J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

Sun Peaks ski resort in BC, which claims the second-largest ski area in Canada, has announced it's installing a brand-new high speed detachable quad chairlift and that it will cut additional runs.

The new West Bowl Express will be located in the upper reaches of Mt. Tod and will provide enhanced access to a popular area of the resort known for quality snow and scenic vistas.

The Doppelmayr constructed lift will cost an estimated $12 million dollars and will be complete in advance of the 2024/25 winter season.

"Sun Peaks continues to evolve and this significant new lift infrastructure will diversify the experience in an important pod of terrain in the resort. Guests will have additional trails and vertical to explore with the convenience and efficiency of detachable lift technology," said Darcy Alexander, Vice President and General Manager.

Work to build the new West Bowl Express is already well underway. Detailed planning, engineering, and ground construction has been recently completed. Additional electrical and foundation work will be carried out this summer with final lift installation to take place the following year.

This investment announcement follows substantial improvements to the mountain in recent years, highlighted by the new Orient chairlift and the Crystal chairlift replacement. With the West Bowl Express slated to open in November 2024, Sun Peaks will have placed three new chairlifts into operation in just under a six-year period.

Mammoth Mountain in California has officially surpassed its season snowfall record, previously set in the 2010/11 season, with an incredible 17.65 metres (58 feet) of snowfall in total so far this season.

Along with fellow Californian ski area The Palisades, the resort has already extended its winter season through July and is yet to set a closing date so visitors will be skiing and riding well into the summer months.

California has seen incredible snowfall this season with a series of mega-storm cycles that began at the end of last year continuing throughout March and another storm currently hitting the Eastern Sierra, which dropped 76cm (2.5 feet) overnight, Mammoth has broken its all-time season snowfall record.

The previous record set 12 winters ago was 16.96 metres. All snowfall recordings are taken at the base of Main Lodge at Mammoth resort, but the summit of the mountain has recorded a massive 22 metres of snowfall over the course of the season. Currently the snow at Main Lodge is 6.98 Metres deep and 8.53 metres deep at the summit – the deepest in the world by some distance.

Colorado's Winter Park Resort has announced that it will close some of its slopes on Sunday, April 23, 2023, but will keep the Mary Jane side of the mountain open as long as possible for late-season skiing and riding.

"Weather and snow conditions will ultimately dictate the close of the season, but based on consistent snowfall throughout the season and a current solid base of nearly six feet, the resort anticipates a closing day well into May and possibly beyond," a Winter park statement explains.

Winter Park opened for the 2022/23 winter season on Oct. 31, 2022, its earliest opening ever in its 83-year history. Depending on its final closing date, skiers and riders could rack up almost 30 weeks on the slopes, which is more than 200 days of lift-accessed skiing and riding.

"Winter Park sits at an ideal location to receive consistent snowfall season after season. We're tucked in at the southern end of the Fraser Valley right along the high peaks of the Continental Divide, which means storms tend to linger and produce reliable snowfall all winter long. Combine our weather patterns with our early season snowmaking, and Winter Park is perfectly situated for long, fruitful ski and ride seasons," added Sky Foulkes, president and COO of Winter Park Resort, who also noted that the long season provided maximum value to season pass holders.

The attempt to kick off the speed skiing events earlier in the World Cup season than before, which failed to happen at the first attempt last autumn, is to be re-attempted in November.

A new cross-border downhill ski course, the world's highest, was created between Zermatt in Switzerland and Cervinia in Italy last year with the plan to stage four Men's and Women's World Cup downhill races at the end of October and start of November 2022, about a month before the traditional start for the speed events in Lake Louise, Canada and Beaver Creek, Colorado, USA.

However the plans had to be cancelled due to inadequate snow cover, an issue that led to 75% of early season World Cup races planned for Europe last autumn being cancelled.

For 2023 the FIS are planning to run the Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening a fortnight later than the 2022 planned dates, on November 11th/12th and 18th/19th, 2023. On the programme are two men's and two women's downhills.

In February, after the Men's World Championships Downhill race was staged at Courchevel, more than 400 athletes including all time World Cup wins record holder Mikaela Shiffrin and Norwegian crystal globe holding Downhill ski racing champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde signed a letter sponsored by climate action group Protect Our winters calling on the FIS to do more to fight climate change, including starting the race season later.

Tickets for the 2023 races will go on sale next Thursday, April 6th at 10am.

Ski areas with slopes above 2,000m are reporting heavy snowfall and low temperatures to start April.

As with the snowfalls a week ago, resorts in France and northern and western Italy and Switzerland have reported the biggest accumulations, although the snowfall is widespread.

Saas Fee has reported the biggest 24 hour snowfall - 70cm, with Crans Montana reporting 35cm up high.

Most are reporting temperatures back down below freezing with Val d'Isere, pictured above on Saturday, April 1, 2023, saying the snow is sticking right down to its base level. Neighbouring Tignes is posting the deepest base in Europe at over 4.5m. Both areas are open into May.

Snowfall is expected to continue through the weekend and temperatures to stay low into next week, so a good start of April and the Easter holidays.

Although the East Coast of North America has not reported the snowy excesses that the west has seen, Eastern Canada's largest ski area, Mont Tremblant, is reporting that it has broken its all-time snowfall record and is extending its season as a result.

Tremblant says it has received 627cm (21 feet) to snowfall so far this season, a new record, and that as a result it is extending its ski season by a week until Sunday, April 23.

Mont Tremblant appears to have had a better season than most East Coast ski areas posting much deeper snow stats than the majority all winter. Many ski areas in the east have reported issues with warm weather and rain at various times during the 22-23 season.

The deepest snowpack in the world, reported at Mammoth Mountain in California, has gone through the 8 metres (27 feet) mark on the resort's highest slopes. It's the deepest reported anywhere in the world for several years.

Mammoth, along with another Californian ski area The Palisades, which has a 5m+ base, has already said it will be staying at least to July.

Mammoth also passed it's all time snowfall record at its base on Tuesday, 28th March. Another 28-30" of snow in 24 hours took the centre past the previous all-time season snowfall record of 668" to 695" of snowfall to date at Main Lodge, making the 22/23 season the biggest in the centre's history.

"To our employees, to this community, to all of you who have battled the elements this season - you are the stuff of legends. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's going to be a legendary spring up here and we'll be open daily through at least July!" Mammoth posted on social media.

The deepest snowpack in the Rockies has also passed 200 inches (5 metres) for the first time this winter, with Alta in Utah posting that it had hit this number after a 20 inch/50cm accumulation in 12 hours on Friday led to the access road being buried by an avalanche and everyone in the area being told to stay indoors until mitigation measures had been taken.

SkiStar, which runs several of the largest ski areas in Norway and Sweden, has reported record business once again, after doing the same last year.

Profit before tax for the second quarter improved by SEK 6 million (1 percent) to SEK 926 (920) million compared with the same period of the previous year.

Although profits are only up 1% on 2022, this is seen as a win considering rapidly rising energy costs, high inflation and a depressed economy in Sweden. The company noted that a good early season with low temperatures allowed for "cost effective snowmaking."

The profit before tax for the second quarter is the best in the company's history, driven by the growth in turnover.

"The winter season got off to an early start at the end of November thanks to cold temperatures, which created great conditions for cost-effective snow production. In combination with a lot of natural snow, we have had excellent snow conditions and have been able to offer very good skiing. We are, therefore, looking forward to a terrific spring," said SkiStar CEO Stefan Sjöstrand, adding,

"(the results) …show that the interest in alpine skiing is still great and that the trend of holidaying at home in the Scandinavian mountains is continuing this winter as well. During the week commencing the 13 February, we had more students than ever in the ski school in Sälen, our biggest destination, something which guarantees a boost to the number of future skiers. It is also a very positive development that our foreign visitors are back, not only Danish and Swedish guests, who are so important for the Norwegian destinations, but also German, Dutch and British guests as well. "