Hosannas again for epic snowmakers
PARK CITY, Utah – As is customary this time of year, there was a certain nervousness as Thanksgiving approached and slopes remained brown. In an earlier time, this might have been manifested in chain-smoking.
But of course, when it’s cold enough, the snowmakers can do their jobs. It’s been cold enough, and so Deer Valley and other Park City resorts opened on time. Deer Valley’s president, Bob Wheaton, described it as a “highly localized weather event.”
Lake Tahoe resorts were spanked hard by drought two years ago. Slopes at Squaw Valley and elsewhere remained bare until late January. This year is starting out differently, but homage was again paid in Tahoe Magazine to the “insurance policy” of snowmaking.
Squaw last year invested $2.6 million in snowmaking and more yet was invested this year. The adjacent Alpine also has had significant upgrades by its owners, KSL Capital.
Fire and not much snow in Sierra Nevada
TRUCKEE, Calif. – The largest fire in the recorded history of the Sierra Nevada occurred last summer, but things aren’t setting up to be any better next summer. Meteorologists forecast mostly dry conditions throughout California next year.
This comes on the heels of two relatively dry years. At South Lake Tahoe, for example, the average since the late 1990s has been 15 inches of water during the winter months. The last two winters have produced substantially less.
South in the Sierra Nevada, the Rim fire started in mid-August and eventually covered 400 square miles near Yosemite National Park before official containment in late October.
The Sierra Sun reports that a new study predicts more intense fires yet. The past few decades have seen a significant increase in the size of high-severity fires and the acreage subjected to catastrophic burn, said the authors of a study released by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
The authors said that dry conditions are only one factor. Also playing a role in the increased combustibility of Sierra forests is human encroachment into wildland areas, which caused fire suppression for many decades, only delaying the problem.
The group studied fire potential on nearly 25 million acres in the Sierra Nevada and found that two-thirds have high, very high or extreme fire danger.
Hydrogen buses to be replaced by diesel
WHISTLER, B.C. – Whistler’s high-profile hydrogen fuel-cell buses will be replaced by winter’s end with buses that burn diesel.
The 210 buses had been introduced prior to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The buses and fueling infrastructure cost nearly $90 million, most of that paid by the federal and provincial governments. Whistler’s share was $16.8 million, or about the same as a comparable fleet of diesel buses.
Diesel buses are noisy and emit stinky fumes. Hydrogen-fueled buses emit a tiny bit of water and are very quiet.
Costs for both fuel and maintenance were higher. The fuel had to be transported from Quebec. But while the hydrogen highway isn’t ready for prime time in British Columbia, the manufacturer expects to power 40 buses in Europe with similar technology within the next year and 25 more the following year in China.
All doesn’t turn out well for young bear
REVELSTOKE, B.C. – All did not end well when a bear that had been roaming in back yards drew a crowd in Revelstoke.
Police sounded sirens, directed lights and hurled chunks of ice at the young bruin in an effort to get him to move along. These antics drew a crow of onlookers, some of whom got within what police said was dangerously close – 25 feet – of the agitated bear.
At length, the bear was chased across a bridge and then shot. The Revelstoke Times Review reports that not all in the community are happy with this ending. Police weren’t happy with the onlookers. They also point out that a bear still out in December and with no clear fear of humans was likely to be dangerous to people.
Banff Centre plans $900 million update
BANFF, Alberta – Quite a lot of fundraising is planned by the Banff Centre, which started out in downtown Banff in 1933 with a single drama course. It now has a large campus and hosts more than 8,000 artists, leaders and researchers who participate in programs each year.
The buildings, however, have become worn. The Rocky Mountain Outlook reports plans to rebuild two theaters, one with 1,000 seats and the other with 300, among other major improvements.
The cost for these and other improvements: $900 million.
Steamboat dog goes on a bad trip
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – A female border collie mix named Hailey’s bizarre behavior is being blamed on an accidental ingestion of marijuana. The dog was being walked at a local park last month when she ate something that a local veterinarian thinks was laced with marijuana, according to the Steamboat Today.
The dog was lethargic, lacked interest in her Milk-Bone and was skittish. The dog spent most of her time in the garage, staring at the wall. Other descriptions suggested paranoia.
A local veterinarian tells the newspaper that her clinic sees at least three cases of stoned dogs per month. “It’s more common now that it’s legal,” said Dr. Paige Lorimer.
A study published in the 2010 Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care found a strong correlation between medical marijuana legalization and the number of cases of dogs being treated for marijuana ingestion.
Heroin epidemic spreads to Aspen
ASPEN – Heroin is moving into smaller communities, and Aspen is no exception. The Aspen Daily reports at least two local deaths from heroin overdoses and another from an overdose of prescription painkillers.
At Aspen Valley Hospital, the emergency department has seen 21 cases of opiate “dependence, non-dependence or poisoning,” according to a hospital spokeswoman. Opiates in this case also include codeine, morphine, Dilaudid and Demerol.
The newspaper notes a Wall Street Journal article in August that pointed to plunging prices for heroin from Mexico.
“Heroin use in the U.S. is soaring, especially in rural areas, amid ample supply and a shift away from costlier prescription narcotics that are becoming tougher to acquire,” the paper reported.
At Mind Springs Health, a detoxification unit in Aspen, 13 admissions have been for heroin.
“It used to be cocaine, alcohol and sedatives,” said program director Andrea Pazdera of Aspen’s drug habits. “Now, it seems to me there’s more heroin use.”
Diversions resume from Colorado River
GRAND LAKE – In the foothills of northern Colorado, things are still a mess from the floods of September. Houses are still teetering over the banks of the St. Vrain and other creeks, and large segments of Lyons are dark at night, because the houses have been abandoned.
But the water infrastructure is coming back on line. The Sky-Hi News reports that diversions from the Colorado River through the Alva B. Adams Tunnel have begun again. The water is diverted under Rocky Mountain National Park and to a reservoir near Estes Park, and from there distributed to cities and farms in the Fort Collins-Boulder-Greeley area.
Feds to make it easier for real estate
VAIL – Mortgage money is said to be the cheap gas that keeps the real estate economy train moving, writes Chris Neuswanger, a mortgage loan originator, in the Vail Daily. The question is whether the government will continue to make that money cheap.
It seems, at least for 2014, it will, says Neuswanger. There was considerable speculation that the government would reduce the amount of money available for loans in high-cost areas, such as Vail, Steamboat, Breckenridge and Aspen.
– Allen Best
ing areas will find it easier to qualify and get a lower rate if they need a conventional loan between $417,000 and $625,000,” he writes.
He adds that the interest rate will be one-eighth percent higher than a loan for lesser amounts, and a down payment must be at least 10 to 20 percent.
“This combined with a couple of other bits of good news lately should help the real estate market stay on course,” he concludes.
Some think this is overly optimistic. “Everybody thinks it’s 2007 again, but it’s not,” a real-estate professional in the Vail area tells Mountain Town News.
Some pushback on Squaw real estate
SQUAW VALLEY, Calif. – Community pushback is reported in response to plans to make Squaw Valley look more like the destination ski resorts of the Rockies.
After buying Squaw Valley several years ago, Denver-based KSL Capital Partners announced plans for $50 million for snowmaking and other mountain improvements.
But the company also plans to significantly expand the real estate and commercial component. The original plan for 1,093 new lodging units and a year-round indoor activity center provoked enough opposition that the company went back to the drawing board.
Just how deep are the worry lines? The Sierra Sun reports the bottomline of an online survey, which was posted by a group called Sierra Watch, is “not so fast.” Tom Mooers, director of Sierra Watch, concedes the poll wasn’t scientific but says it makes a point. “It shows there’s a deep connection based on love of the mountains and outdoors, and that those values shouldn’t be lost to irresponsible development,” he said.
A modified plan is expected to be submitted soon to planning officials in Placer County.
Two towns in Tahoe pass plastic bag fees
TRUCKEE, Calif. – Add two more mountain towns to the list of those crimping the distribution of plastic bags.
The Sierra Sun reports that the Truckee Town Council has banned most disposable plastic bags. Retailers must charge a minimum 10 cents for reusable bags or bags made of recycled paper. Retailers can keep the money to offset their costs.
Restaurants are excluded, including take-out establishments and any business that receives 90 percent or more of its revenue from the sale of prepared food.
Earlier this year, South Lake Tahoe also banned plastic bags.
Jackson banning use of phones while driving
JACKSON, Wyo. – Councilors in Jackson are putting the kibosh on using mobile devices while driving. That means no talking on cell phones, no texting, no taking photos.
“There’s really no compelling argument against this proposal – saying we deserve the right to be distracted by driving,” Councilor Jim Stanford said at a recent meeting.
The proposal was introduced by Mayor Mark Barron. In the past, he has resisted efforts to impose edicts, such as a ban on plastic or no-smoking in bars. He sees this as different.
“I’m just not going to sit idly by and see someone get seriously hurt,” he said.
The Jackson Hole News&Guide points to several examples, most prominently the death of a popular local 19-year-old in 2009 while skateboarding on a rural road in Maine. He had been struck by an inattentive driver reaching for his phone. This past summer, a local girl died in a crash, and state troopers found an iPad with the log-in screen up.
Exempted would be hands-free operations, use by authorized emergency vehicles, and people in a parked, stationary vehicle off the roadway.
The News&Guide says 12 states and the District of Columbia have adopted similar bans.
While there seems to be no public pushback to this proposal, a separate proposal is getting dissent. It would give local police broad latitude in ticketing drivers for “inattentive driving.” While the proposal passed four to one in the city council, the News&Guide wasn’t persuaded. The idea, said the newspaper, “doesn’t pass muster.”
Lexus makes ad using icon of Jackson Hole
JACKSON, Wyo. – A filming crew was scheduled to be in Jackson in early December to put together an advertisement for Lexus. Featured will be the Town Square.
The Jackson Hole News&Guide notes there was disagreement on the part of the Town Council about whether this benefits Jackson or Lexus more. It also noted an irony: the theme of the commercial is “crowd of none,” but in fact, the Town Square is always the busiest, most congested place in all of Jackson Hole, worse in summer.
Widow settles with Jackson Hole Resort
JACKSON, Wyo. – The widow of a ski patroller killed in an in-bounds avalanche during December 2008 at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has settled on damages with the resort.
The Jackson Hole News&Guide says the widow, Christine Nodine, had gone through three courts in seeking financial compensation. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
The ski patroller, David Nodine, had been dispatched to Toilet Bowl. The avalanche conditions were particularly high, and upper areas of the resort had been closed due to the danger two days before, according to the widow’s lawsuit. She claimed the resort was financially motivated and made an ill-advised decision to open the upper mountain that day.
Nodine triggered a massive slide that eventually buried him under 7 feet of snow and he suffocated.
– Allen Best
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Carbon dioxide silently
kills 2 more at Truckee
TRUCKEE, Colo. – More deaths have been reported from carbon monoxide poisoning. The Sierra Sun explains that two men died in a home at Tahoe Donner in October, and local officials are pointing out that the deaths could have been prevented if a carbon monoxide detector had been installed.
The Center for Disease Control reports 400 annual deaths in the United States from carbon monoxide poisoning, and another 200,000 emergency-room visits. Fatality is highest among those 65 and older.
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