Joe Bastardi's Final Call: Winter 2010-2011

Joe Bastardi, Accuweather's rockstar, hype-meister meteorologist, has revised his winter forecast. His early winter forecast issued in August, wasn't quite as tantalizing as this, his final update. His accuracy was uncanny last year, and this year's forecast is not out of line with what the East could expect from a moderate La Nina. In his forecast video, linked below, he calls for full on winter north of I-90. He does hedge somewhat calling for a big thaw in January.

The full story is here: Accuweather Winter Forecast 2010/2011.

Big Tupper: Lift 3 Approved

On Tuesday, inspectors from the New York State Department of Labor performed required load tests on Big Tupper's Lift 3. The lift, crucial to Big Tupper's operation this winter, passed every test performed.

To load test the uphill side, inspectors placed 20 x 20 x 20-inch cardboard boxes on each chair, and fit each box with a plastic liner. The boxes were then filled with water. The volume of water in two boxes weighs approximately 400 pounds to simulate the weight of two people. With each container filled, the lift was operated through a full circuit. Hard stops were used to test cable strength and braking distance.

When the containers are originally set in the chairs, a small hole is cut in the cardboard. This exposes a small section of the plastic liner. When the testing is done, an inspector at the summit punctures the liner, and by the time the chairs reach the base, the containers are empty.

Interview with Avant Skis

We recently had an opportunity to connect with Ben Callaghan and Joel Nashett of Avant Skis. Both are avid outdoorsmen from the Northern Adirondacks. Joel, originally from Saranac Lake, is a former ski racer, involved with ski cross, cycling, canoeing, hunting and fishing. Ben, from Tupper Lake, is an artist, a long-distance runner, and loves being in the woods, where he skis, camps, hikes, canoes and kayaks. Both are within a handful of summits of completing the 46 High Peaks.

How did Avant begin?

Ben: Avant began on the slopes of Big Tupper. Both Joel and I are inventors. As kids, instead of playing video games, we were out building two-story camps in the woods, making air pressured potato guns out of bike pumps and constantly testing our knowledge of combustion. After we got some proper education in design and engineering, we began researching how to make skis in 2005, and pressed our first pair in 2006.

Joel: It took us as long time to come out with a saleable product because we chose a complicated design for our first run. Although each iteration of the design improved exponentially, it still took us quite a while to source materials and perfect our process.

Sunday River YouTube: Oct 23 2010

The Mountains Less Traveled: Monarch, CO

Last week, we launched Harvey Road Magazine with an exclusive article about Quebec's Eastern Townships. This week, we've teed up a previously unpublished feature from Jamesdeluxe, about a ski area in Colorado that sounds intriguing: Monarch Mountain.

When I think of lift-served ski mountains in Colorado, the places that come to mind are big resorts with high-speed quads, real estate projects, and slopeside everything, but based on this article, Monarch would be right up our alley.

Monarch Mountain, CO: A Rough-Cut Gem

First Turns of the Season at Whiteface

Fujative: Mr. October

"We arrived at the booth for the Toll Road at about 10:15. There were 10 other cars parked along the road, and the snow depth was about 5-7 inches. The feeling at the base was electric. I was excited to be on snow, excited to have skis on my feet, and excited to know that I'd be sliding down hill in a matter of hours. We put on our packs, I strapped up my skins, and we hit the trail..."

Full Trip Report in the NY Ski Forum.

Video on Ski = MC Squared.

North Creek Depot Museum

I recently had a chance to tour the North Creek Depot Museum on Railroad Place. I ran into Michelle San Antonio — director of the museum — at the Farmers Market Organic Brunch, and she graciously agreed to fit me into her schedule.

I was especially interested in the new exhibit that focuses on the history of the snow trains and the development of skiing at Gore Mountain. I'm fascinated by the 1930s and 1940s when lift assisted skiing was born.

First Snowfall of the Season

by Jason

The model runs are finally starting to converge. Wednesday's 18z GFS and NAM are calling for a developing coastal low that stalls over the Gulf of Maine. This will bring moderate to heavy rains to the mountains.

(click to enlarge)

What makes this system interesting is that there will be just enough cold air aloft and strong vertical velocity for wet snow to fall in the ADKS above 3,000 feet. Amounts are hard to pin down due to the fact that there really isn't much cold air at the surface.

The first snowfall is always fun to predict, and watch.

Harvey Road's NY Ski Magazine

Introducing NY Ski Magazine. Our new online publication, which will be written and edited by Jamesdeluxe, provides us with a format suited to more in-depth features about specific ski areas and regions.

Starting today, NY Ski Magazine will be posting exclusive new articles, along with features from the archives going back to 2004.

James prefers smaller, off-the-beaten-path ski areas from both the East and West that don’t usually get the big headlines. And when he does cover a popular resort, it’s usually about a lesser-known part of the mountain: like Apres Vous at Jackson Hole. And for lost-ski-area fans, there are articles about three northeastern mountains that have closed over the last few years: Mont Glen/Mont Shefford QC and Bobcat NY.

As part of our magazine launch, we’re premiering an article about a ski region that I really hadn't been aware of until last winter: Québec’s Eastern Townships. Between now and the beginning of the season, we’ll be posting features about Burke VT, Monarch CO, Le Massif QC, and Snow King WY, as well as adding new articles throughout the season.

If you have comments on individual features, please register and post them beneath the appropriate articles. For questions regarding the magazine, contact James: Jamesdeluxe@nyskiblog.com.

Hickory Ski Center's New Groomer

"We recently purchased a Bombardier BR350 Sherpa Winch Cat. We're looking forward to using it to improve the surface quality of our groomed beginner and intermediate trails. In addition, the winch gives us the ability to do the minimum required maintenance grooming on our legendary expert trails."

National Weather Service T2M Winter Forecast

(click to enlarge)

This just released forecast represents the National Weather Service estimate of how temperatures, over the next six months, will compare to the average temperatures measured over the period 1971-2000. Data used is based primarily on ocean temperatures, modeling the current year against similar years from the past.

The three-month T2M forecast posted last November, did reflect the southern track of the large storms last winter that hit the mid-atlantic.

Belleayre Update with Joe Kelly

Interview by Jamesdeluxe

As Belleayre ramps up for its 2010-11 season, we haven’t been hearing much news from the Catskills’ only state-owned ski area. While there have been no rumors of potential cutbacks due to state budget issues, neither have we heard about any major upgrades — certainly nothing on the magnitude of what’s been happening at Gore and Whiteface the last several seasons — so we felt that it was time to check in with longtime Coalition To Save Belleayre founder and chairman Joe Kelly. For more than a quarter century, Kelly and his watchdog group have advocated on behalf of the ski area to ensure that it remains a vital part of the western Catskills economy.

What is Belleayre’s operations outlook for the 2010-11 season?

We’re going to be in full operation this season. There’s a clear recognition that without Belleayre being fully open, the Route 28 corridor would be in big trouble. I’m confident that our full budget will be provided this year.