JH Underground – news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming

In what should be obvious to all but the most optimistic skiers, barring a huge dump, Snow King Ski Area is unlikely to open its lifts Saturday as planned.

“Not looking good at all,” mountain operations manager Adam Shankland wrote.

Persistent rain and warm weather in recent weeks have put snowmaking well behind schedule. The King generally relies on a man-made base even when conditions are good.

Much colder nighttime temperatures are expected this weekend, with the National Weather Service calling for a low Sunday of 3 degrees.

Meanwhile, snow continues to accumulate above 8,000 feet, prompting Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to consider opening more terrain. The snow depth at 9,600 feet is 44 inches, according to the Bridger-Teton avalanche forecast.

Update 12/6: JHMR will open the new Casper high-speed quad Thursday, followed by the gondola and Marmot on Friday and tram, Thunder and Sublette on Sunday. The resort moved up the gondola and summit openings by a day.

(Photo via All Jackson Hole)

Posted under Economy, Environment, Ski Resorts, Sports, Weather

Tags: climate change, jhmr, skiing, snow king, snowboarding

Grand Targhee became the first Teton-area ski resort to open this winter, operating the Dreamcatcher and Shoshone chairs today on Fred’s Mountain.

With a snow depth of 28 inches at 8,800 feet, Targhee was able to open 1,500 of its 2,600 acres. The resort is offering discounted lift tickets through Sunday; with a donation of two canned goods or nonperishable food items, guests can ride for $34. Donations go to Teton Valley Food Bank.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort plans to open its Apres Vous and Teewinot chairs Saturday. With little to no snow below 7,500 feet, the resort has relied on snowmaking to create a groomed strip from the top of Apres Vous to the base of the mountain, totaling more than 2,100 vertical feet.

This is the earliest opening in the 48-year history of the resort. Through Dec. 7, adult lift tickets are $65 online or $68 at the windows.

Snow King in Jackson plans to open Dec. 8.

Posted under Economy, Environment, Ski Resorts, Sports

Tags: jhmr, snow king, targhee

The Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center began issuing its online forecasts this week loaded with new graphics and features, in what forecaster Bob Comey calls a “soft opening” for the site.

Avalanche hazard and mountain weather forecasts are available for the Teton area twice daily, at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Forecasts for the Greys River and Togwotee Pass areas are posted each morning.

New this year is a section called “Avalanche Problems,” which explains the type of hazard backcountry users should look for. A graphic illustrates the aspects and elevations where the problem can be found, and other metrics show the size, likelihood and distribution, as well as whether the trend is growing worse.

The center received grants from the Forest Service and 1 Percent for the Tetons to upgrade the service, which received more than 1.3 million visits via web, email and phone (307-733-2664) last winter. Online page views were up 65 percent, while the number of phone calls dropped in half.

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Posted under Environment, Media, Ski Resorts, Sports, Weather

Tags: avalanches, backcountry, jhmr, powder, skiing, snowboarding

Earlier this week the Denver Post reported about the growing popularity of uphill travel at ski resorts. Skinning has become such a part of mountain-town life that most Colorado resorts have adopted policies tolerating or even encouraging it.

Aspen Skiing Co., for instance, has climbing routes and policies for its four mountains. The Post reports:

Two years ago, uphill skiing was a sort of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” with the few skinning skiers keeping a low profile as they climbed in the dark. Today, resort chieftains such as Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s Tim and Ethan Mueller and Breckenridge’s Pat Campbell are regulars among their hill’s climbing cadre.

And the no-policy uphill approach is becoming a thing of the past. Nearly every resort has recently tweaked its uphill travel rules to address things like dog poop, hours, parking, closures, reflective outerwear and lights.

Naturally, skiers might wonder whether Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will catch up with the trend, especially given the brouhaha following the arrest of Roland Fleck in 2011. The hard-headed Fleck, then 78, insisted on skinning up JHMR to watch his daughter compete in a ski race, only to be sledded down in cuffs.

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Posted under Economy, Environment, Ski Resorts, Sports

Tags: jhmr, skiing, snow king, snowboarding

Jackson Hole skiers are mourning the loss of longtime instructor and guide Theo Meiners, who died in a fall from an escalator balcony last night while attending a snow science conference in Alaska. He was 59 years old.

Meiners had taught skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and owned Alaska Rendezvous Heli-Guides. He worked in the ski industry for more than 30 years and was regarded as an expert on avalanche safety.

On the slopes at Jackson Hole, Meiners was revered as a guru who used to wax philosophical about skiing and snow. He enjoyed the winter of a lifetime this year in Alaska, with massive snowfall, and he regularly shared his joy and insights with friends on Facebook. This post from July 15 accompanied a photo of an Alaskan mountain called Happiness, with a 5,200-vertical-foot north face:

Pursuit of Happiness and the wish that Happiness should not be a quick moment, like a big laugh after a joke or a smile at a compliment ,it is a state of being, and we all have the right to this pursuit! Work where you want and do what you love friends and find happiness

There’s no doubt Meiners found it.

He leaves behind a son, Aidan, and daughter, Ali.

Posted under Deaths, Ski Resorts, Sports

Tags: jhmr, skiing