Thank goodness for man-made!
Thank goodness for man-made snow.  The snow making equipment at the resorts in North Lake Tahoe have made it possible for locals and visitors alike to get out on the slopes.  The temperatures have been low, some even dropping below 0° for extended periods of time during the dark hours.  The ski resorts have been able to put a pretty decent coat of white stuff on the trails.  And with the cold temperatures, the man-made snow has been allowed to set up nicely on the trails.  

One of the best things I have noticed since moving here is that there are not many bad weather days in California.  Or days with any weather at all.  Since it hasn’t been snowing, it has been sunny.  The beautiful weather has certainly made me feel guilty about complaining about the lack of snow.  And with the lack of snow I have seen many people out riding their bikes and doing other activities that normally need to be put away through May.  

Most people I have met are always talking about powder.  Which I will admit is very nice but there is more to skiing then powder.  Go out and make some turns on some nice groomed trails, the snow might be a little harder then what you are usually skiing on this time of year.  So get your skis tuned or rent a pair that have an edge and go out there and challenge your skiing ability and ski the harder snow, work on your free skiing before the powder. It will pay off down the road, I promise!  Grab some boards, strap them on your feet, and ski! 

Jackson Hole's Holiday Events Schedule

While skiing may be the main attraction for people visiting Jackson Hole in the wintertime, the holiday season brings a plethora of other exciting events for all ages.  Here is a list of what’s going on over the next two weeks.


12/20/11

Expressions of the Season, a Holiday Chamber Music Concert

Presented by Cathedral Voices Chamber Choir and the Jackson Hole Symphony Orchestra. • Where: Walk Festival Hall • Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Lighting of the Menorah

Lighting of the Menorah, Four Seasons Lobby, 4:45pm

12/21/11

GTMF presents 'The Magic Flute', a Metropolitan Opera broadcast

Where: Walk Festival Hall• Time: 4:00pmrn• What: Enter a world of dancing bears, giant birds, and colorful adventure in Mozart’s ever-popular masterpiece. This abridged version, sung in English, is perfect for opera fans of all ages. Free, tickets not required. 

Kids' Night Out

Where: Kids Ranch at JHMR • Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm • What: On Kids’ Night Out, the Kids Ranch offers evening activities for children ages 4 to 18 in a supervised environment. Activities include a pizza party, indoor and outdoor games, movies and sledding. rn• Reservations are required. Call 307-739-2788 for information.


12/22/11

Christmas Ornament Workshop and Storytelling

Where: Alpenhof Bistro Fireplace• Time: 3:30pm – 5:30pm• What: Kids (ages 3 - 12) will have fun creating a tree ornament while enjoying Hot Cocoa and Christmas Stories. This event is free and in collaboration with the Jackson Hole Art Association. Storytelling 3:30-5pm, workshop 4:15-5:30pm.

Kyrgyzstan Handicraft Show

Where: Snake River Lodge and Spa• Time: 12:00pm – 7:00pm• What: Trunkshow from Kyrgyzstan, beautiful things from faraway places in a mountain-to-mountain cooperation. Great last minute holiday shopping. In cooperation with Vista 360.

Winter Solstice Bonfire and Starlight Ski or Sleigh Ride

Where: Saddlehorn Activity Center• Time: 5:00pm -7:00pm• What: Come out for an evening under the stars for a Sleigh Ride and free Cross Country skiing, lite fare, libations, live music and a Bonfire to welcome back longer days ahead. 

Caroling at the Four Seasons Lobby

Caroling at the Four Seasons Lobby, 5:30pm

12/23/11

Santa’s Arrival

Where: Village Commons• 4:00pm Lizzie Sider performance, Sledding, Hot Drinks and Cookies• 4:30pm Santa Arrival from Tram

Caroling at the Four Seasons Lobby

Caroling at the Four Seasons Lobby, 5:30pm

12/24/11

Reading “T’was the Night before Christmas”

Where: Fire pit on the Village Commons• Time: 5:00pm• What: Gather around the fire at for this classic Christmas Story. Terra Café will provide free cookies for the kids. 

Christmas Mass

Where: Four Seasons Resort, Cottonwood Ballroom • Time: 5:30pm• What: Christmas Mass in conjunction with Our Lady of the Mountains Church

Caroling at the Four Seasons Lobby

Caroling at the Four Seasons Lobby, 5:00pm

Non-denominational Christmas Service

Where: Gabe Room at the Bridger Center, 3rd floor• Time: 5:30pm• What: Non-Denominational Christmas Service with Rev. Paul Hayden 

12/25/11

Christmas Day - Ski with Santa

Ski with Santa!• Where: Teewinot Lift• Time: 1:00pm

                                                    12/26/11 

Kid’s Movie Night

Where: Teton Room at Teton Mountain Lodge• Time: 7:00pm• What: While the kids enjoy popcorn and a movie, adults can enjoy drinks and dinner at Cascade Restaurant and Bar.

12/27/11

Teton Science School - Skins, Skulls and Snow

Where: Village Commons • Time: 2:00-4:30pm • What: Teton Science School biologists will be at the Teton Village Commons Firepit to explain how the area’s wildlife employs strategies to survive the winter season while showing various skins, skulls antlers and horns. Weather dependent. 

12/28/11

Kids Snow Sculpting Contest

Where: Village Commons• Time: 12:00pm – 3:30pm• What: Children of all ages are invited to create their own snow sculpture. Judging and Award Ceremony on the Village Commons at 3:00pm.• To sign up for snow sculpting or for more information call 307.733.5898

12/29/11

GTMF presents 'Hansel and Gretel', a Metropolitan Opera broadcast

Where: Walk Festival Hallrn• Time: 4:00pm• What: Richard Jones’s wickedly funny production of Humperdink’s beloved opera stars Alice Coote and Christine Schafer as the siblings lost in the shadowy world of the woods. Sung in English. Free, tickets not required. 

12/31/11 

New Year’s Eve Champage Special

Where: Terra Café at Hotel Terra • Time: 3:30pm - 5:00pm • What: Enjoy a flute of Champagne and passed tea sandwiches from for $5 to get the New Year’s celebration started.

Glow Worm and Torchlight Parades and Fireworks

Glow Worm Parade for Kids -- Where: Meet at the Kids Ranch at 4:50pm with skis and boots (no poles, please!). Parade on Teewinot Run. Time: Meet at 4:50, Parade at 5:30. Kids of all ages are welcome to participate. The younger kids will do a shorter parade before the bigger kids. Torchlight Parade and Fireworks -- Where: Apres Vous and Teewinot Runs Time: 6pm. Fireworks to follow the torchlight. JHMR employees treat you to a traditional torchlight on Apres Vous, followed by a celebratory fireworks show.

New Year's Gondi Gala

Ring in the New Year at the Couloir! • Where: Couloir Restaurantrn• Time: 9:00pm• Featuring Mandatory Air• What: Two dinner seating’s (5:30 and 7:45). The later dinner includes wine paring and the party for $250. Party tickets are $50 and available online only! Call for dinner reservations 307.733.2675

New Year’s Eve Party at the Peak, at the Four Seasons Resort

Where: The Peak, Four Seasons • Time: 9:00pm-1:00am • What: Raffle, Complimentary Midnight Toast, DJ from KHOL, and passed hors d’oeurves • $65 


Ski Butlers Nominated for Small Business of the Year
Park City, UT…Ski Butlers has been nominated for the US Chamber of Commerce 2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award by the Park City Chamber Bureau. “This is an incredible honor,” said Bryn Carey, president of Ski Butlers. “We are very humbled and proud to be considered for this award.”

The Park City Chamber Bureau nominates one business per year for this award. “We believe that Ski Butlers is a business that others watch in awe,” said Bill Malone, president of the Park City Chamber Bureau. “From their concept…to their phenomenal service…to their attention to detail…This is a business that seems to have it all covered. Plus, they are the epitome of a well-oiled machine when it comes to customer service.” The Park City Chamber nominated Ski Butlers out of 1,050+ businesses.

About the DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award

The Awards program is designed to honor our nation's job creators and recognize their significant contributions as drivers of economic growth. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize, courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Small businesses will be judged on the following criteria:

Staff training and motivation
Community involvement
Customer service
Business strategies and goals
Financial performance and business history

About Park City Chamber 

The Park City Chamber / Bureau exists to promote Park City and Summit County as a world-class destination for everyone from tourists to business groups to our local neighbors. They do this through coordinated domestic and international marketing efforts that work in tandem with those of their 1000+ members. Their mission is to promote the Park City/Summit County area as a historic mountain resort destination with an ongoing Olympic legacy, enhance the resort experience, and be an advocate for a vibrant, healthy economy.

About Ski Butlers

Founded in 2004 in Park City, Utah, Ski Butlers now serves over 30 North American resorts in Colorado, California, Utah, Wyoming and British Columbia, Canada. Ski Butlers award winning service makes renting ski and snowboard equipment convenient and hassle-free all for the same price or less than most resort ski shops. Ski Butlers is the only ski shop in Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado to win the Vail Valley Platinum Service Award for exceptional customer service this past winter, and is Deer Valley’s and Aspen’s preferred ski rental delivery provider. Ski Butlers corporate offices are based out of Park City, Utah. 

For more information go to www.SkiButlers.com, call Bryn Carey at 435-640-1402 or e-mail Bryn@SkiButlers.com.

No Snow, Doesn't Mean No Fun!

The majority of conversations going around town now in one way or another are all focusing on one common topic, where is the snow?  In Breckenridge, we certainly have not seen the same early season snow as we had last season.  This seems to also be the case in several other western resort towns.  Since we cannot control Mother Nature, we are forced to take action in other ways.  No snow in November means several things for us folks in Breckenridge; It gives us the ability to enjoy long hikes without snow shoes and tackle some of Colorado’s 14,000 ft. + peaks, it makes us appreciate artificial snow making more so than we would like to, and it creates a situation where all employees are eagerly waiting to demo some of the new powder line equipment but simply can’t yet.

Just because there has been little snowfall so far this year, doesn’t stop the big wheel of events from turning in Breckenridge.  From the 4th-11th of December we welcome the Hartford Disabled Sports Ski Spectacular into Breckenridge.  In its 23rd year, the Hartford returns to Breckenridge as the nation’s largest winter sports festival for people with physical disabilities.  It’s always a pleasure when you get the chance to meet these people on the slopes or in town as they are always sure to lift your spirits and make you appreciate all the activities that come with a mountain town.  This event is conducted by Disabled Sports, USA and in Breckenridge; this is something we always look forward to.

Another thing the lack of snow will not change is the Winter Dew Tour coming to town December 15-18th.  As Breckenridge locals, we will welcome in several hundred elite winter athletes all to compete on Peak 8 in Breckenridge for their shot at the Dew Cup.  Of course the Dew Cup champion is based on cumulative points from all 3 winter tour stops with The Nike Open in Breckenridge being the first of the 3 to kick off the 2011/2012 season.  There is more fun to be had than watching these athletes soar out of the pipe or tear down the slopestyle course while the Dew Tour is in town.   There are live concerts right on the mountain following each Dew Tour event, and the town as a whole is more energetic than ever during these 3 days.

Even without snow, there are always fun events going on in Breckenridge and plenty to chat about around town.  The snow will eventually arrive; whether it comes as a 50th birthday present to Breckenridge on December 16th or Santa Claus brings it as a gift on his sleigh later in the month, one thing is for sure…. The Breckenridge community will be waiting!

Ski Town Lingo
It can be weird going on vacation to a new place, a place that can seem somewhat foreign from your home.  Maybe it’s the weather that’s completely different, the food may not quite be the same, or maybe the language is new and well, foreign.  It can be even stranger when this place is still in the U.S. Resort towns can seem a bit foreign at first, especially when you hear the locals speaking.