JULY 4, 2011 - TAHOE CITY, Calif.—On most July 4ths, Scott Grosso barbecues with his friends and family in Cupertino, Calif. This year, he has different Independence Day plans: He's strapping on his snowboard.

"I plan on getting up early in the morning and snowboarding all day, then go down to the deck for some barbecue and cocktails and enjoy the 70-degree weather" in Lake Tahoe, says the 38-year-old. "I keep rubbing it in to all my friends in Connecticut. They can't believe it."

Mr. Grosso can't quite believe it, either. Skiing or snowboarding on the Fourth of July is typically hard to do in the continental U.S. But in Northern California's Lake Tahoe region this summer, the mountains are still packed with snow after an extended winter pounded the Sierra Nevada range and dumped fresh powder onto the area well into June. More than 15 feet of snow still remains atop some mountains.

That means for the first time since the mid-1990s, at least four Tahoe-area ski resorts are advertising that they will be open over the holiday weekend. And that is attracting a flood of ski fanatics, many of whom consider it a badge of honor to hit the slopes on Independence Day.

"We're not so excited about the skiing—it's the bragging rights. It's the, 'Ha! We did go," says Suzanne Hirabayashi, a 48-year-old Homewood, Calif., resident, who last skied July 4th in 1995.
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Indeed, skiing on July 4 comes with its own set of logistical problems. The quality of snow, for one, is questionable—forecasts call for 80 degrees and sunny. By afternoon, many skiers will probably be carving down trails that are getting slushy, ski resorts say.

Another concern is what to wear. A combination of hot weather and wet snow isn't conducive to thick ski jackets and long johns. Samantha Durbin, a San Francisco lifestyle writer, has a solution. "I think I have to ski in a bikini" top plus ski pants, says the 31-year-old, who is heading to Lake Tahoe. The bikini will do double duty since she also plans to go wakeboarding—a version of water-skiing with just one board—during her stay there.

Tahoe-area resorts such as Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are recommending that skiers and snowboarders slather on more sunscreen than usual. They are also planning to cash in on the novelty of it all in other ways. At Squaw Valley, attendees will be able to swim in a big pool and hot tub overlooking Lake Tahoe. Skiers can also compete in a pond crossing—an event in which competitors dress in silly outfits, take off down a hill, and attempt to skip across a pond on their skies or snowboard.

Meanwhile, guests at Alpine Meadows' "beach"—really a concrete sun deck at the base of the mountain—can take part in a "ski boots and swim suits" fashion show and enjoy a Slip 'n' Slide run.

"The sidebar is skiing—actually it's a Fourth of July party," says Alpine Meadows general manager Kent Hoopingarner. Alpine Meadows charged $34 for tickets bought in advance. During the winter season, single-day lift tickets cost $69.

Local historian Mark McLaughlin of Carnelian Bay, Calif., says the first organized July 4 skiing at Tahoe was in 1932—and skiers didn't have it so easy then. Those participating in an Independence Day ski-jump competition had to hike 1,000 feet up the mountain for each run.

"These guys did it old school," says Mr. McLaughlin, 54, adding that "today we focus on the yahoos out there with their high-tech equipment." He concedes that when he skis at Tahoe this coming weekend, he plans to actually use the ski lifts.

For some diehard skiers, skiing the Lake Tahoe resorts on Independence Day is just too cushy. Brendan Madigan, an avid back country skier who lives in Tahoe City, says some of the area's most devoted skiers may be heading 250 miles north to Mount Shasta, near the Oregon-California border, where the snow will likely be better. There, skiers can climb up part of the 14,000-foot mountain in shorts and hiking boots before carving their way down.

"People are looking at you on the trail like you're crazy, because you have skis on your back and they're just hiking," says Mr. Madigan, 33, who has to skip July 4th skiing because he has to work managing a sporting-goods store.

Some skiers are determined to make the day a little more challenging. Ms. Hirabayashi, for one, is planning her version of a "Lake Tahoe Triathlon" on Monday by skiing in the morning, biking in the afternoon and boating in the evening—with a few breaks in the middle for dog walking and cocktails.

"We're just taking advantage of Mother Nature [and] all the toys we amass and want to use," she says.
source: online.wsj.com

The Crystal Ski Industry Report is published later today and is expected to show what many in the industry already know; the market has fallen once again.

The season of 2010/11 was not exactly a bumper one.

It got off to a good start with some decent early season snow falls in December and then in many resorts not a flake fell for two months.

But the real reason the season was not bumper was not the snow, but rather the economic situation. Many people decided not to go skiing and decided to cutback on a winter break rather than a summer one.

Some resorts saw a sharp fall in British visitors and many of those that did make it to the Alps cut back on their spending when out there.

In 2008/09 the market fell by 13% and in 2009/10 it went down by 11%. Here at PlanetSKI we predict the fall will be less for last season but there will still be an overall decline.

France is expected to be the market leader but once again the country's share of the market will probably have fallen as people perceive it as being more expensive then say Austria or Italy.

Switzerland will be lucky if it holds steady at 6% of the market as the poor exchange rate has led many people to look elsewhere.

The schools and children's market will undoubtedly be down too, but that is as much to do with a late Easter holiday period.

On the bright side though the tour operators will undoubtedly claim success as their market share is expected to increase.

Many people now opt for a package holiday rather than a DIY break.

The report is out at 12.00 today and we will bring you a full on PlanetSKI when it is out.

If you are in the ski industry or just an interested party it will make compulsory reading.
source: www.planetski.eu

Lake Tahoe - For the second consecutive winter season, the seven Ski Lake Tahoe resorts are reporting an increase in skier visitation numbers that once again outperformed the percentage growth at U.S. ski resorts as a whole by more than four times the national average. There were more than 3.6 million skier visits during the 2010-11 season, marking the second busiest on record replacing last season's impressive double-digit growth.

Concluding this record-setting 2010-11 winter season, several Ski Lake Tahoe resorts including Squaw Valley USA , Alpine Meadows and Kirkwood Mountain Resort will open their lifts for skiing and snowboarding during Fourth of July weekend. This marks the second consecutive year that the snowpack has been deep enough for lifts to be open in Lake Tahoe from the end of October through the beginning of July.

"This continued positive trend in skier visitation to Lake Tahoe ski resorts is a result of the reliable snow conditions and the region's long-term commitment to providing the ultimate guest experience for winter enthusiasts," said John Wagnon, president of Ski Lake Tahoe. "With close to $100 million dollars newly dedicated towards lake-wide snowsports resort capital improvements for the upcoming season, Lake Tahoe remains America's up-and-coming winter destination."
With Top-to-bottom powder conditions heading into the November and December holidays, Lake Tahoe was named the "Snowiest Place on the Planet" mid-season during a four-day storm that delivered over ten feet of fresh snow -the highest storm total in more than 40 years. The final seasonal snowfall totals in the Lake Tahoe area crested the 800 inch mark and base depths of more than 300 inches were reported.

Lake Tahoe boasts more ski resorts in close proximity than any other winter destination in North America, creating an unmatched amount of on-mountain experiences and fun. It continues to be labeled as "America's favorite winter playground" supplying visitors with 24/7 nightlife and non-stop entertainment options and award-winning restaurants. While many airports have reduced or discontinued air service, the airport flying in people for Lake Tahoe fun, Reno-Tahoe International Airport, was named the number one airport in the country last year in terms of new flights.

If you haven't already, start planning your summer and upcoming winter vacation at Lake Tahoe. You can get information and help through the Ski Lake Tahoe website at: www.skilaketahoe.com.
source: www.theskichannel.com

-Even with the Southern Hemisphere’s 2011 winter season now getting underway there are a number of ski resorts still offering July skiing and snowboarding in the Northern Hemisphere, including ten in the western U.S. alone.

Worldwide, the choice of open ski resorts is well into the triple figures again with 30 ski areas still open in seven Northern Hemisphere countries joining those open in the Southern Hemisphere for the start of July. It’s as yet unclear how many U.S. resorts will remain open beyond July 4th but it’s possible that Mammoth Mountain in California and Crystal Mountain in Washington State will decide to do so.

Officials at Crystal have previously said that their resort, open this July 4th weekend for only the second time in its history, will stay open at weekends so long as the snow lasts and it’s currently still more than six feet deep. “Over 600 inches of snow has fallen since Crystal opened November 19, 2010, breaking the previous snowfall record of 598 inches,” explains resort spokesperson Justin Hyatt. “Set in 1999, that record season was the only other time the slopes were open on July 4.”

Others which have not yet confirmed a closing date include Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and Snowbird in Utah, although the latter has tentatively set this Monday, July 4th for its last hurrah. Lift tickets to ski Snowbird this Friday through Monday will be reduced to $49 and limited edition t-shirts proclaiming “I skied Snowbird July 4th” will be available for $10.

Timberline in Oregon will be open daily through July and August as it does every year. California ski resorts re-opening for Independence Day weekend only include Alpine Meadows, Donner Ski Ranch, Kirkwood, Squaw Valley and Sugar Bowl, the latter for season passholders only. Donner Ski Ranch will reopen for the weekend of July 9-10 as well. In Oregon, Mt. Bachelor near Bend will also reopen for the Independence Day holiday weekend.

In Canada, Mount Washington on Vancouver island is open for the first weekend of July only to celebrate Canada Day, the first time the resort has ever opened in July. The Blackcomb Glacier at Whistler is open longer, through to July 24 from noon to 3 p.m. daily for the general public following morning sessions restricted to freestyle and race camps. While rumors were floated initially that Sunshine Village in Alberta would reopen this weekend as well, resort officials decided that with gondola renovations underway doing so would be impractical.

There are about a dozen glacier ski areas open in Europe through July. The past few weeks have been hot in the Alps and in some cases snow depths on the glaciers have been dropping at the rate of 30cm a week, but most still have adequate snow depths to see them through.

Austria has more spring, summer and autumn glacier ski areas than any other country but only three are likely to be open for some or all of July. They include Tux, which tries to open every day of the year and currently has a two-meter base and more than 20km of piste open, as well as the Dachstein and Kitzsteinhorn (above Kaprun) glaciers.

All three French summer glacier areas re-opened last month and Les 2 Alpes and Tignes will be open through July, conditions permitting. Val d’Isere, however, calls it a season on 2011 summer skiing on July 17th.

Italy also has a choice of three centers open. Val Senales re-opened last month to join Passo Stelvio, and now Cervinia on the Italian side of the Matterhorn is open for summer skiing, extending the area available all year from Zermatt and offering cross-border summer skiing.

The year-round snow slopes of Zermatt have been the only Swiss destination for skiers and boarders through June, and the snow is currently lying a meter thick there. A second Swiss ski choice re-opens on July 9th when its neighbor Saas Fee begins its 10-month season that lasts through to May 2012, starting with some major events planned for its terrain park.

In Scandinavia, Norway is where to go with its three summer ski resorts open and currently boasting the world’s greatest snow depths. Folgefonn has over 7 meters (23 feet) of snow base depth, and Stryn and Galdhoppigen both have over three meters.

Turning to the Southern Hemisphere, Australia got off with a great start to winter 2011 with record early openings in May followed by healthy snowfall for planned opening weekends in early June, with more snow falling later in the month. Cover in Australia is always a little problematic but so far it’s looking good for July at most resorts.

New Zealand had an unusually warm May and June and resorts that were due to have opened weeks ago got off to a slow start, but as we begin July Mt. Hutt and Turoa have limited terrain open and The Remarkables and Whakapapa will open this weekend. It’s snowing at last in New Zealand, if only in limited amounts, so hopefully July will be a bumper month.

South Africa’s Tiffindfell ski area is out of action this winter as ownership of the resort is auctioned off, but Afriski in Lesotho got off to an on-time start to winter last month and currently has a kilometer-long trail open plus a terrain park with a mix of machine made and natural snow cover.

In South America the Puyehue volcano erupted close to the continent’s largest ski resort in terms of uplift – Catedral – but a greater problem has been a lack of early season snow, which the resort says is why it delayed its scheduled opening last week. It has recently been snowing there and at another major Argentinian resort, Las Leñas, which also delayed opening, and they now both hope to open in early July.

It’s been a rough start too in Chile but resorts are opening, initially with limited terrain but with hopes that conditions will improve dramatically during early July. Valle Nevado has delayed opening until early July and Portillo, although 30% open, has stopped selling lift tickets until conditions improve. Currently snow depths there range from 30 to 60cm.


source: www.firsttracksonline.com