Grays On Trays

Sports can make you a multimillionaire. Witness A-Rod, Tom Brady, and Kevin Garnet, of baseball, football, and basketball, respectively. Even snowboarding can, for one or two individuals, be a ticket to very lucrative endorsement deals (Shaun White).

But the initial lure of any sport is that it’s enjoyable, a challenge, or both. An ongoing scandal involving college football is a good reminder of that fact. It also reminded me that snowboarding is not only enjoyable, it has been a source of personal growth.

A little background, first. While college football programs effectively act as minor-league feeders for the NFL, the players don’t get paid. Not only would that violate NCAA rules, it would also violate the “spirit of amateurism” that supposedly permeates college athletics. (Note the irony:  TV analysts and college colleges get good incomes from college sports, but the actual athletes aren’t supposed to take a dime in payment.)

Cam Newton is a football player for Auburn University. He was recently awarded the  Heisman Trophy, which is given to the best football player. There’s been a little controversy, though, which is that Newton’s father tried to auction off his services to various colleges–in effect, make him a professional college football player.

Writing on ESPN.com, Carl Erlich contrasts Newton with Zar Zavala, one of his college friends. Zavala finished out his football career at Harvard, which unlike Auburn, is not a place known for developing NFL prospects.  Erlich says that if amateurism is really your ideal of college athletics, look at Zavala, who, unlike Newton, never had any chance of being a professional football player.

So why did Zavala, who wants to be a brain surgeon, put up with the practices and other hard work of college sports? It certainly wasn’t for the money. The answer is found in the conclusion that is offered up by Erlich, who was a teammate of Zavala:

Newton will deservingly win the Heisman on Saturday night. He will be remembered for the impact he made on college football.

Zar (and all of the patients his neurological research and work will affect) will remember the impact that college football made on him. And isn’t that the point?”

Here’s one part of Zavala’s answer: “the challenges I faced with football have given me intangible skills that show up in my other work.” Many snowboarders, especially people who take up riding as adults, may be able to relate. I know I did. The pushing yourself to the limit, taking on a new challenge, getting over a mental obstacle, and so forth. In short, personal growth.

The first day of the snowboarding season brought me the following observations:

- If there’s a been a big snowstorm overnight and you’re driving the next day? Please. Clear all the snow off the roof of your car. Though the storm had long passed this morning, I had to deal with snow blowing off the car in front of me and onto my windshield.

- Midwest snowboarding and skiing depends on snowmaking and grooming. Without the first there wouldn’t be enough snow (or the season would be much shorter). Without the second, we would ride on frozen crud.

- More ski areas ought to have outdoor fire pits. There’s something very pleasant about coming to the bottom of the hill and being able to sit in front of a fire.

- I met a guy who is staying in the area for a few weeks on a work project. He came to our little local hill for some skiing opportunities. When he’s back home, he can drive to Wolf Creek, Colo. on a regular basis. Should I be jealous of him or pity him?

- Ski area chalets are places of chaos, but I love seeing the activity. Being out and active in the winter is an affirmation of life, and is much better for body and spirit than hunkering down in front of the TV.

Sometimes I think I’d like to live in Denver, so close to the resorts of Summit County, and not that far from Vail. And then the joy of the thought is interrupted by the realization that traffic to the mountains can be a bit uncomfortable.

There’s been talk in Colorado of creating a high-speed rail line to go from Golden (on the west side of the Denver metro) to Eagle County airport (which serves Vail), some 120 miles away. Fewer cars on the road and fewer exhausted skiers and snowboarders driving on that road. What’s not to like?

To start with, the $20 billion price tag, says John M. W. Aldridge, a traffic operations engineer, writing an op-ed in the Denver Post. Aldridge points out various limits of the project, and concludes, “The plan has two major problems. First, it’s going to take 20 years or more to implement, and second, it will do nothing meaningful to relieve the worst area of congestion from east of Idaho Springs to west of Georgetown.”

Should Colorado — can Colorado — build a train to address the problems imposed by ski traffic? What do you think?

Winter brings snow, which is great, but it also brings many more hour of darkness, which isn’t necessarily great. For one thing,  seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression, is associated with a decreasing number of daylight hours. Plus, you might simply want to have a little extra time for walking about town after you put your snowboard away for the day.

If you want to maximize your daylight hours on your winter vacation, you can travel further south. Just to illustrate the point, consider two cities not usually thought of as ski destinations: Fargo, North Dakota and Port Isabel, which is in Texas, near San Padre Island. They are roughly the same longitude, so the major difference between the two is how close they are to the equator. Port Isabel is much further south: it is 26 degrees north of the equator versus Fargo’s 46. As a result, on February 15, 2011, it receives an additional 98 minute of sunlight. You can’t go snowboarding in Port Isabel (at any time of year!), but again, the point is to illustrate the principle. To see a more reasonable example, on January 15, you’ll get another 51 minutes of daylight by choosing Taos, New Mexico over Big Sky, Montana.

A second way to extend the number of daylight hours on your vacation is to schedule it later in the year. For example, if you go to Big Sky, Montana on March 15 rather than January 15, you’ll get an extra 1 hour and 49 minutes of daylight. Alyeska, Alaska, offers an even more extreme contrast. On January 15, you’ll have but 6 hours and 25 minute of sunlight. By March 15, that window expands to 11 hour, 44 minutes, a gain of 4 hours, 52 minutes.

Unfortunately, inserting images is beyond my WordPress ability, so you’ll have to click Hour of daylight at selected resorts to see a one-page table with more information.

Opting for more daylight has tradeoffs. Go later in the season and you may risk having less favorable snow conditions. But you might want to consider adding some light to your vacation.

There’s been a lot of consolidation in the ski business in the last few decades, as operators who can’t afford new snowmaking equipment fall victim to the demands of good snow coverage and longer seasons.

But do new ski areas ever open? There was the Yellowstone Club in Montana, a “private family ski and golf community” that caters to the super-rich. Echo Mountain,  close to Denver, opened a few years ago, but it’s strictly a terrain park. Last year I was planning to go to Tamarack, a new ski area in Idaho, but those plans were scrubbed when the company went belly-up. A new operation went into Silverthorne, Colorado a couple of years ago, but that’s operated as a super-duper-expert-terrain place. In Michigan (of all places!), Mt. Bohemia advertises itself as having “all-expert terrain,” with “triple diamond” slopes. (And from the reports I’ve heard, there is some legitimacy to those claims.)

So are there any new places for people who aren’t super-rich or into parks or super-steeps? Not exactly, but you can get an existing area to expand from time to time. Consider, Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire. I had the pleasure of riding there back in March of 2008, and found it was a blast. With the help of a powder dump, I could take on some of its steep, twisting, narrow slopes. (In fact, it was one of my best powder days, period.)

One excursion of my day at Cannon was to “poach” the terrain at Mittersill, an adjacent ski area that had closed a few decades before. If you followed the top of one ridge line from the Cannon peak, you could make your way to Mittersill’s slopes, which had been maintained to some degree (clearing brush, mainly) by local volunteers. At that time, the general manager of Cannon told us that he was working with various authorities to secure the right to bring the Mittersill property under his management, and to extend Cannon’s lift service.

Government bureaucracies being what they are, it took a while to tie up all the details, but finally, construction on a new lift has started.  Martin Griff, who writes for various media outlets in New Jersey, recently wrote about it on his blog at NJ.com. (I’ve worked with Martin; we’re both officers in the North American Snowsports Journalists Association.) He offers a few details about the $4 million project.

I like Cannon. It’s an anti-resort, without the endless rows of condos and Prada shops. Adding Mittersill to the mix is on balance a good thing.

One feature of snowboarding at a multiple-use area is that you can try to figure out, as you’re riding the chair lifts, what the ground underneath you is used for in the off-season.

For example, at Afton Alps, you can go snowboarding or skiing in the winter, and return in the summer to play golf or ride the mountain-bike trails. I’ve seen some of the mountain-bike trails from the lifts. Some people poach them during the winter, but most look too narrow for my comfort. I’ve played the golf course a few times, and each outing makes me appreciate snowboarding.

Here’s an introduction to Afton during the golf season.

During the summer, the Highlands chalet (one of four at Afton) serves as the clubhouse for the golf course. The Highlands area doesn’t have very steep terrain, but it does have what qualifies as long cruisers by local standards. It’s also the site of several holes on the golf course.

The back teebox for the first hole is just a step or two down from the exit ramp of lift #16.

Unless you’re hitting from the forward tees, you have to hit your first shot over a valley, which is the start of the winter trail “Pandora’s Pass.” The funnel makes the winter scene more interesting, though it’s a bit of a workout if you’re playing golf with a pull cart. It’s amazing: A slope that is small potatoes on a snowboard is bigger and steeper when you walk it, carrying or pulling a golf bag.

That’s lift #17 in the background. It  serves as the edge of the ski area.

If you want to use the forward tees, you can save some of time and effort by taking a bridge over the valley. The bridge is roped off during the winter.

During the winter, you ski or ride underneath the bridge.

The first fairway is a dogleg right, and ends up skirting the top of both Rosie’s Run and then Vicky’s Valley before dipping down (and away from the normal flow of winter traffic) again just before the green.

By the way, Rosie’s Run is one of two black diamonds in the part of Afton known as as the Highlands. Highlands they aren’t, but they do have some of the longer runs in the metro. Rosie’s has a (relatively) steep section that you get to only after suffering through a long flat run. Vicky’s Valley, while flat, is a fun through-the-woods road on the outer boundary of the ski area.  During one of those rare powder days, I’ve been able to snag some of the good stuff available in the mini-bowl that is the start of VV. Get there by dropping in from the top of lift 17.

Speaking of lift 17, when the snow starts melting, you’ll be able to glance off to your right and see the second teebox once you get off the lift. Holes 2 is the beginning of many rather uninteresting holes.

After you finish out the second hole, you cross the road (“why did the snowboarder-turned-golfer cross the road? …”) for holes 3 through 8. Here, the course is flat and for the most part treeless.

You head back across the road to finish up the ninth tee, which, after the first whole, may be the most interesting of the front nine.

The ski area is pressed into use on the back nine, though not all holes actually cross or use a winter slope.

Hole 10
The fairway for hole 10 is a dogleg right. A dogleg usually means that a course is cut through the woods. In this case, out of bounds isn’t a forest; it’s a hill–the other side of which is part of the ski area.

Finish the hole and you’ll be looking at the Alpine chalet.

That chalet serves a beginner’s area during the winter.

Hole 11
But before you get to the chalet comes the teebox for hole 11. It’s a short par 4 that carries over a pond. To the left side of the fairway is a collection of maintenance buildings that are visible from the “front side” of the ski area (lifts 1 through 4).

If, instead of looking down the fairway from the teebox, you turn around and look up the hill that you just played around, you’ll see chair #13 in the Higlands area.

The 11th hole is on the top of lift 5, which you’ll also notice on the next hole.

Hole 12
During the winter, lift 5 takes you within spitting distance of the teebox of hole 12. This par 3 has an unusual water hazard on the left side of the fairway: It’s the pond that is used for storing water for snowmaking. (The pond is also on your left as you ride up the lift).

Even with my tendency to hook, I’ve seldom hit the ball into the water.

On a snowboard or skis, you run off lift 5 and take Lisa’s Lane as the start to a ride that will take you in several different directions, but be warned: it’s flat.

Hole 13
Once you hole out on the par 3 twelth, take a peek through the woods behind the green. You’ll be looking into “Nicole’s Nook” , part of the learning area served by the Alpine chalet. You should also see lift 18, which services that area. Then move over to the teebox for hole 13, which has another down-and-away fairway.

During the winter, you’ll ride lift 6 over the yardage marker. (You’ll be on the opposite side of the pond from lift 5, and the par 12 fairway). The 13th fairway becomes, depending on your line, “Deb’s Drop” (a terrain park), “Polly’s Powder” (which, sadly, seldom has powder), or “Patti’s Pass.”

During the summer you’ve got another killer drop for a drive.

Hole 14
This par 14 drops away, though at this point I’m not sure where it drops FROM, but for a golf course, it’s a sizable drop. I’m guessing that it’s still within the area served by lift #6.

It ends up at the top of the Meadows area.

At this point, you’ve probably reached as far down from the top of the hill that you’re going to be.

Hole 15
Once you get to the green of hole 15, you can look down into one of the winter terrain parks. Lift 11 will be on your left.

I suspect that this short par 3 (130 yards from the back tees) takes you slightly uphill from an area where, roughly, lifts 12, 11, and 8 (roughly) converge.

Hole 16
There’s only one par 5 on the back nine and it’s 16, coming in at 477 yards from the back tees. The back teebox is down a stairway from the top of lift 12. Hit uphill through “Mary’s Meadow,” and past lift 18 until you’re back at the Alpine chalet, and a short walk from the 11th teebox.

During the winter, traffic flows in the opposite direction, though sometimes it comes to a stop as riders who don’t maintain enough speed through the area have to unstrap and skate.

During the summer, the banked right edge of the fairway adds some interest to the play.

Hole 17
The penultimate hole is a “downer,” since you’re hitting down the top portion of winter’s Monica’s Highlands. During the early winter, you can use the back teebox as a launching pad for catching 2 feet of air. After a while, the snow fills in and the jump disappears. You’ll be riding down to the left of chair 13.

During the summer, long hitters can hit a fade to send the ball to the green, 317 yards away. The green is, I believe, tucked into a stand of trees and positioned in a way that it doesn’t get much winter traffic. In fact, it’s probably roped off.

Hole 18
During the winter, you ride over the teebox for hole 18 if you’re on lift 13, and the fairway starts going on the other side of the lift from hole 17.

During the winter, the teebox is the launching pad down Amy’s Lane, a fun narrow slope that opens up to the bottom of a terrain park. You can also use it to launch yourself, halfpipe style, down into the valley of Monica’s Highlands, a wide-open freeway that narrows into a a funnel towards the end.

During the summer, send your drive 130 yards or so from the shadow of lift 13, over Monica’s Highlands, to the bend in the fairway, and then head up through what serves as a winter terrain park. Lift 14 crosses over the fairway, and then as you approach the green, the lift lines will be to your right. The last green is immediately downhill from a winter information

During snowboarding sessions, I sometimes look for golf course markings. The ride up the lift is not terribly interesting, so trying to figure out whether a named run is also a fairway on the golf course makes the trip more enjoyable. The stone markers at the tee boxes are usually covered in black, plastic bags, making the job of identifying them easier. The two seasons do converge in the summer, if you hit an errant shot. A local rule governs what happens if your golf ball hits one of the chairlifts that stay motionless during the summer. I had to rely on that rule once after making an attempt at a pitch onto the green.

All in all, it’s an awkward course, but if you’re a golfer and snow sports enthusiast in the area, worth checking out at least once or twice. Season-pass holders get a discount on summer passes, for either golfing or mountain biking.

Snowboarding and skiing, like just about every activity you can think of these days, might end up in legal action one way or the other.

The Utah Bar Association has published an analysis by David S. Kottler of the state of Utah ski law. It focuses primarily on legal actions that might result from accidents or collisions, putting them into one of five categories:

• Collisions with other skiers/snowboarders, with immovable objects (e.g., trees), or with movable objects (e.g., runaway skis or snowboards);

• Ski lift accidents due to negligent design, maintenance, or operation of the lift, or due to the negligence of other skiers or passengers on the lift;

• Accidents caused by ski area negligence such as failure to mark a known hazard, improper slope maintenance and/or grooming, or inadequate avalanche control;

• Accidents caused by ski instructor negligence, such as leading ski school students into overly challenging terrain or failing to provide safety instructions; and

• Accidents or injuries resulting from faulty equipment, most commonly alpine bindings that fail to release properly.

Meanwhile, a law firm in Denver offers a survey of the ski laws in 27 states. Though it’s old (published in 2006), it’s comprehensive.

My “big trip” this season was to Sun Valley, Idaho, as a participant in the annual convention of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. Sun Valley combines old-school skiing with high-tech snowmaking. But can a snowboarder find a welcome there?

You can read my review here.

A couple weeks ago, TIME magazine asked the question, “Is snowboarding getting spoiled by big money?” While the article makes some good points, it’s also annoying.

First, the good points. One, at the professional level, snowboarding is becoming more dangerous. Halfpipe riders are pushing the boundaries of what anyone thought possible, in terms of aerobatics and height. With greater thrills comes the opportunity for greater spills, spills that can be deadly. (I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody dies while trying the Next New Thing in the halfpipe.)

Another good point is that safety equipment can encourage more risk-taking. This is a well-established theory, called the Peltzman Effect, that you see especially in discussions of driving.

And it’s also likely true that corporate dollars have helped accelerate the progression of halfpipe riding, though I suspect that even without Red Bull money (used to build a private halfpipe practice facility), Shaun White would still be pushing back the frontiers of riding.

Finally, a video of Gretchen Bleiler talking about her training routine makes it clear that top riders are truly athletes. (Jump to 2:38 along.)

It doesn’t take long for the nonsense to surface in the TIME article, though: “But as Olympic snowboarders are soaring to new airborne feats, some in the sport are worried about the extreme risks and seemingly endless dollars being spent.” This suggests that the former causes the ladder. Now, it’s true that the opportunity for fame and riches can encourage some riders onward. But there’s also a competitive streak that inhabits the human soul that some people will follow regardless of dollars.

TIME also channels a hippie-style view of snowboarding:

Snowboarders also fear tunnel vision training will be used to “breed” athletes for competition.

“There’s a lot of artistic influence and individuality, which I think is core to what makes snowboarding so awesome,” says Izzo. “We are not necessarily cultivating and developing snowboarders anymore.”

“It scares me,” she adds, “because it really takes away from what snowboarding is and what it should be.”

As the money and risks rise, the loss for snowboarding could be the very things that draw so many to the sport — its accessibility, esprit de corps and sheer pleasure.

I don’t know about you, but my pleasure in snowboarding will be affected if Shaun White or any other elite snowboarder feels like he has lost his individuality, esprit de corps or sheer pleasure. To borrow from a sport that is in season now, golf, playing on the PGA tour must, after a time, be as much of a job as filling out TPS reports each week. But the plight of the professionals does not hinder the pleasure of weekend hackers.

(Thanks to Powd3r for the pointer.)

If you can’t get enough snowboarding, there’s no reason to put your board away just yet.
According to OnTheSnow.com, the following North American resorts are still open:

• Alyeska (Alaska)
• Sunshine Village (Alberta)
• Whistler/Blackcomb (British Columbia)
• Alpine Meadows (California)
• Mammoth Mountain (California)
• Squaw Valley (California)
• Arapahoe Basin (Colorado)
• Mt. Bachelor (Oregon)
• Timberline Lodge (Oregon)

OnTheSnow also has a smaller list of resorts for which they have a projected closing date.

If  you’ve never gone snowboarding in May, give it a try. The sunshine is great, the bitter cold of winter is long gone, and you can cap off the day with a beverage or two at an outside picnic table AND work on your tan.