US snow report – Saturday 26 December, 2009

First run was dreamy. Groomed base with a light dusting of powder. The second run, down to the lowest lift (Maass) was icy and horrible. Runs off Riffel I back to the base of the lift were great. Runs uber Gampberg were also icy.

Rendl doesn’t get much early sun so runs took some time to soften up. Rendl is great though as it remains quiet.

Around 11 I decided to head over to St Christoph for lunch. Route 1 out of Rendl was icy, but got better further down.

Find of the trip: a small bar/restaurant towards the bottom of Route 1 called Speisen and Getranke. Best cappuccino in Rendl, and a great Applestrudel… Why do you always find the best places on the last day?

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Twitter Updates for 2009-12-25

Spirit Mountain: Spirit Mt CLOSED for Christmas due to NWS Blizzard Warning – http://bit.ly/XhMYe #ski #
Jackson Hole: Lifts Open: 11 of 11; Trails Open: 42 of 116; Groomed Trails: 14 of 48 – http://bit.ly/1JKpDo #ski #
Okemo: Trails open: 88; Lifts open: 14; Superpipe: snowmaking; Parks: 3 – http://bit.ly/RRyT7 #ski #
Stratton Mountain: 83 trails; 404 acres; 32 miles; 7 lifts – http://bit.ly/nlCCU #ski #
Stowe: Trails Open 99 (37 Miles); Lifts Open 13; Surface Conditions: Packed Powder/Loose/Frozen Granular – http://bit.ly/6VwBl #ski #
Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort: Enjoy Christmas on the Slopes – http://bit.ly/3Is5gh #ski #
Mount Seymour: Indulge Yourself with a New Year's Chocolate Fondue Snowshoe – http://bit.ly/18nqSx #ski #
Sugar Bowl: Summit Chair open with powder turns… – http://bit.ly/1OkOcD #ski #
Dodge Ridge: 8 Feet of New Snow in 3 weeks – 45 groomed runs open – http://bit.ly/tkfFw #ski #
Mount Buller: Will you take the Alpine Ascent Challenge? – http://bit.ly/n0ZUH #ski #

Posted In: Tweets on December 25, 2009 Comments (0)

Day 6: Christmas day, St Anton, Austria

Christmas Day, St Anton, Austria….

The forecast was for snow on Christmas day. However, in St Anton it is driving rain. Lovely.

9:45 – Rendl Restaurant – got soaked walking through town. Caught the main cable car up to the ski area, at 5000 ft the rain turned to snow. In the cable car it was impossible to see anything. The mountain is shrouded in fog and driving snow, plus all the rain had frozen on the exterior of the car.

Not many skiers out.

11 am. Coffee break. Why can’t they do hot coffee here?

Weather is really grim, and snow conditions not great. Yesterday was warm and the ‘melt’ froze overnight, and then fresh snow added. Where there is a good covering of snow it is fine, but there is a lot of ice about. Visibility is very poor, I have had to buy new goggles.

Plan now is to head back fiends to St Anton and then over to St Christoph to meet some fellow skiers for lunch.

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US snow report – Thursday 24 December, 2009

Snow fall reported in the US in the last 24 hours (snow map).

Resorts that have received 15 inches of snow

Quoggy Jo Ski Center (ME)

Resorts that have received 9 inches of snow

Big Rock (ME)
Big Rock XC (ME)

Resorts that have received 6.5 inches of snow

Mount Kato (MN)
Ski Cloudcroft (NM)

Resorts that have received 6.3 inches of snow

Sunrise Park (AZ)

Resorts that have received 6.1 inches of snow

Deer Mountain XC (SD)

Resorts that have received 6 inches of snow

Ski Apache (NM)

Resorts that have received 5.9 inches of snow

Pine Ridge (CO)

Resorts that have received 5 inches of snow

Afton Alps (MN)

Resorts that have received 4.7 inches of snow

Howelsen Hill XC (CO)
Vista Verde Ranch XC (CO)
Frisco XC (CO)
Steamboat XC (CO)
Howelson Ski Area (CO)
Steamboat Springs (CO)

Resorts that have received 4.3 inches of snow

Woodside Ranch (WI)

Resorts that have received 4.2 inches of snow

Telemark (WI)
Telemark XC (WI)

Resorts that have received 4.1 inches of snow

SteepleChase (MN)

Resorts that have received 4 inches of snow

Winter Park XC (CO)
Ski Brule XC (MI)
Highlands of Olympia (WI)
Crystal Ridge (WI)
Four Seasons (NY)
Winter Park Resort (CO)

Resorts that have received 3.7 inches of snow

Arizona Snowbowl (AZ)

Resorts that have received 3.6 inches of snow

Four Seasons XC (NY)

Resorts that have received 3.5 inches of snow

Terry Peak (SD)
Frostfire Mountain (ND)

Resorts that have received 3.1 inches of snow

Nordic Mountain (WI)

Resorts that have received 3 inches of snow

Justin Trails XC (CO)
Rendezvous Ski Trails XC (MT)
Maplelag XC (MN)
Bottineau Winter Park (ND)
McCauley Mountain (NY)

Resorts that have received 2.9 inches of snow

Andes Tower Hills XC (MN)

Resorts that have received 2.8 inches of snow

Mt Zion (MI)
Coffee Mill Ski Area (MN)
Rainbow Resort XC (MN)

Resorts that have received 2.7 inches of snow

Devil’s Head Resort (WI)
Hyland Hills ski area (MN)

Resorts that have received 2.6 inches of snow

Bridger Bowl (MT)
Bohart Ranch XC (MT)

Resorts that have received 2.5 inches of snow

Lone Mountain Ranch XC (MT)
Mt Meadows Guest Ranch XC (MT)
Big Sky (MT)

Resorts that have received 2.4 inches of snow

Grand Targhee (WY)

Resorts that have received 2.3 inches of snow

The Birches XC (ME)

Resorts that have received 2.2 inches of snow

Eaglecrest (AK)
Sylvan Hill Park (WI)

Resorts that have received 2 inches of snow

Red Lodge XC (MT)
Smugglers Notch XC (VT)
Stowe XC (VT)
Cuchara Mountain Resort (CO)
Mukwonago XC (WI)
Ski Brule (MI)
Showdown XC (MT)
Alyeska Resort XC (AK)
Cascade Mountain (WI)
Brodie Mountain (MA)
Stowe (VT)
Sipapu (NM)
Red Lodge Mountain (MT)
Snow Summit (CA)
Alpine Valley (WI)
Showdown (MT)
Christie Mountain (WI)

Resorts that have received 1.8 inches of snow

Sleepy Hollow Inn XC (VT)

Resorts that have received 1.7 inches of snow

Dry Hill Ski Area (NY)
Norway Mountain (MI)
Little Switzerland (WI)

Resorts that have received 1.5 inches of snow

Black River XC (NY)
Powderhorn XC (CO)
Gore Mountain (NY)
Bear Paw Ski Bowl (MT)
Gore Mountain XC (NY)
Garnet Hill Lodge XC (NY)
Powderhorn (CO)
Tyrol Basin (WI)
Vail XC (CO)

Resorts that have received 1.4 inch of snow

Mountain Top at Grand Geneva (WI)
Middlebury College XC (VT)
Grand Geneva Resort and Spa (WI)

Resorts that have received 1.2 inch of snow

Pineridge XC (NY)
Cooke City XC (MT)
Maple Ski Ridge (NY)

Resorts that have received 1 inch of snow

Big Horn (WY)
Sleeping Giant XC (WY)
Sleeping Giant (WY)
Greek Peak XC (NY)
Wilmot Mountain (WI)
Mont Ripley (MI)
Ski Plattekill (NY)
Ski Plattekill Mtn XC (NY)
Labrador Mountain (NY)
Hunter Mountain (NY)
Brighton (UT)
Pajarito Mountain XC (NM)
Angel Fire Resort XC (NM)

Resorts that have received 0.8 inch of snow

Vail (CO)
Beaver Creek (CO)
Alta XC (UT)
Beaver Creek XC (CO)
Alta (UT)
Prospect Mountain XC (VT)

Resorts that have received 0.6 inch of snow

Bark Eater XC (NY)
Rangeley Lakes XC (ME)

Resorts that have received 0.5 inch of snow

Ski Tamarack (closed) (NY)
Lutsen Tofte XC (MN)
Pahaska Tepee XC (WY)
Lutsen Mountains (MN)
Mt. Aurora Skiland (AK)
Solbakken Resort XC (MN)
Navarino Slopes (WI)
Ute Meadows XC (CO)
Lutsen Resort XC (MN)
Lutsen Mountains XC (MN)
Bluefin Bay Resort XC (MN)
Hildene XC (VT)
Cascade Lodge XC (MN)

Resorts that have received 0.4 inches of snow

Pajarito Ski Mountain (NM)
Teton Pass (MT)
Teton Pass XC (MT)
Angel Fire (NM)

Resorts that have received 0.3 inches of snow

Bretton Woods XC (NH)
Camden Snow Bowl (ME)
June Mountain (CA)
Homestead Resort XC (UT)
Sierra Summit (CA)
Tamarack Lodge Resort XC (CA)
Sundance XC (UT)
Rock Creek Lodge XC (CA)
Mammoth Mountain (CA)

Resorts that have received 0.2 inches of snow

Sundown Mountain XC (IA)
Marshall Mountain (MT)
Sundown Mountain Resort (IA)
Hickory Hills XC (NY)
Suicide Six (VT)

Resorts that have received 0.1 inches of snow

Big Horn XC (WY)
Butternut Basin (MA)
Mt. Crescent (IA)
Ski Butternut (MA)

Posted In: Snow Reports on December 24, 2009 Comments Off

Day 5: Afternoon skiing and apres ski in St Anton

Very warm this afternoon, temperature around 5°C. Spring skiing conditions.

3:30 pm, time to stop for s drink on the way back to St Anton.

First stop, Krazy Kanguruh (Crazy Kangaroo). Good happy hour prices, but not a lot going on. May be a bit to early.

3:45 pm – place seems to be filling up – lot of ski instructors here.

4:30 pm Mooserwirt – the place is dead. Nothing go on. Almost empty. Doesn’t anything happen in St Anton on Christmas Eve?

Apparently the reason Mooserwirts was so quiet is because the only night of the season the DJ gets off is Christmas eve. I have also heard that all the bars in town are shut tonight and the only bar that will be open is Scotty’s Bar in this hotel (Rosanna).

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Day 5: Lunch at the Krazy Kanguruh (Kangaroo) – St Anton

Time for lunch…..

Today it is the Krazy Kanguruh (Crazy Kangaroo).

The place is surprisingly quiet. Hardly anyone here. Menu is not very extensive, salads, soups, pasta and burgers Lunch today will be the skiers favourite – spaghetti bolognese (spag bog).

Service was speedy (there are nearly as many staff as customers), the spag bog was hot, very tasty (a bit too salty), and the portion was large. All for around € 10.

Met a bunch of Aussie in the KK. What a surprise. Two had come from Australia for the trip, and the other two were ‘traveling’.

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Beeping Piste Bashers (snow groomers)

When did piste bashers (groomers) start having such loud beeps?

This morning the snow conditions were great, there was no wind, the sun was coming out, and the views were stunning.

In the past I am sure if you stopped skiing and admired the view all you would hear is the distant hum of a lift and the whoosh of fellow skiers going by. Now all you hear is beep beep beep beep…. Drives you nuts.

I think I might start a campaign fir beepless piste bashers……

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Day 5: Skiing Rendl, St Anton

Up on the slopes at Rendl just after 9 am. The cable car up to the main ski area was empty (and the seats toasty).

Today the weather is cloudy, but the light is not too flat, and there is occassional sunshine.

For the first hour I seemed to be the only one on the slopes. I did whole runs without seeing anyone, lifts seemed deserted.

Snow conditions are very good. A few places were a bit thin, and there are a few areas of ice. And I have spent the first hour skiing virgin groomed trails.

Around 10:15 a few more people hit the slopes, but lifts still remained ‘ski on’.

Now, 11 am local time, I have stopped for a coffee (of the two restuaurants at the top of the Rendl cable car can neither of them do hot coffee?). Currently in the Panorama Restaurant and the views are stunning.

The plan now to take a lift part way back up the mountain and then ski down route 1 back to St Anton for lunch.