A few more resorts got added to the open list bringing the total number of resorts open last weekend to seven across Colorado and California. You know what that means - Halloween Skiing! But obviously, the Midwest was left out of the last week's monster Mash party but could that be changing this week?
Snowmaking Is Underway but Not For Long
Snowmaking weather is officially here well, at least for a little while. Hyland Hills was the first to fire up their guns early Monday morning, making a statement in the race to open. Shortly after, Tyrol Basin & Granite Peak joined in on the fun, getting their snowguns humming on early Tuesday morning as well.
We are writing this on Tuesday morning and know that a lot will happen in the next few days. So if you want to stay up-to-date on what is happening in the Midwest snowmaking world - be sure to like our Instagram and Facebook pages. Alternatively, you can check our guide that tells you who is making snow seen by the yellow indicator on the map.
And while all this snowmaking was going on the mother nature and the UP said hold my beer and got about three and a half inches of natural snow Monday night or for our friends measuring at www.skidaup.com, about three forths a can of Hamm's.
But not everything is looking great because we expect above-average temperatures after this cold front moves through in the updated ten-day forecast. Looking at the current ten-day, we won't even break freezing for the foreseeable future.
Will We Be Skiing/Riding This Week?
So will we be skiing/riding this week? Well, that though to say. But, I will say that there are several hills one hundred percent committed to trying to get something open, whether it's a hike park or rope tow park- they are working hard to get sliding on snow this week.
I have a good feeling we will at least see a hike park this week, but only time will answer that question. Keep an eye on our social media pages for updates on openings.
And I want to give a massive thank you to all the ski resorts and snowmakers pushing to make snow this week. Looking at the extended forecast, many would call you crazy, and honestly, I would probably agree. Resorts will likely lose a lot of what they make this week, but just seeing and hearing snow with a slight chance of us getting out there - keeps the fire stoked!
The US Women's Alpine Team Crushes It
And speaking of stoke, the US women's Alpine team has plenty of that! The Alpine World Cup kicked off last week in Austria, and the US Woman had an impressive showing. The event was Giant Salmon, and Mikaela Shiffrin put on a clinic, capturing her 70th career win.
Buck Hill native Paula Motson also had an impressive showing, placing 24th. Some great skiing is coming from the US Women's team, and with the Olympics only three months away, we are excited to see what the future hold for this team. The World Cup action will resume with women's slalom races on November 20th and 21st.
James Niehues Retires
In other news, the name behind hundreds of ski maps across the world is retiring. James Niehues is a name that is legendary within the ski industry, as he has hand-painted some of the most iconic ski maps in history. James got his career start back in 1988 after meeting and working under another trail map legend Bill Brown. James would develop a unique style and hand-paint over two hundred and forty maps, including a few in the Midwest such as Devils Head, Boyne, & Boyne Highlands.
Although Niehues is stepping away from the skiing scene, he plans to continue his work through projects like the American Landscape Project, which focuses on the National Parks. Congratulations and cheers on a phenomenal career, James!
Crystal Mountain & I AM a Snowmaker Contest
And I want to wrap up with some fantastic news that the Crystal Mountain Snowmaking team has been chosen as one of the seven contestants to participate in Ski Area Management's 7th annual I AM a Snowmaker contest.
This contest highlights the hard work, determination, and quirkiness of snowmakers and recognizes how critical they are to the success of our industry.
Each resort will create a video taking us behind the scenes, sharing why they love making snow at their resort. The final videos will then be published in 2022, and the ski industry will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite video and crew.
Pretty awesome stuff, and we are looking forward to seeing Crystal Mountain's video in just a handful of months. Congrats and good luck to the team over at Crystal Mountain. If you want to watch last year's I AM a Snowmaker video, you can click here.
But there you have it, your fix of Midwest ski news from the past week; if you want to check out last week's episode, we will drop a link below. But until next time, I hope all of you have a great week, pray for snow, and I'll see you guys out there!
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