Home on the Three Forks Ranch Range
Two hundred thousand acres. A working cattle ranch near the border of Wyoming and Colorado, owned by St. Louis Cardinals co-owner David Pratt. The Three Forks Ranch puts the ‘X’ in extreme luxury.
The drive from Steamboat/Hayden airport to Three Forks Ranch took 75 minutes and by the time we hit the curvy, windy single lane part I was a wee bit carsick. Then, there it was and my stomach stopped dancing as my excitement climbed. I could have never imagined such elegance in the middle of nowhere until my hosts held open the brass and glass double doors to the $120 million mansion.
A three-night, all-inclusive stay costs more than $4k per person. But that includes roundtrip air, room, drinks, all spa treatments, the cat skiing, all other activities (snowmobiling, sledding, ice fishing, crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing, guides), meals, tax and gratuity. In the summer, the Lodge is a haven for elite hunters and flyfishermen. Now, in the winter, guests will have miles of snow-covered mountain terrain all to themselves for snowmobiling and snowcat skiing. Pratt made his money in pesticides before turning to this slice of heaven. In addition to building and owning the 35,000-square-foot Ranch and Spa, with its 15 palatial rooms, hand-carved European paneling, fireplaces, fresh orchids and mural-sized cowboy art, Pratt is the chairman and lead shareholder of Gander Mountain Co. an outdoor retail chain similar to Cabela’s.
My South Fork Suite for two nights comes with two large flatscreens and a fireplace.
I got in too late to ski but my appointment was ready for me in the spa. First, one of the most amazing massages I’ve ever had, followed by a facial with Phytomer products.
I had just enough time to shower and get upstairs for dinner by the fire with four other media types and our hosts from Fleishman-Hillard International Communications.
The lamb was everything you hope it will be and the bananas foster and ice cream added the exact touch of post-meal sweetness.
Coffee should arrive at my room by 6:30 a.m. so it’s time to curl up under my down comforter and say good night.
Snowcat Packing
The email popped into my inbox last week – “Press Trip Invite”. Love reading these. They come with an attached itinerary that makes Club Med looked like a snooze. I will read all about the place and daydream about the excursion. Then I decline.
Don’t get me wrong. Press trips are a travel writer’s bread and butter. Magazines and newspapers rarely pay expenses (websites, never) and if I’m going to pay to visit a place I’m on vacation like everyone else; not working. With press trips, we are invited on an all-expense paid mini-vacay so we can (honestly) report back on the experience (be it good or bad). There really is no faster way to get the word out about a place than to invite a group of experienced journalists to see for themselves. It’s cheaper for a company than advertising and, if you plan right, you can target a myriad of audiences from seniors and families to extreme athletes. And for us media people, a press trip is like a mini writers conference. I have yet to walk away from one without a story assignment. I went on a Lake Powell luxury houseboat excursion and wrote for two years for Trail Blazer Magazine- an RV print pub. But usually I stay home in the winter. The snow and skiing is always better in Utah and, invariably, if you do travel you get to hear reports of footage dumping in the Wasatch and many happy faceshots while you cruise groomers as the guides point to places that are great fun “when there’s snow.”
But this particular email was different. It had only one activity listed: SNOWCAT SKIING. Duh. I may be blond but I’m no dummy. I’ve had only one icky snowcat skiing experience (fat ski testing outside of Crested Butte, Colo., for SKI Magazine) and it was still something to boast to the grandkids about. We had pockets of windblown but for the most part everything was break-away crust and corral reef; near death-defying in places but ski athletes like Kristen Ulmer and Chris Anthony made shitty snow look sweet. It was fun, challenging, exciting and educational to be part of that team. I wasn’t missing anything back home.
photo courtesy Grand Targhee Cat Skiing
Here was the gist of the Three Forks Ranch email:
An ultra-exclusive, luxury ranch property celebrates its first-ever season of snowcat power skiing. We want to invite you on an all-inclusive (that’s airfare, too) press visit February 27 – 29.
I’ll give you 3 reasons why this place makes for a great story:
- There are only 15 guest rooms total, so there’s a max of 30 guests who could possibly be on the mountain, at the spa, in the dining room, etc while you’re there.
- There are no lift lines, because private guides transport skiers to the top of Three Forks Mountain – a pristine peak blanketed by an annual snowfall of 400-450 inches – via snowcats.
- Everything is included in your stay, and I mean everything… world-class cuisine, room, all the luxe spa treatments you heart desires, skiing, snowmobiling, sleigh riding, and anything else you can imagine doing on 200,000 private acres.
And then there was this video.
I busted out my High Sierra wheeled ski bag collecting dust in my attic, packed my Dynastar Paradises, the Leki poles with the fat baskets, a backpack for my camera, one ski outfit and baselayers that I could don the minute we hit the Ranch, a knit dress for dinner (after all it is a ‘luxury’ lodge and men are required to wear a collared shirt), Sorel Tofinos for sledding, Athleta tankini for the hottub and Hi-Tec Mocs for fast airport security and trekking to the spa, and I was good to go. The Langes, laptop, iPod, Canon, and Wowee speaker go in the wheelie carry-on and… DAMN I forgot my avalanche beacon. Just because you’re at a deluxe lodge does not mean you can’t die in the backcountry. Snowcat skiing is backcountry skiing. But I’m pretty sure they’ll have spares for us.
Oh, and for those of you who have no idea what snowcatting is, you need to. It’s like helicopter skiing without ever leaving the ground. You may not get as much vertical as you do in a chopper but the runs are untracked and wide open. The cat can roll in any weather and you get to warm up inside as you truck up to your next run. It’s also a lot less expensive than helicopter skiing.
So there you have it. My plane to Steamboat is about to board. Gotta run!
Spring Skiing Deals in Colorado
Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) resorts are kicking off spring ski season with cost saving specials and entertainment to lure skiers and snowboarders to the slopes.
Here are some highlighted events offered throughout Colorado Ski Country.=:
Events
March 2
From March 2 – 4, Winter Park is hosting the 37th Annual Wells Fargo Cup. This event brings together world-class disabled ski racers, Denver celebrities, Broncos alumni along with amateur skiers and snowboarders of all abilities for a weekend of activities to benefit the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD). The highlight of the weekend is the World Disabled Invitational, when disabled skiers compete head-to-head on parallel courses.
March 3
Powderhorn is offering a one-day Telefest downhill extravaganza which features guest clinicians, equipment demos, fun events and an Apres-Nord Party with a live band on the Sunset Deck. The lift ticket and clinic is $60.00, clinics are $25.00, the party is $10.00 and a t-shirt is $15.00.
March 10
Bud Light Rocks the Boat Free Concert Series kicks off in Steamboat for the 13th season, and offers a great mixture of musical genres. All concerts start at 3 p.m. on the Steamboat Stage in Gondola Square, except for closing day, April 15, when there will be two bands and the concert will begin at 2:30 p.m.
2012 Music Line-up:
Saturday, March 10th – Band of Heathens
Saturday, March 17th – See-I
Saturday, March 24th – ALO
Saturday, March 31st – New Monsoon
Saturday, April 7th – Keller Williams
Sunday, April 15th – TBD @ 2:30pm & JJ Grey & Mofro @ 4pm
March 11
Butterfly Roundup is one of the feature events at Monarch this year. Teams of two hunt around the mountain collecting colored butterfly stickers worth various points, and the top three teams win prize packages. There are extra points awarded for costumes, and the event is open to all ages. The cost is $10 per team. For more information, call (719) 530-5081.
March 17
Crested Butte Mountain Resort is once again hosting FestEVOL on March 17 and 18, bringing the unique lifestyle experience that combines mountain sports, live music, innovative natural brands and a sustainably focused “eco-village.” The headline bands for 2012 include Barenaked Ladies on Saturday, March 17, and Guster/Big Head Todd and the Monsters on Sunday, March 18. Additional musical artists playing at FestEVOL will be announced soon.
Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort is featuring the annual Steamworks Brewing Company Clambake on Purgatory Beach. Guests can enjoy steamed clams, corn on the cob and potatoes and pair it with Steamworks’ award winning beers. A portion of the proceeds benefit La Plata County Search and Rescue. Clam-tastic tunes round out this fun après ski event, which runs from 2 – 4 p.m.
Eldora Mountain Resort is hosting its Retro Day, where guest can dig out their favorite retro ski gear and party all day on the mountain. There will be live music, costume party, prizes and drink specials throughout the day. For more information, contact the mountain at (303) 440-8700.
Copper Mountain presents O’Fuego, for a St. Patrick’s Day family fete. Guests are invited to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day Copper Style, where En Fuego meets the luck of the Irish. This year’s O’Fuego will feature DJ Leprechaun Landry, fire pits, green beer and green fireworks over West Lake at 7pm. It’s a free street party the whole family can enjoy.
March 19
Sol Vista Basin will hold a Beach Bash and invites guests to chill out. The resort will serve island drinks from a tiki snow bar and play reggae music. There will be fun for the whole family with snow games, an outdoor BBQ, an all-natural log jam, and night skiing and tubing from 5 – 8 p.m.
March 31
New Belgium is back with their infamous on-mountain Scavenger Hunt at Loveland Ski Resort. Guests don their best costume, chase chickens, search for Bigfoot and answer ridiculous riddles all while skiing, raising money for The Alliance For Sustainable Colorado, and bonding with friends. Guests are invited to grab a buddy or four, bring $10 per person and a lift ticket or season pass, and join the fleet of New Belgium characters on the slopes of Loveland Ski Area for a Scavenger Hunt.
Echo Mountain is calling all cowboys and cowgirls as that resort hosts the Echo Mountain Round Up, Echo’s version of the Wild West. Guests are invited to don boots, hats and western garb as Denver’s closest ski and snowboard area transforms into the ‘Ol West with Lil’ Wranglers (ages 12 & under) Rail Jam for kids (skiers and snowboarders), evening adult racing, costume contests, BBQ, Rocky Mountain Chili Bowl snowboard giveaway, eating competition, stick horse races, prizes and much more.
April 8
The Beach’N Egg Hunt is on once again this year at Arapahoe Basin. The Easter Bunny and Chicken visit A-Basin for an Easter Egg Hunt on skis. Both skiing and non-skiing children can participate. The Easter Bunny arrives at noon – just outside the Snowsports Center. The free egg hunts take place on Molly Hogan for guests who do not ski and on Wrangler for those that do ski.
Deals
This spring, Sunlight invites skiers and riders to “Learn to Shine” with a three day lesson, rental and lift ticket package. Skiers and snowboarders that participate in the ”Learn to Shine” program are matched with top instructors from Sunlight Mountain Resort. The three lessons can be taken on the dates of the student’s choice and participants get a free 5-Day ski pass to practice upon completion of the lessons. Skiers can take advantage of this package for $280 and snowboarders for $295.
Kids ski free, rent free and eat free with Telluride Resort Lodging. When guests book five nights of lodging and a four day lift ticket and ski rental package with Telluride Resort Lodging, they receive one comparable child lift ticket per adult lift ticket purchase and one child equipment rental per adult equipment rental. Guests will also receive a $50 Mountain Dining Card to put towards lunch at one of their resort’s on-mountain restaurants. Call 1-800-778-8581 for more information.
Skiers and riders can bring a season pass from any ski area in Colorado to Ski Cooper and buy two full day adult lift tickets for the price of one. This offer runs through March 6. No more than one transaction per season pass holder per day can be used, the deal is not valid with any other offers and has no cash value.
On March 25 and again on March 31, Wolf Creek is offering lift ticket specials for college students. On these two days, students can purchase a ticket for $33.00 with a current student photo ID. On March 28, locals can take advantage of Locals Appreciation Day to hit the slopes for only $33.00 adult lift tickets, and $19.00 senior and child lift tickets. No ID is required.
A Hiking We Will Go- Alta’s Baldy Main Chute Is Open
I wasn’t planning to ski. After three full days of romping around the chutes, couloirs and bumps of Jackson, I could feel the residual umph in my hip flexors and thighs. Damn Facebook. More than one person was posting about Baldy’s Main Chute being open. And it was sunny and warm. How could I ignore that carrot?
I dropped Sage at school and raced over to Alta. People think if you live in Park City, a drive to Little Cottonwood involves vacation days but it’s not true. It’s 40 minutes to click in. Plus, you have cell reception the whole way down Parley’s and most of LCC so you can get work done during your commute. The flat light was beginning to replace the sun by the time I loaded the Sugarloaf chair. When I got to the gate at the Snowbird checkpoint, it was all but gone; not a bad thing when you’re about to start a journey of connect-the- postholes straight up a spine.
I unfurled my Goat, strapped my skis to my back and off I went. It was 11 a.m. The sign at the gate said “Main Chute Only; if you ski anything else we’ll close the whole thing. Know where you’re going.” I thought I did.
At noon I was still trying to make my way to the summit. Two people passed me and three snowboarders were slowly catching up. I appreciated the fact that I wasn’t trying to get up with skis in my hands as I needed them to help me crawl at one point. The wind swirled around me, thankfully cooling my head through my helmet vents. Once on the ridge I could relax. I wasn’t quite to 11,000 feet but the drama was over. I had plenty of room on either side in case I needed to step out of the path and catch my breath. Thanks to a crappy season and lack of skiercise so far I was definitely struggling. But I made it. I dropped my skis and looked around. No one. The one guy ahead of me faded over the ridge. I waited. I skied Main Chute once last year but I hiked it from Snowbird in May. My perspective was off. I wanted to make sure I didn’t drop into the wrong chute and summon the wrath of every Alta patron. Soon an Alta ski instructor approached. A friendly one who gave me specific instructions, down to the mention of where I would want to enter the shot (far skier’s left). I clicked in, waved bye and deliberately worked my way to the entrance.
Where was everyone? Maybe because it was so skied up from yesterday they didn’t need to hit it again? Usually Main Chute is a cluster. The leeward wind exposure makes it a snow trap and one of the first of Baldy’s fingers to sport a relatively rock-free descent. It doesn’t open often so when it does, the march of eager backcountry skiers looks like ants heading for scraps at a picnic. On my lap, it was deserted.
I dropped in. Large, soft mounds of chalky packed powder, not quite close enough or big enough to be full-blown moguls, kept me working for each turn. My legs burned instantly. I had 750 feet of vert ahead. A few chocolate chips poked out but the run is wide and they were easy to navigate. I kept waiting for snow drifts to scoot by from skiers on the 40-degree pitch above but the only sloughs around me came from me. I thought about what I had learned at Jackson. Counter is your friend, plant your pole far down the hill, chin up so you can see ahead, etc. Despite getting sloppy toward the end, I proudly exited onto the apron of Ballroom. My only regret was not finding a friend to go with me. I could have used a huge High Five at that point.
It’s not every day we get to ski the Baldy Chutes and with the forecasted storm it looks like we’ll all be waiting to get back up there. I headed for the Collins parking lot with a self-satisfied buzz. Neeners!
Cowboy Up For Jackson Hole’s Steeps
Driving up to Teton Village should hold dread. You see the Teton Mountains and the imposing face of the ski resort as you approach. I bet beginners pucker just looking at that area. Jackson Hole is not only huge but steep and loaded with vertical lines. Nearly 4200 vertical of thighroasting feet but unlike at Snowbird, once you get up to the top you never have to go back down to the tram if you don’t want to and you will still rack some serious vert. Sublette, Thunder and the new Marmot lifts get you pretty close to Rendezvous Bowl.
The plan was to meet the gang from PSIA Intermountain in Nick Wilson’s cafeteria, all ride the tram, warm up in Rendezvous Bowl, and split up in Cheyenne Bowl ride and ride chairs for the rest of the day.
Four DECL coaches greeted us and handed out lift tickets as we entered the café. If I wasn’t already an instructor, I’d seriously consider joining PSIA just for the value. A full day of coaching and lift ticket to Jackson for $60 (retail value on the ticket alone is $94 and a group lesson is close to $200!). Jackson is definitely not known for its value. Afterall, they have to pay for that shiny new tram somehow. Kids group lessons are close to $200 and don’t include a lift ticket, lunch averages $15 for a samdwhich and drink (no fries) and they charge $15 for the nearest parking lot; otherwise it’s $5 for the Ranch Lot and shuttle to the Tram building. But let’s face it, if I’m going to spend $100 on a lift ticket I’d rather it be to Jackson than Deer Valley. But that’s just me. I haven’t gotten old or lazy enough to whine for groomers. A DV Steeps Camp would be an oxymoron.
The Split
Twenty two campers from mostly Utah anxiously booted and helmeted up as we waited for battle plans. We’d soon split into four groups of five. There would be the ‘hard-chargers’ who would ski top to bottom all day long, the ‘slowpokes’ who would need extra love and attention and then two middle groups who would get a mixture of the others. One of those, led by Karen, turned into a ladies group. I thought I was going in that group until hit the bottom, looked back up and saw all of them still skiing down. They were strong skiers but sloooow.
Last year, I charged. My clinician decided pain was the name of the game and we stopped once for the bathroom and once for lunch from 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. This year, with the weaksauce early season I’ve had, I just didn’t feel up to non-stoppers but that didn’t mean I wanted to stand around waiting and talking.
Hello, Bruce Keller!
Bruce has been at Jackson for 18 years. To say he knows the mountain is an understatement. He’s a trainer to other instructors, a backcountry guide, a heliski gude in Alaska and a river guide in the summer. He’s led Steeps Camps groups for 12 years and he’s filled with anecdotes, pointers and constructive yet positive feedback.
The conditions at Jackson this week were better than Utah’s but that’s not really saying much. Neither state has broken the 100″ inch base benchmark and it’s mid-February. At Jackson, we had moguls everywhere. Fortunately the caliber of skier at Jackson means the moguls are at least skiable instead of those weird hacked off mini cliffs you find at DV when it hasn’t snowed in a while. We had soft purchase on those rolling mounds. There were decent-sized bumps in the tree shots from Expert Chutes to Bivouac but at least the mountain was 100 percent open including the backcountry gates.
It didn’t take long to feel the burn. I’m usually in ski shape by February but with so little motivation to get on it this season, I wasn’t. The Steeps Camps, therefore, served a multitude of purposes- get me in shape, get me skiing off-piste, get me skiing off-piste well, and get me out of Utah where lack-of-snow depression was setting in. We bee-lined for Sublette chair and our first ‘theme’ of the day. Bruce asked us, “What’s the most important angle in steep skiing?” The answer isn’t hips, or ankles or knees. The angle is us being perpendicular to the slope. That’s the angle you need to keep moving down the hill. In just about any ski school class you’ll take, you’ll encounter an instructor who eschews counter. That’s where you’re shoulders and pelvis face downhill while your lower body is across the hill (or at four or eight o’clock, as Bruce describes). Ski steeps at Jackson (or anywhere) and counter is king.
Don’t Be A Poodle
Another fave phrase of Bruce’s- Don’t be a poodle. I add, “Be a pitbull”.
Debb Demonstrating Counter
Another big topic of discussion was directional control versus speed control. Sometimes it’s more important to make minor adjustments to the shape of your turn as you make your way through a technical section and worry about speed control when the run opens up (becomes wide enough for a bigger turn to dump your speed). All that talk of “finishing a turn” you hear from ski instructors? Screw it in the steeps. ‘Finish’ a turn and you stop your flow. One thing you don’t want to be in a 55 or 60-degree slope is ‘stuck’. We watched a guy launch into Corbet’s Couloir and straight run it for about 100 feet before slowly arcing to regain control. He then changed direction and did another lazy GS turn. He didn’t stop until the flats. No poodles in sight.
Third Time’s The Charm
We never did make it into Corbet’s ourselves but we got a chance to practice the next ‘theory’. Every well-executed run requires three passes. On the first, you scope it. The second, you ski it and the third, you flash it. We rode Thunder to Elephant Tree, skied soft Wyoming snow up to our boot cuffs through tight pines, cut across to Paint Brush for more trees and into Toilet Bowl for a funnel that focused on an exposed rock quarry. The trick was to set up with a high-side turn before entering the gut where the rocks were. Since we had ‘scoped’ on the first run, we knew exactly where we had to be to avoid them. Unfortunately, we had a hard time ‘flashing’ on the third run as the day became a total whiteout with the storm that had moved into the area. Next pointer from Bruce- plant your pole as far down the hill as possible. You’ll be able to tell what’s below you as well as move in that direction. We couldn’t see sh*t but we kept moving. Damn this clinic rocks.
By 3:45 p.m. our little band of old timers (we have a 70-year-old Snowbird instructor ripping it up with us!) was forced to pack it in. What a day. I felt like we went from zero to 70 in a blink but that’s what a steeps camp does. There’s no room for poodles as Bruce would say. We celebrated the end of Day 1 with jalapeno margaritas at the Merry Piglets and I tucked myself in by 10 p.m. As I drifted off, I wondered if I’d be sore in the morning.
A Jackson Hole Roadie
It came late this year; just like the snow. My annual dash to Jackson Hole, Wyo.. It’s only a 4.5 hour drive from Park City. Utah, but it’s miles away. I once did Jackson in one day- complete with the après party at the Mangy Moose with some cute drunken skibums before crawling back into the car and arriving home by 11 p.m. Roundtrip totaled 17 hours. Not to say I wouldn’t do something wild like that again but there better be a lot of snow and open terrain.
Jackson’s marketing machine was sending out regular mountain reports throughout the holidays to tease us snow-starved ski junkies, but with a base depth not much more than ours in Utah I had to believe that most of the word was propaganda. Locals’ reports confirmed that the skiing wasn’t all that, so I waited. Where I would have had 40 days under my belt by now, I sat at 20- maybe. There is, however, one thing that gets me motivated even when I’ve been such a slacker of late. Jackson’s steeps camp. I missed the one in early January. Pass. Now, smack over Valentine’s Day, the mountain was showing a little love in the form of a surprise squall that dropped 8 inches.
I booked a condo at my favorite Jackson hideout- the Spring Creek Ranch; halfway between Teton Village and the town of Jackson. The Resort is hosting me for the second year in a row but I wouldn’t go back if it wasn’t a killer spot to crash.
You get a lot for your money if you time it right (i.e. midweek, non holiday)- about $200/nt including discounted lift tickets, and free breakfast and dinner in the quiet rustic elegance of the Granary Restaurant. There’s also a small spa, indoor and outdoor hottubs and free wireless internet.
But it’s the location that rocks. The homesite community sits on a hilltop for nearly 360 degrees of spectacular views and serenity. The drive in either direction takes about 20 easy minutes.
Time to hit the road. We packed up the car with the essentials.
My first roadtrip of the winter season and already my Escort radar detector has saved my butt twice. There is no surer way to harsh a vacation than to get a speeding ticket. No matter how much fun you have post police, you have that sizeable fine and points on your record hanging over your head. Plus, it’s not like you’re going to go back to fight it. You will feel defeated in addition to pissed. The best defense is a good offense. My Escort mounts on my windshield with two small suction cups and if anyone asks, the mount looks just like one for a GPS receiver. In fact it does work with GPS technology to eliminate false alarms. The ”AutoLearn” feature will mute out zones that regularly give off a false signal so you aren’t bothered. The detector sounds when a radar or laser is in range and flashes your current speed on the display. You have plenty of time to slow down. It also comes pre-loaded with red light and photo speed camera locations- yes, they use them in Utah. And you can go online and download updates.
When you consider that one speeding ticket averages $200, the $499 investment is worth every penny. Remember all of that construction on I-80 near downtown Salt Lake City? I’ve been using my radar since 2009 when I was busted for doing 75 in a 55 construction zone near 1300 east. I wasn’t going that fast but try to fight that one in Salt Lake County and win. Not going to happen. I did community service and used the ‘fine’ money to purchase my new road buddy.
We checked in safe and sound. More roadtrip gear and a Jackson review tomorrow.
Day Three of Dew Tour Up Next
You don’t have to be a halfpipe or slopestyle athlete to appreciate the competition throwing down at Snowbasin Resort in Utah this weekend. In fact, Saturday’s ski halfpipe finals for the 2012 Dew Tour drew huge crowds from skater teens to families.
The annual event debuted in 2008 as the first-ever winter action sports tour with a stop in Utah. Like the X-Games, the Tour crowns champions in six disciplines (Men/Women Snowboard Superpipe, Men/Women Snowboard Slopestyle, Men/Women Freeski Superpipe and Freeski Slopestyle). Over $2.5 million and the Dew Cup are at stake for the overall winners. For spectators, there’s a Festival Village with video gaming, giveaways, product demos and athlete autograph signings.
Louie Vito
stomped the afternoon’s snowboard superpipe finals and earned his second Dew Cup in a row with a double crippler, followed by a double Michalchuk, front double 1080, cab double 1080, and frontside 1080, ending with a cab 720. Snowbasin’s pipe is the world’s longest ever built for competition.
The ski girls stalked the pipe at dusk after the lifts closed. Devin Logan won the Cup and the Finals with a Japan grab, to 5 tail grab, flair, mute grab, alley oop critical, 7 mute, to finish with a switch alley oop 5.
“I had slope this morning, so I was a bit tired,” Logan said. “But I got some energy, found some deep down and ended up doing it, so I’m thrilled.” Canadian freeskier Rosalind Groenewoud took second, with favorite Maddie Bowman finishing third.
As the sun went down, the action heated up. The top men in the world hit it big under the lights. David Wise won the Freeski Pipe Finals but it was Kevin Rolland who walked with his second consecutive Dew Cup. Sixteen-year-old phenom Torin Yater-Wallace was third. Wise pushed full throttle on the second run with his first-ever 14 in addition to the switch double 1080, and alley oop flatspin 5 tail to end with a double cork 12. “My first run was good, so I kind of felt like I had to add a little bit of something to it,” Wise said. “The 14 was the first thing that came to mind, so dropping in I was like, ‘OK, I’ll go for that 14 at the end.” He didn’t stick the 14 but it was enough to keep him in the winner’s spot.
Rolland, in 11th place after the first run, pulled it together with a switch into a 900, to switch 720, back-to-back double flips to finish with a double cork 1260.
Yater-Wallace lost a ski when he landed his last trick of an outstanding first run that included a double cork 12 mute into an alley oop flat 5 and a double flair. He skied it out on one ski while the crowd cheered. Boos followed when the judges deducted for the equipment gaff. His second run with a double cork 12, alley oop double, double cork 9, left 10, into a switch 9 edged out Simon Dumont for a 3rd place finish.
The Sunday action starts on the slopestyle course with the women’s and men’s snowboard and ski finals before moving back to the superpipe for the Gatorade Free Flow (junior) Tour.
Dew Tour organizers say it was Snowbasin’s handling of the 2002 Olympic Downhill that attracted them to the resort. In honor of the 10th anniversary of the Winter Games, Snowbasin will offer $20.02 lift tickets to everyone who shows up wearing their Olympic volunteer jackets or credentials on February 16th
Take Five- Winter Photo Tips From Park City’s Best
Winter is the perfect time for great photos in mountains – lots of sunshine, bright white snow, smiling faces, a relaxed atmosphere. But anyone who has tried to snap the ultimate image of a priceless vacation knows that shooting outside in the winter has its drawbacks. We asked Park City’s most prolific professional photographers for their number one bit of advice to help you with your Kodak Moment.
David Schultz (Westlight Images, (435) 645-8414)
Exposure and metering. Know how your camera’s light meter works. In conditions where there is a lot of white in the frame, such as snow, your light meter can/will give you an incorrect exposure reading. Your meter is calibrated to read a scene as 18 percent grey, which, when averaged out on a “typical” outdoor scene, would include a blue sky, perhaps a green foreground, white clouds, mountains, etc. When your scene is basically all white, the camera’s light meter still wants to average everything to 18 percent grey. Now all that beautiful “Utah Powder” is a dull grey. Overexpose the film by about 2 f-stops when you meter off the snow or meter off your faded jeans or a “grey card”.
Dan Campbell (Dan Campbell Photography, 435-655-7700)
Experiment. Compact digital cameras are small enough to carry all day in your ski jacket so there is no excuse not to have it with you at the top of the mountain, at lunch and while cruising Main Street. If you don’t like what you see, try again. Check each shot to make sure you like the composition and to make sure you nailed Uncle Billy going off the jumps in the terrain park. Make sure you take a big memory card like a 2g, extra cards and an extra battery. Set your digital camera to save all photos at the largest file size to give you the best quality prints.
Mark Maziarz (Sportsstockphotography.com, (435-649-0002)
Fill the viewfinder. Most amateur photos have too much empty space around the subject. Train your eye to look at all parts of the frame through the viewfinder rather than just concentrating on the little target in the center of the frame. It’s even OK to visually cut off some body parts, such as the top of a head or someone’s legs. But be careful; hands sometimes look weird if they’re missing and you pretty much always need to see the eyes.
Richard Cheski (Mindset Media, (323) 318-4885)
Catching the action. Riders move fast and your clicking finger, slow. If you’re not on it, you’ll have a card filled with white, with no one in the frame. The best way to get the peak action shot in a winter photo setting is to watch the athlete hit the jump first or have the rider pick a set spot before you shoot. The best shots in those mags capture one turn. The photog will often make the rider hike back up and run the same line again. Create communication and a focal point for the action and snap away. If you get just one shot on the roll that is “EPIC” than you have done your job!
Patrick Cone (Patrick Cone Photography, 435-640-0458)
The best photographs draw the viewer into the frame and are well-designed within the borders. So try different vantages: down low, from above, or use different lenses to edit out extraneous objects in the viewfinder or to affect the overall color and lighting. Time of day is hugely important as well. The “Golden Hour”, just after sunrise and before sunset, has a colored directional light that defines the form you are shooting. Go for those times. Avoid photographing anything when the sun is directly overhead.
Ski Tunes For February Shredding
I hate deleting music from my iPod. Not only does the iTunes interface suck so much I avoid it like my boyfriend’s breath in the morning but you never know when you’re going to miss that Glee version of Don’t Stop Believin’.
Therefore, my solution is to beef up my music library so it takes longer to shuffle back to Highway To Hell. The challenge is finding new tunes that haven’t been blow out on the radio to the point that it’s the last song you want to hear on your personal player. So where do you go?
The Internet
You can dig into your CD vault and burn, you can peruse the Billboard Magazine online charts (and try to make sense of them), or you can wait for the monthly ‘what’s hot’ list from a little-known music lover named Chris Lawlorn. The free list is sent to your inbox with hyperlinks so you can taste before you buy. Totally works for me. Now all we need is a foot of fresh powder so I feel like getting back out there.
Here’s what February’s list looks like-
Disclaimer: If you’re a heavy metal, ska, reggae, acoustic or rap fan, move along. This list is for clubbers; for ripping skiers and boarders who care about their BPM’s.
Flo Rida – Good Feeling (Jaywalker Remix) – 127 BPM
Jay Sean & Nicki Minaj – 2012 (It Ain’t The End) – 126 BPM
Cobra Starship & Sabi – You Make Me Feel… (Felix Leiter Remix) – 127 BPM
Beatfreakz – Somebody’s Watching Me – 129 BPM
Katy Perry – The One That Got Away (R3hab Club Remix) – 128
Train – Drive By – 123 BPM
Adele – Set Fire To The Rain – 109 BPM
Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera & Mac Miller – Moves Like Jagger (Remix) – 128 BPM
Outasight – Tonight Is The Night – 120 BPM
In Case You Missed The Swag
Sundance May Be Over But The Fashion Lives On….
The games and gifting were slightly off from the years where stereo systems, Playstations and cars were doled out but it was no less engaging to watch the bags of swag spilling onto Main Street, Park City, this year. The idea behind ‘gifting’ is that you get to know the products, the people behind them and most importantly take it home with you for free. At the Timberland Lodge on Lower Main Street (the west side is for VIPs, the east for Public), men and women were treated to the perfect winter attire for the raging blizzard that finally appeared- SNOWBOOTS! And down jackets.
My favorite was the “Long Down” with the faux fur hood. Very Hollywood while being very Utah. The boots are wrapped in goose down all the way up to your knees. They’re a bit funky and not for everyone but super warm on your legs.
I was asked if I could write about alcohol when I entered the TR Suites at the Gateway Center. Huh? Apparently if you live in Utah you can’t write about liquor. I got a kick out of that one. Not only was I thrilled to see zero calorie margarita mix from Refine (sold in World Market) but these naughty Vice Merchants bedsheets also got my sexy on.
But of course it was too early to drink that day so I grabbed Hint Fizz instead. Unlike most flavored waters, these taste ‘infused’ rather than juiced. Kind of like those cucumber waters you’re handed at day spas.
Shoes were a big thing at Sundance this year and the styles appearing from Matt Bernson mixed the mountain look with fashion in a way that makes even a flat-soled gal like me sparkle.
As cute as heels are, though, they had to take a backseat to the new Sorels I gathered up at the Vevo Powerstation and Sorel Suite. I’m starting to feel like the Imelda Marcos of winter boots.
I have never heard of DL1961 Denim but now I know. That’s the thing about Sundance. The exposure to brands and fashion you never knew existed. DL1961 is the only jean with 4-way stretch Lycra so it will never sag, bag, or lose its shape. When you’re used to wearing Lycra baselayers all winter it’s not a stretch- so to speak- to include it in your outwear.
Friendship bracelets, layering bangles and rings are popular according to the Rachel Roy rep. But these friendship bracelets are nothing like you find at ClubMed. The touch of bling makes them all Hollywood and all Sundance.
You can’t get away from the harsh climate in Utah so Hollywood and New York brought their skincare saviors to us. Prasad Medical Skincare was gifting gels, lotions and potions designed to minimize free radicals, fine lines, and sagging skin. I walked with a skin survival kit of sunscreen, eye rescue and “intense vitamin serum”. Great stuff when you live in Park City. Throw in Burt’s Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream (CW3PR Re:Treat), Amala Hydrating Yogurt Mask (EcoHideaway Lounge), Lumene Firming Day Cream (Bertolli Soup Chalet), Phytomer
(pronounced Fee-Toe-Mer) sea water bath to revitalize skin and lip plumping duo (at the Alive Green Expo Pavilion), a Fresh Cosmetics lipgloss (from Vevo), and a makeover at the L’Oreal Beauty Suite and I looked like one of those celebrities. Okay, at least I felt like one. My skin never felt better despite the lack of sleep and abundance of free-flowing alcohol over those first few days of the fest.
You can’t be beautiful without being thin and the Sensa rep vowed that clinical studies showed users lost 60 pounds in 6 months just by sprinkling the virtually tasteless crystals on every meal. I’ll be trying that before ‘buying’ that one.
And there is was! A little table of SHRD. I discovered this magical hair protein crème at last year’s Sundance but ran out in the fall. I missed it badly. I’ve tried two other leave-in conditioners since then but nothing smoothed my hair without making it feel dirty like SHRD. The stuff’s expensive so it was a sweet to see them back again for Sundance.
Eventually the space inside those suites fill up and you start to feel mushed. Nothing takes the edge off like hovering over snack food from various “sponsors”: Cream O’ Wheat and Sabra Hummus (TR Suites)- Yes, they have gotten in on the celebrity scene, Udi’s Gluten-free, organic snickerdoodles and bread (Maimi Oasis), Tembo Trading Company Watoto Coffee (Alive Lounge), and hearty, yummy Bertolli Meal Soup.
The ‘gifting’ ended long before the actual Festival did but while the curtain closes on those films I’ve just begun to try out my goodies. Now, the real party starts. And, no, you can’t borrow my boots!
