There goes the snow ... buh bye.

On 28/12/03 8:06 pm, "J999w" wrote:

Nice report from afar. I think on an ungroomed trail, 12 to 15 mph would feel
pretty fast.

Unofficially, I attained 7mph (twice my walking speed) while sliding downhill
on my back on some very slippery mud today.

Does that count as glide???

jw
milwaukee
(Whooooaaaaaaa! ... )




What do you mean ungroomed? There were two big ruts one on each side. Yeah
it felt fast. As I explain to my downhill only friends skinny skis off piste
or even on, feel much faster than big fat ones with big boots, just like
doing 30mph on a bicycle feels as fast as doing 70 on a motorbike.
BTW was this a planned or unplanned glide?

Do you sense a trend in the past years? The XC Ski community doesn't
have much clout, most people probably think we are a group of weirdos
that like winter, but the downhill industry that has a little economic
clout is worried. See the copy of letter (below) from Sustainable
Slopes, the environmental charter for ski areas (I must admit downhill
ski areas are not known for their environmental awareness - cutting down
forest and diverting water resources for snowmaking), but in one area
they have the same concerns as us.

J. Winick
Acton, MA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 30, 2003

Senator John McCain
United States Senate
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
FAX: (202) 228 2862

Senator Joseph Lieberman
United States Senate
706 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
FAX: (202) 224 9750

Ski Industry Support for S. 139

Dear Senators McCain and Lieberman:
We are writing to update you on the growing number of ski areas that
support the Climate Stewardship Act, S. 139. As you may know, the U.S.
ski industry adopted a policy on climate change last year to address the
important problem of global warming. Arapahoe Basin (CO), Aspen
Highlands (CO), Aspen Mountain (CO), Attitash Bear Peak (NH), Beaver
Creek Resort (CO), Breckenridge Ski Resort (CO), Bristol Mountain Winter
Resort (NY), Buttermilk Mountain (CO), The Canyons (UT), Copper Mountain
Resort (CO), Cranmore Mountain Resort (NH), 49o North Ski Area (WA),
Greek Peak Mountain Resort (NY), Haystack Ski Area (VT), Heavenly Ski
Resort (NV), Holiday Valley Resort (NY), Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
(WY), Keystone Ski Resort (CO), Killington and Pico Resorts (VT),
Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area (ID), Loon Mountain Recreation Corp.
(NH), Mad River Glen (VT), Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain Ski Areas
(CA), Mission Ridge (WA), Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort and Cooper Spur
Mountain Resort (OR), Mount Snow Resort (VT), Northstar-at-Tahoe (CA),
Schweitzer Mountain Resort (ID), Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort (CA),
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort (UT), Snowmass Ski Area (CO), Steamboat Ski
& Resort Corp. (CO), Sugar Bowl Ski Resort (CA), Sugarloaf/USA (ME), The
Summit-at-Snoqualmie (WA), Sunday River Ski Resort (ME), Telluride Ski &
Golf Company (CO), Vail Mountain (CO), Waterville Valley Resort (NH) and
Winter Park Resort (CO) are committed to raising awareness of the
problem and helping apply solutions to solve it. For that reason, we
strongly support your Climate Stewardship Act, S. 139.

There are plenty of good reasons for ski resorts to be concerned about
climate change and its potential impacts on winter recreation.
Scientific models suggest that as warming continues, we could experience
decreased snowpack, warmer nights, wetter shoulder seasons, and reduced
weather predictability. All of these changes affect our industry, as
fewer operating days would obviously impact our bottom line, warmer
nights can impact our ability to make snow, and spring rain can wash
away our base at a critical time of year for skiing and snowboarding. As
diehard skiers and snowboarders, we think winter is already too short.
We view climate change as a long-term problem, and want to implement
reasonable, bi-partisan supported measures now to help solve it. Ski
areas have taken tremendous steps to reduce our own GHG emissions,
including using pollution-free wind energy to run buildings and lifts,
applying energy-efficient green building techniques, retrofitting
existing facilities to save energy, replacing inefficient compressors in
snowmaking operations, using alternative fuels in resort vehicle fleets,
and providing or promoting car pooling or mass transit use by guests and
employees. We are a relatively small source of greenhouse gas emissions,
however, and will need the help of other industries to turn this problem
around. We support the Climate Stewardship Act because it will encourage
major industrial emitters to invest in the most cost-effective means to
reduce emissions. Over the long term, investments in efficiency should
actually reduce future energy costs. While resorts and other businesses
may see a small increase in their electricity rates, these costs will be
manageable with periodic efficiency upgrades such as replacing outdated
compressors in snowmaking equipment. These measures will reduce the
electricity and fuel bills ski resorts pay in the long run.

Please let us know if there is anything else we can to do help ensure
the passage of S. 139. Our contact person is Geraldine Link ((720)
963-4205 or ) at the National Ski Areas Association.

Best Regards,

Arapahoe Basin (CO)
Aspen Highlands (CO)
Aspen Mountain (CO)
Attitash Bear Peak (NH)
Beaver Creek Resort (CO)
Breckenridge Ski Resort (CO)
Bristol Mountain Winter Resort (NY)
Buttermilk Mountain (CO)
The Canyons (UT)
Copper Mountain Resort (CO)
Cranmore Mountain Resort (NH)
49o North Ski Area (WA)
Greek Peak Mountain Resort (NY)
Haystack Ski Area (VT)
Heavenly Ski Resort (NV)
Holiday Valley Resort (NY)
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (WY)
Keystone Ski Resort (CO)
Killington and Pico Resorts (VT)
Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area (ID)
Loon Mountain Recreation Corp. (NH)
Mad River Glen (VT)
Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain Ski Areas (CA)
Mission Ridge (WA)
Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort and Cooper Spur Mountain Resort (OR)
Mount Snow Resort (VT)
Northstar-at-Tahoe (CA)
Schweitzer Mountain Resort (ID)
Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort (CA)
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort (UT)
Snowmass Ski Area (CO)
Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. (CO)
Sugar Bowl Ski Resort (CA)
Sugarloaf/USA (ME)
The Summit at Snoqualmie (WA)
Sunday River Ski Resort (ME)
Telluride Ski & Golf Company (CO)
Vail Mountain (CO)
Waterville Valley Resort (NH)
Winter Park Resort (CO)


cc: Senator Bill Frist
Senator Thomas Daschle
Floyd DesChamps
Tim Profeta

Andrew Bolger wrote:
On 28/12/03 8:06 pm, "J999w" wrote:


Nice report from afar. I think on an ungroomed trail, 12 to 15 mph would feel
pretty fast.

Unofficially, I attained 7mph (twice my walking speed) while sliding downhill
on my back on some very slippery mud today.

Does that count as glide???

jw
milwaukee
(Whooooaaaaaaa! ... )





What do you mean ungroomed? There were two big ruts one on each side. Yeah
it felt fast. As I explain to my downhill only friends skinny skis off piste
or even on, feel much faster than big fat ones with big boots, just like
doing 30mph on a bicycle feels as fast as doing 70 on a motorbike.
BTW was this a planned or unplanned glide?






--
Jeremy Winick

10 Paul Revere Rd
Acton, MA 01720

Unofficially, I attained 7mph (twice my walking speed) while sliding
downhill
on my back on some very slippery mud today.

Does that count as glide???

jw
milwaukee
(Whooooaaaaaaa! ... )





BTW was this a planned or unplanned glide?

Uh ... un-planned.

:^]

I'm usually pretty sure footed on slippery stuff, but this was real slime !
(and a fairly steep grade).

jw
milwaukee