population center. There are only a few that are good enough that they thrive in spite of their location, that skiers will drive past a dozen other ski areas to hit. Telluride. Taos. Jay Peak. Sugarloaf. Add Bohemia to this category. And add it to your list. No matter where you ski, this one is worth the pilgrimage.Podcast Notes* Glieberman references the book 22 Immutable Laws of Branding  - specifically its calls to “narrow your focus, strengthen your brand.” Here's the Amazon listing.* We don't get into this extensively, but Lonie mentions Mount Bohemia TV. This is an amazing series of shorts exploring Boho life and culture. Here's a sampling, but you can watch them all here.More Bohemia* A Vermonter visits Boho* A Ski magazine visit to Porcupine Mountains – a state-owned ski area – when Glieberman ran it in the mid-2000s.* A Powder Q&A with Glieberman.* I'm not the only one who's amazed with this place. Paddy O'Connell, writing in Powder seven years ago:Midwestern powder skiing is alive and real. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the home of the greatest grassroots ski resort in North America, Mount Bohemia. Storms swell over Lake Superior and slam their leeward winds on to the UP all winter long. Endless exploration is waiting up north through the treed ruggedness of Haunted Valley and the triple black Extreme Backcountry. The resort prides itself on being almost 100 percent unmarked and nearly devoid of ropes. The terrain is fun and adventurous and the bounty of snow is remarkable. Keweenaw County uses a 30-foot snow stake to measure season totals, and is currently measuring just under 25 feet. While my friends out West have been mountain biking and crack climbing, I have been slashing creek beds and frozen waterfalls, chomping on frosty Midwestern face shots. Yes, they exist here and in abundance in Michigan. The folklore is factual—all true skiers need to ski Mount Bohemia.* Boho was, amazingly, once part of the Freedom Pass reciprocal lift-ticket coalition, which grants season pass holders three days each at partner resorts. These days, Boho manages its own corps of reciprocals. This is an incredible list for a $99 ($133 with fees) season pass:Voodoo MountainPerhaps the most compelling piece of the Bohemia story is that the ski area is nowhere near built out. The mountain adds new terrain pretty much every year - Glieberman details the locations of three new glade runs in the podcast. But four miles due north through the wilderness - or 16 miles and 30 minutes by car - sits Voodoo Mountain, a three-mile-wide snowtrap that currently hosts Boho's catskiing operation. They even have a trailmap:Those cut runs occupy just 125 acres, but Voodoo encompasses 1,800 acres across four peaks on a 700-foot vertical drop. Glieberman tells me on the podcast that a 1970s concept scoped out a sprawling resort with 22 chairlifts (if anyone is in possession of this concept map, please email me a copy). The terrain, Glieberman says, is not as rowdy or as singular as Boho's, but Voodoo averages more annual snowfall - 300-plus inches - and its terrain faces north, meaning it holds snow deep into spring. Here's another map, currently posted at the resort, showing conceptual future build-outs at Voodoo:The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 117/100 in 2022, and number 363 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.The Storm is exploring the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

culturing what is. the small work* is a radio companion piece to a future film about tree pollards and wood cutters. it looks at the tiny spheres of our influence over time, and how we might engage with the materials of the everyday to create profound, healing change. if this project resonates with you, you might like to subscribe to the longer form 'letters' over on patreon.com/appleturnover. thank you to our radio patrons, for your support. follow appleturnover on patreon for more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To support independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Oct. 15. It dropped for free subscribers on Oct. 18. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription.WhoBen Doornbos, General Manager at Nub's Nob, MichiganRecorded onOctober 10, 2022About Nub's NobClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: The Fisher familyPass affiliations: Indy PassReciprocal pass partners: NoneLocated in: Harbor Springs, MichiganClosest neighboring ski areas: The Highlands (4 minutes), Mt. McSauba (35 minutes), Boyne Mountain (37 minutes), Otsego (55 minutes), Treetops (1 hour), Shanty Creek (1 hour, 9 minutes), Hanson Hills (1 hour, 22 minutes), Mt. Holiday (1 hour, 26 minutes), Hickory Hills (1 hour, 41 minutes), Missaukee Mountain (1 hour, 41 minutes), Snow Snake (1 hour, 58 minutes), The Homestead (2 hours, 11 minutes), Crystal (2 hours, 14 minutes), Caberfae (2 hours, 14 minutes)Base elevation: 911 feetSummit elevation: 1,338 feetVertical drop: 427 feetSkiable Acres: 248Average annual snowfall: 123 inchesTrail count: 53 (24% double-black, 49% black, 20% intermediate, 7% beginner)Lift count: 10 (3 fixed-grip quads, 4 triples, 1 double, 1 carpet, 1 ropetow - view Lift Blog's inventory of Nub's Nob's lift fleet)Uphill capacity: 17,075 skiers per hourWhy I interviewed himWe all have those places that made us skiers, that wrecked us or rescued us, that in our private worlds are synonymous with skiing itself. For me those places are Mott Mountain, Apple Mountain, Snow Snake, Caberfae, Boyne Mountain, and Searchmont. Without those places I am not a skier, or at least I am not the particular version of a skier that's writing this newsletter. These are, in order, the first, second, third, and fourth places I skied; the place I learned to thread bumps; and the place I learned to navigate little drops and off-piste terrain. The first two are dead, the others survive in various states of modernized. In my head they all stand available at any moment for viewing, a tattered Stu-flix, a vault of skinny-ski adventures crashing through 1990s stop-animation reels.But there's a seventh ski area in my mental vault: Nub's Nob. It's a funny name, perhaps jarring if this is your first time seeing it. I happen to think it's the best ski area name in America. It's simple, memorable, intriguing, evocative of what it is: a 427-foot locals' bump with an Alta-grade following of devoted locals.That's not the same thing as having Alta-grade skiing (who does besides Snowbird)? But consider this: across the street lies The Highlands, the Boyne-owned runner formerly known as Boyne Highlands. The Highlands is larger than Nub's. It has one high-speed lift and is dropping in another next year – a six-pack so fancy that it makes the iPhone 14 look like a block of aged Roquefort. Highlands' season pass costs a bit more than Nub's, but it comes with days at Big Sky, which is like buying a microwave and getting a free car as a thank-you gift.None of it matters. Well, it probably matters to some people. But Nub's is the opposite of the endangered indie. It may be the best ski area under 500 vertical feet in the country: a big, sprawling trail layout; numerous and redundant lifts; grooming that makes an Olympic skating rink look like a Tough Mudder course; glades everywhere; and, like any Midwest ski area with a stocked trophy cabinet, an absolute flamethrower of a terrain park. Nub's is that lost treasure of Midwest skiing, rare as a 200-grade Boone-and-Crockett trophy buck: the balanced mountain. Grooming, yes, of all kinds, but bumps always on Twilight Zone, and maybe also on Chute (like many Michigan ski areas, the runs stack side by side on the trailmap, creating half a dozen that you could tuck into Park City's pumphouse). Several times per decade the ski area punches new glades into the forest. And since Nub's has one of the world's best snowmaking systems, supplemented with a reliable train of lake-effect and an ability to ninja-dodge freeze-thaw cycles, the whole mountain opens in the early season and often stays filled to the edges into April.Bad people can ruin a great ski area, of course. I can stay salty for decades over unprovoked attitude from a liftie. But I've been skiing Nub's Nob for as long as I've been skiing and I've never encountered anything other than an Extreme Welcome. The lifties chitter-chatter as you load and Patrol lets you ski where you please and the bartenders are tolerant of pitchers ordered in bulk at 11 a.m.My first day at Nub's was one of the weirdest ski days of my life. It was my sixth day ever on skis and I was geared up in sweatpants and a discount-superstore winter coat of the sort that rips when you yank the zipper open too sternly. We arrived in the snowslammed evening with tennis ball-sized flakes drifting in the wind. I did not have goggles of course and scoffed at the notion. At age 17 I had lived all my life in snowy climes and had never once needed such decorative nonsense. In a catastrophic freefall down Valley or perhaps it was Scarface I understood at last that storm-skiing sans goggles was like swimming without water: painful and really quite impossible. In the baselodge I purchased the least-expensive pair of goggles I could find, which I believe cost $25, an astonishing sum for a bagboy earning $4.50 an hour at the local Meijer superstore.Nub's excused the error. The upside of place-based defeat is the clear path to redemption. In all phases of my ski life I have returned to Nub's and it has always had something useful to say, something I couldn't exactly find anywhere else. I still can't, and I needed to poke around in the machine a bit to try and decode the trance.What we talked aboutWhen snowmaking starts at Nub's Nob; the mountain's earliest and latest openings ever; “bottom line, the ski industry in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan doesn't exist without snowmaking”; why freeze-thaw isn't really a thing for Nub's; “if you can open, you should open”; the path from $8.25-an-hour rental tech to general manager; Marquette Mountain; Nub's incredible seasonal employee retention rate; Jim Bartlett, the ski area's legendary general manager; not breaking a good thing; becoming the boss of the people who taught you everything you know; how Nub's Nob got its name; whether Nub's will stay independent over the long term; “where skiers go”; going deep on the Green lift upgrade: why it won't be a high-speed lift, when it's coming, and whether it will be green; whether the ski area considered wiping out the front-side lifts in favor of a six-pack; the tug-of-war between Fixed-Grip Bro and Detach Bro; why Orange won't be a high-speed lift either; comparing a modern fixed-grip Skytrac chair to a 1978 Riblet lift; why the new lift won't have a carpet load; why lifties need to talk to skiers; the installation and maintenance cost of a fixed-grip versus a high-speed lift; why the new lift will be the same length but occupy a smaller footprint; whether the new lift will load and unload at the same spots as the current Green lift; whether Nub's will sell the chairs; the Blue chair Killer; why the Blue lift isn't coming back; the power of the ropetow and where we could see more on Nub's; long-term plans for the Purple and Orange lifts; “there's something special about riding a double chairlift”; regional differences in safety-bar culture; “I'd like to have a super-modern lift fleet”; whether a lift from the bottom of Pintail Peak to the top of Nub's Nob South would make sense; how Nub's continues to develop new terrain on essentially the same footprint; how to access Nub's endless glade stash; why Arena and Tower glades don't continue farther skier's left along their respective ridges; the glades always open in Northern Michigan; Nub's last big expansion opportunity and what kind of terrain sits in there; keeping the parks rad Brah; the return of the halfpipe; why Nub's doesn't build earthwork features; the importance of night-skiing; considering lights on Pintail Peak; the history and secrets behind the Nub's Nob snowgun; “you can fix everything with a pipe wrench” and why the ski area is happy with a low-tech snowgun arsenal; long-live the metal wicket ticket; “we always think of technology as making our lives better, but sometimes, it's making our lives worse”; the competitive and cooperative dynamic between Nub's Nob and The Highlands, which sit across the street from one another; why Nub's finally joined the Indy Pass; the ski-industry problem that Indy Pass is solving; why Nub's is rolling with 32 Indy Base Pass blackouts; looking out for the little ski areas down the street; and how much it hurt to finally push Nub's peak-day lift-ticket prices over $100.    Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewA lot of pretty obvious reasons: the new Green Chair, the resort's decision to at last join the Indy Pass, the obvious example of another thriving indie belying the whole Megapass-Killbot theory. But we booked this pod in May, weeks before the Indy announcement (which I knew was coming), and the chairlift upgrade (which I didn't). The simple fact is that I'd had Nub's Nob on my interview-the-GM list since Storm day one, and I finally reached out and we set everything up pretty quickly.This is a good time, however, to restate something that's core to this whole operation: this podcast is for everyone. And by “everyone,” I mean every ski area of any size. If it has a lift, I'm interested. For now, that means the United States, but I will fold Canada in soon enough. That will probably remain the focus over the long-term, but if you are running a ski area of any size anywhere on Planet Earth*, consider yourself relevant to The Storm Skiing Podcast.But from a practical, logistical point of view, I have tried very hard to balance the podcast across regions. This does not mean that I will guarantee an equal ratio of Western, Midwestern, and Northeast interviews (I haven't quite gotten to the Southeast yet; I will soon, but there are only a couple dozen ski areas down there, so pods focused in the southern states will likely always be infrequent). But I will promise a consistent flow of Midwest pods. It's where I came from, where I learned to ski, and it's one of the world's greatest and most vital ski regions.When the season's ski mags would drop each August in my early ski years, I would flip through slowly, hopefully, for any nugget of writing on Midwest ski areas. It was like searching for ice cream at a hardware store. No one cared. If a ski magazine was 200 pages, the West got 195, the East got five, and the Midwest got mentioned whenever a writer noted that Big Sky was owned by the same outfit that owned Boyne Mountain. It was a different, internet-less world, of course, but I am now in a position to create the sort of immersive ski area profiles that Teen Stu longed to see about my local bumps. These will keep landing in your inbox as long as The Storm does.You can view all past and future Storm Skiing Podcasts by clicking through below:*I will also consider ski areas on other planets.What I got wrongThe opening day of Michigan's deer-hunting season is a big deal. Like day-off-from-school big deal. And I don't mean parents pull their kids out while the non-hunters press on. I mean every Nov. 15 is a school holiday like Thanksgiving or Labor Day or Christmas. Our morning announcements each fall would warn us to watch out for sugarbeets – an enormous root crop stacked in clearings to bait deer – that had bounced off transport trucks on M-30. Deer hunting in Northern Michigan is a big deal.So, during a discussion about Nub's previous years' opening dates, I told Doornbos that it was pretty bold of him to open on the first day of deer-hunting season, after I thought he'd referenced a recent Nov. 15 opening. Doornbos rolled with it, but I realized while editing the pod that he had actually said Nov. 16. Oops.Why you should ski Nub's NobMichigan has 39 active ski areas, according to the National Ski Areas Association. This is the second-most of any state, behind New York, which sports 52. About two-thirds of Michigan's ski areas sit in the Lower Peninsula. This is a useful distinction: Lower Peninsula skiers rarely hit the Upper Peninsula (UP), and UP skiers rarely ski below the Mackinaw Bridge. Geography explains this disconnect: the UP's ski areas are mostly bunched in its western portion, far closer to Wisconsin than the population centers of Michigan. Marquette Mountain, the closest non-ropetow bump, is seven hours from Detroit airport, but fewer than five hours from Milwaukee. In that time, Southeast Michigan skiers can be at Keystone (with help from an airplane).That's all background. What I'm getting to is that the Lower Peninsula only has a half dozen or so well-equipped, substantially built-out ski areas with respectable vertical drops (relative to their neigboring hills): Nub's Nob, Caberfae, Crystal, Shanty Creek, Boyne Mountain, and The Highlands. Otsego Club, a longtime private joint, recently opened to the public, but its infrastructure is a bit creaky. So if you're planning a best-of-Michigan tour, these are the six to hit.But if you only have one day to ski Michigan before an asteroid crashes into the planet and wipes out life as we know it, pick Nub's. I'm not sure that it has the best terrain of those six – Highlands, I think, is equal in its sprawling videogame-ish dimensions. Nub's isn't the steepest – Boyne Mountain has the most consistent pitch along its extended main ridge. Nub's is probably also the least-resort-ish of the six, with little onsite lodging. But, like Caberfae, another family-owned bump that is on a constant crusade to enhance the skiing, Nub's is defined less by what I can easily point to and more by what's hard to describe. By that thing called atmosphere, a sort of sense of place that collectively descends upon all who ski there. It's not a thing you can order, like a lift, or something you can streamline, like parking. It's just something that is. You'll have to go and see for yourself.Podcast notes* I make the point several times that Nub's Nob is constantly upgrading. The ski area has collated an excellent timeline, starting with the ski area's 1957 founding. Skim this page and Nub's decades-long commitment to constant, mostly subtle but always impactful improvement is obvious. I wish all ski areas would create something like this.* A 2016 obituary for longtime owner Walter Fisher, who bought Nub's Nob from founder Dorie Sarnes in 1977 and owned it until he passed away (his family continues to own the ski area). An excerpt:Jim Bartlett — who joined Nub's that same year and now serves as its general manager — noted that the ski area has added significantly to its amenities since then, expanding from about a dozen runs to 53.“The business has grown almost continuously since Walter bought it in 1977,” said Bartlett, who described Fisher as “absolutely one of the most sincere, thoughtful, kind, classy men I've ever met.” …With neighboring Boyne Highlands Resort establishing itself as a ski area with extensive on-site lodging, Bartlett said Walter Fisher decided early in his Nub's involvement to pursue another niche — wanting the property to become "the best day ski area in the Midwest."Nub's would phase out its own limited lodging options so it could channel resources toward skiing amenities, grooming and snowmaking operations and food and beverage options. The ski area's offerings have since achieved regional and national recognition on numerous occasions.* Doornbos and I also talked extensively about Bartlett, who served as general manager from 1987 until handing the job off to Doornbos in 2017. An excerpt from this excellent profile by Kate Bassett:General Manager of Nub's Nob, Jim Bartlett, is a guy who has earned a nationwide reputation as a leader and champion of the old-school-cool Harbor Springs ski resort. But that's not the reason Jim Bartlett is a person whose story is worth telling.He's on top of the hill. He's at the bottom of the hill. He's in the maintenance garage. He's in the cafeteria. He's at a chairlift on-ramp. He's in the rental area. He's in the parking lot. He's everywhere. He's Nub's Nob's JB. …In his tenure at Nub's Nob, first as area manager and then as general manager, following the death of his mentor, legendary snow maker Jim Dilworth, Bartlett has turned 14 runs into 53, four chairlifts into nine, 15 patented snowmaking guns into 292, plus added a Pintail Peak Lodge, new locker room and so much more. The most impressive part? He's done it without sacrificing Nub's signature vibe, best described as a home away from home.Bartlett's an expert in snow making techniques. A public relations superstar. A guy who understands the importance of blending tradition with new technology. He's even learned how to make peace with the Midwest's occasionally uncooperative winter weather. In short, he's like a walking, talking master's class of how to run a resort that's focused 100 percent on skiing and riding.* We go deep on the Green lift upgrade, which Doornbos announced in an excellent video last month:* Nub's Nob is The Storm's fourth podcast focused explicitly on a Michigan ski area - I've also featured The Highlands, Boyne Mountain, and Caberfae:I should have another Michigan episode coming next week - and it's a good one. Listen to the end of the pod to find out who.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 112/100 in 2022, and number 358 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

Queen Elizabeth II was actually Princess Elizabeth when she first visited Africa with her parents. And she was in Kenya – staying in the famous Treetops hotel – when the news of her father's death arrived and she became queen. During the 70 years that followed she visited the continent many times and shook the hands of countless African leaders. But what was it like to actually meet the queen in person? For Africa Daily @Kasujja speaks to the former president of Botswana, Ian Khama, and Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the traditional prime minister of the Zulu nation, who share their memories. “He announced me as the President of Zimbabwe… she said to me ‘don't worry about that introduction, he's new and I think he just got overwhelmed by the occasion'… She knew I wasn't the President of Zimbabwe, she knew who I was. She made a nice, pleasant excuse for him”.

If true, it would have been a huge presidential scandal one hundred years ago. Now, with today's technology, we know for sure if it was. And then, "they named what after who?" The salacious rumors that swirled about the 29th U.S. President Warren G. Harding and the strange inspiration used in naming newly discovered creatures. Box437 is not intended for use as a dental drill.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.