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March 6, 2012
Skeleton: How I slid face first down an icy track at nearly 60 mph
It’s been four days since I shot face first down an icy track on a sled, reaching speeds of nearly 60 miles per hour.
The adrenalin has finally faded, my heart rate has slowed, but I’m still getting flashbacks: Waiting nervously for the crew to shove me down the same sliding track where the Vancouver Olympics took place in 2010, the track zooming by so fast I feel like I’m in a tunnel, G forces pressing my body down on the sled at every corner.
I dropped by the Whistler Sliding Center during a visit to Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia.
I capped five days of excellent skiing at the massive resort with two skeleton runs.
Below, I’m signing a waiver before I begin.
Next, I’m trying a helmet on for size.
Here I’m getting coached on proper body position.
After that, a coach led me to an entry point half way up the track and set me free. Interestingly, I was the only woman out of 23 students.
I worried that once running down the track, my natural instinct would be to drag my feet and try to get off the sled. That would be extremely dangerous.
The speed built up so quickly after I started down the track, though, that all I could do was cling for dear life to the rocketing sled, my chin just an inch or two over the ice.
I still can’t believe I was sliding as fast as a car drives down MoPac. The photo at the top shows me making one of my two runs.
I’ll be writing more about the experience for a story that will run in the Austin American-Statesman next fall, as ski season gears up.
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December 29, 2010
Headed to Wolf Creek, Colo.
I’m on my way to Pagosa Springs, Colo., today.
Cross your fingers that I make it before weather socks in the Durango airport. A winter storm is predicted, bringing heavy snow to southwestern Colorado today and lasting through Saturday.
This on the heels of a storm that brought 94 inches of snow last week to the Wolf Creek ski area, where I’m headed.
I’ve been itching to try out my new pair of snow skis, purchased after the end of last ski season. Lots of snow is a good thing, as long as it hits after I’ve landed.
I’m more worried about the nostril-freezing, butt-numbing temperatures. Forecasts call for a high of 1 degree at the mountain on Friday. One!
Brrrrrrrrr…
Anyone ever been to Wolf Creek? Tips, suggestions? Know where to get hot cocoa?
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October 6, 2010
Mobile app lets you track friends at ski resorts
Let’s see. I made my last water ski run of the year on Tuesday. That means it’s time to start thinking about snow skiing.
Coolest new thing I’ve heard about happening in the mountains this winter? New lift tickets and season passes embedded with technology that lets you track your vertical feet skied each day and locates your friends on the mountain.
It’s called EpicMix and it comes free with tickets at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado, plus Heavenly in California.
The technology automatically captures guests’ movements around the mountain through scanners at each of the resorts’ chair lifts. It also alerts guests when any of their Facebook friends are skiing and where they are on the mountain. (But don’t worry, you can opt out if you don’t want your boss to know you’re taking a powder day.)
You can access EpicMix online, at a computer or via a free mobile application on your smart phone.
You can share stats through Twitter and FaceBook updates, and there’s a special website for kids. It even awards you special digital pins when you hit skiing milestones.
It all reminds me a bit of the Maurauder’s Map that allowed Harry Potter (of the book series) to track the location of everybody at the Hogwarts castle.
Best part? You don’t have to do anything but ski or snowboard like you always have. Nothing new to buy or wear, and no check-ins required.
For more information go here www.epicmix.com.
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March 1, 2010
Just back from Ski Country!
Sorry for the lapse in programming … I just got back last night from a week-long ski trip in Colorado.
This year, we hit Copper Mountain and Breckenridge ski resorts. We got lucky with conditions — the snow was great, thanks to a couple of big dumps in the last three weeks. (Apparently it snowed in Austin while I was gone, too!)
My husband Chris and I met at Jackson Hole Ski Resort (in a hot tub, actually), and both love to tear it up on the slopes. We head to the mountains for a week of skiing every year.
This time, we took a couple of lessons (a must if you want to improve) and managed to up our games a notch.
Here are a couple of highlights from this year’s trip:
- 1. Skiing the Whale’s Tail in Breckenridge
- 2. Skiing Spaulding Bowl at Copper Mountain
- 3. Eating Eggy Bread at the Butterhorn in Frisco
- 4. Skinning up Peak 8 at Breckenridge (75 minutes hiking up; 3 minutes skiing down)
- 5. Snowshoeing at the Breckenridge Nordic Center
- 6. Seeing my sister and brother in law, who live in Denver
The funky, old-school Snoasis on-mountain restaurant, a throw-back to the 1970s.
The bump runs! (Which have actually been too icy this week, but they’re bound to soften up with new snow.)
The train you can ride from Denver to Winter Park. Ski the day, chug back into the city by nightfall.
The new Belgian beer bar called the Cheeky Monk at the foot of the mountain. More than a dozen amazing Belgian beers on tap. Try them by the flight or by the mug.
The gladed runs.
The tree skiing.
- 1. Lodging
Spring Break Slopeside: Stay Three Nights, Get Your Fourth Night Free
Extend your spring break with a fourth night free anytime during the month of March. Packages start at $108 per person, per night when you book a room in our brand new slopeside lodging at Fraser Crossing and Founders Pointe. But wait, the deal gets even sweeter- kids ski and rent free with every adult lift ticket and rental purchased. That alone is a savings of $256 per kiddo. For more information call 866-239-3994 or visit www.winterparkresort.com http://www.winterparkresort.com/ .
- 2. Ski and Ride School
Lesson and a Lift Ticket: starting at $49 We know you are out of school for the week and the last thing you want to do is take a class. But trust us; our Easy Start Lessons are the fastest way for beginners to get up and going on the slopes. This month, ski and snowboard lessons are available for first-timers for the season low price of only $49. This $20 savings includes a half-day lesson and beginner lift ticket. Ski or snowboard equipment is available for just $20 more.
- 3. Take your learning to the next level Buy one Super Parallel lesson, get the second lesson half off. This unique class is designed to make the most out of skiing on shaped skis and learning how to carve turns. Get an all day lesson and rental package for only $69. For the second person in the same lesson, the cost is only $34.50. This offer is valid for the entire month of March and can not be combined with any other discounts. Must be 13 years or older. Details can be found at www.winterparkresort.com http://www.winterparkresort.com/.
- 4. Events
Bob’s Ski and Ride School Mogul Camp: Friday, March 6 - Sunday, March 8
Bob Barnes, director of Winter Park Ski and Ride School, is known by Ski Magazine as the “bump master” and “mogul guru”. He offers a fun approach to conquering moguls with this challenging camp where guests will move from loathing to loving Mary Jane’s infamous bumps. Spend seven hours per day with Bob Barnes and his group of hand-picked Winter Park Resort instructors. Guests are grouped by ability. The cost is $499 per camp and includes bump coaching, indoor sessions with equipment and stance analysis, new equipment demos, personal video analysis and an après ski party. For more information, call the Winter Park Guest Services Information Hotline at (970) 726-1564 or visit www.winterparkresort.com http://www.winterparkresort.com/ .
- 5. Red Bull 1976 Games Return: Friday, March 6 - Saturday March 7
Red Bull and Winter Park Resort team up to honor the 1976 Olympic Games that never made it to Colorado. This two-day event toasts the sprit of friendly competition with such high energy games as Snowbladecross, Gaper Park Challenge, and Old School Team Challenge. This one-of-a-kind event is open to the public and free with purchase of lift ticket. Visit www.winterparkresort.com http://www.winterparkresort.com/ to check out last year’s video and register your team of four.
- 1. No cold toes!
- 2. No problem taking off your gloves to take photos.
- 3. Sun glasses instead of goggles.
- 4. Catching a tan when there’s snow on the ground.
- 5. Mushy moguls that explode when you hit them.
- 6. Eating outside at on-mountain restaurants.
- 7. No frostbite.
- 8. Mashed potatoes on the slopes, not on your plate.
- 9. Apres ski on the patio.
- 10. Sun, sun, sun!
- Nov. 25-30: Winter Park, Colo.; ski in/out, $935, plus $148 for lift tickets
- Dec. 26-Jan. 2: Taos, N.M.; $1075, plus $215 for lift tickets
- Jan. 3-10: Snowmass, Colo.; Trip full
- Jan. 10-17: Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Trip full
- Jan. 23-Feb. 1: Les 3 Vallees, French Alps; ski in/out, $2,000, plus $310 for lift tickets; optional pre-trip to Morocco and post-trip to Paris
- Jan. 31-Feb. 7: Breckenridge, Colo.; ski in/out, $1,035, plus $305 for lift tickets
- Feb. 3-8: Breckenridge, Colo.; ski in/out, $915
- Feb. 14-21: Panorama, Canada; ski in/out, $1,225, plus $217 for lift tickets
- Feb. 28-March 7: Mammoth, Calif.; ski in/out, $1,270, plus $295 for lift tickets
- March 14-21: Big Sky, Mont.; ski in/out, $1,300, plus $246 for lift tickets
- June 28-July 5: Panama (Not a ski trip), $1,765
What are your favorite places to ski?
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February 5, 2010
Is Sports Illustrated cover of Lindsey Vonn provocative?
I’m a little baffled by the controversy surrounding the latest cover of Sports Illustrated, which stars downhill skiing star Lindsey Vonn.
Vonn, in case you haven’t heard, is the first American woman to snag consecutive overall World Cup championships. And that’s just the beginning. She’s got 31 World Cup victories total, divvied up among the downhill, Super G, slalom and super combined disciplines. She’s expected to do well at the Vancouver Olympics, which start in a week.
She deserves an SI cover, right?
It’s extremely rare for a woman to land that spot. If she does, she’s more than likely part of the bikini edition. (Now if you’re looking for something to complain about, there’s a legitimate cause.)
Still, some folks are up in arms, saying the SI cover objectifies Vonn.
What?
This website says the pose, with Vonn’s rear in the air (normal downhill pose, by the way), is provocative.
Read more of the hype here.
I think it’s ridiculous. It’s not like Vonn’s in a thong or half naked or blowing kisses at the camera. She’s crouched over, posed as if she’s rocketing downhill, which is what she does when she’s racing. She’s wearing a one-piece, Spandex racing suit that covers everything but her face.
She also happens to be beautiful and she’s got a gorgeous figure. Nothing wrong with that.
What do critics think would be better? Putting her in a puffy, insulated jacket and posing her standing upright at the bottom of the hill?
What do you think?
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January 14, 2010
Time for a Snow Day!
I know we live in Texas, but sometimes we need a snow day, too.
Check out the helpful new service from Copper Mountain Ski Resort at www.yoursnowday.com.
Click on “I’m employed” and enter the phone number of your boss.
Just like that, Capt. Fred McGilicutty of the Copper Mountain Ski Patrol will call and ask him or her to give you a day off to ski.
Actually, it’s a recording made by McGillicutty. But who’s quibbling? In the recording, McGillicutty’s assistant comes on the line and says she is “connecting a call on behalf of your employee (insert name here).” Then McGillicutty’s voice comes on, saying that “all your employees deserve a Snow Day at Copper.”
I think I’m going to try it. Only I need more than one day, don’t I? I’ve got to get myself all the way to Colorado, and that takes time!
Your boss won’t cooperate? Maybe what you really need is a sick day or two.
Again, Copper is there to help.
The website features a “sound board” of disgusting noises to help convince your supervisor you’re in no shape to report to work. Just click on the different options (throat clear, hack, nose blow, sneeze, throw up, etc.), sit back and enjoy.
While you’re on the website, you can also get your own Ski Patrol name. (Mine is Pam “The Eagle Has Landed” LeBlanc.) You can print it out, too.
See you on the slopes!
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December 17, 2009
Skier claims sex change when caught with wrong pass
Snow is falling in Colorado and I can’t wait to get to the mountains and snap into my downhill skis.
But one eager (and cheap) skier took it to extremes: A Colorado woman claimed she was undergoing a sex change when asked why she was using a ski pass that belonged to a man.
The man turned out to be her boyfriend. She was no man and she hadn’t undergone a sex change.
Turns out that Sarah Nicole Fowke, 23, was trying to sneak through the lift lines at Keystone Resort using a season ski pass owned by her boyfriend, Nicholas Hemstreet.
She was charged with theft over $500 and criminal impersonation, according to CBS Channel 4 in Denver.
Read all about it here.
Thoughts???
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March 7, 2009
It's snowing in Winter Park!
It snowed all day today in Winter Park, just in time for my Mary Jane Bump Jamboree. By the end of our ski day, a 4 or 5 inch coating of powdered sugar dusted everything in sight.
I spent six hours in class, honing my mogul-skiing skills.
By the end of the day, I felt more confident swooping down those bumped-up mogul runs. Thank goodness for the layer of fluffy soft goodness that made each snowy hump as cushy as a pillow.
The most important things I learned? Keep both skiis in contact with the snow through the bumps. Don’t be afraid to point your skiis down the mountain, and reach forward with your ski poles, planting them on the next bump as you approach.
I’m getting more confident!
Another highlight of the day? A trip to Hernando’s Pizza Pub, home of Winter Park’s most famous pizza. It’s been around since 1967, and it rocks. We waited for more than an hour for a table, then ordered a couple of pies, with bubbly yummy crust and sliced roma tomatoes.
We’re heading back to Austin tomorrow. I’ve got plenty of fodder for next fall’s ski travel stories.
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March 6, 2009
Cruising Mary Jane
Yahoo!
We sniffed out some great ski runs off the Panoramic Express lift at Winter Park Resort in Colorado on Friday.
Colorado’s been experiencing some freakishly warm weather lately, and the thaw-freeze cycle has turned some of the snow into a weird mix of mashed potatoes and icy humps.
Today, though, the winds died down, the temperatures dropped and we got up above the tree-line, where the snow was in much better shape. Snuggled inside an extra layer of merino wool, we slashed our way down a wide-open bowl and dipped into rolling, tree-dotted terrain.
It’s gorgeous here, with tall pines and snow like biscuit batter. Chris and I dodged several chipmunks that zipped across the snow in front of us.
We spent most of our day on the Mary Jane side of the resort, which is known for ungroomed runs and spectacular views. The mountain was named for an old-time prostitute.
Finished with skiing for the day, we headed back to the ski resort’s base area, where the Ski Train rumbled in to pick up day-trip passengers for the 2-hour ride back to Denver. What a cool deal that is — for $59, you can avoid the car traffic on Interstate 70 and ride the train directly to Winter Park.
Tomorrow’s the big day — I’m signed up for a mogul clinic. I’ve dabbled in bumps on and off over the years, but I’m determined to tackle the big snowy humps once and for all.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
.
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March 5, 2009
Cheap skiing at Winter Park
Things cooled off yesterday at Winter Park, Colo. And this morning, it’s 25 degrees. Brrrr!
That’s good and bad - good because it’ll help hold the snowpack, but bad because it made for a bit of a crunch fest on the slopes yesterday morning. But snow is in the forecast for the next few days, and that makes me happy.
Fave things about Winter Park so far?
I’m signed up to take a bump clinic on Saturday. Yahoo!
In the meantime, check out these Spring Break deals at Winter Park. The press release just sailed in:
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March 4, 2009
Why we love spring skiing
We detoured to Beaver Creek on Tuesday, checking out all the nicely groomed corduroy and sipping free hot chocolate at the top of the first lift in the morning.
In honor of another day of warm temperatures, here’s what we like about spring skiing:
What do you like about spring skiing?
Next stop, Winter Park…
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March 3, 2009
Greetings from Vail
I’m in Colorado this week, checking out ski resorts for future travel stories.
First stop, Vail.
Lots of changes since I was last here five or six years ago. The biggest? A complete remodel of the Lionshead base area. Lots of fancy buildings and a gorgeous ice skating rink.
But who cares about town? We’re more interested in hitting the slopes. So far, we’ve spent two days exploring this humongous ski area, from Pepi’s Run on the front face to the famous back bowls all the way to the beautifully gladed Blue Sky Basin.
It’s freakishly warm here at the moment. Highs in the mid-50s on the mountain have turned it into spring skiing conditions. (Can you say slush puppies?) Really, considering how warm it’s been, the skiing hasn’t been bad at all, especially on the top half of the mountain. The snow warms up and softens during the day, then refreezes at night. The base is more than 60 inches.
Heck. There’s still more snow here than there is in Austin.
After a full day of skiing yesterday, we sat on the deck at Los Amigos and sipped a margarita while watching people wipe out on steep run in front of us. We headed to Bart and Yeti’s afterward, for some excellent green chili stew.
Any tips on things to see or do while I’m here? Let me know.
Today’s mission? Beaver Creek, right next door. Then it’s on to Winter Park.
Stay tuned…
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November 8, 2008
Attention skiers: It's snowing in Colorado!
It’s snowing in Colorado, and I’m getting barraged with cool, white-frosted photos from my friends at ski resorts in Colorado.
We may be frolicking through 80-degree days here, but I’m already plotting my winter ski trip. This year, I’ve got Vail and Winter Park in my sights.
A fall storm system rolled across the state earlier this week, dropping up to a foot and a half of white stuff in some areas. The big winners were Aspen Highlands, which slurped up 18 inches of fresh snow, Telluride, which got 16 inches, and nearby Silverton, with 17 inches.
That’s spurred some resorts to swing open the doors for the 2008-09 season. Yippie!
Arapahoe Basin and Loveland both opened in October. Copper Mountain and Wolf Creek are set to open this weekend. On track to open later this month are Winter Park (Nov. 19), Steamboat (Nov. 26), Monarch Mountain (Nov. 26) and Ski Cooper (Nov. 27.) Telluride, Eldora, Echo Mountain, Snowmass and Aspen should open this month, too. In early December, you can add Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, Sunlight Mountain Resort and Powderhorn to the list.
More snow is predicted! The attached photos were taken at Copper Mountain and Aspen earlier this week.
For more information on resort opening dates, go to www.ColoradoSki.com.
Where are you skiing this season? And what have you done to prepare?
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October 20, 2008
Cheap ski trips
Want to go skiing this season but don’t want to plan the trip yourself?
Check out Austin Skiers, a non-profit club that organizes a slate of excursions to the world’s best ski mountains.
True confession here: I met my husband through an Austin Skiers trip about 11 years ago. He spotted me in a hotel hot tub in Jackson Hole, Wyo. He credits my red bikini. I thought he was cute. By the end of the week, he was showing me his favorite runs on the mountain. (That’s him in the photo, on an Austin Skiers trip to Sun Valley, Idaho a few years later.)
But really, we were both in it for the skiing, not the socializing. We both signed up because we wanted an affordable ski trip and didn’t want to hash out all the details by ourselves. This way, we just forked over a single check and showed up with our gear on departure day.
I’m not promising you’ll meet your better half if you go on an Austin Skiers trip, but I can pretty much guarantee you’ll meet some fun folks, stretch your quad muscles on the slopes and see a lot more snow than you’d see here in Austin.
This year’s lineup includes trips to New Mexico, Montana, Colorado and the French Alps. Most include ski-in/ski-out accommodations, so you won’t have to lug your skiis on and off shuttle buses.
The trips range in size from 30 to 60 people — singles, couples and families of all ski levels, from beginner to advanced. You get discounted lift tickets and rentals. You must be a member of Austin Skiers to sign up. Cost is $35 for an individual or $45 for a family.
Trip signup is already under way, and most trips fill by November. Membership forms and trip application forms are available on the website at http://www.austinskiers.org/.
2008-09 Austin Skiers trip schedule:
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