Snowbird to open Mineral Basin on Wednesday

For many people, it doesn’t feel like Christmas unless there is snow on the ground. For some, there is no Thanksgiving without football. For those who have come to love Snowbird Ski Resort, some don’t view the mountain as fully open until Mineral Basin is operational.

“It is a launch pin,” said Dave Fields, vice-president of resort operations and the resort’s marketing director. “Many locals in the Salt Lake Valley don’t bother coming up if Mineral isn’t opened. It offers more terrain and a wide open bowl which is a change of pace from other parts of the mountain.”

A mild beginning to the 2012-13-winter season has caused Snowbird to keep Mineral Basin closed.

That will change Wednesday when Snowbird opens the 500-acre basin.

“The Snowbird Ski Patrol is taking the weekend to make sure Mineral is ready to open on Wednesday,” said Peter Schory, the resort’s winter operations director. “We are doing avalanche tests on the terrain, barricading rocky sections and putting signs up so the public knows what’s going on. Everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings when going into a new place.”

While several of Snowbird’s lifts remain closed, riding the resort’s tram to the top of Hidden Peak will be the only way to access Mineral Basin until the resort receives additional snowfall.

Guests will enter Mineral through designated openings along the Path to Paradise or Chips Access off the top of Hidden Peak.

Opening the 1,700-vertical-foot run of Mineral Basin will not only add terrain but also aid other aspects of the resort.

“Not only does opening Mineral offer our guests a variety of terrain but when people hear that Mineral is open, they know Snowbird is functioning,” said John Collins, director of mountain activities and the resort’s mountain operations risk manager. “Mineral Basin generates a big interest from the community. It will be good to get the word out that it’s opening.”

There are two high-speed, four-person chairlifts in the Mineral Basin Bowl: Mineral Basin Express and Baldy Express. Only Mineral Basin Express will be active on Wednesday while snow cover remains thin.

“It is important for our guests to remember that it is still early season,” said Bob Bonar, the resort’s general manager. “If terrain isn’t open yet, there is a reason for that. Whether it is because of lack of snow, an avalanche hazard or another danger, Snowbird isn’t going to take any chances with opening terrain before it is ready.”

With the amount of current snow coverage, Snowbird’s snowmaking system and the weather forecast for snow in the coming days, Snowbird officials are confident in their decision of opening Mineral.

“It is the right thing to do,” Schory said. “Getting skier compaction in the Mineral area will help Snowbird and our ski patrol in snow evaluations for the rest of the winter season.”

Snowbird Ski Resort offers second hotel sale in two weeks

Snowbird Ski Resort is struggling to occupy its four hotel properties for the month of December.

“Our hotel bookings are some of the lowest we have ever had in the month of December,” said Dave Fields, vice-president of resort operations and the resort’s marketing director. “Last week we offered a 48-hour sale which sold 548 hotel rooms. On Monday we are starting another sale.”

Monday’s sale, called the Snowbird Snow Sale, will feature the resort’s hotel rooms exclusively.

“We are reducing room prices, which normally cost $300-$400 per night, to $99 per night,” Fields said. “The sale will be advertised through newsletters, our website and Facebook. People who book during the sale can take advantage of the sale price and apply it to their stay throughout the winter. The sale isn’t just for the month of December, it’s for the whole winter season.”

The sale will continue through Friday, Dec. 14. Fields estimates the advertisements will cost Snowbird $20,000.

Along with a mild start to the winter, Bob Bonar, the resort’s general manager, attributes the lack of business to other problems within the United States.

“Snowbird gets a lot of business from the East Coast,” Bonar said. “Hurricane Sandy left many families without homes. The last thing those people are thinking about is a ski vacation to Utah. The economy is also a factor. With the uncertainty of the fiscal cliff approaching, people are waiting to see what happens with that before making vacation plans.”

According to the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center, six percent of the contiguous Unites States is currently snow-covered, while 38.6 percent was covered in 2011 at this time.

“People look in the mountains and it’s brown,” said John Collins, the resort’s director of mountain activities and mountain operations risk manager. “People think there is no way skiing could be any good and they aren’t interested in coming up here to pay $75 for a lift ticket.”

Although the beginning of the 2012-13 winter season has been slow, Snowbird has a 30-inch base and plans to open additional terrain on Monday.

“The skiing is better than people think,” Collins said. “As of Thursday we have 34 runs opened to the public. We have snow here. Many ski areas elsewhere can’t say that right now.”

Snowbird hopes the sale will attract guests to hotels, which would increase business throughout the operation.

“If Snowbird’s hotels are busy, the resort is making money,” Collins said. “If someone wants to see if a business is successful, just look at the trash cans. If the trash cans are full, the place is busy. We don’t want to see empty trash cans around here the weeks around Christmas, which are typically the busiest time of the year.”

Snowbird hosts International Pro Riders Workshop

Everyone makes mistakes. Even professional winter athletes.

Teton Gravity Research is hosting the International Pro Riders Workshop this week at Snowbird Ski Resort.

“This is a safety course for the best of the best,” said Bob Bonar, the resort’s general manager. “The backcountry is incredibly dangerous. This course is designed to help educate the world’s best skiers and snowboarders so they have the knowledge and confidence in any situation.”

Teton Gravity Research is an action sports company, producing more than 28 award-winning films, showcasing some of the world’s best winter sports athletes.

The workshop started Monday and will conclude Thursday.

Fourteen professional skiers and snowboarders including Daron Rahlves, a former Olympian and now ski film star, are in attendance.

Representatives from Teton Gravity Research are working with Snowbird’s Ski Patrol for the event.

“It’s a hell of an experience to host some of the greatest skiers on the planet,” said Peter Schory, the resort’s winter operations director. “Bringing people of this caliber in the industry to Snowbird makes us want to present the best to them.”

During the four-day workshop, industry leading safety members will give classroom presentations on avalanches, medical awareness, avalanche beacons and snowpack analysis.

The course will also spend time each of the four days outside. Outside course drills will include rope-rigging techniques, an avalanche burial simulation and helicopter awareness.

This is the second consecutive year that the International Pro Riders Workshop is taking place at Snowbird.

“Snowbird offers a lot of diversity, said Dave Fields, the vice-president of operations and the resort’s marketing director. “Our guests can be in a hotel room one minute and then on some very challenging terrain within moments.”

Snowbird is located conveniently 40 minutes from the Salt Lake City International Airport, making it easy for guest to arrive.

“That is one of the best things about Snowbird,” Bonar said. “Anyone can get here in a day of traveling from anywhere in the United States.”

The International Pro Riders Workshop will end Thursday will an overview of the four-day course. 

Snowbird to offer backcountry snowcat skiing starting Dec. 24

For the first time in its 41-year history, Snowbird Ski Resort will offer backcountry snowcat skiing beginning Dec. 24.

“The new snowcat skiing will offer Snowbird’s guests a different amenity than inbounds area skiing,” said Bob Bonar, the resort’s general manager.

To begin the snowcat skiing program, the resort will use one Bombardier 350 snowcat and expand to additional machines if there is enough public interest.

The Bombardier will carry a driver and one guide in the two front seats. There will be enough space for 10 guests and one additional guide in the cab of the machine.

“The cat skiing will be taken on a day to day basis,” said Dave Fields, vice-president of resort operations and the resort’s marketing director. “Conditions have to be safe and there has to be enough paying guests to make each day worth while to run the operation.”

Snowbird’s cat skiing will cost $450 per person and include breakfast at the Cliff Lodge, a tram ride to the top of Hidden Peak, six ski runs and a packed lunch.

A minimum of four paying guests is required for the cat skiing operation to function daily.

In addition to the trained snowcat driver, two Snowbird Ski Patrol members will guide the operation.

“We wanted our ski patrol members to become guides for the operation to gain experience and continue to improve their backcountry skills,” said Pat Krause, the resort’s dispatch manager. “We have more than 70 ski patrol members on staff. Typically 35 members work daily. Of the other 35 members who are off, two of them will be asked to guide the cat skiing operation.”

A typical snowcat skiing day will start with breakfast at 7 a.m. at the Atrium Restaurant in the Cliff Lodge, Bonar said. During breakfast, guests will meet their guides for the day and go through a snowcat, backcountry and avalanche beacon orientation.

Everyone involved in the snowcat skiing operation is required by Snowbird to wear an avalanche beacon, a device worn under a person's clothing, which transmits a signal of his or her position all day. If caught in an avalanche, the signal will help rescuers locate the trapped victim.

After orientations the guests will ride the 8:30 a.m. tram to the top of Hidden Peak, Bonar said. The guests will then ski or snowboard from the top of Hidden Peak down the backside of Snowbird Ski Resort, better known as Mineral Basin. The snowcat will be waiting for guests to arrive at the bottom of the ski run.

All of the snowcat skiing will take place on private land owned by Snowbird as well as parts of Forest Service ground.

“The snowcat skiing will access Miller Hill, the Mineral Basin Ridge and the Mary Ellen area," said Peter Schory, the resort’s winter operations director. “This is something Snowbird has wanted to do for a long time now. It is going to add a backcountry experience that many other resorts don’t have the luxury to offer.”

Snowbird plans to open new terrain for first time in 2012-13 winter on Tuesday

Snowbird Ski Resort plans to open terrain for the first time of the 2012-13-winter season on Tuesday.

The resort received five inches of new snow through Sunday night. On Monday, Snowbird Ski Patrol members completed several avalanche tests on previously unopened areas.

Snowbird will open Wilbere Bowl and the Middle Crique Traverse on Tuesday.

“It was a wild storm,” said Peter Schory, the resort’s winter operations director. “On top of Hidden Peak we had measured wind gusts of 113 miles per hour and a one-hour average wind speed of 71 miles per hour.”

The storm was fast moving, starting around 9 p.m. Sunday and lasting four-to-five hours, Schory said.

The storm was the first measureable precipitation Snowbird received since Nov. 22.

On Monday, Snowbird opened Great Scott for the first time this winter.

“We are close to opening a big portion of our terrain that has been closed so far because of lack of snow,” said Dave Fields, vice-president of resort operations and the resort’s marketing director. “It was good to get Great Scott opened, it is one of the steepest runs at Snowbird.”

Along with the new snow, Snowbird also had freezing temperatures throughout the day Monday for the first time since Nov. 23.

“In addition to the storm producing new snow, it also allowed us to use our snowmaking program all day Monday,” said Pat Krause, the resort’s dispatch manager.

Snowbird plans to make snow for as long it can while temperatures stay below freezing.

“Right now we have four of our 11 lifts open,” Schory said. “As we continue to receive snow we will evaluate the snowpack and open terrain we feel is safe for our guests.”