Podcasts about White Pass

Cruise through Alaska's top ports—glaciers, gold rush towns, and stunning wildlife in one unforgettable journey! Join radio hosts Rebecca Wanner aka 'BEC' and Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt (Tigger & BEC) with The Bend Radio Show & Podcast, your news outlet for the latest in Outdoors & Western Lifestyle News! Season 5, Episode 239 A Week in Alaska: Cruise Ports That Captivate Cruising through Alaska offers a front-row seat to some of the most stunning natural wonders and rich historical destinations in North America. Here's a breakdown of our unforgettable week at sea upon Holland America Line's Noordam ship and the incredible ports visited. Ketchikan: Totem Poles & Salmon Capital of the World Nestled along the Inside Passage, Ketchikan is famous for its towering totem poles and world-class salmon fishing. Visitors can stroll through downtown's historic Creek Street, explore Native Alaskan culture at the Totem Heritage Center, and shop for unique artisan gifts. It's a shopper's paradise with a rich cultural flair. Highlights: Totem Bight State Historical Park Salmon ladder at Creek Street Waterfront shopping & art galleries Juneau: Glaciers, Gold, and the Capital You Can't Drive To Juneau, Alaska's remote and scenic capital, is best known for the Mendenhall Glacier and its Gold Rush history dating back to 1880. Accessible only by air or sea, Juneau offers a sense of adventure unlike any other capital city in the U.S. Must-Sees: Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Mount Roberts Tramway Whale watching tours Skagway: Ride Through History Step into the past in Skagway, a charming town with epic excursions that recall the Klondike Gold Rush. Take the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway through mountain passes, hike the historic Chilkoot Trail, or go dog sledding atop a glacier. Top Experiences: White Pass Railroad Gold Rush Cemetery Glacier helicopter tours Glacier Bay National Park: Nature in Motion Glacier Bay offers a surreal day at sea, where you can witness glacier calving — massive ice chunks cracking and falling into the ocean. Covering 3.3 million acres, this national park is home to rugged mountains, tidewater glaciers, and abundant wildlife. What to Watch: Glacier calving with binoculars Harbor seals and sea lions Breathtaking fjord views College Fjord: Ice and Wildlife Wonderland Another day at sea brought us through College Fjord, a magical location with glaciers named after Ivy League schools. Wildlife spotting here is a treat, with playful otters and seals dotting the icy waters. Scenic Wonders: Harvard and Yale Glaciers Otters, seals, and seabirds Panoramic views from ship decks Onward to Whittier & Denali by Rail Our cruise concludes in Whittier, Alaska, where we begin the land portion of our journey aboard the McKinley Explorer Train. Traveling through Denali National Park, home to North America's tallest peak, Mount McKinley (Denali), promises a dramatic finale to our Alaskan adventure. From glacier calving and historic train rides to remote capitals and scenic fjords, Alaska delivers an awe-inspiring experience that's both majestic and humbling. Whether it's your first trip or a return visit, the Last Frontier always offers something new to discover. OUTDOORS FIELD REPORTS & COMMENTS We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or stories to share about bighorn sheep, outdoor adventures, or wildlife conservation, don't hesitate to reach out. Call or text us at 305-900-BEND (305-900-2363), or send an email to BendRadioShow@gmail.com. Stay connected by following us on social media at Facebook/Instagram @thebendshow or by subscribing to The Bend Show on YouTube. Visit our website at TheBendShow.com for more exciting content and updates! https://thebendshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebendshow WESTERN LIFESTYLE & THE OUTDOORS Jeff 'Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca 'BEC' Wanner are passionate news broadcasters who represent the working ranch world, rodeo, and the Western way of life. They are also staunch advocates for the outdoors and wildlife conservation. As outdoorsmen themselves, Tigger and BEC provide valuable insight and education to hunters, adventurers, ranchers, and anyone interested in agriculture and conservation. With a shared love for the outdoors, Tigger & BEC are committed to bringing high-quality beef and wild game from the field to your table. They understand the importance of sharing meals with family, cooking the fruits of your labor, and making memories in the great outdoors. Through their work, they aim to educate and inspire those who appreciate God's Country and life on the land. United by a common mission, Tigger & BEC offer a glimpse into the life beyond the beaten path and down dirt roads. They're here to share knowledge, answer your questions, and join you in your own success story. Adventure awaits around the bend. With The Outdoors, the Western Heritage, Rural America, and Wildlife Conservation at the forefront, Tigger and BEC live this lifestyle every day. To learn more about Tigger & BEC's journey and their passion for the outdoors, visit TiggerandBEC.com. https://tiggerandbec.com/

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Nov. 25. It dropped for free subscribers on Dec. 2. To receive future episodes 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:What Indy Pass is a newcomer to the NYC media circuit, hosting their inaugural gathering at an airy venue hard by the Hudson River. Part of the agenda was this short panel that I moderated, featuring the leaders of four Indy Pass partner mountains.Who* Erik Mogensen, Director, Indy Pass* Steve Wright, President & General Manager, Jay Peak, Vermont* Rob Goodell, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Loveland, Colorado* David Severn, Owner, White Pass, Washington* Geoff Hatheway, Owner & President, Magic Mountain, VermontRecorded onOctober 23, 2024About Indy PassIndy Pass has collected 230 partners. The pass gets you two days each at 222 of them and discounts at the other eight. The pass is no longer on sale for the 2024-25 ski season, but there are baseball-game hotdogs that cost more than this thing.About the ski areasJAY PEAK, VERMONTStats: 2,153 vertical feet | 385 skiable acres | 347 inches average annual snowfallLOVELAND, COLORADOStats: 2,210 vertical feet | 1,800 skiable acres | 422 inches average annual snowfallWHITE PASS, WASHINGTONStats: 2,050 vertical feet | 1,402 skiable acres | 400 inches average annual snowfallMAGIC MOUNTAIN, VERMONTStats: 1,500 vertical feet | 205 skiable acres | 130 inches average annual snowfallWhat we talked aboutJay isn't remote for everyone; Magic's black quad odyssey; PNW snow quality; why you've probably seen Loveland even if you've never skied it; Loveland Valley's origin story; why Jay joined Indy Pass when it could have joined any pass; why White Pass' new owners stayed on Indy Pass after purchasing it; and what finally convinced Loveland to join Indy. Podcast NotesOn the original Indy Pass announcementIndy Pass' website popped live sometime in March 2019, with a list of under-appreciated mid-sized ski areas concentrated around the Pacific Northwest. The roster grew rapidly prior to the start of the season, but even this would have been a hell of an offering for $199:On Loveland ValleyLoveland is home to a little-noticed terrain pod known as Loveland Valley. With a quad, a double, and a set of carpets, this segmented zone essentially serves as a separate, beginners-oriented ski area.On The Storm's Indy Pass/Jay Peak exclusiveSomehow, I scored an exclusive on the news that Jay Peak would join Indy Pass in 2020. I was also able to record a podcast with Wright in advance of the announcement. This was a huge moment for The Storm, turning hundreds of new subscribers onto the newsletter and forging a relationship with one of the most important mountains in New England.On Hatheway being one of my first interviewsHatheway was one of the first guests on The Storm Skiing Podcast, and one of the first to agree to join me on the show. That was an incredible gesture, as I had published zero episodes when I made the request. Here's the conversation:What I got wrong* I said that Magic “failed a couple of times” before current ownership acquired it. The ski area only completely closed once, from 1991 to 1997. The ski area then fumbled through two decades of near-failures, including a derailed attempt to form a co-op, until Ski Magic LLC took the keys in 2016. Read the full saga at New England Ski History.* I said that it took Magic “four or five” years to install the Black Quad. The full timeline is closer to six years. Stratton removed their Snow Bowl fixed-grip quad following the 2017-18 ski season (replacing it with a high-speed quad). I'm not sure when exactly Magic, just 13.6 road miles from Stratton, took delivery of the lift, but the goal was to get it spinning as the new Black lift by the 2019-20 ski season. After a series of construction delays, engineering problems, and global emergencies, the quad finally started spinning in February of this year.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 80/100 in 2024, and number 580 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. 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

The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway has operated out of Skagway for over 124 years. It regularly travels between Skagway and the Yukon, a scenic trip that is one of Sagway's top attractions. But one day in mid-October was special. As Melinda Munson with KHNS reports, that day an all-female crew drove a train […]

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Oct. 11. It dropped for free subscribers on Oct. 18. To receive future episodes 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:WhoAndy Cohen, General Manager of Fernie Alpine Resort, British ColumbiaRecorded onSeptember 3, 2024About FernieClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, which also owns:Located in: Fernie, British ColumbiaPass affiliations:* Epic Pass: 7 days, shared with Kicking Horse, Kimberley, Nakiska, Stoneham, and Mont-Sainte Anne* RCR Rockies Season Pass: unlimited access, along with Kicking Horse, Kimberley, and NakiskaClosest neighboring ski areas: Fairmont Hot Springs (1:15), Kimberley (1:27), Panorama (1:45) – travel times vary considerably given time of year and weather conditionsBase elevation: 3,450 feet/1,052 metersSummit elevation: 7,000 feet/2,134 metersVertical drop: 3,550 feet/1,082 metersSkiable Acres: 2,500+Average annual snowfall: 360 inches/914 Canadian inches (also called centimeters)Trail count: 145 named runs plus five alpine bowls and tree skiing (4% extreme, 21% expert, 32% advanced, 30% intermediate, 13% novice)Lift count: 10 (2 high-speed quads, 2 fixed-grip quads, 3 triples, 1 T-bar, 1 Poma, 1 conveyor - view Lift Blog's inventory of Fernie's lift fleet)Why I interviewed himOne of the most irritating dwellers of the #SkiInternet is Shoosh Emoji Bro. This Digital Daniel Boone, having boldly piloted his Subaru beyond the civilized bounds of Interstate 70, considers all outlying mountains to be his personal domain. So empowered, he patrols the digital sphere, dropping shoosh emojis on any poster that dares to mention Lost Trail or White Pass or Baker or Wolf Creek. Like an overzealous pamphleteer, he slings his brand haphazardly, toward any mountain kingdom he deems worthy of his forcefield. Shoosh Emoji Bro once Shoosh Emoji-ed me over a post about Alta.

When I turned twenty-one in 1994, I embarked on a 500 mile solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail across the state of Washington.  The Tread of My Soul is a memoir-meets-travelogue written from the trail.  Originally self published and shared with only a handful of family and friends, I recently dusted off the manuscript with the intention of sharing it with a new generation, on the 30th anniversary of its completion. Among black bears, ravens and Indian paintbrush, I grappled with the meaning of life while traversing the spine of the Cascade range with a handful of pocket edition classics in tow. Quotes from sacred texts, poets, and naturalists punctuate a coming of age tale contemplated in the wilderness.What follows is Part 1 of the book, squared off into four long Substack posts. For this first post, I'm also exclusively including Pacific Crest Trail Soundwalk, featuring a binaural field recording captured while hiking the first few miles on the Pacific Crest Trail up out of the Columbia Gorge in Washington. (If you haven't already, feel free to tap that play button at the top of the post.) The 26-minute composition cycles a triad of parts inspired by the letters PCT: part one in Phrygian mode (in E), part two in the key of C, and part three with Tritone substitutions. The instrumentation is outlined with Pianet electric piano, and colored in with synthesizer and intriguing pads built with a vaguely Appalachian mood in mind. It's on the quieter side, in terms of wildlife, but all in all, I think it compliments the reading. It concludes with a pretty frog chorus so, like the book, I'm making it unrestricted, in the hope of enticing some readers to stick with it to the end. If you prefer, you can find The Tread of My Soul in ebook format available for free right now on Apple Books or Amazon Kindle Store (free with Kindle Unlimited, points, or $2.99). If you read it and like it, please feel free to leave a review to help others find it. Thank you. So, without further ado, here we go:The Tread of My SoulComing of Age on the Pacific Crest Trailby Chad CrouchACT 1(AT RISE we see TEACHER and STUDENTS in an art studio. It is fall term; the sun is just beginning to set when class begins. Warm light washes the profiles of eight classmates. The wood floors are splashed with technicolor constellations of paint.)TEACHERHello. Welcome to class. I find role taking a tiresome practice so we'll skip over that and get to the assignment. Here I have a two-inch square of paper for you. I would like you to put your soul on it. The assignment is due in five minutes. No further explanations will be given.STUDENT #1(makes eye contact with a STUDENT #4, a young woman. She wears a perplexed smile on her face.)TEACHERHere you go.                                    (hands out squares of paper.)(People begin to work. Restlessness gives way to an almost reverence, except STUDENT #5 is scribbling to no end. The Students' awareness of others fades imperceptibly inward.  Five minutes pass quickly.)TEACHERTeacher: Are you ready? I'm interested to see what you've come up with.                                    (scuffle of some stools; the sound of a classroom reclaiming itself.)TEACHERWhat have you got there?STUDENT #1Well, I used half of the time just thinking. I was looking at my pencil and I thought…                                    (taps pencil on his knee, you see it is a mechanical model)this will never do the trick. The idea of soul seemed too intense to be grasped with only graphite. So 1 poked a pin sized hole in the paper and wrote:                                    (reading voice)“Hold paper up to sun, look into hole for soul.” That's all the further I got.TEACHER                                    (looking at student #2)And you?STUDENT #2                                    (smiles)Um, I didn't know what to do so all I have is a few specks where I was tapping my pen while I was thinking. This one…                                    (she points to a dot)is all, um, all fuzzy because I was ready to draw something and I hesitated so the ink just ran…(Students nod sympathetically. Attention goes to STUDENT #3)STUDENT #3I couldn't deal with just one little blank square.                                    (holds paper up and flaps it around, listlessly)So I started dividing.                                    (steadies and turns paper to reveal a graph.)Now, I have lots of squares in which to put my soul in. I think of a soul as being multifaceted.TEACHEROkay.  Thank you.  Next…                                    (looking at student #4)STUDENT #4                                    (without hesitation)I just stepped on it.(holds paper up to reveal the tread of a shoe sole in a multicolor print.)The tread of my soul.•     •     •            The writing that follows seems to have many of the same attributes as the students' responses to the problem posed in the preceding scene. While I have a lot more paper to work with, the problem remains the same: how do I express myself?  How do I express the intangible and essential part of me that people call a soul?  What is it wrapped up in?  What doctrines, ideologies and memories help give it a shape?            I guess I identify mostly with Student #4. Her shoe-print “Tread of My Soul” alludes to my own process: walking over 500 miles on The Pacific Crest Trail from Oregon To Canada in the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington. In trying to describe my soul I found that useful to be literal. Where my narrative dips into memoir or philosophy I tried not to hesitate or overthink things.  I tried to lay it all out.            Student #1's solution was evident in my own problem solving in how I constantly had to look elsewhere; into nature, into literature, and into symbology to even begin to bring out the depth of what I was thinking and feeling. Often the words of spiritual classics and of poetry are seen through my writing as if looking through a hole. I can only claim originality in where I poke the holes.            As for Student #2, I am afraid that my own problem solving doesn't evoke enough of her charm. For as much as I wanted to be thoughtful, I wanted also to be open and unstudied, tapping my pen. What I see has emerged, however, is at times argumentative. In retrospect I see that I had no recourse, really. My thoughts on God and Jesus were molded in a throng of letters, dialogues, experiences, and personal studies prior to writing this.Finally, in the winter of my twenty-first year, as I set down to transcribe this book, I realize how necessary it was to hike. Student #3 had the same problem. The soul is complex and cannot fit into a box. Hiking gave me a cadence to begin to answer the question what is my soul? The trail made me mindful. There was the unceasing metaphor of the journey: I could only reach my goal incrementally. This tamed my writing sometimes. It wandered sometimes and I was at ease to let it. I had more than five minutes and a scrap of paper. I had each step.•     •     •            The Bridge of the Gods looks like a behemoth Erector set project over the Columbia River spanning the natural border of Washington and Oregon. My question: what sort of Gods use Erector sets?  Its namesake actually descends from an event in space and time; a landslide. The regional natives likely witnessed, in the last millennium, a landslide that temporarily dammed the Columbia effectually creating a bridge—The Bridge of the Gods. I just finished reading about why geologists think landslides are frequent in the gorge. Didn't say anything about Gods. How we name things, as humankind, has something to do with space and time doesn't it? Where once we call something The Bridge of the Gods it has been contemporarily reduced to landslide. We have new Gods now, and they compel us to do the work with erector sets. Or perhaps I mistook the name: It doesn't necessarily mean Gods made it. Perhaps Gods dwell there or frequent it. Or maybe it is a passageway that goes where the Gods go. It seems to me that if the Gods wanted to migrate from, say, Mt. Rainier in Washington to Mt. Hood in Oregon, they would probably follow the Cascade Ridge down to the Bridge of the Gods and cross there.            If so, I think I should like to see one, or maybe a whole herd of them like the caribou I saw in Alaska earlier this summer, strewn across the snow field like mahogany tables. Gods, I tend to think are more likely to be seen in the high places or thereabouts, after all,The patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament behold the Lord face to face in the high places. For Moses it was Mount Sinai and Mount Nebo; in the New Testament it is the Mount of Olives and Golgotha. I went so far as to discover this ancient symbol of the mountain in the pyramid constructions of Egypt and Chaldea. Turning to the Aryans, I recalled those obscure legends of the Vedas in which the Soma—the 'nectar' that is in the 'seed of immortality' is said to reside in its luminous and subtle form 'within the mountain.' In India the Himalayas are the dwelling place of the Siva, of his spouse 'the Daughter of the Mountain,' and the 'Mothers' of all worlds, just as in Greece the king of the gods held court on Mt Olympus.- Rene Daumal, Mount Analogue            These days Gods don't go around making landslides every time they want to cross a river, much less perform a Jesus walking on the water miracle. That would be far too suspicious. Gods like to conceal themselves. A popular saying is "God helps those who help themselves." I think if Moses were alive today, Jehovah would have him build a bridge rather than part the waters.            Someone said, "Miracles take a lot of hard work." This is true.•     •     •Day 1.Bridge of the Gods.Exhausted, I pitch my tent on the side of the trail in the hot afternoon and crawl into to take a nap to avoid the annoying bugs.My sweat leaves a dead person stamp on the taffeta floor.Heavy pack.  A vertical climb of 3200 ft.Twelve miles. I heaved dry tears and wanted to vomit.Dinner and camp on a saddle.Food hard to stomach.View of Adams and gorge.            Perhaps I am a naive pilgrim as I cross over that bridge embarking on what I suppose will be a forty day and night journey on the Pacific Crest Trail with the terminus in Canada. My mother gave me a box of animal crackers before my departure so I could leave “a trail of crumbs to return by.” The familiar classic Barnum's red, yellow and blue box dangles from a carabineer of my expedition backpack            As I cross over the bridge I feel small, the pack bearing down on my hips, legs, knees, feet. I look past my feet, beyond the steel grid decking of the bridge, at the water below.  Its green surface swirls. I wonder how many gallons are framed in each metal square and how many flow by in the instant I look?How does the sea become the king of all streams?Because it is lower than they!Hence it is the king of all streams.-Lao-tzu, Tao Teh Ching            On the Bridge of the Gods I begin my quest, gazing at my feet superimposed on the Columbia's waters flowing toward the ocean. Our paths are divergent. Why is it that the water knows without a doubt where to go; to its humble Ocean King that embraces our planet in blue? I know no such path of least resistance to and feel at one with humankind. To the contrary, when we follow our paths of least resistance—following our family trees of religion, learning cultural norms—we end up worshipping different Gods. It is much easier for an Indian to revere Brahman than it is for I. It is much easier for me to worship Christ than it is for an Indian. These paths are determined geographically and socially.             It's not without trepidation that I begin my journey. I want to turn from society and turn to what I believe to be impartial: the sweeping landscape.            With me I bring a small collection of pocket books representing different ideas of the soul. (Dhammapada, Duino Elegies, Tao Teh Ching, Song of Myself, Walden, Mount Analogue, and the Bible.) It isn't that I want to renounce my faith.  I turn to the wilderness, to see if I can't make sense of it all.            I hike north. This is a fitting metaphor. The sun rises in the east and arcs over the south to the west. To the north is darkness. To the north my shadow is cast. Instinctively I want to probe this.•     •     •Day 2.Hiked fourteen miles.Three miles on a ridge and five descending brought me to Rock Creek.I bathed in the pool. Shelves of fern on a wet rock wall.Swaths of sunlight penetrating the leafy canopy.Met one person.Read and wrote and slept on a bed of moss.Little appetite.Began another ascent.Fatigued, I cried and cursed out at the forest.I saw a black bear descending through the brushBefore reaching a dark campsite.            I am setting records of fatigue for myself. I am a novice at hiking. Here is the situation: I have 150 miles to walk. Simple arithmetic agrees that if I average 15 miles a day it will take me 10 days to get to the post office in White Pass where I have mailed myself more food. I think I am carrying a sufficient amount of food to sustain my journey, although I'm uncertain because I have never backpacked for more than three consecutive days. The greatest contingency, it seems, is my strength: can I actually walk 15 miles a day with 60 pounds on my back in the mountains? Moreover, can I continue to rise and fall as much as I have? I have climbed a vertical distance of over 6000 feet in the first two days.            I begin to quantify my movement in terms of Sears Towers. I reason that if the Sears Tower is 1000 feet, I walked the stairs of it up and down almost 5 times. I am developing a language of abstract symbols to articulate my pain.            I dwell on my condition. I ask myself, are these thoughts intensified by my weakness or am I feeding my weakness with my thoughts?            I begin to think about God. Many saints believed by impoverishing their physical self, often by fasting, their spiritual self would increase as a result. Will my spirit awake as my body suffers?            I feet the lactic acid burning my muscle tissue. I begin to moan aloud. I do this for some time until, like a thunderclap, I unleash voice in the forest.            I say, "I CAN'T do this,” and "I CAN do this," in turn. I curse and call out "Where are you God? I've come to find you." Then I see the futility of my words. Scanning the forest: all is lush, verdant, solemn, still. My complaint is not registered here.And all things conspire to keep silent about us, half out of shame perhaps, half as unutterable hope.- Rainer Maria Rilke, Duino Elegies            I unstrap my pack and collapse into heap on the trail floor, curled up. I want to be still like the forest.            The forest makes a noise: Crack, crack, crack.            I think a deer must be traversing through the brush. I turn slowly to look in the direction of the sound. It's close. Not twenty yards off judging from the noise.            I pick myself up to view the creature, and look breathlessly. It's just below me in the ravine. Its shadowy black body dilates subtly as it breathes. What light falls on it seems to be soaked up, like a hole cut in the forest in the shape of an animal. It turns and looks at me with glassy eyes. It claims all my senses—I see, hear, feel, smell, taste nothing else--as I focus on the bear.And so I hold myself back to swallow the call note of my dark sobbing.Ah, whom can we ever turn to in our need?Not angels, not humans and already the knowing animals are aware that we are really not at home in our interpreted world.- Rainer Maria Rilke, Duino Elegies            Remembering what I read to do when encountering a bear, I raise my arms, making myself bigger. "Hello bear," I say, "Go away!"            With the rhythm of cracking branches, it does.•     •     •Day 3.Hiked thirteen miles.Descended to Trout Creek, thirsty.Met a couple en route to Lake Tahoe.Bathed in Panther Creek.Saw the wind brushing the lower canopy of leaves on a hillside.A fly landed on the hairs of my forearm and I,Complacent,Dreamt.            I awake in an unusual bed: a stream bed. A trickle of clear water ran over stones beneath me, down my center, as if to bisect me. And yet I was not wet. What, I wonder, is the significance of this dream?            The August sun had been relentless thus far on my journey. The heat combined with the effort involved in getting from one source of water to the next makes an arrival quite thrilling. If the water is deep enough for my body, even more so:I undress... hurry me out of sight of land, cushion me soft... rock me in billowy drowse Dash me with amorous wet...- Walt Whitman, Song of Myself            There is something electrifying and intensely renewing about swimming naked in a cold creek pool or mountain lake.I got up early and bathed in the pond; that was a religious exercise, and one of the best things I did. They say that characters were engraven on the bathing tub of King Tching-thang to this effect; "renew thyself completely each day; do it again and again and forever again."- Henry David Thoreau, Walden            Is bathing, then, a spiritual exercise?            When I was baptized on June 15, 1985 in the tiled pool of our chapel in the Portland suburbs, I thought surely as I was submerged something extraordinary would happen, such as the face of Jesus would appear to me in the water. And I did do it—I opened my eyes under water— but saw only the blur of my pastor's white torso and the hanging ferns that framed the pool. I wondered: shouldn't a ceremony as significant as this feel more than just wet? I'm guessing that most children with exposure to religion often keep their eyes open for some sort of spectacular encounter with God, be it to punish or affirm them. (As a child, I remember sitting in front of the television thinking God could put a commercial on for heaven if he wanted to.)            Now, only ten years after I was baptized, I still keep my eyes open for God, though not contextually the same, not within a religion, not literally.            And when I swim in a clear creek pool, I feel communion, pure and alive. The small rounded stones are reminders of the ceaseless touch of water. Their blurry shapes embrace me in a way that the symbols and rites of the church fail to.I hear and behold God in every objectYet I understand God not in the least.-Walt Whitman, Song of Myself            And unlike the doctrines and precepts of organized religion, I have never doubted my intrinsic bond to water.And more-For greater than all the joysOf heaven and earthGreater still than dominionOver all worlds,Is the joy of reaching the stream.- Dhammapada, Sayings of the Buddha•     •     •Day 4.Hiked fourteen miles. Climbed to a beautiful ridge.Signs, yellow and black posted every 50 feet: "Experimental Forest"Wound down to a campground where I met three peopleAs I stopped for lunch."Where does this trail go to?" he says. "Mexico," I say."Ha Ha," says he.Camped at small Green Lake.            My body continues to evolve. My hair and fingernails grow and grow, and right now I've got four new teeth trying to find a seat in my mouth.            I turned twenty-one on August sixth. On August sixth, 1945 a bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The world lost more people than it made that day. When I was born, I suspect we gained a few.            I'm an adult now, and I'm not sure where it happened or why. I wonder if someone had to stamp something somewhere because of it? A big red stamp that says "ADULT".  It was a blind passage for me—just like those persons who evaporated at ground zero on August sixth, 49 years ago.            I do feel like I just evaporated into adulthood. I am aware of the traditional ceremony of turning twenty-one. Drinking. Contemporary society commemorates becoming an adult with this token privilege. Do you have any idea how fast alcohol evaporates? I am suggesting this: One's response to this rite rarely affords any resolution or insight into growth. Our society commemorates the passage from child to adult with a fermented beverage.            I wanted to more deliberate about becoming an adult. Hence the second reason (behind a spiritual search) for this sojourn into the wilderness. I took my lead from the scriptures:And he was in the desert forty days... He was with the wild animal and the angels attended him.- Mark 1:13            Something about those forty days prepared Jesus for what we know of his adult life.I also took my lead from Native Americans. Their rite of passage is called a vision quest, wherein the youth goes alone into the depth of nature for a few days to receive some sort of insight into being.            I look around me. I am alone here in the woods a few days after my birthday. Why? To discover those parts of me that want to be liberated. To draw the fragrant air into my lungs. To feel my place in nature.…beneath each footfall with resolution.I want to own every atom of myself in the present and be able to say:Look I am living. On what? NeitherChildhood nor future grows any smaller....Superabundant being wells up in my heart.- Rainer Maria Rilke, Duino Elegies•     •     •Day 5.Hiked to Bear Lake and swam.Saw over a dozen people. Eighteen miles.Watched raven fly from tree and listened.Found frogs as little as my thumbnail.Left Indian Heaven.            Surprise.  My body is becoming acclimated to long distance hiking. I know because when I rest it is a luxury rather than a necessity.            The light is warmer and comes through the forest canopy at an acute angle from the west, illuminating the trunks of this relatively sparse old growth stand. I am laying on my back watching a raven at his common perch aloft in a dead Douglas fir.            It leaps into its court and flap its wings slowly, effortlessly navigating through the old wood pillars. The most spectacular sense of this, however, is the sound: a loud, slow, hollow thrum: Whoosh whoosh, whoosh....  It's as if the interstices between each pulse are too long, too vacant to keep the creature airborne. Unlike its kind, this raven does not speak: there are no loud guttural croaks to be heard.            Northwest coastal tribes such as the Kwakiutl thought the croaks of a raven were prophetic and whoever could interpret them was a seer. Indeed, the mythic perception of ravens to be invested with knowledge and power is somewhat universal.           My raven is silent. And this is apt, for I tend to think the most authentic prophecies are silent, or near to it.Great sound is silent.- Lao Tzu, Tao Teh Ching            The contour of that sound and silence leaves a sublime impression on me.•     •     •Day 6.Hiked twelve miles.Many uphill, but not most.Met several people.One group looked like they were enjoying themselves—two families.I spent the afternoon reading my natural history book on a bridge.Voles (forest mice) relentlessly made efforts to infiltrate my food bag during the night.            I am reading about how to call a tree a “Pacific Silver Fir” or an “Engelmann Spruce” or “Western Larch” and so on. If something arouses my curiosity on my walk, I look in my natural history book to see if it has anything to say.            Jung said, "Sometimes a tree can teach you more than a book can."            Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha was enlightened beneath a fig tree.            I read that a 316-year-old Ponderosa Pine east of Mt. Jefferson bears scars from 18 forest fires. Surely that tree taught us one thing a book couldn't.  All things are clues. Everything is part of a complex tapestry of causality.            The grand design behind these mountains has something to do with plate tectonics. Beneath me the oceanic plate is diving beneath the continental at twenty to sixty degrees putting it well under the coastline to where it partially melts and forms magma. This has been happening for millions of years. Every once and a while this magma channels its way up to the surface, cools and turns into igneous rock. Again and again, this happens. Again and again, and yet again until a mountain is made; a stratovolcano.            Meanwhile, on top, water, glaciers, wind, and sun are trying to carry the mountains away grain by grain. Geologic time is as incomprehensible as it would be to imagine someone's life by looking at his or her gravestone. These mountains are gravestones.            Plants fight to keep the hillsides together. Plants and trees do. But every summer some of those trees, somewhere, are going to burn. Nature will not tolerate too much fuel. New trees will grow to replace those lost. Again and again. Eighteen times over and there we find our tree, a scarred Ponderosa Pine in the tapestry.            And every summer the flowers will bloom. The bees will come to pollinate them and cross-pollinate them: next year a new color will emerge.            And every summer the mammals named homo-sapiens-sapiens will come to the mountains to cut down trees, hike trails, and to put up yellow and black signs that read Boundary Experimental Forest U.S.F.S. placed evenly 100 yards apart so hikers are kept excessively informed about boundaries.            Here I am in the midst of this slow-motion interplay of nature. I walk by thousands of trees daily. Sometimes I see just one, sometimes the blur of thousands. It is not so much that a tree teaches me more than a book; rather it conjures up in me the copious leagues of books unwritten. And, I know somewhere inside that I participate. What more hope could a tree offer?  What more hope could you find in a gravestone?•     •     •Day 7.Hiked twenty miles in Alpine country near Mt Adams.More flowers—fields of them. Saw owl. Saw elk.Wrote near cascading creek.Enjoyed walking. Appetite is robust.Camped at Lave Spring.Saw six to ten folks.Didn't talk too much.            Before I was baptized, during the announcements, there was a tremendous screech culminating in a loud cumbf! This is a sound which can be translated here as metal and glass crumpling and shattering in an instant to absorb the forces of automobiles colliding.            In the subsequent prayer, the pastor made mention of the crash, which happened on the very same corner of the chapel, and prayed to God that He might spare those people of injury.            As it turns the peculiarly memorable sound was that of our family automobile folding into itself, and it was either through prayer or her seat belt that no harm came to my sister who was driving it.            Poor thing. She just was going to get some donuts. Do you know why? Because I missed my appointment with baptism. There is time in most church services when people go to the front to (1.) confess their sin, (2.) confess their faith in Christ as their only personal savior, and (3.) to receive Him. This is what is known as the “Altar Call”. To the embarrassment of my parents (for I recall the plan was for one of them to escort me to the front) the Alter Call cue—a specific prayer and hymn—was missed and I sat expectant till the service end. The solution was to attend the subsequent service and try harder.            I don't recall my entire understanding of God and Jesus then, at age eleven, but I do remember arriving at a version of Pascal's reductive decision tree that there are four possibilities regarding my death and salvation:1. Jesus is truly the savior of mankind and I claim him and I go to heaven, or2. Jesus is truly the savior of mankind and I don't claim him and I end up in hell, or3. Jesus isn't the savior of mankind and I die having lived a somewhat virtuous life in trying to model myself after him, or4. Jesus isn't the savior of mankind and I didn't believe it anyhow.            My sister, fresh with an Oregon drivers license, thought one dose of church was enough for her and, being hungry, went out for donuts and failed to yield.Cumbf!            Someone came into the chapel to inform us. We all went out to the accident. The cars were smashed and askew, and my sister was a bawling, rocking little lump on the side of the street. We attended to her, calmed her, and realized there was yet time for me to get baptized. We went into the church and waited patiently for the hymn we had mentally earmarked and then I was baptized. I look back on the calamities of that day affectionately.Prize calamities as your own body.- Lao Tzu, Tao Teh Ching            Those events that surrounded the ritual decry a ceremony so commonplace one often misses the extraordinariness of it; of humanity; the embarrassment of my parents; the frustration and impetuous flight of my sister; and the sympathy and furrowed brow of our pastor. These events unwind in my head like a black and white silent film of Keystone Cops with a church organ revival hymn for the soundtrack.  There was something almost slapstick about how that morning unfolded, and once the dust had settled and the family was relating the story to my grandmother later that day, we began to find the humor in it. Hitting things and missing things and this is sacred. All of it.Because our body is the very source of our calamities,If we have no body, what calamities can we have?- Lao Tzu, Tao Teh Ching            Most religions see the body as temporal and the soul as eternal. Hence, 13th century monks cloistered themselves up denying their bodies space and interaction that their souls might be enhanced.            I see it this way: No one denies their bodily existence, do they? Look, your own hand holds this book. Why do you exist? You exist right now, inherently, to hold a book, and to feel the manifold sensations of the moment.            If this isn't enough of a reason, adjust.            I've heard it said, "Stop living in the way of the world, live in the way of God."            My reply: "Before I was baptized, I heard a cumbf, and it was in the world and I couldn't ignore it.  I'm not convinced we would have a world if we weren't supposed to live in the way of it."Thanks for reading Soundwalk! This is Part One of my 1994 travelogue-meets-memoir The Tread of My Soul. This post is public so feel free to share it.Read: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. Or find the eBook at Apple Books or Amazon Kindle Store. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chadcrouch.substack.com/subscribe

Marsha is home from her Alaskan Advent-Ewe and we have lots to catch up on. Join our discussion of project updates and spinning for our Summer Spin In.  Full notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com Join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android Marsha's Projects Socks: The Artful Ewe Clackamas. Finished first sock and about halfway through leg of second sock. Emotional Support Chicken: by Annette Corsino. Sweet girl on hold while I was in Alaska. Poppy Tee: by Jo Cottle. Cast on using Rowan Purelife Revive in the colorway Loam. Picked up in the NoCKRs 2024 destash room. Cast on and worked on this almost exclusively on my Alaska trip. I have completed the yoke and about 5” of the body. Pinot Noir Purchase Targhee: Started spinning the giant (2.2 pound) ball of Targhee roving I bought from an attendee at last fall's Fort Worden Knitting Retreat. You know I cannot resist those large balls! The woman I bought it from said she got it from a weaver's estate. It seems pretty dusty and I was sneezing like crazy last night. I'll have to wear a mask while spinning. Kelly's Projects Finished: Pride dish towels in German Birdseye weave structure. I used three variegated skeins of fluffy cotton singles plied with a thin thread of something else (polyester or nylon?). For the stripes around these three I used cotton or cottolin yarn in red, orange, green, and blue. I used all those solids as warp and also used a royal blue cotton, a brick red cottolin and some bobbin leftovers from the last project.  I ended up with 5 dishtowels and a square. I love these towels and can't wait to do another stash busting warp like this.  Two skeins of Jazzman (CVM x Merino x Columbia) are finished. I'm in the process of topping off the bobbins before doing more plying. It's turned out to be a lighter yarn than I expected–fingering weight. It didn't plump up as much as I thought it would after washing.  Use all the Spinning Tools Challenge: I've finished and wound off a second ball of the green singles from the tahkli. I've been taking it with me in the car and to dog class where we have a break between classes.  I also spun up small samples (about 6-8 grams) on the other two spindles.  Still to go: Charkha, Salish Spinner, Great Wheel, and Norwegian Found buttons for Marsha's baby sweater. Have three baby items to make–two for baby boys and one for a baby girl.  Anna sent me information about a colorwork sweater that I should make for myself. It used to be called Choose Your Own Adventure, now called Your Outdoor Adventure. Summer Spin In Started Memorial Day - Ends on Labor Day May 27 - September 2 Two Ewes in Walla Walla, Washington September 26-30 Alaska Advent-Ewe Met our ship Noordam in Vancouver, BC Ketchikan: Took a city tour and visited Potlatch Park. Juneau: It was pouring rain but we did a city tour and drove to Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center and hiked to the waterfall and to the glacier viewpoint.  Changing Tides (their yarn is One of a Kind) One of a Kind - sock - 80/20 merino/nylon One of a Kind - lace - alpaca/merino/silk/yak One of a Kind - mini skeins - 80/20 SW merino/nylon -  “Midnight Sun Memories” Skagway: Had a short city tour, visited the cemetery and drove over White Pass into Canada.  Aurora Yarns Raven Frog Fibers - Marvelous Merino worsted - 100 SW merino - “Totem Spirit” (3X) Nunavut Qiviut - lace - 30/60 arctic fox/superfine merino - natural color white Aurora Yarns - lace - 100 qiviut Quilt Alaska: Bought fabric squares with Alaskan flowers prints to make napkins. Anchorage: Visited the Musk Ox Farm and the Spirit Houses, an Athabascan/Russian Orthodox cemetery. Food: Tequila 61, Whisky & Ramen Musk Ox Farm - lace - 50/50 qiviut/silk The Fireweed Studio - project bag with musk ox print Wooly Mammoth (the shop is located inside Cabin Fever gifts) Alaska Yarn Co - sock - 75/25 SW merino/nylon - “Crayolas” Alaska Yarn Co - sock - 65/15 merino/Donegal nep - “Spruce” Denali: Park organized wildlife tour. Saw a grizzly bear. Polychrome Yarns: Bad Sheep Yarn - fingering - 75/25 SW merino/nylon - “Sockeye Salmon” AK Venture Co - sock - 85/15 SW merino/nylon - “Mizzle” (2X) and “Midnight Sun” (2X)   Fairbanks: Panned for gold at Dredge 8 and rode the Riverboat Discovery. Very nice shop but yarns I can buy at home so did not purchase anything. Food: The Library, Jazz Bistro on 4th (Cuban), The Crepery

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

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on April 18. It dropped for free subscribers on April 25. 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:WhoPete Korfiatis, General Manager of Bluewood, WashingtonRecorded onApril 4, 2024About BluewoodClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Local investorsLocated in: Dayton, WashingtonYear founded: 1980Pass affiliations:* Indy Pass and Indy+ Pass: 2 days, no blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Cottonwood Butte, Idaho, 3 hours eastBase elevation: 4,545 feetSummit elevation: 5,670 feetVertical drop: 1,125 feetSkiable Acres: 355Average annual snowfall: 300 inchesTrail count: 24 (30% difficult, 45% intermediate, 25% easy)Lift count: 4 (2 triples, 2 carpets – view Lift Blog's inventory of Bluewood's lift fleet)Why I interviewed himSomeday, if it's not too late, I'm going to track down the old-timers who snowshoed into the wilderness and figured this all out. The American West is filled with crazy little snow pockets, lesser-known mountain ranges spiraling off the vast plateaus. Much of this land falls under the purview of the United States Forest Service. In the decades immediately before and after World War II, the agency established most of our large western ski areas within its 193 million-acre kingdom. That's a lot of land – approximately the size of Texas – and it's not all snowy. Where there is snow, there's not always roads, nor even the realistic possibility of plowing one through. Where there are roads, there aren't always good exposures or fall lines for skiing.So our ski areas ended up where they are because, mostly, those are the best places nature gave us for skiing. Obviously it snows like hell in the Wasatch and the Tetons and the Sierra Nevadas. Anyone with a covered wagon could have told you that. But the Forest Service's map of its leased ski areas is dotted with strange little outposts popping out of what most of us assume to be The Flats:What to make of Brian Head, floating alone in southern Utah? Or Mt. Lemmon, rising over Tucson? Or Ski Apache and Cloudcroft, sunk near the bottom of New Mexico? Or the ski areas bunched and floating over Los Angeles? Or Antelope Butte, hanging out in the Wyoming Bighorns?Somewhere, in some government filing cabinet 34 floors deep in a Washington, D.C. bunker, are hand-annotated topo maps and notebooks left behind by the bureaucrat-explorers who determined that these map dots were the very best for snowsportskiing. And somewhere, buried where I'll probably never find it, is the story of Bluewood.It's one of our more improbable ski centers. Not because it shouldn't be there, but because most of us can't imagine how it could be. Most Washington and Oregon ski areas line up along the Cascades, stacked south to north along the states' western thirds. The snow smashes into these peaks and then stops. Anyone who's driven east over the passes has encountered the Big Brown Endless on the other side. It's surreal, how fast the high alpine falls away.But as Interstate 90 arcs northeast through this rolling country and toward Spokane, it routes most travelers away from the fecund Umatilla National Forest, one of those unexpected islands of peaks and green floating above our American deserts. Here, in this wilderness just to the west of Walla Walla but far from just about everything else, 300 inches of snow stack up in an average winter. And this is where you will find Bluewood.The Umatilla sprawls over two states and 1.4 million acres, and is home to three ski areas (Anthony Lakes and inactive Spouts Springs, both in Oregon, are the other two). Three map dots in the wilderness, random-looking from above, all the final product of years in the field, of hardy folks pushing ever-deeper into the woods to find The Spot. This is the story of one of them.What we talked aboutGrowing up Wenatchee; “the mountains are an addiction”; THE MACHINE at Mammoth; Back-In-The-Day Syndrome; Mammoth's outsized influence on Alterra Mountain Company; how the Ikon Pass strangely benefited Mammoth; the accidental GM; off the grid; Bluewood and southeast Washington's unique little weather pattern; “everybody that knows Bluewood comes for the trees”; why the Forest Service is selling a bunch of Bluewood's trees; massive expansion potential; when your snowline is 50 feet above your base area and you have no snowmaking; the winter with no snow; Skyline Basin and dreams that never happened; ambitious lift-upgrade plans; summer and “trying to eliminate the six-month revenue drought”; “if you take the North American lifts right now, they're only coming out because they're pieces of crap”; potential future chairlifts; Bluewood's owners and their long-term vision; mountaintop lodging potential; whether night skiing could ever happen; power by biomass; the Indy Pass; Southeast Washington ski culture; free buddy tickets with your season pass; Bluewood's season pass reciprocal program; why Bluewood's lift ticket prices are so low; and the absolute killer expense for small ski areas.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewOne of the more useful habits I've developed is attending offseason media events and consumer ski shows, where ski area managers and marketers tend to congregate. The regional gatherings, where mountain booths are stacked side by side like boxes in a cereal aisle, are particularly useful, allowing me to connect with reps from a dozen or more resorts in an hour. Such was the setup at the Snowvana “stoke event” in Portland, Oregon last November, which I attended both to host a panel of ski area general managers and to lay deeper roots in the rabid Pacific Northwest.Two podcasts emerged directly from connections I made that day: my February conversation with Red Mountain CEO Howard Katkov, and this one, with Korfiatis.So that's the easy answer: a lot of these podcasts happen simply because I was finally able to connect with whomever runs the mountain. But there's a certain amount of serendipity at work as well: Bluewood, right now, is on the move.This is a ski area that is slowly emerging from the obscurity I caged it into above. It has big-picture owners, an energetic general manager, a growing nearby population, and megapass membership. True, it also has no snowmaking and outdated, slow chairlifts. But the big, established ski centers to its west are overwhelmed, exhausted, and, with a few exceptions, probably un-expandable. Bluewood could be a big-deal alternative to this mess if they can do what Korfiatis says they want to do.There are a lot of millions standing between vision and reality here. But sometimes crazy s**t happens. And if it goes down at Bluewood, I want to make sure we're sitting right there watching it happen.What I got wrongI said that Mammoth was an independent mountain when Korfiatis arrived there in 2000. This is incorrect. Intrawest owned a majority stake in Mammoth from 1997 to 2006.Why you should ski BluewoodUsually, when casual skiers ask me where they ought to vacation, their wishlist includes someplace that's relatively easy to get to, where they can stay slopeside, where the snow will probably be good [whenever their kids' spring break is], and that is a member of [whatever version of the Epic or Ikon pass they purchased]. I give them a list of places that would not be a surprising list of places to anyone reading this newsletter, always with this qualifier: expect company.I like big destination ski areas. Obviously. I can navigate or navigate around the crowds. And I understand that 24-chairlifts-and-a-sushi-bar is exactly what your contemporary megapass patron is seeking. But if someone were to flip the question around and ask me which ski area characteristics were likely to give them the best ski experience, I'd have a very different answer for them.I'd tell them to seek out a place that's hard to get to, where you find a motel 40 miles away and drive up in the morning. Make it a weekday morning, as far from school breaks as possible. And the further you get from Epkon branding, the farther you'll be from anything resembling a liftline. That's the idea with Bluewood.“Yeah but it's only 1,100 vertical feet.”Yeah but trust me that's plenty when most of your runs are off-piste and you can ski all day without stopping except to ride the lift.“But no one's ever heard of it and they won't be impressed with my Instastory.”You'll live.“But it's not on my Ultimo-Plus Pass.”Lift tickets are like $50. Or $66 on weekends. And it's on the Indy Pass.“But it's such a long drive.”No it isn't. It's just a little bit farther than the busier places that you usually go to. But it's not exactly in Kazakhstan.“Now you're just making things up.”Often, but not that.Podcast NotesOn Bluewood's masterplanHere's the basic map:And the lift inventory wishlist:On Mission Ridge and WenatcheeKorfiatis grew up in Wenatchee, which sits below Mission Ridge. That mountain, coincidentally, is the subject of an already-recorded and soon-to-be-released podcast, but here's the trailmap for this surprisingly large mountain in case you're not familiar with it:On Mission Ridge's expansionAgain, I go deep on this with Mission CEO Josh Jorgensen on our upcoming pod, but here's a look at the ski area's big proposed expansion, which Korfiatis and I discuss a bit on the show:And here's an overhead view:On “The Legend of Dave McCoy”The Dave McCoy that Korfiatis refers to in the pod is the founder of Mammoth Mountain, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 104. Here's a primer/tribute video:Rusty Gregory, who ran Mammoth for decades, talked us through McCoy's legacy in a 2021 Storm Skiing Podcast appearance (18:08):On Kim Clark, Bluewood's last GMIn September 2021, Bluewood GM Kim Clark died suddenly on the mountain of a heart attack. From SAM:Longtime industry leader and Bluewood, Wash., general manager Kim Clark died of an apparent heart attack while working on the mountain Tuesday. He was 65. Clark had been the Bluewood GM since 2014.In a statement sharing the news of Clark's death, Bluewood said, “significant rescue efforts were unsuccessful. Kim passed away doing what he loved, with people he loved, on the mountain he loved.”Clark was an influential leader during his career in the mountain resort industry, much of which was spent at resorts in the Pacific Northwest. He is remembered by his peers as a mentor, a teacher, and a leader with a passion for the industry who cared deeply for the teams he led and the resorts he helped to improve.Prior to becoming GM at Bluewood, Clark led Mt. Ashland, Ore., as its general manager from 2005 to 2014.On the Tri-Cities of WashingtonImagine this: I'm 18 years old and some dude on the lift at Copper Mountain asks me where I'm from. I say “Michigan” and he says “where” and I say, “the Tri-Cities area” and he says “what on earth is that?” And I say “Oh you've never heard of the Tri-Cities?” as though he'd just told me he'd never heard of Paris. And he's like “no, have you ever heard of the Quad Cities?” Which apparently are four cities bunched along the Iowa-Illinois border around Interstate 80 and the Mississippi River.It was my first real-time lesson in hyper-regionalism and how oft-repeated information becomes so ingrained that we assume everyone must share it, like the moon or the wind. The Tri-Cities of Michigan are Bay City, Saginaw, and Midland. But no one who doesn't live there knows this or cares, and so after that chairlift conversation, I started saying that I was from “two hours north of Detroit,” which pretty much every American understands.Anyway imagine my surprise to learn that America had room for a second Tri-Cities, this one in Washington. I asked the robots to tell me about it and this is what they said:The Tri-Cities are three closely linked cities (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland)[2][3] at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia Rivers in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington. The cities border one another, making the Tri-Cities seem like one uninterrupted mid-sized city. The three cities function as the center of the Tri-Cities metropolitan area, which consists of Benton and Franklin counties.[4] The Tri-Cities urban area consists of the city of West Richland, the census-designated places (CDP) of West Pasco, Washington and Finley, as well as the CDP of Burbank, despite the latter being located in Walla Walla County.The official 2016 estimate of the Tri-Cities MSA population is 283,869, a more than 12% increase from 2010. 2016 U.S. MSA estimates show the Tri-Cities population as over 300,000. The combined population of the three principal cities themselves was 220,959 at the 2020 census. As of April 1, 2021, the Washington State Office of Financial Management, Forecasting Division estimates the cities as having a combined population of 224,640.[5]And actually, it turns out that there are tri-cities all over the country. So what the hell do I know? When I moved east to New York in 2002, it took me about five years to figure out what the “Tri-State Area” was. For a long time I thought it must be New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. But it is New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, from which many people commute into NYC daily to work.On Scot Schmidt For those of you who don't know who “that guy” Scot Schmidt is:On the Greyhawk lift at Sun ValleyKorfiatis refers to the “Greyhawk lift” at Sun Valley as an example of a retiring high-speed quad that is unlikely to have a useful second life. He was referring to this lift, which from 1988 until last year ran parallel to the monster Challenger lift:Last summer, Sun Valley replaced both lifts with one Challenger six-pack with a mid-station, and built a new high-speed quad called Flying Squirrel (which replaced a shorter double chair of the same name that met death-by-fire in 2014):On the number of Washington ski areasWashington, while home to several legendary ski areas, does not have nearly as many as its growing, active population needs. Of the state's 17 active ski areas, five operate only surface lifts, and I'm not even certain whether one of them – Badger Mountain – operated this past ski season. Sitzmark also failed to spin its lift. There are really only nine volume-capable ski areas in the state: 49 Degrees North, Crystal, Mission Ridge, Baker, Mt. Spokane, Stevens Pass, Summit, Alpental, and White Pass. Here's an inventory:The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing all year long. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 32/100 in 2024, and number 532 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Ross Reid is known these days as the Nerdy About Nature guy, a modern-day Bill Nye, helping educate the digital world about what's happening in nature. But Ross isn't just an internet influencer; he's an award-winning filmmaker who spent 20 years in the ski industry, working with the best athletes in the world. On the podcast, we talk about growing up at White Pass, his brand Rime Knits, his time with Poor Boyz Productions, K2, his Tamashii project, Nerdy About Nature, and much more. The Inappropriate Questions are off the record and all-time! Ross Reid Show Notes 3:00:  Getting banned by Tik-Tok, growing up in Redmond, skiing, huge family, his early passions around animals and nature and who was Ross in HS 20:00  Stanley:  Get up 60% off at Stanley1913.com Best Day Brewing:  All of the flavor of your favorite IPA or Kolsch, without the alcohol, the calories and sugar. Elan Skis:  Over 75 years of innovation that makes you better. 23:00:  Montana State, bad at math, his first Poor Boyz Productions shoot, Rime Knits, his business acumen, and HellBents 40:00:  Peter Glenn Ski and Sports:  Over 60 years of getting you out there.  Outdoor Research:  Click here for 25% off Outdoor Research products (not valid on sale items or pro products) 42:00:  His prove it shoot with PBP, moving to LA, movie tours, behind the scenes of an industry, and shooting in Hawaii 53:00:  Taking a job with K2, being overworked, his K2 vision, and the Tamashii project 65:00:  Australia for his MBA and Nerdy About Nature 78:00:  Inappropriate Questions

In Episode 6 of “Tell Me About Your Bike,” fellow Sockeye Cycles bike guide Rikki Watts and I take a drive up the White Pass and talk about dumpster diving for Food Not Bombs, dodging pedestrians at South by Southwest, and the awkward bike lanes of Austin, Texas. We also discuss bike touring on a raffled mountain bike, the finer points of packing bikes for shipping, and what Rikki had for breakfast. Links: Food Not Bombs Need for the Bike, by Paul Fournel South by Southwest (SXSW) Patreon Coffee Break German Sockeye...https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coffee-break-german/id595399272Support the show

1. Trump Claims Immunity, Cites Obama Bombings2. Judge Rules to Keep Trump on Washington State Ballot3. Nevada's Republican Governor Endorses Trump4. 179 Congressional GOP Ask Scotus to Reverse Co Ruling5. What to Expect Out of New Hampshire Primary6. Haley Says She Would Not Preemptively Pardon Trump7. New Hampshire's Aging Ballot Scanners Pose Challenges8. Ways and Means Committee Studies Tax Relief Act9. Committee Considers Changes to Tax Bill10. Spotlight: American Families and Workers Act11. House Committee Examines New Tax Bill12. Protestors at House Hearing on New Tax Bill13. Watch: Remarks at House Hearing on Tax Relief14. Stock Market Pattern in Presidential Election Years15. Families and Business Feel Impacts of Inflation16. 150K Workers Walk Out in Northern Ireland17. Political, Economic Woes Weigh on UK's Electorate18. Oil Paintings Capture Emotion, Tell of Triumph19. Rare Churchill Memorabilia on Sale in New York20. DOJ Confirms Infamous Laptop Belonged to Hunter Biden21. Trump Claims Immunity, Cites Obama Bombings22. Judge Rules to Keep Trump on Washington State Ballot23. Nevada's Republican Governor Endorses Trump24. 179 Congressional GOP Ask Scotus to Reverse Co Ruling25. Haley Says She Would Not Preemptively Pardon Trump26. Making Sense of the Short Term Funding Bill27. New Hampshire's Aging Ballot Scanners Pose Challenges28. ‘More Support Than Ever for Trump': Ahern29. Why Donors for Haley Are Waiting on NH Results30. Nikki Haley's Campaign Trajectory31. Why DeSantis Lost Momentum After 202232. NH: Andrew Yang Endorses Dean Phillips33. Snow Falls From Slopes at White Pass, Washington34. Severe Winter Storm Dumps Thick Snow Over Nebraska35. Cold Weather: Charging Woes for Chicago Tesla Owners36. Amish Horsepower Pulls SUV Back on Road in Tennessee37. American Airlines Plane Slides Off Taxiway in Rochester38. Almost 50 Dead in Severe Winter Weather in U.S.39. House Committee Asks Lloyd Austin to Testify40. Peregrine Lander Destroyed Over Pacific: Report41. Japan's Robotic Explorer Lands on Moon42. Flight Attendant Allegedly Filmed Minors in Bathroom43. FL: Cargo Plane Engine Sparks in Air44. Google's Internal Memo Warns of Further Layoffs45. Macy's to Close Stores, Layoff Employees46. Wayfair Laying Off 1,650 People47. Over 580K Beds Recalled After Injuries48. Spinach, Salad Kits Recalled for Listeria Risk49. Ca: Raw Oysters Sicken 200, Prompting FDA Warning50. Taiwan's Top Envoy to U.S. Vows Closer Ties51. China Snubs Zelenskyy at Davos52. German Truckers Protest Shows Deep Frustration53. U.S. Eyeing Japanese Shipyards for Warship Overhauls54. North Korean Teens Get Hard Labor for Films55. Chiefs-Bills Rematch Highlights Playoff Round56. Miami Tight End to Return for 9th Season57. Djokovic Extends Australian Open Streak to 3158. Sixth International Figure Painting Competition Awards59. Studies Explore the Healing Power of Music60. Vineyards Make Candy From Excess Grape Juice

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

The former Golden Lion Hotel in Anchorage is now approved to start hosting homeless clients for low-income housing, thanks to a vote by the Anchorage Assembly. Plus, Mayor Dave Bronson explains his plan to buy airline tickets for any homeless residents to a destination of their choice; The White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad in Skagway reached a tentative union agreement to avoid a strike; And the Port of Alaska in Anchorage appears to have a brighter future after legislation passes the Assembly to help repair it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Workers for White Pass and Yukon Route voted to go on strike. Rules prevent them from stopping work for another few weeks. And, fireworks crackled on the 4th of July, and dazzled people around the country. In Haines, one man has been behind most displays over the last 20 years. We connected with local pyrotechnician […] The post Newscast – July 10 2023 first appeared on KHNS Radio | KHNS FM.

It's part two pf the forty-seven-part Mike May trilogy and in this episode, we discover how a young boy from the suburbs of Chicago eventually is drawn to the wilds of Alaska and one of the most famous three-foot gauge railroads in the world, the White Pass and Yukon Route. Mike has built a beautiful rendition of this railroad in HOn3 that's just eighteen inches wide and over twenty feet long. Today the White Pass is the busiest tourist railroad in America after being shut down in 1982 due to lack of freight traffic and then re-open for tourism few years later. Mike has carefully modeled the railroad and eventually become a Master Model Railroader. We also discover that he enjoys writing, having had several articles published in the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette as well as having the layout featured in the 2022 edition of Great Model Railroads. It's another great podcast and one we're sure you'll enjoy!!

We've met a lot of interesting people on this podcast but every once and awhile somebody comes along that just makes you sit up and take notice. Mike May's lifelong love of trains has taken him all sorts of interesting places but if you're wondering how a guy that studied theatrical lighting ended on a Brightline train in Miami in the month of November you've come to the right place. Whether he's waxing poetically about his love for the White Pass and Yukon Railroad or telling stories of his journey to become a locomotive engineer on the Durango and Silverton. One thing is abundantly clear Mike's story is to big for just one episode. Find a comfortable place to sit, grab a big bowl of coal ash, a tall cool glass of melted driver grease and enjoy!!!

Chillie Chats With Nate Vallier About Yukon Sled Dog & White Pass Summit Excursion is today's main feature on Tuesday Travel and Cruise Industry News, February 28, 2023. This excursion will be available to guests on Cruises For Solos With Chillie - Alaska 2023 which sails August 30 on Sapphire Princess. There are still some solo openings and several couples accomodations. Also today, MSC Raises Beverage Prices; Carnival Brings Back Behind The Fun Ship Tours; Two Mega Ships Will Sail From Miami; 3 Year Cruise Opens Bookings; 32 Year Old Crew Member Dies In Chile; and much more today LIVE at 8 AM EST. To access video feed, CLICK HERE #scootaround #chilliechats ##yukonsleddogexcursion #sapphireprincess Thanks for visiting my channel. For information on the hosted Alaska solo group, https://bit.ly/3XSeLWw . Deadline for deposit for special pricing is March 1. NYTimes The Daily, the flagship NYT podcast with a massive audience. "Vacationing In The Time Of Covid" https://nyti.ms/3QuRwOS NYTimes First Person Podcast " His Ship Finally Came In, but Should He Be on It? " https://nyti.ms/3zRJo4j To access the Travel and Cruise Industry News podcast; https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/travelcruisenews or go to https://accessadventure.net/ Save On Airfare https://bit.ly/3h6lXLf To subscribe: http://bit.ly/chi-fal As always, I appreciate super chats or any other donation to support my channel. For your convenience, please visit: https://paypal.me/chillie9264?locale.x=en_US Chillie's Cruise Schedule: https://accessadventure.net/chillies-trip-calendar/ For your special needs, contact me or Scootaround, https://www.scootaround.com/mobility-rentals, 1.888.441.7575. Use SRN 11137. Special Needs Cruising: https://youtu.be/DWR5kNM2x_g Check out my streaming partner: https://streamyard.com?pal=4889083533852672 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ChilliesCruises Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chillie.falls Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChillieFalls Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chilliefalls/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chilliescruises Business Email: chilliefalls@gmail.com Accessible Travel Blog: https://accessadventure.net/ Chillie Chats With Sue Bryant, London Times Cruise Editor About Emerald Azzurra https://youtu.be/_bnrkqPf2gE Chillie Chats with Sylvia Longmire, Ambassador for Scootaround and WHILL Powerchairs https://youtu.be/VovRJ5Fh1I8 Chillie Chats With Disability Advocate Kristy Durso About Flying With A Wheelchair https://youtu.be/ZQVVPPpCLyc Chillie Chats With Special Guest Kevin Martin, 30 And A Wake Up https://youtube.com/live/wa-AX8CAzYI Chillie Chats With Kelly Narowski, Disability Rights Advocate and Avid Traveler https://youtu.be/NFB7LhkJ7go and https://youtu.be/LxbC5UW-Lsk Casino Loyalty Programs with Sue Sherer https://youtu.be/p0SsewJC_cE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Feb. 1. It dropped for free subscribers on Feb. 4. To receive future pods as soon as they're live and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription.WhoDavy Ratchford, Vice President and General Manager of Snowbasin Resort, UtahRecorded onJanuary 31, 2023About SnowbasinClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: The R. Earl Holding FamilyPass affiliations: Ikon Pass, Mountain CollectiveLocated in: Huntsville, UtahYear founded: 1940Closest neighboring ski areas: Nordic Valley (30 minutes), Powder Mountain (35 minutes), Woodward Park City (1:05), Utah Olympic Park (1:08), Park City (1:15), Deer Valley (1:15), Snowbird (1:15), Alta (1:20), Solitude (1:20), Brighton (1:25), Sundance (1:40), Cherry Peak (1:45), Beaver Mountain (2:00) – travel times vary considerably based upon weather and trafficBase elevation: 6,450 feetSummit elevation: 9,350 feetVertical drop: 2,900 feetSkiable Acres: 3,000Average annual snowfall: 300 inchesTrail count: 111Lift count: 12­­ (One 15-passenger tram, 2 eight-passenger gondolas, 2 six-packs, 2 high-speed quads, 2 triples, 1 ropetow, 2 carpets) – Snowbasin will add a third six-pack on an all-new line this summer (more on this below).Why I interviewed himFor 60 years it sat there, empty, enormous, unnoticed. Utah skiing was Park City and Alta; Snowbird in the ‘70s; Deer Valley in the ‘80s; sometimes Solitude and Brighton. No need to ski outside that powder pocket east of SLC: in 1995, an Alta lift ticket cost $25, and the area resorts frequently landed on ski magazine “least-crowded” lists.The November 2000 issue of Ski distilled Snowbasin's malaise:Though skiers were climbing the high ridgeline that overlooks the small city of Ogden as far back as the Thirties, Alta founder Alf Engen officially discovered Snowbasin in 1940. At that time the high, sunny basin was used for cattle range, but it was so overgrazed that eroded topsoil and bloated carcasses of dead cows were tainting Ogden's water supply. Working with the U.S. Forest Service, Ogden's town fathers decided that a ski resort would provide income and recreation while also safeguarding the water supply. A deal was struck with the ranch owner, and Snowbasin opened for business.In the 60 years since, the resort has struggled under five owners, including Vail-founder Pete Seibert, who owned it in the mid-Eighties. The problem was a lack of lodging. Snowbasin was too far from Salt Lake City to attract out-of-state skiers and too far from Ogden to use the city's aging railroad center as a resort base. Successive owners realized that to succeed, Snowbasin needed a base village, but building one from scratch is a costly proposition. So for half a century, the resort has remained the private powder stash of Ogden locals and the few lucky skiers who have followed rumors of deep snow and empty lifts up Ogden Canyon.In 1984, Earl Holding, an oil tycoon who had owned Sun Valley since 1978, purchased the resort from Seibert (process the fact that Snowbasin was once part of the Vail portfolio for a moment). For a long time, nothing much changed. Then came the 2002 Olympics. In a single offseason in 1998, the resort added two gondolas, a tram, and a high-speed quad (John Paul), along with the thousand-ish-acre Strawberry terrain pod. A new access road cut 13 miles off the drive from Salt Lake City. Glimmering base lodges rose from the earth.Still, Snowbasin languished. “But despite the recent addition of modern lifts, it has still failed to attract more than 100,000 skier visits the past two seasons,” Ski wrote in 2000, attributing this volume partly to “the fact that the Olympics, not today's lift ticket revenue, is the management's priority.” Holding, the magazine reported, was considering a bizarre name change for the resort to “Sun Valley.” As in, Sun Valley, Utah. Reminder: there was no social media in 2000.That's all context, to make this point: the Snowbasin that I'm writing about today – a glimmering end-of-the-road Ikon Pass jewel with a Jetsonian lift fleet – is not the Snowbasin we were destined to have. From backwater to baller in a generation. This is the template, like it or not, for the under-developed big-mountain West. Vail Mountain, Park City, Snowbird, Palisades Tahoe, Breckenridge, Steamboat: these places cannot accommodate a single additional skier. They're full. The best they can do now is redistribute skiers across the mountain and suck more people out of the base areas with higher-capacity lifts. But with record skier visits and the accelerating popularity of multi-mountain passes that concentrate more of them in fewer places, we're going to need relief valves. And soon.There are plenty more potential Snowbasins out there. Mountains with big acreage and big snowfall but underdeveloped lift and lodging infrastructure and various tiers of accessibility issues: White Pass, Mission Ridge, Silver Mountain, Montana Snowbowl, Great Divide, Discovery, Ski Apache, Angel Fire, Ski Santa Fe, Powder Mountain, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Loveland. There are dozens more.Snowbasin's story is singular and remarkable, a testament to invested owners and the power of media magnification to alter the fate of a place. But the mountain's tale is instructive as well, of how skiing can reorient itself around something other than our current version of snowy bunchball, the tendency for novice soccer players to disregard positions and swarm to wherever the ball moves. Snowbasin didn't matter and now it does. Who's next?What we talked aboutUtah's amazing endless 2022-23 snow season; an Irish fairytale; skiing Beaver Mountain in jeans; helping to establish Utah's Major League Soccer team and then leaving for the ski industry; “if you have a chance to raise your family in the mountains, you should do that”; the unique characteristic of a ski career that helps work-life balance; much love for the Vail Fam; the Holding family legacy; “Snowbasin is a gift to the world”; the family's commitment to keeping Snowbasin independent long-term; “they're going to put in the best possible things, all the time”; amazing lodges, bathrooms and all; Snowbasin's Olympic legacy and potential future involvement in the Games; breaking down the DeMoisy Express six-pack that will go up Strawberry this summer; what the new lift will mean for the Strawberry gondola; soccer fans versus ski fans; managing a resort in the era of knucklehead social media megaphones; “I've lost a lot of employees to guests”; taming the rumor machine; reflecting on the Middle Bowl lift upgrade; long-term upgrades for the Becker and Porcupine triples; Snowbasin's ambitious base-area redevelopment plan, including an all-inclusive Club Med, new lifts and terrain, and upgraded access road; “the amount of desire to own something here is huge”; what happens with parking once the mountain builds a village over it; the curse of easy access; breaking down the new beginner terrain and lifts that will accompany the village; whether future large-scale terrain expansion is possible; and leaving the Epic Pass for Ikon and Mountain Collective.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewLast month, Snowbasin announced that it will build the DeMoisy Express, a long-awaited six-pack that will run parallel to the Strawberry Gondola on a slightly shorter line, for the 2023-24 ski season. Here's where it will sit on the current trailmap (highlighted below):This will be Snowbasin's second six-pack in just two years, and it follows the resort's 2021 announcement of an ambitious base-area development plan, which will include new beginner terrain, several new lifts, a mixed-use pedestrian village, access-road improvements, and an all-inclusive Club Med resort. Here's a rendering of the reconfigured base at full build-out:Snowbasin, along with sister resort Sun Valley, also stalked off the Epic Pass last year, fleeing for the Mountain Collective and Ikon passes. “Because we're smart,” Ratchford half-joked when I asked him why the resorts left Epic after just three years. He framed the switch as an opportunity to expose the resorts to new skiers. Snowbasin surely will not be the last resort to change allegiances. Don't think big indies like Jackson Hole, Taos, and Revelstoke aren't listening when Vail calls, offering them a blank check to change jerseys.What I got wrongI had an on-the-fly moment where I mixed up the Wildcat Express six-pack and the Littlecat Express high-speed quad. I asked Ratchford how they were going to upgrade Little Cat (as suggested in the base-area redevelopment image above), when it was already a six-pack. Dumb stuff happens in the moment during these podcasts, and while I guess I could ask the robots to fix it, I'd rather just own the mistake and keep moving.Why you should ski SnowbasinI love skiing Alta and Snowbird, but I don't love skiing anywhere enough to endure the mass evacuation drill that is a Cottonwoods powder-day commute. Not when there's a place like Snowbasin where you can just, you know, pull into the parking lot and go skiing.What you'll find when you arrive is as good as anything you'll hunt down in U.S. skiing. Maybe not from a total snowfall perspective – though 300 inches is impressive anywhere outside of Utah – but from a lift-and-lodge infrastructure point of view. Four – soon to be five – high-speed chairlifts, a tram and two gondolas, and a couple old triple chairs that Ratchford tells me will be replaced fairly soon, and probably with high-speed quads. The lodges are legendary, palaces of excess and overbuild, welcome in an industry that makes Lunch-Table Death-Match a core piece of the experience. If you need to take your pet elephant to the bathroom, plug Snowbasin into your GPS – I assure you the stalls can accommodate them.But, really, you ski Snowbasin because Snowbasin is easy to get to and easy to access, with the Ikon Pass that most people reading this probably already have, and with terrain that's as good as just about anything else you're going to find in U.S. America.Podcast NotesOn Park City: Ratchford referred obliquely to the ownership change at Park City in 2014, saying, “if you know the history there…” Well, if you don't know the history there, longtime resort owner Powdr Corp made the biggest oopsie in the history of lift-served skiing when it, you know, forgot to renew its lease on the mountain. Vail, in what was the most coldblooded move in the history of lift-served skiing, installed itself as the new lessee in what I can imagine was a fit of cackling glee. It was amazing. You can read more about it here and here. If only The Storm had existed back then.On the Olympics: While I don't cover the Olympics at all (I completely ignored them last year, the first Winter Games in which The Storm existed), I do find their legacy at U.S. ski resorts interesting. Only five U.S. ski areas have hosted events: Whiteface (1980), Palisades Tahoe (1960), and, in 2002, Deer Valley, Park City, and Snowbasin. Ratchford and I talk a bit about this legacy, and the potential role of his resort in the upcoming 2030 or 2034 Games – Salt Lake City is bidding to host one or the other. Read more here.On megapasses: Snowbasin has been all over the place with megapasses. Here's its history, as best I can determine:* 2013: Snowbasin joins the Powder Alliance reciprocal coalition (it is unclear when Snowbasin left this coalition)* 2017: Snowbasin joins Mountain Collective for 2017-18 ski season* 2019: Snowbasin joins Epic Pass, leaves Mountain Collective for 2019-20 ski season* 2022: Snowbasin leaves Epic Pass, re-joins Mountain Collective and joins Ikon Pass for 2022-23 ski seasonThe Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 8/100 in 2023, and number 394 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 explores 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

Skagway's White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad will resume service to Canada this summer; Skagway looks to receive a fire truck with better ladder capabilities. The post Newscast – January, 13, 2023 first appeared on KHNS Radio | KHNS FM.

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

Ordinances, Resolutions, & Proclamations:Public Hearing and Third Reading of Ordinance No. 22-09 Providing for the Establishment and Adoption ofthe Budget for the Fiscal Year 2023Public Hearing and Second Reading of Ordinance No. 22-10 Increasing the Sales Tax Rate to 6% During the2nd and 3rd Quarters, and Directing the Borough Clerk to Place a Proposition on a Special Election Ballot forRatificationPublic Hearing and Adoption of Resolution No. 22-39R Committing Port Fund Revenue to Serve as MatchingFunds for a FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure Community (BRIC) GrantPublic Hearing and Adoption of Resolution No. 22-41R Naming the Access Road Connecting BroadwayStreet and Congress Way “Harbor Way”Public Hearing and Adoption of Resolution No. 22-42R Updating the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan for theMunicipality of SkagwayPublic Hearing and Adoption of Resolution No. 22-43R Collaborating with the Spark Sharks Robotics Teamto Develop an Electric Municipal Bus ProjectPublic Hearing and Adoption of Resolution No. 22-44R Short Term General Obligation Tax Anticipation NoteNew Business:Consideration of Liquor License Renewal ApplicationsSkagway Fish Company, Liquor License #3891 Renewal ApplicationApproval of Memorandum of Agreement with White Pass re: Rockslide Hazard MitigationConfirmation of Recreation Director Appointment per SMC 3.02.010(C)(2)Confirmation of Appointments to Boards, Commissions, and CommitteesExecutive Session:Pursuant to AS 44.62.310(c)(1) and (3), Matters That May Have a Significant Adverse Impact on the Finances of the Municipality and Which are Confidential by Law, Protected by the Attorney- Client Privilege: Discussion with the Borough Attorney Regarding Port Development Strategy, Tariff Document, Leasing, and Berthing

To support independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Nov. 21. It dropped for free subscribers on Nov. 24. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription.WhoStephen Kircher, President and CEO of Boyne ResortsRecorded onNovember 9, 2022About Boyne ResortsBoyne Resorts owns 10 ski resorts, a scenic chairlift, and a bunch of hotels and golf courses that you can read about in my other newsletter, The Storm Golfing Journal. Here's an overview of the stuff we're covering here:Why I interviewed himSkiing, as a business, is ruthless. More failures than triumphs. More ghosts than living souls. Like humanity itself, I suppose. Enough corpses exist to create a knucklehead talking point for anyone doubting the long-term viability of, for example, Vail Resorts. They just point to the graveyard and say, “Well what about American Skiing Company? What about SKI? What about Intrawest?”Well, D*****s, what about Boyne? Founded 74 years ago on a Michigan hillside and now a 10-resort, continent-spanning titan, Boyne Resorts is the Ford Motor Company of skiing. Imagine old Everett Kircher, chomping a cigar and riding eight-foot-long skis down Hemlock, a good-old-boy of the Michigan backwoods, getting a load of Boyne Resorts 2022, with its arsenal of megalifts and Ikon Pass access tags all blippity-blinging on the social medias. It would shock him no less than Henry Ford stepping out of his 1903 workshop and stumbling upon a plugged-in F-150 Lightning with satellite radio and $100,000 pricetag.Both of these companies started a long time ago as something very different and evolved into something very Right Now. This is what good companies do, and what almost no companies actually manage over time. See: Kodak, Blockbuster, K-Mart failing to envision digital film, streaming, ecommerce. Boyne Resorts is the longest-running multi-mountain ski company in North America, and possibly in the world. Why? They adapted. Part of their evolution, as Stephen and I discuss in this podcast, was persistence through the near-bankruptcy of key properties in past decades. Part of it was having the vision to build a scenic chairlift in, of all places, Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the 1950s. Part of it was relentless investment in snowmaking. Part of it was a pivot to showmanship and experience. And part of it was dumb luck and timing. There's no single reason why Boyne Resorts has survived and evolved for 74 years, and there's no guarantee that anyone else could exactly replicate their model. But Boyne Mountain, the company's namesake and original resort, is one of the last ski areas in the country to persist under its original ownership. There's a lot we can learn from that fact, and from what Boyne Resorts did in the years since their original mountain's founding to keep the thing from becoming another wintertime phantom.What we talked aboutBoyne's system-wide commitment to the long season; Boyne Resorts' many and varied 2022 lift projects; Sunday River's massive growth potential and how the Jordan 8 will serve that; “people don't understand the idea of rebalancing”; why the company is dropping an eight-pack at Boyne Mountain; what happened when a helicopter had to dump a Cypress lift tower, and whether that impacted the project's timeline; why Boyne didn't buy Sun Valley, Telluride, or Jackson Hole; Boyne Resorts' decades-long expansion; why Boyne had to back out of half-ownership of Solitude; why Boyne purchased Shawnee Peak and what the potential is there for upgrading lifts and expanding terrain; whether Pleasant could ever join the Ikon Pass ; changing the name to Pleasant Mountain; whether Boyne will buy more ski areas; ski areas that the company passed on buying; EuroBoyne?; how Crystal Mountain exited Boyne's portfolio – “It was a bummer that we lost it from the Boyne family”; preventing overcrowding; “there's a collaborative approach within the Ikon”; whether Boyne bid on White Pass; how close Boyne came to closing Boyne Mountain in the 1990s, how the finances had deteriorated to that point, and how the company saved itself; how a Tennessee chairlift saved the whole company; why there aren't more scenic chairlifts in America; dreaming up and building the Michigan Sky Bridge; the five things driving Boyne's incredible investment spree and whether it's sustainable; the importance of owning the resorts that you run and the land that you operate on; “I think it's a Golden Age for North American skiing”; how European skiing leapt ahead of North America in on-hill infrastructure; how and why Boyne brought the first eight-pack chairlift to the United States; how Boyne's 2030 plans are unfolding with a different strategy from 2020; “growth changes the flow of traffic”; why it's taken longer to get 2030 plans for Cypress and Brighton than for Boyne's other resorts; “we had a lot of old Riblets in our system”; the importance of creating a sense of place without the pitfalls of becoming “Intrawest 2.0”; why Boyne finally went wide with RFID; why liftline fast lanes have flopped at Boyne's resorts in the past; and Boyne's obsessive focus on snowmaking.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewBoyne is just absolutely rolling right now. In September, when The Highlands announced that it would retire three Riblet triples for a D-line six-pack in 2023, I itemized the big projects underway across Boyne' Resorts' portfolio:About five years ago, statement lifts started raining out of the Montana sky. After rolling out four high-speed lifts in five years (the Powder Seeker six in 2016, Ramcharger 8 and the Shedhorn high-speed quad in 2018, and the Swift Current 6 in 2021), Big Sky recently unveiled a gargantuan base-to-summit lift network that will transform the mountain, (probably) eliminating Mountain Village liftlines and delivering skiers to the high alpine without the zigzagging adventure across the now-scattered lift network. Skiers will board a two-stage out-of-base gondola cresting near the base of Powder Seeker before transferring to a higher-capacity tram within the same building.Impressive as the transformation of Big Sky has been, it represents a fraction of the megaprojects going on across Boyne's 10-resort empire. Here's a survey of what's happening around Boyneworld this offseason alone:SugarloafAs the centerpiece of their 450-acre West Mountain expansion, New England's second-largest ski area is currently rebuilding and retrofitting the Swift Current high-speed quad from Big Sky. Installation is scheduled for next summer. I discussed this expansion and the rest of the mountain's 2030 plan with GM Karl Strand two years ago:Sunday RiverBoyne's third eight-pack is rising on Jordan Peak. It's gonna be a bomber, an overbuilt look-ahead lift that will eventually serve an outpost called “Western Reserve,” which may double the 870-acre resort's size. The mountain is also continuing work on the Merrill Hill expansion, a big piece of the mountain's 2030 plan.LoonLast December, Boyne opened eight-pack number two at Loon Mountain, New Hampshire. The event was electric. Meanwhile, the quad that once served that side of the mountain sat in the rebuild barn, so it could replace and retire the Seven Brothers triple, work that has been ongoing all summer.Pleasant Mountain (formerly Shawnee Peak)Boyne bought Maine's oldest ski area less than a year ago, so they've yet to announce any big-time lift projects. For now, the company did the impossible, winning social media for a day with their unanimously lauded decision to change the ski area's name back to Pleasant Mountain, which it had carried from 1938 to 1988. While this doesn't alter the ski experience in any way, it does show that Boyne is here to wow people. Just wait until they start talking lifts and expansion.Boyne MountainEight-pack number four will be here, on Boyne's shortest ski area, a 500-foot Michigan bump. The chair will replace a pair of ancient triples, dropping skiers atop one of the best pods of beginner skiing in the Midwest, a delightful jumble of long, looping greens threading through low-angle forest.Big SkyI mean what isn't happening at Big Sky? This gondola-tram complex will instantly become one of the most iconic lift networks in North American skiing. I recapped the Montana flagship's evolution from backwater to beefcake with mountain COO Taylor Middleton earlier this year:BrightonBoyne's snowiest mountain is also one of the few without a long-term 2030-type plan. This, Boyne Resorts CEO Stephen Kircher explained to me, is because the resort sits on Forest Service land, complicating the long-term planning process. No matter. The ski area recently began the permitting process for a D-Line (what else?) sixer to replace Crest Express, the ski area's oldest high-speed quad.Summit at SnoqualmieThe motley agglomeration of what was once four separate ski areas is about to Rip Van Winkle its way into modernity. The ski area's 2030 plan, announced in April, sketches out eight new or upgraded lifts, including a trio of triples at freewheeling Alpental. The first lift is going in as I type this – a fixed-grip carpet-loaded triple to replace the old Hidden Valley Riblet double. GM Guy Lawrence and I went through these updates in a podcast recorded two days prior to the announcement:CypressBoyne's only Canadian ski area is upgrading its Sky summit double with a carpet-loaded quad.One month later, Loon announced a 30-acre South Peak expansion that will finally connect the monster Escape Route parking lots with the ski area via a carpet-loaded quad next year:Here's the full story:It had been more than two years since Kircher's last stop on the podcast, and the big projects just keep dropping. There are plenty more on the way, too, but this seemed like a pretty good time to check in to see what was driving this investment binge.What I got wrong* I referred to Sunday River's upcoming Western Reserve expansion as the “Western Territories.”* In framing Boyne's expansion story, I asked why the company started buying additional resorts “in the ‘90s.” The company began expanding in the ‘60s, of course, with the addition of The Highlands. What I had meant to ask was, why did the company begin expanding in earnest with the 1997 purchase of Crystal Mountain. Over the next decade, Boyne would add five more resorts, doubling its portfolio.* I said that Vail “bought” Andermatt-Sedrun in Switzerland. They only own a 55 percent stake in the ski area – the other 45 percent is under the control of local investors.* I said in passing that Deer Valley was not on the Ikon Pass. It is, of course, as a seven-day partner on the full pass. What I had meant to say was that the Ikon Pass is not Deer Valley's season pass.* I said that Boyne had been a “laggard” in RFID. Kircher points out that the company had introduced the technology at Brighton and Crystal a number of years ago.* I stated that there was no snowmaking at Summit at Snoqualmie – Kircher points out that the resort uses “a small amount” on their tubing hill and terrain park.Podcast NotesThe Gatlinburg Skylift is a pretty incredible complex. I stopped by in September:As Kircher noted, SNL had its fun with the Sky Bridge (5:20):Boyne Resorts on The Storm Skiing PodcastStorm archives are well-stocked with Boyne Resorts interviews. This is Kircher's third appearance on the podcast. Funny note: The Storm featured Kircher for podcast number 6, and 100 episodes later on number 106.My interviews with the leaders of Big Sky and Summit at Snoqualmie both rank in the top 10 for total number of all-time Storm Skiing Podcast downloads (out of 117 podcasts):Leaders of each of Boyne's New England resorts have appeared on the podcast multiple times. The exception is Pleasant Mountain, which I'll feature on an episode once their long-term plans come together.I also interviewed the leaders of each of Boyne's Michigan resorts:That just leaves Brighton and Cypress. I'll get to Brighton soon enough, and I'll wrap Cypress in after I officially enter Canada in May.Meet my new co-host, Rocky the catMy cat wouldn't shut up and is the third party in this podcast. His name is Rocky. He is 17. Or so. He looks like he's about 700. He could be. I adopted him from a shelter in May 2006. Meaning he's been in my life longer than either of my kids, by several years. A fact that astonishes me, really. All he does is meow meow meow all goddamn day. He wants to eat every five minutes. Meow meow meow. That's the problem during this podcast – he is demanding his five-times-hourly feeding. Otherwise, he is a sweet animal. He comes when you call him, like a dog. He hates the outside and sheds like a yeti. He's best buddies with my 5-year-old son and he looks like a miniature cow:He's moved all over New York City with me, though he would be just as happy living in a box truck in a Tampa strip mall. He can no longer run or jump, though he still manages the stairs quite well. He is not a smart animal, and that may have contributed to his longevity – he is not curious enough to get himself into trouble. He still manages to make quite a mess. A cat is the highest-maintenance animal I can manage, and just barely. But I quite like him, even if he chose an unusual hour, on this one day, to vary from his normal 22-hour-per-day sleep schedule and interject himself into our conversation.The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing all year long. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 125/100 in 2022, and number 371 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

To support independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Oct. 10. Free subscribers got it on Oct. 13. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription.WhoKen Rider, general manager of Brundage Mountain, IdahoRecorded onOct. 3, 2022About BrundageClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Brundage Mountain Holdings LLC, which Rider describes as a collection of “Idaho families.”Pass affiliations: Indy PassReciprocal pass partners – view full list here:* 5 days at Red Lodge* 4 days at Diamond Peak* 3 days each at Loveland, Monarch, Ski Cooper, Sunlight, Mt. Bohemia, Snow King, Mt. Hood Meadows, Beaver Mountain* 2 days at Homewood* Limited tickets available at Powder Mountain* Half off lift tickets at AltaLocated in: McCall, IdahoClosest neighboring ski areas: Little Ski Hill (10 minutes), Tamarack (47 minutes)Base elevation: 5,882 feetSummit elevation: 7,803 feet at SargentsVertical drop: 1,920 feetSkiable Acres: 1,920 acresAverage annual snowfall: 320 inchesTrail count: 70 (46% black, 33% intermediate, 21% beginner)Lift count: 6 (1 high-speed quad, 4 triples, 1 surface lift - view Lift Blog's of inventory of Brundage's lift fleet)Uphill capacity: 7,900 skiers per hourWhy I interviewed himIn April, I put together a list of 11 ski areas offering bomber reciprocal season pass benefits. Since the passes I chose are inexpensive and offer free days at up to 50 partners, they've become a bit of a cheat code for the adventure set ready to break from (or supplement) Epic or Ikon - even for skiers who live nowhere near the mountain. With that wink-wink in mind, I contacted each ski area to ask whether they mailed season passes. Brundage's answer led to an email exchange that led to this podcast.Some version of that story is how around half of Storm Skiing Podcasts are booked, but the timing was fortuitous. I'd been meaning to reach out anyway. What was this big mountain with big snow that was an Indy Pass favorite? How does a place that's larger than Aspen Mountain and Aspen Highlands combined, that's roughly the size of Beaver Creek or Deer Valley, that gets as much snow as Winter Park, stand so unassuming on the national scene? Yes, the place only has one high-speed lift and no on-slope lodging. It's far off any interstate and not particularly close to any large cities. But it's up the road from a great resort town (McCall), and close enough to supernova-ing Boise to catch some of the ambient heat.Who are you, Brundage? And why are you so shy about it? It was time to talk.What we talked aboutDetermining this year's opening date; snowmaking at Eldora; going from grad school to $10-an-hour peddling Copper Mountain lift tickets; working at heyday Intrawest; Tamarack in its Wild West 2004 grand opening; Tamarack's decline and current renaissance; Grand Targhee; McCall 101; the Little Ski Hill; how mountain-town pricing pressures are hitting Idaho; wage bumps and creative employee housing at Brundage; modernizing Brundage; the ski area's ownership history and the group that purchased it two years ago; Brundage's aggressive, expansive master plan; the Temptation Knob beginner/intermediate pod and what sort of lifts we could see there; Brundage's 320 average annual inches of snow falls at its base; potential lifts up Hidden Valley and Sargents; whether the Centennial triple could make its way to another part of the mountain; potential expansion off the East Side/backside of Brundage; how large Brundage could become if the master plan is fully built out; whether Brundage could be or wants to be a national destination; whether Bluebird Express could ever be upgraded to a six-pack; the evolution of BEARTOPIA!!!; Brundage's snowmaking capabilities, potential, and water source; the incoming new lodge; fixing the flow from parking lot to lodge to rentals to ski school; finally slopeside housing; the tension between the keep-it-wild crowd and people who want to sleep on the mountain; season passes; why Brundage was an inaugural Indy Pass member; the percentage of Brundage skier visits that are Indy and whether the pass is causing peak-period crowding; why the ski area introduced Indy Pass blackouts last year; and why Brundage continues to offer reciprocal lift ticket partnerships (for now).                Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewBrundage is one of many indie resorts across the West that are leveling up. Under an Idaho-strong group that took ownership a few years ago, the ski area is reworking its master plan. The scale of this thing is pretty incredible. Observe:Compare that to the trailmap above. The new plan would add:* A new beginner/intermediate pod on Temptation Knob, adjacent to the existing Beartopia pod. Rider told me that he foresees a high-speed quad rising up the knob's 650-ish vertical feet and a surface lift off the backside.* A fixed-grip quad serving Hidden Valley from the base area.* A pair of lifts serving Sargents, which is currently on the trailmap as unpatrolled terrain. Rider said that he imagines both Sargents and Wayback as fixed-grip doubles or quads.* Two large intermediate/beginner pods off the backside, both likely served by fixed-grip quads – labelled “Lift G” and “Eastside” on the map.If completed, these expansions would vault Brundage into Bogus Basin/Sun Valley territory size-wise, but there's a lot more happening here: a new lodge that isn't 700 steps above the parking lot, on-site residences, extensive (and creative) employee housing, serious snowmaking investments, and much more.Brundage is also a bit of a barnstormer, among the top two Indy Pass resorts in the West every year since launch. New England, of course, is Indy ground zero, but this year Brundage finished 10th in redemptions out of 82 Indy Pass partners. The only Western resort to top out higher was Utah A-bomb Powder Mountain.That really surprised me. My guess would have been Indy's big Washington ski areas – Mission Ridge, White Pass, 49 Degrees North – and Silver Mountain plopped dead off Interstate 90 an hour east of Spokane. Yes, the Tamarack/Brundage combo – the mountains sit less than an hour apart – is one of Indy's best, but the McCall Miracle was a top draw even before Tamarack joined in 2020.Brundage is telling a good story, and it's getting better. Now was a great time for a check-in.Questions I wish I'd askedI meant to ask about the Rainbow Fire, which hit Brundage last month but ended up leaving minimal damage. An article on the resort's website summarizes the whole ordeal pretty well anyway:Just five days after lightning sparked a fire at the top of Brundage Mountain, the Forest Service has declared the Rainbow Fire to be officially under control.The Rainbow Fire was sparked by lightning during a thunderstorm event on the evening of Wednesday, September 7 and was immediately visible from both McCall and New Meadows. Initial attack efforts kept the fire from spreading beyond the upper Hidden Valley area, which is located to the north of Brundage Mountain's main front side runs.Smokejumpers and engine crews engaged with the fire the first night, and an aerial assault from helicopters and scoopers doused the flames with water and applied fire retardant at the top of Brundage Mountain the following day.Ground crews circled the fire zone with hoses and worked through the weekend to monitor the perimeter and put out hot spots. The fire was contained to an area of less than five acres.“The Brundage Mountain team would, once again, like to thank the smokejumpers, firefighters and fire managers who sprung into action to quickly control this fire,” says Brundage Mountain General Manager, Ken Rider. “Wednesday night's lightning event resulted in a number of new fire starts on the Payette National Forest. The efforts to contain and control those new fires, while continuing to make progress on larger, existing fires in the area, speaks to the skill, dedication and hard work of our friends at the Payette National Forest and partner organizations like SITPA, the BLM and Lone Peak Fire Department from Utah.”Brundage Mountain crews will be assessing the Rainbow Fire scar but the impacts on skiers and riders are expected to be minimal.“The torching and visible flames the first night of this fire were alarming,” added Rider. “We are beyond grateful that it will have such a minor impact on our overall operations and on the skiing and riding public.”What I got wrongI say in the intro that Rider began his ski career at Intrawest. As we discuss in the conversation, his first ski job was actually at Eldora. I also asked Rider about going to the “new ski state” of Idaho when he went to work at Tamarack – I meant to say “new-to-you ski state,” since Rider was moving there from Colorado. I also have it stuck in my head that Beaver Creek, opened in 1980, was the last major ski resort developed in the U.S. prior to Tamarack in 2004, but Rider correctly reminded me that it was Deer Valley, in 1981. One could also argue for Yellowstone Club (1997), Mount Bohemia (2000), Silverton (2001), or even Whitetail (1991). But those all have some sort of asterisk: too oligarchy, too minimalist, too borderline-backcountryish, too Pennsylvania. The NSAA keeps a list here, though it's missing quite a few ski areas (Wolf Creek), and has a bunch that haven't operated in a while (Gateway, New Hampshire; Elk Ridge, Arizona).Why you should ski BrundageIf you're reading this far down the page then you don't need much of a nudge to pencil “ski 2,000-acre, 2,000-foot-vertical-drop ski area with 300-plus inches of snow” into your winter calendar. The skiing, like most Idaho skiing, is pretty great. But I always feel a sense of urgency when describing ski areas that are poised to unfold like a pop-up book into something far larger. It's only going to take a few more seasons of Epic and Ikon mountains disgorging the Epkonotron onto their slopes to turbocharge the Skipass Hack-O-Matic 5000. Savvy vacationers are going to figure out the McCall + a growing Brundage + a growing Tamarack = a-good-ski-vacation-without-feeling-as-though-you're-re-enacting-the-invasion-of-Normandy equation at some point.Brundage will never be Park City or Palisades Tahoe. But it will get bigger and better and busier than it is today. So go now, while their longest lift is still a fixed-grip triple crawling 1,653 vertical feet up the incline, over hillocks and pine forests and with the lakes placid in the distance. Enjoy the motion in the midst of stillness, the big mountain with the little-mountain vibe and prices and energy. And look around and imagine what it will one day be.Podcast notesRider and I discussed the Beartopia map briefly. It's a pretty brilliant rework of Brundage's beginner corner. If you don't have kids, perhaps you don't agree. But I recently sat beside my 5-year-old for a flight across the Atlantic, during which time he became obsessed with the route map displayed on the seatback monitor. The touchscreen offered two options: the regular map or the “kids' map.” The kids' map was nothing more than the regular map with some skunks and deer and bears superimposed over the atlas. And yet so extreme was his delight that you would have thought I had just invented cookie burgers. Yes Son it's just like a hamburger but instead of meat there's a giant cookie in there and yes of course you can have seven of them.Anyway, here's the map:Rider at one point compares the Brundage baselodge to “a steamship on the Mississippi Delta.” It was not meant to be a compliment. The lodge, like those antique riverboats, is staggered, boxy, imposing. An anachronism in our architecture-at-peace-with-the-earth moment. Still, as an avid reader of Twain, I found the comparison interesting, a literary-historic reference in a podcast about an Idaho ski area. Those sorts of thinkers, fecund and surprising, are the sorts of folks I want running my local.I also mentioned in the intro that Brundage is my third Idaho podcast this year. In January, I went deep on the Tamarack story with the resort's president, Scott Turlington:Then, this summer, I chatted with Bogus Basin General Manager Brad Wilson:The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 109/100 in 2022, and number 355 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Want to send feedback? Reply to this email and I will answer (unless you sound insane). You can also email skiing@substack.com.The Storm is exploring the world of lift-served skiing all year long. Join us.Like The Storm? Invite the rest of your organization in via a per-subscriber discount that can be managed through a single administrator: Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Ordinances, Resolutions, & ProclamationsPublic Hearing and Adoption of Resolution No. 22-27R Amending the Municipality of Skagway Classification Review Ranking by Grade to Add a Deputy Clerk Position at Grade 14 or 16New BusinessConfirmation of Appointments to Boards, Commissions, and CommitteesShannon & Wilson Presentation re: Rockslide Mitigation Update and DiscussionApproval of MRV Architects Proposal for Ore Peninsula Walkway/Pedestrian Amenities PlanningApproval of Community Grant Funding AwardsLittle DippersSCCC Admin ServicesNorth Words Writers SymposiumApproval of School Kitchen Project Change OrderConsideration of Letter from White Pass re: 2023 Port Transition

Scientists say Skagway's largest cruise ship dock will see significant rockslide activity but can't predict when it will happen, leading the leaseholder White Pass and the municipality to rearrange pedestrian traffic flow in the area; Haines may see a large new subdivision in the near future, the rebuild continues from the deadly 2020 landslide, plus […] The post Newscast – July 22, 2022 first appeared on KHNS Radio | KHNS FM.

Behan singing Behan, Robert Service reciting his own work, and songs of the White Pass and Yukon Railroad.

The guys sat down with Chad Crammer, head boys basketball coach at Morton White-Pass and talked hoops, small school hoops, and the rich tradition and legacies built in Morton. visit www.wibca.com if you are interested in events hosted by WIBCA visit 2www.wascoach.net to join our coaches association WIBCA Sponsors: Baden (www.baden.com) and Ballogy HQ (www.ballogy.com)

To support independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Starting in June, paid subscribers will receive podcasts three days before free subscribers.WhoDoug Fish, President and Founder of the Indy PassRecorded onMay 9, 2022About the Indy PassHere’s an overview of the 2022-23 Indy Pass suite:And here’s what that gets you access to:Why I interviewed himIt’s unfortunate that Steamboat, a personal favorite and one of Colorado’s most amiable mountains, has become the avatar for sticker-shock skiing, but there it is: $269 peak-day walk-up lift tickets last season. Any collateral pain is self-inflicted, and they seem committed to the process, so I don’t feel too bad hammering on them about it. Still, for readers of this newsletter, most of whom have next year’s Ikon Passes tucked into their jacket pockets by Easter, my ceaseless yammering about walk-up ticket prices can probably seem tedious and abstract, like detailing the logistical challenges of sustainable asteroid mining or the tolerable viral load of a brontosaurus: who cares?Which is a fair question. But as the three dozen or so mega-resorts that have mainlined this triple-digit ticket tactic race toward $300 for a day of skiing, a cartoonishly absurd double universe has materialized. One that makes comparisons like this possible: for $10 more than an Ikon-oblivious skier would pay for one day at Steamboat, they could have skied 162 days at 81 ski areas with a $279 Indy Pass. Which is probably more days than most skiers rack up in a decade, and more ski areas than they visit in a lifetime.It’s a hell of a bargain, is what I’m trying to say here, and an amazing product that the greater skiing public has, so far, failed to appreciate in large numbers. Indy predicted 400,000 redemptions this past season. The number came in at 125,000. That’s a 68.75 percent miss, which Fish attributes, in this interview, to overzealous predictions coming off the bomber Covid-induced boom season of 2020-21. What that means, for us skiers, is that this thing probably has plenty of room left to grow.“Growth” means a couple things here. First, more resorts are incoming. Fish promised as much in this interview, even in already crowded New England. The smaller-than-expected number of redemptions means the 85 percent cut of Indy revenue that goes to the resorts was not as diluted as Fish feared it could have been (he explains how the pass operates in the interview). Plus, the new Allied Resorts discount program is broad enough that this thing could easily reach a total of 200 downhill partners (it’s not unthinkable that the addition of cross-country ski areas could push that number toward 300).Second, more skiers are likely coming too. That’s a good thing. Numbers bring stability. Wouldn’t more skiers mean more redemptions? Yes, but it means more revenue, too, and since it’s likely that the most hardcore skiers – i.e. those most likely to redeem 30 days – are already in. Fish was comfortable enough with the average number of redemptions that he held prices steady for next season – and sales are strong as a result.For all the attention The Storm lavishes on the Indy Pass, the product is an industry minnow, not even three years old. Yet somehow this little pass with as many annual visits as an Eagle County weekend has stapled itself to the marquee alongside the Epic and Ikon passes, a toddler in size 14 boots. It’s been astonishing to watch it grow, but it will be more amazing still to see what happens when it grows into those knee-high kicks. Fish is the first three-time guest on The Storm Skiing Podcast. Yes, because he’s generous with his time and humble in his approach, but also because he keeps coming up with new things to say, keeps making the story more compelling, keeps making us believe that this is something worth talking about.What we talked aboutContinued discussion on whether any of the Mt. Hood ski areas would ever land on Indy; redemption and sales totals versus expectations for this past ski season; how the Indy Pass works from a business point of view; how Indy is able to sign headliners like Powder Mountain and Jay Peak, which could easily align with the Epic or Ikon passes; how Cannon kept visits high even as the mountain added an enormous number of blackout dates; White Pass finds the Epkon refugees; the power of Brundage and Tamarack as a combined destination; other popular Indy combos; the New England state that will definitely get a new full Indy Pass partner before next season; expansion potential in New York; the chances of Jay staying with Indy post-sale (whenever that happens); why Indy Pass prices will stay steady for 2022-23; why the Indy Pass processing fee exists and why it’s here to stay; the Indy Switch Pass; untangling the spaghetti bowl of last year’s blackout dates; fixing the Saturday problem; thoughts on the recent additions of Kelly Canyon, Bluewood, and Ski Sawmill; the surprising appeal of Swain; finally breaking into Colorado, with Sunlight; the number of Indy Pass visits that originate out of state; thoughts on Japan; dispensing with the resort target number; losing Marmot Basin; the genesis and purpose of the Allied Resorts program; begging Doug to shift Burke to full partner status; and why Indy began including cross-country ski areas and how the response has been so far.          Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewSince it debuted in 2008, the Epic Pass has both held steady and constantly evolved. Its premise, from the beginning, was fairly basic: unlimited access to all Vail Resorts, all the time. It launched with six mountains, and now includes access to 9,000. But almost annually, Vail has added some innovation or another: the Epic Local Pass, various versions of the Epic Day Pass, local and midweek passes, a massive lodging and on-mountain discount program, the Epic Mix tracking app, a payment plan, etc. Some of these innovations were more useful than others, but every year, we can expect something new. And that’s in addition to all the extra ski areas.Vail, skiing’s imperial fleet, rippling with aircraft carriers and battleships and submarines, is well equipped to dream up such annual salvos of newness. It’s impressive that Indy, with a staff that would be insufficient to captain a 30-foot fishing boat, has orchestrated a commando version of this evolution. The 2019 Indy Pass cost $199 and delivered two days each at 34 ski areas. There were no blackouts and no product variation (a few partners offered an add-on pass). The next year: 52 ski areas, plus a $99 kids pass and a $129 add-on pass, available uniformly across all partner ski areas. The Indy+ Pass and a payment plan also debuted. 2021 brought a (probably too large, Fish now admits) price increase, but access to 66 ski areas at launch and an additional 17 by December, including four in Japan.  By the time Indy confirmed its 2022-23 lineup last month, the roster stood at 83 downhill partners. An ambitious cross-country initiative seeks to add more than 30 Nordic partners by winter, and the standalone XC pass is just $69 (all Indy Pass holders get the XC days). And the Allied Resorts program, announced earlier this week, ensures that nearly any ski area that’s interested can fold itself into this nationally marketed network. Fish also held prices steady, upped the renewal discount, and introduced the Indy Switch Pass to encourage Epkon snobs to reconsider.There was plenty to talk about, is my point. And Fish, as always, accommodated, on one condition: for the love of God can we keep it to an hour?Questions I wish I’d askedI had meant to ask Doug about the possibility of pre-loading Indy tickets onto resort’s RFID cards, but I didn’t get to it. While he said that such integrations were “not practical,” he did provide the following statement, teasing a pretty cool tech upgrade coming for the season after next:In partnership with our tech partner Entabeni Systems, we will be rolling out an app for the 2023-24 season [I incorrectly indicated on Twitter earlier this week that this feature would be available for next ski season] that will allow our passholders to carry their pass on their phones. Among other features, it will contain a scannable QR code that can be read at the ticket window, eliminating the need for looking them up in our system.This app can be deployed without passing any additional costs on to our customers which we’d have to do if we issued a physical pass.What we got wrongI intimated that Powder Mountain was outside of the Wasatch Mountains, but the ski area in fact lies within this mountain range. I also suggested that Winter Park was a blacked-out mountain on the Ikon Pass, which it is not (on any version of the product other than the Ikon Session Pass). Doug also referred to “Wintergreen,” West Virginia. He meant Winterplace. Wintergreen is in Virginia, and is not an Indy Pass partner. Doug also referred to the marketing director of Sunlight, Colorado as “Tony Hawks” – his name is Troy Hawks, and you can (and should) follow him on Twitter here, since he’s the man who brough Indy Pass to Colorado.Why you should buy the Indy PassIn my head, gas is always a dollar a gallon. Even decades after that fleeting era when I pushed shopping carts for $4.35 an hour and drove a rusty pick-up, any sum over $15 to fill my gas tank baffles me. Candy bars are forever lodged at 35 cents, Hostess cupcakes at 55 cents – such were the prices when I would peddle my Huffy to the neighborhood Total in the 1980s.I’m sure there’s a name for this pricing nostalgia. Whatever it’s called, the first best thing about the Indy Pass has become a liability, as It-Used-to-Cost-$199 Bro forever peppers social media with his waxings of this bygone era. “When the Indy Pass came out, it was under $200 and there were no blackouts,” he will complain. “And it came with a pair of Volkls and a free Subaru. Now it costs $279, there’s all kinds of blackouts, and the courtesy ‘vehicle’ is just a Shetland pony without a saddle. It’s all going to hell!”Bros across America need to let it go. Yes, last year’s price jump was a little extreme. Fish admits as much in the interview. But it is still a very good deal – had it debuted at $279 with its current roster, it would seem like the greatest thing ever. That’s because it is. The glory in the Indy Pass is not in what it was – a coalition of 34 broadly distributed resorts – but in what it has become and is transforming into. We’re closing in on 100 partners, and we’ll likely blow right past that by the Fourth of July. God bless America. This is one damn fine product.There is one more dumbass Bro out there that befuddles Indy’s ascension: It’s-Not-Worth-It Bro. It’s-Not-Worth-It Bro’s narrative goes something like this: yes, it’s cool that Indy put all these mountains on one pass, but they’re not the sort of ski resorts that are “worth” traveling to Montana/Idaho/Utah for or anything.I beg your pardon? Scroll back to the chart at the top of this article. Red Lodge: 2,400 vertical feet, 1,635 acres, 250 inches of annual snowfall. Powder Mountain: 2,205 vert/8,464 acres (3,000 lift-served)/400 inches. Brundage: 1,921/1,920/320. Castle: 2,833/3,592/354. Exactly which district of Narnia do you call home if these numbers leave you yawning?There are a lot of good reasons to buy an Indy Pass: you live within a few hours of a half dozen or more partners and are looking for a reasonably priced family winter. You have an Epkon pass but are leary of voyaging through the gates of Mount Snow/Keystone/Mammoth/Crystal on a midwinter Saturday. You’ve already visited every high-speed demo center on the continent and are looking for something different. You’re Van Life Bro and want to ski an entire winter for less than five dollars. You want to support skiing’s equivalent of craft beer (only, in this case, the indie label is a lot less expensive). Or you just love skiing and everything about it, and you want to understand this dynamic world to the fullest extent possible.There are good reasons not to buy the Indy Pass, too: you don’t travel much, the mountains are too far, you are happy with your local, you dad’s private plane is too big to land at any mountain town airport other than Eagle. But if your goal is lots of skiing, and if you don’t exactly need a home mountain and have a little flexibility to travel, if you value novelty and don’t mind the occasional mile-long Hall double chair ride to the summit, then lock this thing in before prices increase on May 18.More Indy Pass on The Storm Skiing Podcast:Snow Ridge, New York GM Nick MirBeaver Mountain, Utah owner Travis SeeholzerLittle Switzerland, Nordic Mountain, The Rock Co-Owner Rick SchmitzTamarack, Idaho President Scott TurlingtonShawnee Mountain, Pennsylvania CEO Nick FredericksChina Peak, California CEO Tim CoheeLutsen and Granite Peak Owner Charles SkinnerCaberfae Peaks, Michigan Co-Owner and GM Tim MeyerWhaleback Executive Director Jon Hunt (recorded pre-Indy)Titus Mountain Co-Owner Bruce Monette Jr. (recorded pre-Indy)Indy Pass Founder Doug Fish (April 27, 2021 – 2nd appearance)West Mountain, New York owners Sara and Spencer Montgomery (recorded pre-Indy)Montage Mountain Managing Owner Charles Jefferson (recorded pre-Indy)Granite Peak, Wisconsin GM Greg FisherWaterville Valley, New Hampshire GM Tim SmithBolton Valley, Vermont President Lindsay DesLauriersBousquet GM and ownership (recorded pre-Indy)Saddleback, Maine GM Andy Shepard (recorded pre-Indy)Jay Peak, Vermont GM Steve WrightCannon Mountain, New Hampshire GM John DeVivoIndy Pass Founder Doug Fish (May 31, 2020 – 1st appearance)Berkshire East and Catamount, Massachusetts Owner Jon SchaeferBurk Mountain GM Kevin Mack (recorded pre-Indy)Magic Mountain, Vermont President Geoff HathewayThe Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 51/100 in 2022. Want to send feedback? Reply to this email and I will answer (unless you sound insane). You can also email skiing@substack.com. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

In this episode Nicole and Sarah host ski mom Kristen Lummis. Kristen is the mother of two skiers and the founder of braveskimoms.com, an incredible resource for ski moms with over 1,000 articles on everything from why skiing is good for moms and families to how cold is too cold to ski.Kristen shares her path to become one of the first female ski industry influencers. Kristen started writing parent/child focused resort reviews and expanded into gear reviews, ski lessons and everything she learned along the way with her own family. Kristen tells us about some great ski areas that you may not have heard of like Powderhorn, Sunlight, Homewood, White Pass and Bogus Basin, resorts where you can avoid the crowds, traffic and sky high prices.Keep up with the latest from Kristen!BraveSkiMom.com (tip: use the search function to navigate over 1000 posts)On Twitter: https://twitter.com/braveskimom?s=21On Instagram: https://instagram.com/braveskimomResources:Remote Ski Areas Where You Can Get Away From CrowdsColorado Gems PassPlease support our sponsor!Mabels Labels at www.mabelslabels.com and use code SKIMOMS for 15% off your first orderJoin the Ski Moms Fun Community!Follow us on Instagram @skimomsfunCheck out the Ski Moms Fun Store Get your copy of the Ski Moms CookbookEmail us at sarah@skimomsfun.com

This week we head to the place you're most likely to be murdered in the United States - Alaska! Put on your warmest outer layer and tune in as Jamie covers the state's history from otter trapping to gold panning. Then, after a little ice caving, Cassidy details the mysterious UFO encounter of flight JAL 1628. Jamie's recommendations: White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad Mendenhall Ice Caves Dog sledding Gold panning Whale watching Listen to the glacier while watching the northern lights Bear viewing Ghost town Cassidy's sources: Anchorage Press Washington Post The DeBrief Skeptoid Online Star Register Podimo

Episode 86In Ep86, Chris answers questions around the earlier ship names of the Cunard fleet, followed by the latest cruise news of the week.Support the ShowListen, Like, Subscribe & Review on your favourite podcast directory.Share the podcast with someone you think will enjoy the showBuy Me A Coffee – This podcast is only possible thanks to our supporters, simply buying a coffee keeps us on air. It is just like shouting your mate a coffee, and we consider our listeners close mates. https://bit.ly/2T2FYGXSustainable Fashion – choose a TBCP design or design your own… all using organic cotton, green energy and zero plastic https://bit.ly/32G7RdhSupport Chris in his walk from Cape to Cape: All donations support zero2hero empowering young people to deal with mental health.  https://donate.mycause.com.au/cause/263123?donateToMember=156839Cruise NewsCunard announces Queen Anne. The next in a fine line.Cunard announced the name of the new ship joining a world-renowned fleet, Queen Anne. Queen Anne will be Cunard's 249th ship and will make up a remarkable quartet of Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. This will mark the first time since 1999 that Cunard will have four ships at sea.The name ‘Queen Anne' celebrates Cunard's rich heritage, royal history and refined status – joining a luxury contemporary fleet now honouring the names of each Queen Regnant over the last millennium.The Cunard team explored multiple naming options and inspired by Queen Anne's reign, engaged with British historian, author and television presenter, Kate Williams, to assist in the detailed research. Kate says, ‘It is so exciting that the fourth ship of the fleet will be named after Queen Anne. She has a fascinating tale to tell – one of queenship, unity of developing constitutional monarchy, a golden age of the arts. She was an inspiring woman, wildly popular with her people. She should be celebrated. This new ship in the Cunard fleet is the perfect way to do it!'Queen Anne will feature reimagined Cunard signature spaces as well as the introduction of new guest experiences within dining, culture and entertainment, for an unparalleled cruise experience underpinned by outstanding White Star Service. Bridging tradition and contemporary luxury, Queen Anne celebrates the influential design styles of both past and present and introduces an updated Cunard livery. World renowned designers have joined forces to create an extraordinary and thoughtful standard-setting design – inspiring a new way to travel on sea. The décor will reveal bold colour tones and showcase a striking aesthetic, while in keeping with the renowned timeless Cunard sophistication.Queen Anne's maiden season programme will go on sale in May, with the ship's first sailings in early 2024.Another redeployment away from Australia Princess Cruises recently re-deploying Sapphire Princess on the West Coast of the United States, the ship's Australian cruises from 28 Aug to 29 Oct have been cancelled.Guests booked on these cancelled voyages can transfer to an equivalent voyage, or receive a future cruise credit or refund.Is it the end of Crystal?Rumours have been circling earlier today that the land-based teams for Crystal have been stood down, and a ship management company appointed to take over the safekeeping of the ships and assets.It has been no secret that parent company Genting has suffered financially since the pandemic too hold.All passengers are reportedly home, and crew being taken care of onboard.Our thought go out to the shoreside and ship based team members who really are at the heart and soul of the success of Crystal.European Waterways Expands Its Canal Barging Fleet With Purchase of Two Ultra Deluxe Hotel BargesEuropean Waterways announced the purchase of the stylish Enchanté and Finesse hotel barges, two double-decker vessels that reflect the ultimate in luxury canal barging. The vessels, which carry up to eight passengers and a crew of five that includes an onboard master chef, expand the company's Ultra Deluxe barge categories. Hotel barge Enchanté cruises the Canal du Midi, while Finesse explores the Canal du Centre and the Canal de Bourgogne in Southern Burgundy. Their purchases strengthen the company's status as the largest operator of luxury hotel barges in Europe with a total of 17 vessels. The purchases also come as barging vacations move out of the niche market category and into the mainstream, with more travellers discovering “the joys of hotel barging.”Enchanté and Finesse offer the perfect mix of luxury accommodations and modern amenities.  They feature luxurious ensuite cabins, large sun decks for alfresco dining, and a spa pool. Guests can also avail themselves of the onboard bicycles to pedal along the gentle towpaths or explore the nearby villages. Barge highlights also include a spacious saloon with an open demonstration galley where the master chef prepares the day's gourmet meals in full view of guests.Holland America Line Explores Alaska in 2023 with a Six-Ship Complement and Cruisetours to Denali and the YukonHolland America Line is charting a course to Alaska in 2023 with expertly crafted journeys on six ships that offer preferred access, exclusive overland transportation, culturally focused onboard experiences and more visits to Glacier Bay than any other major cruise line.Celebrating 75 years of Alaska exploration in 2022, Holland America Line weaves that expertise into every nuance of the journey, enabling travelers to discover the most authentic elements of the 49th state, both on board and ashore.From April through September 2023, guests can embark on Holland America Line's cruises to Alaska aboard Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Volendam and Westerdam. In addition to seven-day itineraries, Holland America Line is bringing back the popular 14-day “Great Alaska Explorer” cruise for two departures.For explorers who want to travel farther into the Great Land, 16 different Cruisetours (formerly Land+Sea Journeys) combine a three-, four- or seven-day Alaska cruise with an inland exploration of Denali National Park. Holland America Line is the only cruise line that extends land tours up to the unspoiled reaches of Canada's Yukon Territory.Cruises sail roundtrip from Seattle, Washington; roundtrip from Vancouver, B.C.; or one-way between Whittier (Anchorage), Alaska, and Vancouver. The ships deliver a premium experience designed for immersive cruising. Wraparound decks and an abundance of verandah staterooms bring guests closer to Alaska's natural wonders, while enriching Explorations Central (EXC) programming presents the opportunity to learn about the culture and history from authentic experts.Highlights for 2023 Alaska Cruises:Every Alaska cruise includes a visit to one or more of Alaska's iconic glacier destinations: Glacier Bay National Park, College Fjord, Hubbard Glacier and Twin Sawyer Glaciers of Tracy Arm.The 14-day “Great Alaskan Explorer” itinerary returns in 2023 to offer an in-depth adventure. Roundtrip from Vancouver aboard Nieuw Amsterdam (May 7) and Noordam (Sept. 17), the cruise calls at the Alaskan ports of Kodiak, Anchorage, Valdez, Sitka, Skagway and Ketchikan, and features Glacier Bay.Seven-day “Glacier Discovery Northbound” and “Glacier Discovery Southbound” itineraries cruise between Whittier and Vancouver aboard Nieuw Amsterdam and Noordam. Ports include Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, Alaska.Seven-day “Alaska Inside Passage” cruises sail roundtrip from Vancouver on Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam and Volendam. Ports include Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, except for Noordam that stops at Sitka vs Skagway.Seven-day “Alaskan Explorer” cruises sail roundtrip from Seattle aboard Eurodam and Westerdam, and include calls at Victoria, British Columbia (evening stay); and Ketchikan, Juneau and Sitka.All ships cruising in Alaska feature expanded onboard programming: guests can engage with an Alaska naturalist, special EXC presentations explore local topics such as Alaska's bush pilots and the famous Iditarod race, and cruises with Glacier Bay take on a National Park Ranger and local Huna Tlingit guides.Highlights for 2023 Denali Cruisetours:Nieuw Amsterdam and Noordam will offer Denali Cruisetours ranging from nine to 14 days.All Denali Cruisetours include a seven-day Glacier Discovery cruise featuring Glacier Bay, plus either College Fjord or Hubbard Glacier (depending on the direction), Inside Passage, as well as up to three nights at the McKinley Chalet Resort at the entrance to Denali National Park.All Double and Triple Denali itineraries include the Tundra Wilderness Tour, which provides the best wildlife viewing through Denali National Park.Holland America Line owns its motorcoaches, railcars and hotels, so schedules are preferential. Each Cruisetour gets a scenic ride on the luxury-domed McKinley Explorer, including select itineraries that offer Direct-to-Denali service, taking guests from their ship to their Denali hotel room on the same day.Highlights for 2023 Yukon & Denali Cruisetours:Holland America Line is the ONLY cruise line to offer an Alaska cruise combined with an overland tour to Denali and the Yukon.Yukon & Denali Cruisetours range from nine to 18 days and include either a three- or four-day Inside Passage cruise on Koningsdam or Volendam, or a seven-day Glacier Discovery cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam or Noordam; a two-or three-night stay at Denali; and a journey into the Yukon.Every Yukon & Denali Cruisetour includes the services of a professional Journey Host, who makes time on land easy, convenient and insightful.All Yukon & Denali Cruisetours include a ride on the McKinley Explorer full-dome railcars, and select itineraries add on the historic White Pass & Yukon Route railroad from Skagway.Yukon & Denali Cruisetours feature two nights in Dawson City, affording guests more time to relive Gold Rush history. Additional overnight experiences vary depending on the Cruisetour.An included tour on the Klondike Spirit paddlewheeler takes guests along the Yukon River past stunning tall pines, historic towns and wildlife; nearly all Yukon & Denali Cruisetours include a Gold Dredge 8 tour; and every Yukon & Denali itinerary includes the Tundra Wilderness Tour at Denali National Park.Holland America Line's McKinley Chalet Resort and Denali SquareCruisetours includes a stay at the McKinley Chalet Resort at the entrance to Denali National Park. The property is Holland America Line's magnificent 68-acre hotel on the Nenana River. The resort features dining facilities and guest rooms, including a 99-room complex featuring Denali Suites with balconies and larger living areas.Centrally located between the McKinley Chalet Resort and riverfront guest rooms, Denali Square is a gathering area with restaurants, an amphitheater, fire pits, outdoor seating, retail shops offering local goods, and an artist-in-residence cabin where Alaska native and local artists display and discuss their worksCoral Expeditions releases ‘The Solar Eclipse Expedition'In partnership with Australian Geographic, the voyage will witness the rare hybrid eclipse event from remote Ashmore ReefCoral Expeditions, Australia's pioneering small ship cruise line, has today announced a special departure, ‘The Solar Eclipse Expedition' sailing in April 2023. The one-of-a-kind itinerary will operate between Darwin and Broome on a 13-night voyage on Coral Adventurer exploring extraordinary forces of nature.The ship repositions to remote Ashmore Reef to give guests the ideal vantage point to experience the rare natural event of a Solar Eclipse in the company of world leading experts. Following the Eclipse event, guests will continue through the Kimberley to experience the mighty waterfalls, tidal phenomenon and wildlife of this unique area. Voyage highlights include sailing through Whirlpool Passage, exploring unique Edeline Island, walking along the pristine white sands of Silica Beach and snorkeling at world-class Rowley Shoals and Scott Reef.13 Nights | Departing Darwin 15 April 2023 | Arriving Broome 28 April 2023 | Coral Adventurer |Eclipse: 20 April 2023The Solar Eclipse Expedition will be initially released to members of Coral Expeditions' Xplorers Club and Australian Geographic Society on 8 February 2022 before general market release on 9 February 2022. Guest numbers will be strictly limited to 110.Emerald Cruises accepts deliver of Azzura Emerald Cruises has taken delivery of its first luxury superyacht, Emerald Azzurra the first of two for the brand. Departing Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam on Tue, the 100-guest luxury yacht is headed to Aqaba, where she will welcome guests on board her inaugural sailing on 11 Mar, the Best of the Red Sea cruise.Azzurra will then transit via the Suez Canal to embark on a season of Mediterranean and Adriatic cruises between Apr and Nov, before she travels to Doha in Dec.Celebrity Beyond completes sea trialsCelebrity Cruises' newest ship Celebrity Beyond has taken an important step toward her Apr debut, successfully completing her sea trials over the weekend.Beyond conducted her sea trials in the Bay of Biscay near her Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint Nazaire.They were overseen by more than 50 crew members, engineers and nautical experts.Celebrity Beyond will make her highly anticipated debut on 27 Apr when she sets sail from Southampton on a 10-night Western Europe cruise visiting Bordeaux, Lisbon, Seville, Malaga, Palma, and Barcelona.Carnival Corp. to Drydock 28 Ships in First Half of 2022Despite the disruptions of the Pandemic, Carnival Corp. has announced that 28 ships of the combined fleets will be drydocked in the first half of 2022. Many cruise lines are taking the opportunity to update and maintain and refurbish ahead of the return to service.  And moreJoin the show:If you have a cruise tip, burning question or want to record a cruise review get in touch with us via the website https://thebigcruisepodcast.com/join-the-show/  Guests: Chris Frame: https://bit.ly/3a4aBCg    Chris's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChrisFrameOfficialPeter Kollar: https://www.cruising.org.au/Home  Listen & Subscribe: Amazon Podcasts: https://amzn.to/3w40cDcApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2XvD7tF  Audible: https://adbl.co/3nDvuNgCastbox: https://bit.ly/2xkGBEI  Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/2RuY04u  I heart Radio:  https://ihr.fm/3mVIEUASpotify: https://spoti.fi/3caCwl8  Stitcher: https://bit.ly/2JWE8Tz  Pocket casts: https://bit.ly/2JY4J2M  Tune in: https://bit.ly/2V0Jrrs  Podcast Addict: https://bit.ly/2BF6LnE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US Hwy 12 White Pass closed again, Leavenworth still under state of emergency, WA DOH meets about law to detain people who are sick, Newsome releases $213B California budget, Oregon reports over $18,000 covid cases over weekend, Biden federal vaccine mandate went into effect Monday, Firth, ID fire station burns down. #headlines #headlinenews #breaking #breakingnews #news #podcast #conservative #washingtonnews #oregonnews #californianews #idahonews #pacificnorthwest #biden #vaccinemandate --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/behindtheline/support

News Dump Ep. 77: TransAlta Clause is Coming to Town On the 77th episode of News Dump, Aaron VanTuyl, Franklin Taylor and Eric Schwartz discuss the big conspiracies around the health code violations (and perhaps sale) at Yard Birds, Mackinaws' run-in with the LCB, White Pass for sale, a spike in ATM thefts and indecent exposure (unrelated), and more.

With the storm of the decade headed towards the Pacific Northwest and Washington State, Kris and other hikers hesitated on whether to continue hiking the PCT. Ultimately, Kris was determined to hike Washington state in its entirety. After re-supplying in Packwood, on October 12, 2016, Kris started out on the trail near the White Pass trailhead and seemingly vanished into the woods. Thank you to Pickles, Sally, David, and Aaron who chatted with me for this episode.If you know anything about Kris' disappearance, please contact the Yakima County Sheriff's office at 509-574-2500.Support me on Patreon hereBring Kris Fowler Home Facebook Page---DISCLAIMER:The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are that of the creator and do not necessarily reflect that of any of the guests on this show. Assumptions or commentary made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the creator – and, since I am a critically-thinking human being, these views are always subject to change, revision, correction, or rethinking at any time.---FACEBOOK: @MissingUnexplainedPodINSTAGRAM: @missingunexplainedpodTWITTER: @missingXpodEMAIL: tyler@themissingpod.comWEBSITE: themissingpod.comCredits: Theme Music: Premium Beat, Dark Woods by Colorfilm Music VO Music: Epidemic Sound, The Miner by Both Are Infinite Artwork: Photo from Unsplash (Shapelined), design by Tyler Hooper Writing, Producing, Interviewing, and Editing: Tyler Hooper Sound Engineering and Mastering: Manfred Lotz Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/tylerhooper)

On Mother's Day, May 8, 2016, 34-year-old Kris Fowler set out the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,653 mile hike stretching from Mexico to Canada, all through the west coast of the United States. But on October 12, with less than 400 miles to go on the trail, Kris, who had stopped in Packwood Washington for supplies, set off to resume the PCT near White Pass in the Cascade mountain range. Kris was hoping to get ahead of a brewing storm, one that people would later claim was the biggest Washington State had experienced in decades.  As other hikers left the trail to wait out the inclement weather, Kris, in his sandals, set off into the dense Washington wilderness and seemingly vanished into the thick wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.Support me on Patreon here.---DISCLAIMER:The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are that of the creator and do not necessarily reflect that of any of the guests on this show. Assumptions or commentary made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the creator – and, since I am a critically-thinking human being, these views are always subject to change, revision, correction, or rethinking at any time.---FACEBOOK: @MissingUnexplainedPodINSTAGRAM: @missingunexplainedpodTWITTER: @missingXpodEMAIL: tyler@themissingpod.comWEBSITE: themissingpod.comCredits: Music: Premium Beat, Dark Woods by Colorfilm Music Artwork: Photo from Unsplash (Shapelined), design by Tyler Hooper Writing, Producing, Interviewing, and Editing: Tyler Hooper Sound Engineering and Mastering: Manfred Lotz Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/tylerhooper)

The Storm Skiing Podcast is sponsored in part by:Mountain Gazette - Listen to the podcast for discount codes on subscriptions and merch.Helly Hansen - Listen to the podcast to learn how to get an 18.77 percent discount at the Boston and Burlington, Vermont stores.WhoDoug Fish, President and Founder of the Indy PassRecorded onApril 26, 2021Why I interviewed him Because the Indy Pass materialized out of nowhere to help solve so many of skiing’s intractable problems: the problem of affordability, of outsized attention to too few ski areas, of the ski family as a viable entity. Even as Vail and Alterra have consolidated the continent’s best mountains onto megapasses far below the cost of single-mountain passes of five or 10 years ago, occasional skiers have recoiled at daily lift-ticket prices that blew right past the three-digit mark without even stopping to kick the dirt off their shoes. And as good a deal as the Epic and Ikon passes are, a stack of them can still stretch well beyond a family’s annual ski budget. Indy fixed this. For $796 – a touch more than the cost of a single adult Epic Pass and well below the price of an adult Ikon Pass – a family of four can ski for the season. It will require some travel and some creativity and some patience, but the reward will be days at an interesting patchwork of ski areas. There was nothing inevitable about this. Yes, there have always been independent alternatives to the so-called corporate resorts, but it took some vision to weave dozens of distinct mountains into a coherent coalition united around a common product that’s good both for ski areas and the skiers that love them. I wanted to talk to Fish about Indy’s evolution up to now and how the pass would continue to adapt to skiing’s rapid changes. Leftover powder for days at Powder Mountain. Photo courtesy of Indy Pass.What we talked aboutDoug’s great Western roadtrip of 2021; a case for ignoring ski area statistics and just showing up; exactly how much Indy Pass skier visits exploded this past season; landing Powder Mountain on the Indy Pass; how the mountain stands out even in Utah’s powder paradise; the wisdom of limiting the number of people on the mountain; why the ski area will limit the number of Indy Pass redemptions on any given day; which other Indy partners will follow suit; which parts of the sprawling Powder Mountain terrain network you can access with a lift ticket; the snowball effect of signing a big-name mountain; why some mountains don’t need the Indy Pass; skiing in Kalamazoo; a primer on Mt. Ashland, Oregon; the Indy Pass explorer; why density is good but too much density is bad; the renaissance at West Mountain, New York; the weirdness of New York skiing and which other ski areas may join; don’t give up on ORDA just yet; what happened in New England when Indy added Cannon; whether Indy is done in New England after adding Cannon, Jay Peak, Waterville Valley, and Saddleback; which New England partners Fish would add if he had his pick; whether we’re getting closer to partners in Tahoe or Colorado; where there may still be room to expand in the Midwest; the last ski area in the region that Fish covets; the top 10 Indy ski areas for 2020-21 ticket redemptions and what was surprising on that list; the appeal of White Pass; the shocking number of redemptions for Waterville Valley; what makes a ski area work and not work as an Indy partner; an updated goal for the desired number of Indy Pass resorts; Indy’s next great expansion opportunity; the novel program Indy is considering to support independent mountains that aren’t partners; how Indy set its 2021-22 pass prices and why they increased as much as they did; Indy’s financial model; why 100 percent of partners are returning for next season in spite of a smaller-than-expected Indy Pass payout; the explosion in the number of resorts with blackouts; whether the Indy Spring pass will return in 2022; why the assurance program won’t return for 2021-22; moving the Indy Pass on-sale date to the spring; Indy’s payment plan; and limiting the number of Indy Passes at the early-bird rate. Mt. Ashland, Oregon is one of Indy’s three new partners for the 2021-22 season. Photo courtesy of Indy Pass.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interview Because as it enters its third season, Indy Pass is transitioning from rough-hewn concept to polished product, with a roster of well-known and well-regarded mountains. New partners keep coming and established partners are staying. That’s good. But redemptions exploded 1,100 percent last season, pushing the payout-per-visit below the pass’ target. That’s bad. For Indy to be sustainable, it has to find the price point where skiers still feel like they’re getting a bargain and ski areas still feel like they’re not getting ripped off. Thus, new prices and lots of new blackouts. That’s going to be rough for some people who had become accustomed to Indy’s freewheeling early days. I wanted to talk to Fish about why Indy had to raise prices, how he found the right tiers, why so many more mountains have blackouts than in the past, and, maybe most important of all, how he landed Powder Mountain, the 500-inches-per-year Utah titan with strict ticket limits and a veil of exclusivity.West Mountain, New York’s owners have pumped $17 million into a gut renovation of the ski area over the past several years. Photo courtesy of West Mountain.Why you should buy this passEven with the price hikes, I still think the Indy Pass is a no-brainer if you live in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, or Upper Rockies. At least it is if you have a sampler’s mentality, a willingness to drive long distances on a regular basis, and an urge to ski every possible mountain and day that you can. That or a couple of weeks off and the patience to plan a resort-hopping roadtrip. I still like Indy as a holiday complement to an Epic or Ikon Pass – hit Bolton Valley on Stowe’s busiest days, or hop over to Magic when Stratton goes nutso. The new blackout tiers will make this more challenging, and the Indy+ feels as though it’s creeping out of bargain pass territory, but you’ll have to make that choice depending on how often you think you’ll ski, how far you’re willing to travel, and how flexible your schedule is. For the organized and the committed, it’s not going to be difficult to ski this pass down to per-day prices of decades past, and have a damn good time doing it.Additional reading/videosI released a full breakdown of Indy’s 2021-22 pass suite earlier today. Here’s some of my past coverage of Indy Pass and its partners:PodcastsWest Mountain, New York owners Sara and Spencer MontgomeryGranite Peak, Wisconsin GM Greg FisherWaterville Valley, New Hampshire GM Tim SmithBolton Valley, Vermont President Lindsay DesLauriersSaddleback, Maine GM Andy Shepard (recorded before the ski area joined the pass)Jay Peak, Vermont GM Steve WrightCannon Mountain, New Hampshire GM John DeVivoIndy Pass Founder Doug Fish (May 31, 2020)Berkshire East and Catamount, Massachusetts Owner Jon Schaefer Magic Mountain, Vermont President Geoff HathewayArticlesIndy Pass Signs Saddleback, Waterville Valley (Feb. 23, 2021)Indy Pass Adds Idaho’s Pomerelle and Soldier Mountains, Introduces Discounted Spring Pass (Feb. 2, 2021)Lift-Served Skiing Returns to Saddleback After Five-Year Hiatus (Dec. 16, 2020)Indy Pass Fills Out 2020-21 Lineup with Snow Ridge, Antelope Butte (Nov. 18, 2020)Indy Pass Signs Vermont’s Jay Peak (Oct. 19, 2020)Indy Pass Erupts Into Second Year With 630 Percent Sales Boom, Picks Up 12th New Mountain (Oct. 2, 2020)Indy Pass Solidifies Second-Year Coalition as It Breaks Into Wyoming, Loses Mt. Abram (Sept. 1, 2020)Magic Announces Record Pass Sales After Slashing Prices (June 21, 2020)Indy Pass Adds Cannon and Six Other Resorts, Kids Pass, Season Pass Add-On, Simple Pass Assurance Program (May 20, 2020) Get on the email list at www.stormskiing.com

Andy Mahre comes from legendary ski blood.  His dad and his twin brother are Olympic Medalists and were part of the fabric of 80’s Americana.  Andy’s skiing is a totally different direction compared to where his dad was taking skiing.  While Andy did race for a bit, he left that world to become one of the more innovative skiers of his time, with his effortless switch landings, huge drops, and calm style that have inspired a generation of skiers.  It’s another do not miss episode. Andy Mahre Show Notes: 5:00:  The pro bucket list, born to ski at White Pass, and Olympian Dad 14:00: First memories of skiing, racing, Harrison and other friends 20:00: Skiing is changing, ski culture and traveling to contests 27:00:  Stanley:  Get 30% off sitewide with the code drinkfast 10 Barrel Brewery:  Buy their beers, they support action sports more than anyone 29:00:  Moving to Mammoth, his breakout year, and the Zero Spin 36:00:  The K2 Back 9, breaking his back, and Idea/Nimbus 46:15:  COAL Headwear:  Use the code powell15 for 15% off Peter Glenn Ski and Sport 48:15:  Warren Miller, getting married, K2 issues, and other sponsors 58:00: Money and different Mahre projects 65 :00:  Inappropriate Questions with Pep Fujas

Late Monday night, Sept. 14, a fire sparked alongside the winding mountain highway that leads to White Pass, a ski area about 15 miles east of Packwood, Washington. The fire started a few miles east of White Pass, in steep terrain. A ski area employee traveling U.S. Highway 12 spotted the early flames and reported it. White Pass mountain manager Russ Forman jumped in the company’s tanker truck and headed to the scene. Photos later posted to Instagram show embers flying, trees in flames and Forman dousing the fire with a hose. “We tried to keep at bay until the Forest Service arrived. Helped some to keep it contained. When we left they had 3 engines and seemed to be getting it under control,” Eric Schultheiss, who first spotted the fire, posted on Facebook. As of Friday, the Cold Creek Fire had grown to 400 acres and is still burning in timber and brush, running uphills. Highway 12 remains closed in both directions. Homes around Rimrock and Clear lakes are at Level 2 evacuation – or “be

The industry wants to ensure that it has port access when ownership of the port returns to the city of Skagway from the White Pass and Yukon Railroad

Ships full of goldseekers anchor off Skagway, Alaska. There's no dock and it's chaos on the beach. How do you get your outfit off the ship and, once you do, should you take the shorter Chilkoot Trail or the flatter White Pass? One oldtimer tells you, no matter which you choose, you'll wish you took the other.

RT&S Editor-in-Chief Bill Wilson talks with Mark Taylor, Superintendent of Operations at White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad about the White Pass Loop project. The White Pass Loop Project was a 2020 RT&S Top Project.

Fellow Sockeye Cycles bike guide Rikki Watts and I take a drive up the White Pass and talk about dumpster diving for Food Not Bombs, dodging pedestrians at South by Southwest, and the awkward bike lanes of Austin, Texas. We also discuss bike touring on a raffled mountain bike, the finer points of packing bikes for shipping, and what Rikki had for breakfast. Links:Food Not BombsNeed for the Bike, by Paul FournelSouth by Southwest (SXSW)PatreonCoffee Break GermanSockeye CyclesSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/Tellmeaboutyourbike)

We did it! 100 Episodes! To celebrate, we’re re-tasting five of our top rated beers: Sonora Wheat by San Fernando Brewing Company, Bretta Rose’ by Firestone Walker, Tripel Karmeliet by Browerij Bosteels, Trois Pistoles by Unibroue, and Samuel Smith Imperial Stout by Samuel Smith Old Brewery. This week on FDB - bigfoot stolen, pigeons pay tribute to vets, McDonalds tea that gets you stoned, and more! Now please kick back, and enjoy another sit down with Friends Drink Beer. BEER EVENT OF THE WEEK EVENT: Bale Breaker's 4th Annual Fresh Off the Slopes Vintage Ski Gear Costume Party WHERE: Bale Breaker Brewing Company in Yakima, Washington WHEN: Friday, November 22, from 5pm - 9pm WHAT: CALLING ALL SKI BUMS AND BUNNIES: Fresh Off the Slopes by Bale Breaker ft. White Pass is coming back for another radical 80s ski party! Don your best retro snow 'fit and warm up with some of the most righteous beer that side of the Cascades. They're excited to celebrate year four of the Fresh of the Slopes campaign! This gnarly Après-Ski kickoff will be hosted at Bale Breaker’s taproom capped off with live music, fresh brews & food, prizes, and a costume contest to boot! Whichever one of you radical dudes/dudettes is crowned best dressed - you'll win a little Bale Breaker surprise. In addition, $1 from every pint of beer served at the event will be donated to White Pass Ski Patrol. Check it out! Have a question for Ryan & Alex? Submit it today at www.friendsdrinkbeer.com, and we will answer it on the next episode! Lastly if you like the show, donate to us and show your support: www.patreon.com/friendsdrinkbeer CREDITS Alex Hobbs - Executive Producer Ryan Roope - Executive Producer Jared Brody - Writer/Producer

The conversation with Taylor continues as we discussion climbing Alaska’s White Pass on a bike, the rewards of grocery shopping on a bike, and friendly competition in the Yukon’s Southern Lakes Gran Fondo:https://southernlakesyukongranfondo.com/I was inspired to produce my podcast by The Bikescape Podcast. Although it’s no longer listed in most podcast directories, the episodes are still available to stream through the blog:http://bikescape.blogspot.com/You can purchase Paul Fournel’s seminal collection of essays, “Need For The Bike,” at any fine purveyor of books. Or you can find it on Amazon:Https://www.amazon.com/dp/0803269099/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D9MJDb2WQ1KXVYou can watch two videos I produced for Sockeye Cycle Company on my YouTube page:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6GN7Ej4um2Yi1UM3fHcwEM3mpfnolBOASupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/Tellmeaboutyourbike)

Since the White Pass and Yukon Railway has opened up its line, the dangers and hardships of travel in Alaska to Dawson and the Klondyke are fast disappearing, and the horrors of the Chilkoot and White Passes have become pages in history. Listen to this short program about the railway, produced and presented by PodCastingNet, and narrated by Dr. David Robinson

From Skagway, this 45 mile trail to the Klondike witnessed the worst inhumane treatment of horses, mules and oxen. Over 3000 horses packed supplies and miners to Lake Bennett before being abandoned to die. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Built during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898, the Yukon and White Pass Railway is a stunning sight. Given its speedy, two-year construction, this narrow gauge railroad, with its sky-high beams, is quite the marvel.

On this episode of Say Something Interesting, Brent & Megan discuss week one of our current teaching series: MINIMALISM. Other topics include: unintentional Chris Rock quotes, White Pass tubing hours, and Austrian rebel songs.

Bis 192 – White Pass bis Kearsarge Pass Das Leben ist wie eine Schachtel Pralinen, man weiß nie, was man bekommt. (Forrest Gump) Die letzte große Etappe. eineinhalb Monate sind bereits wieder ins Land gegangen, die kanadische Grenze ist erreicht. Zurück geht es in die nachzuholende Etappe, die wegen der Kälte und Klima im Mai ausgelassen wurde. Jetzt ist es […] Der Beitrag M020: Hanne’s 7. Etappe auf dem Pacific Crest Trail – die Königsklasse erschien zuerst auf iris güniker.

Giving Yourself Permission to Write.Welcome to HuntingTheMuse.com's Creative Writing Podcast.(Show notes: huntingthemuse.com/podcast/3) If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element. This week's show is all about giving yourself permission to write. Weekly creative writing prompts are provided at the end of the show.Not subscribed to the podcast? Get it now!In this week's episode, I provided a quick personal update on my week so far and shared my impression of Scrivener's new iOS release.I also talked about Chris Fox's book, Write to market, which I cover in more detail below. It was a good read, and it caused me to rethink my current strategy for my novelette, Chlorophyllium 9. I've since decided to take it down from the wide online market while I make some changes that should better align it to be a fully functional Act 1 for Final Hope. I also learned about cover art and what expectations certain images can telegraph to potential readers. It was really interesting stuff!Podcast news: I created the Hunting the Muse Creative Writing Podcast group on Facebook, where we can share more creative writing discussions. You can also post your questions and request topics to be covered in future episodes. Feel free to post links to your writing that you based off the podcast's creative writing prompts.This is arguably the hardest phase of podcasting and I could really use your help! It's so difficult finding your target audience and receiving feedback. Drop me a line and let me know where I can improve and if you think my efforts are worthwhile.Now on to this week's topic! Giving Yourself Permission to Write.Why aren't you writing as much as you'd like? Are there any reasons that stand out in your mind? Perhaps there's not enough time in the day or you don't feel like it's worth the time? Do you constantly weigh the amount of effort it takes versus your ability or the possible outcomes? At some point, did you convince yourself that writing isn't a valid pursuit?What are your preconceptions about writing and where do they come from?What's more important, the idea of writing or the act?For some of us, writing is all we seem to think about. We're dreamers. "One day I'll write that novel." But actually sitting down to do it can be tough. We have trouble carving out time and negotiating other obligations. We have a fear of failure.What if I do this and it turns out to be no good?I can't fail if I don't try.(Which is actually, as it turns out, the ultimate failure: the failure to try.)Permission has to come from you!You are the only one who can give you the permission you need to write. No one else is going to make you a writer. No one else can make sure that you're present in the task when you show up to write.Support is nice, but it isn't required to produce art.Learn to count on yourself. Hunting the Muse is about taking control of your writing process. I'll admit, this wasn't always the case. Take a look in the archives and it's easy to see that there were times when I lost my way. What I learned is that it's important to have personal accountability and to pursue your dreams on your own terms.Make time to write, because it's important...As mentioned in this episode, Chris Fox's book, Write to Market: Deliver a Book that Sells, provides a good look into a thought process that major publishers have used for centuries. But instead of blindly submitting a manuscript and hoping the themes and tropes match what's on the publishing What's Hot list, Indie authors can do a little research and figure out what themes give their book the best chance on the market.Of course, these themes change over time and I would never recommend giving up the soul of your writing, but it can be helpful to understand what a potential reader might expect when they pick up your book. Understanding these expectations can help you formulate ways to both satisfy and surprise your readers.What you'll find below is a series of creative writing prompts to help get you through your week. There are no rules as to how you should use them, but I recommend taking your muse's hand; wherever she may lead you. Whether you find yourself writing a descriptive scene or dialogue, a poem or prose, or anything else (even if it seems entirely unrelated to the prompt), you have won. Happy writing, and may you find success in hunting your muse this week. 1. The Fig TreeIn a post-apocalyptic world, a world devoid of most everyday conveniences, food is scarce. While picking through the scavenged remains of what used to be a thriving suburban neighborhood, you come across a rare bounty, a fruit-laden fig tree. Your fingers tremble as you pluck the tender figs. For the first time in days, you’ll finally have something to bring back to your small, weary group. 2. Tainted Water SupplyWhether your story emerges in a modern urban setting, a future dystopia, or on a compound at the desert’s edge, you’ve just discovered that the water supply has been tainted. Is it a rotting carcass in the well, a terrorist attack on the populace, or a would-be-resourceful neighbor who rerouted their secondary, irrigation water through the water main to avoid service shut off? What happens next? How do you cope?3. Welcome to Skagway!The year is 1898 and you’ve just arrived at the entry point to the legendary White Pass, a rapidly growing tent town known as Skagway. But unlike the rest of the saucer-eyed travelers enticed by the call of the Klondike gold rush, you aren’t here to pan for flakes and nuggets or stand hunched over a sluice box for hours on end. Your story should slowly reveal your true purpose and demonstrate what sets you apart from the others.4. The Yellow DogYou woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. Your heart is racing, but all you can seem to remember of the vision is a shaggy, yellow dog. What does this omen mean and how does it come into play in the days ahead?5. Travel InterruptedYou were finally on your way, making that trip you always said you would go on. Then life stepped in. Now you’re stuck half-way through your journey and must wait, in limbo, while circumstances catch up and you can either resume your adventure or start the trip back towards home. What is your greatest emotional resistance to where you are now? What ultimately pushes you into either embracing the change or running from it?6.  Someone Magical This Way ComesThrough the course of a normal day, you happen to encounter someone who possesses a bit of magic. From the fantastical all the way down to the mundane charm of a twinkling eye and a knowing smile, there’s just something different about this person that sets them apart from the rest. Is it really magic? Is it charisma? What is it?7. Time to Let GoYou have in your possession a priceless memento, a reminder of a lost love or a best friend, a parent, or mentor. Today you stand at the brink, afraid that you’ve lost it all. But in a moment of sudden clarity, you know what you must do. You reach out your closed fist and let go. You give up that reminder of what the world used to be and resolve to start your journey anew. Letting go of that reminder of the past allows you to refocus on the present and you vow to cherish the ones in your life that you still have. As a special challenge, let your writing take us through that process. I hope you've enjoyed this week's episode and creative writing prompts.Please consider supporting this effort by signing up for my newsletter.  #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Join my monthly newsletter for writers and get more helpful content, encouragement, and more!* indicates requiredEmail Address * First Name Last Name Email Format htmltext Powered by MailChimp (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);If you enjoyed this feed, please stop by my blog! www.HuntingTheMuse.com

9/16/15. Live from what just might be a death chamber, I'm joined with Shepherd to discuss how we got ourselves into this situation. We talk about Paint your wagon, White Pass, care packages and mostly our legal weed adventure. Hope you enjoyed the episode please subscribe, rate and review the podcast on iTunes. 5 star review to be a trail angel...

Take the historic rail trip to the top of White Pass, the route of thousands during the Klondike gold rush.