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Transceivers little help to slide victims Near Revelstoke, a 45-year-old Canadian was killed while heli-skiing in the Selkirks. Three of the people in his group were partially buried, but he was completely buried. When eventually located by avalanche transceiver, he was unresponsive, reported the Revelstoke Times Review. Near Pemberton, east of Whistler, a 30-year-old backcountry skier died after being swept 1,800 meters into a treed area. When his two companions located him, he was still alive but in critical shape. One went for help, while the other remained in the dark to continuously apply CPR. The victim was a ski patroller at Whistler/Blackcomb. Avalanches were also reported at Kicking Horse, near Golden. A skier inside the resort boundary was partially buried but was rescued by a companion. No injuries or burials were reported in a skier-triggered avalanche outside the resort boundaries. In Vail, for example, sales figures were up, and the price per square foot of properties increased significantly. Not so down-valley in Eagle and Gypsum, where prices continued to scrape bottoms established two years ago, agents report. Ditto in Jackson Hole. The high-end market is returning, but across Teton Pass in Idaho, there’s a glut of real estate inventory in the Driggs-Victor area. In Telluride, there’s hope that the resort will follow in Aspen’s footsteps in about six months. Aspen and Pitkin County, observes long-time real estate broker George Harvey, were up by 15 percent in the number of transactions this past year and up 10 percent in the dollar volume. Across the border in Whistler, real estate sales increased in volume 15 percent 2011 over 2010. Residents of Vancouver are responsible for 65 to 70 percent of the purchases, but they buy an even higher percentage of the more expensive properties, those in the $1.5 to $2 million range. Other buyers come from the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia, reports Pique Newsmagazine. Overall, buyers seem to be becoming more tolerant of the world’s constant financial tremors – suggesting a more lively market in 2012. Maybe. Pagosa Springs already uses hot to heat some of its buildings. Mayor Ross Aragon in recent months has been trumpeting the possibility of significant expansion. One idea is creation of three greenhouses. Another is development of aquaculture, i.e. fish farms. A collaboration called the Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership plans to work with university experts from the Colorado School of Mines in May to better determine the extent of the resource. The Pagosa Springs Sun, however, reports that there’s some possibility that the geothermal greenhouses might not be heated by hot water after all. Instead, the residual heat of the earth – about 56 degrees at about 10 feet – might be tapped to grow cool–weather crops during winter. In central Colorado, Salida’s Mountain Mail reports new mapping of the geothermal resource that delivers the water to the Poncha Hot Springs. No conclusions have been drawn. Study also continues of the hot springs at the base of Mt. Princeton, west of Buena Vista, and in Aspen. In this case, police aren’t persuaded. They accuse her of driving while under the influence. A video surveillance from a high-end hotel shows her walking behind the bar and collecting the vodka bottles. “You don’t need to be very big to be very successful,” said John Norton, formerly a ski executive in Crested Butte and Aspen. “You don’t need a million skier days to have a strong hold on some of your guests.” Norton has teamed with Bill Ciraco, a trader at a New York-based investment fund, to serve as advisers for anyone looking to buy Tamarack. Planned for decades, the resort took off in 2004 after a key permission from Idaho authorities. Construction of homes, shops and other amenities followed. But in 2008, Tamarack defaulted on a $250 million note from Credit Suisse, which began foreclosure proceedings. In 2009, other creditors forced the resort into a bankruptcy. The foreclosure process could be coming to an end. Creditors and potential investors await a judge’s order that could outline who is owed what and in what order, the Statesman reports. But even a sale might not be final. Idaho law allows the original owner up to one year to pay off the top bidder and take the property back. “What’s left behind is so well done,” Norton said. “The lifts are in the right places, the buildings are well executed, the village needs completion.” He said there are no glaring errors other than the obvious ones that led Tamarack into its financial problems. Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association, said putting ski operations into experienced hands is the key to regrowing Tamarack. Even so, it will take awhile, he said. But ski areas can be profitable. Nationally, the average return on investment for ski resorts is 21 percent in earnings before interest, taxes, deprecation and certain other expenses. Once Tamarack’s past is sorted out, a bidding war could ensue, said Berry. The longer runway, however, doesn’t allow larger aircraft, because weight and wingspan restrictions remain intact. – Allen Best |