Messages posted by : J2SkiNews
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There have been reports in the past 24 hours that "Leading Ski Operators Cancel all December ski holidays" (Telegraph) and "FOUR UK TOUR OPERATORS CANCEL ALL SKI HOLIDAYS IN DECEMBER" (PlanetSki). It may get worse but so far these are both actually talking about one group, Hotelplan, which runs Inghams and three other smaller ski companies, plus the mainly schools/groups operator Interski in the Aosta Valley.
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It is very hard to know and changes daily as the virus concerns rise (at present) and fall (hopefully). There have been various surveys saying that most die-hard skiers will, on the whole, try to have a ski holiday whatever, but the surveys were earlier in the autumn before the 'second wave'. J2Ski is sent a weekly list of deals by Crystal but they've not been arriving for a few weeks and the company has said it won't offer ski holidays to anywhere where you have to self-isolate on arrival/return so that currently rules out almost everywhere they operate to. Other tour ops are largely silent at the moment too when we're usually deluged with deals and offers. Smaller operator (mostly schools and groups) Interski say they're cancelling all 20-21 trips and now focussed on 21-22. So not looking great at the moment but equally people can still ski if they're determined and prepared to self isolate/ The latter half of the season is still 4-6 months away so we probably ought to keep hoping! |
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A major snowstorm is currently impacting much of Western North America. So far ski areas are reporting up to six inches (15cm) of snowfall but the storm is expected to continue for several days. A winter storm warning is in place for the next few days in several states. Ski areas in California reported their first significant accumulations of the season, including at Mammoth Mountain which hopes to open for the season on Saturday. Diamond Peak in Nevada is pictured above. There was also snowfall reported in Alberta and BC in Canada as well as Oregon, Utah and Wyoming in the US. Keystone was the latest ski area to open, on Friday, joining Wold creek in Colorado and Great Divide in Montana. The latter has subsequently closed though following warm conditions which preceded the current snowstorm. Colorado's Loveland and Arapahoe Basin are among those now expected to open imminently with the change in conditions, with Breckenridge also targeting next weekend. The most optimistic forecasts are for up to two feet (60cm) of snowfall from the storms in total. North of the border Nakiska is the third area in Alberta to open, on Saturday, joining Lake Louise and Mt Norquay. The third Banff area, Sunshine, will open Monday and fifth Alberta area, Marmot Basin near Jasper, later this week. |
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Keystone ski area in Colorado confirmed late last night that it would open for the 20-21 season later today. The centre had said it was good to go in terms of snow cover but was waiting for permission from state authorities to open, which has finally come through. Keystone is one of more than 30 North American ski areas owned or operated by Vail Resorts and it will be the first of their northern hemisphere ski areas to re-open since the March lockdown. The company has invested heavily in state-of-the-art snowmaking for Keystone in recent years to ensure an early opening. The group announced that only season pass holder will be able to reserve space on the slopes at its resorts until early December and that the number of tickets available will be around half the normal amount, due to pandemic spacing requirements. Keystone said last night that opening weekend was already sold out although spaces remain for later next week. Car parking is as big an issue as lift ticket availability for many Coloradans and this too must now be reserved in advance of arrival with state media reporting availability selling out fast. Ski areas in Colorado are opening later than usual, but this appears to be due more to warm weather and major forest fires still burning than the pandemic. Loveland ski area ahs announced it won't open this weekend and Arapahoe Basin is so far keeping quiet on its plans. Both areas usually open in October most years. Wolf Creek ski the only ski area there currently open. Keystone will be the fifth US ski area to open for 20-21 with Breckenridge, Killington and Mammoth Mountain targeting the weekend of the 14th. Colorado's weather is set to change this weekend though with a big temperature drop and, potentially, several feet of snowfall forecast. |
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The Austrian announcement of a month long November lockdown to try to slow the rise in virus cases in the country led to the nine ski areas that had already opened in the country closing on Tuesday and it also raised questions about the country hosting the second leg of the Alpine Ski World Cup. A stage, with both Women's and Men's parallel slalom races, had been organised in mid-November at Lech/Zuers in Austria, the first time World Cup competition was to be staged in the area for 25 years. However plans to stage the competition on 13th – 14th November did raise some eyebrows even before the virus began creating issues, that's a fortnight before the Arlberg was due to begin opening its first ski runs for the season, so seemed an early date for reliable snow cover. The International Ski Federation (FIS) has now announced a fortnight's delay to the competition,
The next snow control will be on 18th November 2020. |
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It has not been the ideal run-up to the start of the 2020-21 season in the key US ski state of Colorado. Of course the pandemic is a major factor, but the state has also been impacted by periods of warm, dry weather and by major autumn forest fires. Just one ski area has been able to open so far, Wolf Creek, which did so a week ago after the last big snow storm deposited 55cm (22 inches) of snow on its slopes, pictured above. But the usual early-openers like Arapahoe Basin and Loveland have missed October and the recent warm weather has stopped snowmaking efforts again, which began over a month ago now in some cases. However Keystone said last night that it does hope to open this Friday, as planned, 'subject to government approval'. Arapahoe basin is currently 'quiet'; on its opening date but Loveland said yesterday that whilst snowmaking has had to be suspended due to the warm weather they hope to open around this weekend too. A big drop in temperatures and heavy snowfall is forecast in the state for the weekend which should be good news. Vail Resorts will be keen to see Keystone open. The world's largest ski resorts operator has not had a northern hemisphere ski area open since the lockdown began last March. It is initially only allowing holders of its season passes on to its resort slopes as its areas reopen in November. Meanwhile Winter Park has announced it is delaying its planned opening from mid-November to at least the end of the month, partly due to the weather, partly the pandemic, and partly the fires, they say.
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Morzine, on the French side of the huge Portes du Soleil ski region which crosses the Swiss border with 600km of slopes linking a dozen ski villages, will unveil a new ski run this winter. The new slope is in fact the 'remodelling' of the existing red Aigle run which descends from the summit of Nyon at 2,019m, down to the Nyon plateau at 1,413m. Work on the upgrade began last year but is due to be completed for the start of winter 2020-2021 in December. The run will now be three times wider and provide 2km of skiing pleasure. What's more, a new covered escalator will take skiers and pedestrians from the car park to the departure point of the Nyon cable car. |
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Absolutely, yes, we have done this several times although sadly for us not since the 1990s. We would have just rented/returned from Denver and enjoyed the drive. Both wonderful resorts and driving between them scenically spectacular and quite short distances on open roads by the North American measure. Only thing I'd say is get a good 'winterised' car as I recall having to drive over stretches of snow covered roads even on an Easter trip.
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