Ear to the ground:

“I decided not to drink last night because I might end up on an episode of ‘Snapped.’”
–Local woman discussing her strategy for domestic peace

Zippety doo da

Broken zipper got you down? Help your sanity, pocketbook and the environment by giving your wounded gear a little TLC.

This Friday, from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Patagonia’s “Worn Wear” truck will be making a stop at Pine Needle Mountaineering, offering free repairs on busted zippers, rips, tears, buttons and more. Best of all, all brands are welcome. There will also be sewing and repair tips for the thread and needle impaired.

“The single best thing we can do for the planet is to keep our stuff in use longer,” read a news release. “This simple act of extending the life of our garments through proper care and repair reduces the need to buy more over time, thereby avoiding CO2 emissions, waste output and water usage.”

With all the money you save, you can peruse the selection of used Patagonia gear on sale. Then, stick around for happy hour and a screening of the film “Worn Wear.”

But get there early – the crew can fix about 40 garments per day on a first-come, first-served basis. And just one repair per person.

Power to the people

Even though the bullwheel may still be warm, it’s time to start wrapping your head around the 2016-17 ski season. Purgatory unveiled next season’s pass prices and perks this week, which should give weary wallets a break.

The big news is the pricetag for the Power Pass – good at sister resorts Pajarito, Snowbowl and Sipapu – which will go unchanged at $649 for adults if bought by April 29. Even better, the resort announced an interest free payment plan for those all us struggling ski bums. Folks can now pay off their pass in eight user-friendly monthly installments.

There is also bright news for families, with season pass prices dropping to $199 for kids 6-12 and $299 for 13 -17. In addition, parents with children 3 years and younger have the option of buying a five-day punch pass for themselves for $199 when purchased with another adult Power Pass. As always, kids 5 and under ski free.   

The resort will also be bringing back the popular young adult pass (18-29), as well as offering a little help to those thirtysomethings (30-36) who, shall we say, are experiencing launch problems, for $499.  There will also be a College Power Pass for $399. 

For those who like their steeps, conspicuously absent from next year’s Power Pass are Taos and Crested Butte. However, the Power Pass still offers free/discount days at Monarch, Copper, Targhee and Utah’s Powder Mountain.

But all hope is not lost. “We are still working through all of our pass partner agreements,” Purg’s Kim Oyler said. “The list is not yet final. We'll be adding more as we go.”

For more info., go to www.skipurg.com.