Greetings from beautiful North Lake Tahoe where the sun is shining and the snow conditions are fantastic.  We are having unseasonably warm temperatures recently which is making for some great spring like conditions.  The daily average temperature has been hovering in the mid to upper 40's and skiers and riders are enjoying all that the mountains have to offer.  The groomers are fast and fun and the various terrain parks are always a great time.  There are many events coming up in the near future at our resorts on the North Shore, and you want to make sure that you get the most out of your mountain experience!!

January 15th through the 23rd brings together resort employees across North America to help involve their coworkers and guests in slope safety.  During the National Safety Awareness Week, resort employees touch on accident prevention and what to do in case of emergencies on the slopes.

Throughout the last couple years, it has become a growing trend to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding.  Most ski schools now actually require children under 12 to wear them, as well as the instructors.  This sudden increase in helmets is partly because of the increase in media attention to fatalities on the mountain.  But also, it just makes sense.  Snow sports, like most other sports, come with risks.  Protecting your head can cut those risks in half.   With tree collisions up there as one of the top accidents on the mountains, helmets can help dramatically reduce the risk of serious head injury and death.  

Whether you find yourself on the mountain a couple times a year or a couple times a week, it’s always beneficial to keep safety fresh in your mind. Besides wearing a helmet, safety also includes skiing defensively and being aware of your own ability.  Always stay in control of yourself and never assume other skiers are as knowledgeable as you are.  Be cautious of knolls and corners where your sight is restricted.   High-speed impact between skiers can be deadly as well, and is simple to prevent.  If you are going to be skiing at high speeds, do it on open terrain where you can easily see what’s ahead of you.  

For those of you who dabble in the backcountry, your risks grow a bit, but the rewards can be worth it if you keep your body and mind sharp and responsive.  Be weary of tree wells and hidden obstacles.  Especially at the beginning of the season when snow coverage is minimal, creeks and logs can become death traps.  So know where you are and where you want to go.  To prevent tree well incidents, use the buddy system.  Once you encounter a tree well head first, the likely hood of you escaping unharmed drops immensely.  If someone is with you, those first couple seconds are priceless and can save your life.

Keep yourself informed.  Know the conditions of which you ski and if avalanches are a risk, be prepared and have the proper equipment with you.  Take an avalanche awareness class or flip through a couple courses online to inform yourself in basic avalanche survival.  Be aware of the temperature as well.  Dress appropriately to avoid frostbite and be aware of what your body is telling you.  

Most importantly, have fun out there.  Once you cover your bases with safety, you will have the peace of mind that will allow you to enjoy every minute on the mountain without worry.  Take the time this week to ensure that you and those you love are fully aware of the risks and are able to react in emergencies.  Look out for yourself and others and the remainder of the season will be epic!  Safe skiing out there and have fun!  For more information on slope safety, check out the following websites: www.lidsonkids.org; www.freestyleterrain.org; www.treewelldeepsnowsafety.com; www.fsavalanche.com.

It's been a great start to the season having accumulated over 780cms (305 in) of snow, leaving us with a snow base of 238 cms (93in). Thousands of tourists ventured to Whistler to join in the festivites over Christmas and New Years and of course experienced the beauty of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. With over 200 skiable runs filling the 8,171 acers of terrain, skiers and boarders of all levels were able to enjoy the slopes. If you are unsure of where to begin, be sure to join in a complimentary orientation tour leaving at 11:30am every day for intermediate and expert skiers and boarders. The Peak to Peak gondola is still proving to be a major attraction, being the worlds highest and longest lift of its kind. I got to enjoy the amazing views myself last week, definitely one to put on the bucket list.

If you're one of those people who drools over the thought of untouched groomed and fresh powder runs, I highly recommend First Tracks. Be one of few to hop on the gondola an hour before opening time, treat yourself to a gourmet buffet breakfast at Roundhouse Lodge then be one of first to hit the slopes.

Don't feel like skiing or boarding? Why not go for a slide down the tube park, make the choice between dogsledding, snowmobiling or snow shoeing, or choose all three! At the end of the day, nothing beats a wander down the village stroll, where you are faced with countless shops, restaurants and bars. Fireworks light up the sky, while skiers and boarders jump through the ring of fire every Sunday night at the Fire and Ice show.

Upcoming tournaments in Whistler include Snowcross presented by Powerade(22-23rd) and the Kokanee Valley Race Series(27th) which are open to all ages, the Appleton Rum Peak to Valley Masters Race(30th) and if you want to stay off the slopes you can attend the Scrabble tournament for Family Literacy Day(27th). There is also the week long celebration beginning January 30th known as Winter Pride, where a variety of gay ski events take place and welcome one and all.

Keep warm and stay safe...Josh, Whistler Ski Butlers

Greetings from South Lake Tahoe

WOW! What a holiday season it has been. We’ve all made it through safely, opened the new year with some freshies, and we’re already at the big MLK weekend! There’s going to be a lot going on up here this weekend, and you don’t want to miss out, so here is what’s going at the Resorts found on the South Shore:

Heavenly:  Safety week is kicking off with a bang at Heavenly this week. There will be a ski/ride safety convention going on at the top of the gondola, run by Barton Memorial Hospital. Heavenly Sports is offering an added discount on all safety apparel, so if you need a helmet, now is the time to get one! Heavenly is also doing a safety scavenger hunt all week from the 15^th till the 21^st.  Scavenger  Hunt cards can be found at all on-mountain lodges, and any Heavenly employee wearing a bright orange cap will help you with your scavenger hunt as long as you can answer safety questions about the skier’s code. They will be giving out prizes, so study the code! And finally, there will be the Riperoo Parade starting on Friday at the Heavenly Village.

Kirkwood: The UC Band will be riding all weekend at the wood, so keep an eye, and an ear, open for them. Kirkwood is offering their avalanche class this weekend, the AIARE Level 1 course, which will teach one how to survive in avalanche situations, a must for any and all backcountry riders! The Kingtones will be playing at Bub’s all day, providing the perfect bar break atmosphere for a mid day stop. And to finish the day, Kirkwood is also offering their full moon snowshoe hike from 6p-10p. Snowshoes can be rented at Kirkwood, and reservations are required.

Sierra: Sierra has the Cal Big Band visiting, so there will be some encouraging tunes to psych you up for the slopes! Safety week is also beginning at Sierra this week, and the people of NSAA (the National Ski Area Assoc.) will be on site to help with all ski and ride safety tips. Blizzard Mountain, Sierra’s snow park has sack races, obstacle courses, and snowman building competitions set up for all those non-riders and little groms. Races will be offered on the slopes, The Bay Area Ski Buss Race will start with practice from 10a-11a, races from 11a-1p, and awards will be given out at 2p. The races are open to all and free,  so sign up and see what you got! And for those water breaks, the Cash Only Band will be rockin’ the Pub all day, grab a drink and enjoy!

That should be a good start to keeping you all entertained this weekend, just don’t forget to check out the playlists at the casinos. There are some big names in town, Snoop Dogg is playing at Mont Bleu, and for the more laid back crowd, Rebelution will be playing at Mont Bleu Sunday night. Have fun, be safe, and think Ski Butlers!

- Ben Marshall, Ski Butlers South Lake Tahoe

Happy New Year, from the Ski Butlers Aspen crew.  A very good start to the new year here at Aspen/ Snowmass, we had a record breaking December in just about every location, including here, so thank you to the many who donned Ski Butlers equipment on the slopes over the holidays.

It has been a bit of a chilly start here in January, but that means great snow.  We are still finding fresh snow on top, and some beautiful grippy groomers down below.  January in Aspen also means some big events: Winterskol begins on the 13th and the 15th Winter X-Games comes to Buttermilk on the 27th.

Winterskol starts next Thursday the 13th of January and runs through the end of the weekend.  Winterskol is a "Toast to Winter", a celebration that dates back to the early 50’s, started simply because there was a lack of celebration in January.  After Christmas and the New Year they found business dying off, so some of the locals at the time created a celebration to keep up spirits in the cold month of January, and of course to bring in business.  This year don't miss the canine fashion show, winterfest, the Soupskol (soup cook-off), fireworks, snowsculptures, and as always adults acting generations younger than they should.  Should be a blast.  More info can be found on Aspen Chamber Resort Assoc website: ACRA Winterskol

At the end of the month Aspen will get busy again as skiers, snowboarders and "slednecks" come in from all over the world to compete for X-Games Gold. Locals in the Aspen Valley have been watching the Pipe Dragon carve out the 22' superpipe night and day at Buttermilk that will soon be filled with the top super-pipe All Stars from around the world.  And what can't be seen from Highway 82 is the massive slopestyle course built by the best park designers in the world. This is one of the most incredible events to watch in person, there is so much you don't get from seeing it on TV, the smell of supercharged snowmobile exhaust, the roar of tens of thousands of people, and the production of X-games.  It's a sight to be seen for sure.  Buses, buses and more buses are brought in from all around the Valley to accommodate people trying to see these amazing events.  Parking is limited to the Brush-Creek Intercept lot, from here you can grab any number of buses leaving every 5-10 mins.  While it may seem that some of these athletes must be under the influence of something to do the crazy things they are doing, remember that X-Games is an Alcohol Free event, get it done ahead of time.  More info can be found on Aspen Skiing Company’s website: XGames

Shaun White unfortunately canceled his booking with Ski Butlers, but he said it was only because his sponsors wouldn't allow it. Next year buddy.

 

See you on the mountain!

Sam Martinelli

Aspen/Snowmass