Mt Bachelor Ski Area to try Sliding Scale for Pricing Lift Tickets

Mt. Bachelor Ski Area in Oregon has developed a sliding scale for lift ticket pricing for the 2009-2010 ski season. The price of the lift ticket will be based on open terrain and weather.

Mt. Bachelor is known for big accumulations of snow but also days with low visibility, wind and rime. Prices for the day will be posted on the ski area's website www.mtbachelor.com

See Mt Bachelor Announces 2009-2010 Winter Ticket Products – Introduces Innovative Season-Long Conditions Based Pricing on Single Day Tickets and Oregon's Mt. Bachelor Ski Area Tries Sliding Scale for Lift Ticket Prices

Les Otten, Sunday River Ski Area manager announces exploratory committee to run for Mayor of Maine

Les Otten the well known manager of Sunday River Ski Area has announced he has formed an exploratory committee to test the waters on running for Governor of Maine. Les most well known as the CEO of the now defunct American Ski Company For a biography check out the Wikipedia page about him, (carefully people are not perfect).

So for all of you lifties out there, there is still hope to become the head of your dynasty.

See Les Otten says he's not taking our support for granted in run for governor By Michael Daniels

Ski Pass Prices Drop at Sun Valley Resort but Hurry!

Sun Valley Resort announced it had dropped prices on its season passes. If purchased during July, passes will save $500 off the normal season pass price.

Several other passes will be discounted in July including the Season Discount Card, $60, the Weekend Discount Card, $40, and the Early/Late Pass, $199.

See Sun Valley drops ski pass prices or http://www.sunvalley.com/SunValley/info/mtn.ltp.onlinepass.aspx

Jim Kercher is back at Beaver Creek Ski and Snowboard School

Jim Kercher has a long history of making ski and snowboard schools a success. He turned Copper Mountain's around in one year and reportedly did well with Beaver Creek's. In 2007 Jim left to be the general manger of Alpine Meadow Ski resort in California. However Jim is not back and will be running the Beaver Creek Ski and Snowboard school.

See Jim Kercher Hired as Director of Beaver Creek Ski and Snowboard School

SolVista Basin Ski Resort to Host Mountain Bike National Championship

First time National Championships to be held in Colorado

The USA Cycling Mountain Bike Championships will be held at SolVista Basin Ski Resort's Granby Ranch July 16 through 19, 2009. The professional and amateur racers will compete in cross county, downhill, single speed, super-downhill, mountain cross and short track races over the weeklong event.

Kelli Lusk of USA Cycling stated the "The trail system and base area are perfect for hosting a variety of events and accommodating both the pros and amateurs." The Granby Ranch Mountain Bike Park features ten trails; three black diamond, four blue and three green trails along with a pump track. The trails are rated the same way that ski trails are rated black is expert, blue are intermediate and green are easy.

See Colorado Ski Resort to Host National Mountain Bike Championships in July

Curt Bender takes Promotion to Cat Driver at Copper Mountain

CMC has been extremely lucky to have a faculty member with the expertise in ski area operations that Curt Bender has. Since 1981 students have learned from the master in snowmaking, grooming, lift maintenance, heavy equipment operations and ski area planning.

Curt is an avid fly fisherman and has taught several courses and was instrumental in getting the fly fishing certificate program started at Timberline.

In addition to getting more fishing in, Curt looks forward to more golfing, too. He will continue to work at Copper Mountain grooming in the ski season.

The Benders have no plans to leave Leadville, at least not until Aubrey is out of high school which isn't until 2013.

The Ski Area Operations program started around 1970 and Curt has been instrumental in keeping the program in line with the industry's progression over the years. "As the ski areas developed and modernized we worked hard to develop and modernize our curriculum and equipment," said Curt.

"When I started in 1981 we had a vintage 1969 snowcat and no snowmaking equipment," said Curt.

CMC now has state-of-the art equipment including a brand new snowcat. "Administration has been constantly supportive in keeping the program modern," said Curt.

While there are many things Curt will miss he said "I'll mostly miss seeing the growth and development of individual students as they have gone through the program and following them in their careers."

Over his 28 years there were many unforgettable events that occurred. When asked, Curt said that the most memorable is probable when he got stranded in a crane truck 30 feet up after knocking the remote control unit out of the basket while working on the lift tower here on campus. Eventually an Outdoor Studies student came by on his mountain bike. "I started yelling to him and he kept looking all around trying to figure out where the voice was coming from," said Curt.

As a credit to his teaching skills, Curt taught the student from 30 feet up how to operate the hand controls and bring him down.

Curt will continue to teach as an adjunct instructor - so we'll still see him around, "especially on tator tot day in the lunch room," added Curt.