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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

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

The Jackson Town Council will hold a special meeting at 8 a.m. Tuesday to discuss a possible zip line on Snow King.

The meeting was announced this afternoon. As of 5 p.m., no agenda or documents were posted on the town website. The purpose is to discuss “expanded mountain operations” on Snow King, states a town release.

Town Administrator Bob McLaurin said the meeting will pertain to Snow King’s lease with the town for land at the bottom of the mountain. The resort is seeking to build a zip line that lands on town property near the base of the Cougar chairlift. Snow King reportedly leases this land from the town for $1 a year.

McLaurin said his understanding is that the meeting will be the “beginning of the discussion” about the zip line, which has been a topic of concern among some residents and neighbors.

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Posted under Environment, Politics, Ski Resorts, Sports, Town Government

Tags: national forest, snow king

With the Little Horsethief Fire more than 90 percent contained, the Bridger-Teton National Forest has lifted the closure for Snow King and Cache Creek trails.

The Putt-Putt, Ferrin’s and Hagen trails will open up Cache Creek, and hikers and bikers may reach the Snow King summit via the main resort trail or Josie’s Ridge. Crystal Butte and Nowlin Peak also will reopen. The Elk Refuge Road has reopened to all traffic.

The cost of suppressing the fire has reached $7.9 million. Nearly two weeks after the fire began, allegedly in a backyard at the mouth of Wilson Canyon, investigators have not identified the cause.

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Posted under Environment, Ski Resorts, Sports

Tags: cache creek, game creek, hiking, horsethief fire, mountain biking, national forest, snow king