J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

RoseR wrote:Pablo just love the pic of the guy in the strange jacket and red sallo's :lol:

Tony H spotted in Glencoe! And we thought he was in Serre Che... 8)

Ian Wickham wrote:Love and kisses to all my adoring fan out there, well only in Canada

Fixed that for you, Ian... jealousy is a cruel mistress... :wink:

Tamarack ski resort in Idaho has been declared bankrupt four years after the resort opened proclaiming itself the first new destination ski resort in the US a quarter century. The centre stopped operating lifts and accommodation yesterday (Wednesday 4 March) due to a combination of overdue loan repayments, limited credit, falling demand for property and unpaid bills. The resort had also made an operating loss of nearly three million dollars so far this season.

Tamarack has seven modern lifts, a golf course and had completed 250 of over 2,000 planed accommodation chalets, with almost as many again under construction at the time that the resort ceased trading.

Tamarack had attracted several big name celebrity endorsements and resort guests included former US President George Bush.

The resort's lease to Idaho Department of Lands has been paid through to January 2010 raising hopes that an investor might be found during the year to relaunch the resort before it falls in to an unviable state.
Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

Ski resorts along North America's West Coast from Mammoth to Whistler are reporting big snowfalls in the past week.

Mammoth Mountain in California was just hit by a massive winter storm that has been hammering the Eastern Sierra with snow since Sunday, March 1. The majority of the storm has passed, but not before the US National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the area. This generous snowfall has pushed Mammoth well over its yearly average of 400 inches (10 metres). The total stood at 418 inches on March 4th.

Over 43 inches (108cm) of snow has fallen within the first four days of March, including 24 inches in 24 hours on March 3rd – 4th. Mammoth recorded the snowiest February in a decade with nearly 12 feet of snow falling on the mountain.

Further north Lake Tahoe residents and visitors woke up to a welcome surprise yesterday (Wednesday March 4) morning, with another one-two feet of new snow overnight and a storm total of over six feet at the higher elevations.

The storm initially brought significant rain and snow but turned to snow late Monday. High winds and blizzard conditions closed highways and made for difficult travel, but on Wednesday morning the storm subsided.
Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

A study by the Spanish Environment Ministry has found that the estimated 3,300 hectares of ice that covered the mountain range between Spain and France at the beginning of the 20th century have been reduced to 390 hectares over the past 100 years.

The study also found that the rate of melt has accelerated in recent years, with a quarter of the ice melting away in the past six years.

This year's snowfall has been one of the best for decades in the region but Miguel Frances, the coordinator of the 20 year study, which was released last week, said that even winters with heavy snowfalls do not appear to be able to stop the process.

"The snow stabilizes the glaciers but they do not grow," Frances told the Spanish El Pais newspaper.

The ministry study states that the melting of the glaciers in the Pyrenees and in other mountain ranges around the world is a direct consequence of global warming and changes in rainfall patterns.

"In 25 or 30 years time the majority of glaciers will have disappeared and by the middle of the century they'll all be gone."Fernando Lampre, president of the Pyrenees Glacier Monument Heritage told El Pais.

Courtesy of and © Snow24 plc

Hi Mark - please take your caps lock off; writing in all caps is hard to read and generally interpreted as shouting. TVM.

Can't help you on bars I'm afraid but Les Arcs is a fantastic ski area so you'll have a great time; they have shed loads of snow...

This from Simon Fraser University

A new study of avalanche deaths in western Canada reveals that trauma causes as many as a third of all fatalities, raising the need to rethink approaches to avalanche safety. Existing safety devices and rescue methods focus primarily on asphyxia and not on trauma, says study co-investigator Pascal Haegeli, a post-doctoral fellow in the School of Resource and Environmental Management.

"Our study shows that one-third of avalanche victims in Canada had sustained potentially lethal trauma before the avalanche even stopped, and that most of these died from this trauma," says Haegeli.

I've not come across a figure that high (for trauma) before.

Stay safe out there everyone...

"And don't ski anything that looks dangerous unless you're sure that it's safe."

Last weekend's mild "blip" faded quickly and snow has returned to many parts of The Alps over the past day or two - with significant snow reported across the North in particular (Northern French, Swiss and Austrian Alps).

Weather and Snow Next Week

The snow currently falling should continue through most of Friday, with weather in most places clearing by Saturday afternoon for a great weekend on fresh snow. Light snow is possible in the north of the region early next week.

To the South, starting in The Pyrenees but pushing into the southern half of the Alps by mid-week, distinctly milder weather will bring Spring skiing conditions. The impressive snow depths reported by the southern resorts should hold up well, however, so good skiing will be available almost everywhere.

The forecast models have been all over the place for the past few days, so it's unclear how things will progress beyond next week - although there are indications of another cold spell taking hold in the latter half of this month. Fingers crossed.

And so it continues...