Grass Skis! - a short climate change film by Carbondale students

"Colorado, a beautiful place of wonder and enchantment... and now you can enjoy the warm winters with GRASS SKIS!" 

This short film was created by Carbondale students as a part of the Lens on Climate Change (LOCC) program.  LOCC is a project run by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), that helps Colorado middle and high school students tell the stories of climate changes' impacts on their lives and communities through film.

The students who made this film chose to illustrate the very real threat that climate change poses to the future of skiing and snowboarding - an essential part of their Colorado mountain town lifestyle. They begin with a spoof advertisement for "Grass Skis" - no snow, no problem, just strap on some grass skis this winter!

Then some local experts share some pretty alarming data on climate change in Colorado: "The climate science that looks at this particular region will tell you that in 100 years the climate of Aspen will resemble the climate of Amarillo, TX" - Matthew Hamilton, Sustainability Director for Aspen Ski Co.

We hope that grass skis will not have to become a reality... and that butter won't be replacing ski wax any time soon!

We Asked Winter Olympians about Climate Change, Here's What They Said

We asked some 2018 Winter Olympians about climate change, disappearing winters, and renewable energy.  They share their experiences, and hope for the future of winter sports below.

"I support a 100% Renewable Energy future because fighting climate change is not only essential for global stability, it is an opportunity for our global community to come together to achieve the impossible. We can achieve a 100% renewable energy future and along the way we can eradicate hunger, poverty and opportunity inequality. Together we can form a compassionate, thriving and sustainable global community. I have had the privilege of travelling the world as a professional skier, and along the way I have seen that anything is possible when we work towards a common goal."

-Noah Hoffman, Olympic X-Country Skier 2018

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"Global warming is having a huge impact on the winter sports that we love. As a winter sports athlete, I have seen many events get canceled in recent years in due to lack of snow. This is happening in places that are known for having huge amounts of snow throughout the winter. In order to protect our planet and the sports we love, we have to move forward towards having a 100% renewable energy future. I hope that future generations will be able to enjoy the winter activities that we have been lucky enough to grow up with."

-Mick Dierdorff, Olympic Snowboarder

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"Honestly, everything that I enjoy doing in this world is made possible because we have a lot of snow, clean water and healthy mountains. As soon as those things stop being true, everything I love to do in this world will be gone, and I really just don’t want to wait around watching until that happens. It isn’t a matter of if we should change anymore, but how do we change. Each and every step we take, it is important that it is in the right direction. Because hey, we all want to go ski some powder right?

"If we want to keep doing the things we love, and using the earth as our playground, there has to be a change. I want to go skiing for the rest of my life, and I want the next generations to be able to ski. I want to be able to surf in a clean ocean, and I want it to stay that way for everyone who graces this earth. It's as simple as that."

- Casey Andringa, Olympic Freestyle Skier 2018

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"I have spent over a decade traveling around the world to the same snow destinations to compete in World Cup competitions. Over the course of my career, I have seen first hand how climate change has affected many of these places. What were once "winter wonderlands" are now the only places that can host an early season world cup. Places that typically had normal winters now are forced to battle rains, warm temperatures and little to no snow.  Without trucking in man-made snow or machines that can make snow above freezing, these venues could no longer host a competition. All this has happened in just the past decade, imagine how it could be if we continue on this path for another decade! We need to treat ourselves and our environment better and that's why I support 100% renewables."

- Bryan Fletcher, Olympic Nordic Combined Athlete

Keep Litter off our Mountains!

Melting snow can uncover hidden treasures on ski mountains. 

Single gloves, dropped goggles, abandoned poles and even whole skis emerge from their icy hiding placing as temperatures warm.  If you know someone who has worked ski patrol or snow removal, you've likely heard stories of rolls of cash, gold watches, and even mysteries like a full set of dentures being left behind by melting snow. But in addition to these inadvertently dropped and lost valuables, mountain resorts are increasingly battling a more worrying collection hidden beneath the snow: thousands of pounds of cigarette buts, plastic bottles and other litter.

Visit a ski resort during the summer, and you're likely to hike past a few stashes of red bull cans that never made it into the recycling bin, or piles of decomposing cigarette butts, carelessly disposed of months ago in the snow.

This is a terrible legacy that ski and snowboard resorts bear. As outdoor enthusiasts and appreciators of the natural world, we believe it is our responsibility to protect and advocate for our environment, not contribute to its further degradation through carelessness and lack of foresight. Snowriders wants to change this dirty legacy of ski resorts by committing to more responsible stewardship of our mountains. 

This commitment comes in two parts:

1) Don't be part of the problem:

Do. Not. Litter. Remember you are a guest in a wild and beautiful landscape while you're skiing. You wouldn't throw your trash all over a national forest or city park (I hope), so don't do it while you're skiing or riding, either!

2) Become part of the solution:

As individuals, we can't solve this garbage problem alone, but we can take responsibility for it. The environmental impacts of our winter sports are the problem of every skier and snowboarder. Become a good steward! Help clean up the places we play! 

Check if your local mountain holds a volunteer clean-up day over the summer, or before next season begins in the fall. Here are a few great clean-up opportunities on our radar:

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Alta Ski Area Clean Up - Saturday, July 8, 2017; 8:00am to 12:00pm

"Join us for a fun day of all over the mountain. It's not just a trash clean up, but a treasure hunt sometimes. After a lovely lift ride to the top of Collins, we will leisurely take our routes downhill. It's a stewardship exploration."

Keystone Resort Clean Up Day - Tuesday, June 12; 8am

"Join fellow employees and community members as we pick up litter on the mountain, roads, and base areas."

Sierra-at-Tahoe "Keep Sierra Clean Day" - TBD, likely October, 2018

For the last 11 years, Sierra-at-Tahoe has gathered their community in the fall to clean up their mountain playground before the snow starts falling for the season. Keep an eye our for the announcement of this year's event.

Respect the Mountain Project, across Europe - multiple events

Throughout the summer, the Respect the Mountain Project hosts events across europe - from Spain to Romania - to help clean tonnes of trash strewn across the alps each winter. In Europe this summer? Check out their extensive events calendar to do your part.

Multi-Mountain Season Passes Available for the 2018/2019 Season (other than Epic and Ikon)

If you've been paying attention at all, you know that Alterra Mountain Co. announced the launch of its shiny new Ikon Pass this spring. The full 2018/19 adult pass, currently going for $999, gives you unlimited access to 12 resorts including Mammoth, CA, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, CA, and Winter Park, CO as well as 7 days at each 13 other resorts including Jackson Hole, WY, and Killington, VT. 

Since the announcement of the Ikon Pass, much time and many published words have been dedicated to debating the relative advantages of the new Ikon Pass and Vail's Epic Pass. (The Epic Pass, available for $899, gives you unlimited access to 19 North American resorts including Whistler Blackholm, BC, Park City, UT, and Breckenridge, CO. It also gives you 7 days at Telluride, plus a number of days at resorts in the Canadian Rockies, Japan and across Europe).

But, if you haven't yet been wooed by one of these giants, there are other multi-mountain passes out there that may suit more niche and local interests.  Check out our list below!  Note that many of these passes have different levels at different prices. Full adult pass prices are listed below, but check out their websites for more options.

 

Colorado - 

CO Ski Country Gold Pass - TBD - a fully transferable pass that give you full access to all 23 Colorado Ski Country member resorts with no blackout dates.

Colorado Gems Card - $25 - gives you two 2-for-1 lift tickets OR two 30% off lift tickets at each of the ten Colorado Gems Resorts.

Summit Value Pass - $549 - give you full access to Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, and access with limited holiday restriction to Breckend

 

New England- 

Peak Pass - $829 - full pass give you full unrestricted access to seven New England resorts including Mount Snow and Attitash.

Utah- 

Yeti Pass - $649 - gets you 1 day pass at every Utah ski and snowboard resort.

Ski3 Pass - $759 - valid at Belleayre, Gore & Whiteface Mountains.

Gold Pass - $4,900 - a fully transferable pass (your friends and family can use it when you aren't) that gives you 50 days or more at each of Utah's 14 ski and snowboard resorts.

Silver Pass - $3,150 - gets you 30 or more days at each of Utah'a 14 ski and snowboard resorts.

Reciprocal Pass - depends - if you purchase a season pass Beaver Mountain, Brian Head and Sundance, you get three free days at each of 15 reciprocal pass program partners.

Other National/International Pass Programs:

Freedom Pass - depends - if you buy a season pass at any of the 14 "soul filled" participating mountains across north america, including Magic Mountain, VT and Cooper Mountain, CO, you get three free days at all of the other participating resorts.

Mountain Collective - $429 (limited time sale!) - gives you two days each at 16 premier resorts across North America, including Toas, Alta, and Revelstoke.

Powder Alliance - depends - if you buy a season pass at any of the 19 Powder Alliance member resorts, including Loveland Ski Area, CO, and Sugar Bowl Resort, CA, you get three free days at the other 18.

Colorado Olympians join us in Call for Renewable Energy

Published on May 16, 2018 in The Gazette

Warmer Winters Threaten Colorado's Winter Sports

In January, the New York Times published a report detailing the existential threat faced by winter sports around the globe. The study determined that of the 21 cities that have hosted the Winter Olympic Games, nine will no longer have reliably freezing temperatures by as early as mid-century due to climate change. In other words, winter is slowly disappearing.

As Winter Olympians who rely on consistent snow and freezing temperatures to pursue our respective disciplines, we have seen firsthand the impacts of climate change in Colorado and around the world. We must speak up and speak out to save Colorado’s winter sports and way of life.

The list of events cancelled or disrupted by warm winters and lack of snow grows each year, including those that were held consistently for decades.

Last season, Wisconsin’s famed American Birkebeiner nordic ski race was cancelled for only the second time in its 45-year history. Both the men’s Lake Louise World Cup, in Alberta, Canada, and the Beaver Creek Bird of Prey World Cup here in Colorado were cancelled last year because there wasn’t enough natural snow, and it was too warm to make enough snow. The year before that, Squaw Valley in California cancelled its Ski and Snowboard Cross World Cup event due to lack of snow. 

Even the casual skier or snowboarder can attest to this trend.

Colorado is closing out one of its worst ski seasons in a decade, with statewide snowpack totals less than 70 percent of normal. The southwest corner of the state experienced a particularly snowless winter, dealing a heavy blow to small resorts such as Hesperus Ski Area in Durango, which was forced to close at the beginning of March. These event cancellations and reduced snowfall foreshadow something alarming: Our historic winter wonderlands may soon run out of consistent snow entirely.

We refuse to watch our winters melt away. That’s why, as winter athletes, we believe that our communities can and must take steps to combat climate change.

Global warming is caused by carbon pollution. To stop global temperature rise, we must cut our carbon emissions. Corporations and local governments can help by committing to using 100 percent renewable energy sources in the future. 

This transition is both essential and possible. Companies including Apple and Coca-Cola, and mountain communities like Avon and Breckenridge have already committed to 100 percent renewable energy. Aspen has already succeeded! Nationally, wind and solar energy has increased 700 percent and 4,300 percent respectively over the last decade. Renewable energy is also becoming more affordable and accessible for all Americans, as the cost of production and storage drops.

A renewable future is attainable in Colorado, but it won’t happen on its own. The share of wind and solar is growing, but still only accounts for 19 percent of our statewide electricity consumption.

As Winter Olympians, we are calling for swift action and commonsense policies that cut carbon pollution and transition us to a clean energy future. This is the only way to protect the future of our sports, the outdoor lifestyle we cherish, and the planet we inhabit. Our communities must be leaders in the fight against climate change by committing to a clean energy future and protecting the future of winter sports, and our Colorado way of life, for generations to come.

Casey Andringa
Olympic Freestyle Skier, 2018
Boulder, CO

Mick Dierdorff
Olympic Snowboard Cross Athlete, 2018
Steamboat Springs, CO

Jasper Good
Olympic Nordic Combined Athlete, 2018
Steamboat Springs, CO

Noah Hoffman
Olympic Cross Country Skier, 2014, 2018
Evergreen, CO

Jaelin Kauf
Olympic Freestyle Skier, 2018
Vail, CO

Keaton McCargo
Olympic Freestyle Skier, 2018
Telluride, CO

Paul Casey Puckett
Olympic Alpine and Freestyle Skier, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010
Aspen, CO

Joanne Firesteel Reid
Olympic Biathlete, 2018
Boulder, CO

Lucie Coleman
Snowriders International

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Sign on to Snowriders' letter in support of a transition to a 100% renewable future!

How to Stay in Shape for the Off-Season

At some point every September, I vow to get in shape for ski season.  I plan to rebuild my stamina and the strength in my legs so that this year my first summit of the Aspen Highlands Bowl is less painful and I spend fewer Mondays hobbling around the office.  So far, this fall-bootcamp method of preparing for the season has not yielded very impressive results. I procrastinate, I get busy, and suddenly the first snow is falling and despite my best intentions I'm still winded and fatigued by the end of my first day.

I stay in pretty good shape year round - I hike, bike and run, when I can't be skiing - but despite this, the physical intensity of skiing takes it out of me anew every November.  Although I stay active, my other sports don't maintain the core and leg strength necessary for strenuous skiing. And beyond a little body-weight training and extremely intermediate yoga, I've never been able to maintain much of a strength routine.  Clearly my attempts to frantically generate one every fall haven't been working.

This year, I'm doing it differently.  It's a lot easier to stay in shape than it is to get back in shape, so rather than trying to rebuild in the fall, I'm starting now. 

I've done my research, I've bought some protein powder, I'm off to a good start.  Join me in staying fit this summer, and vowing to start next season off in better shape than I'm ending this one!

Here are three areas to focus on in your quest for sweet off-season gains:

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1.  Strength: Legs and Core

Both skiing and snowboarding build muscles in your legs, core and arms. Maintain your strength throughout the summer by incorporating weight training into your routine 2 -3 times per week. Focus on exercises that work your glutes, quads, abs, and back. If you've noticed any particular areas of weakness during the season, you can begin by targeting those areas.  I've had some knee troubles this winter, so I've been strengthening my hamstrings in order to help stabilize and protect my joints.

If you don't have access to a gym, body-weight exercises like squats, lunges, and planks are a good place to start. Biking is also an excellent way to maintain these muscles in the off-season, but challenge yourself with hilly terrain or shorter rides at high resistance on a stationary bike to build strength.

2. Plyometrics and Balance

One of the main reasons that skiing and snowboarding are so strenuous is that both require repeated explosive motion. Turning through deep snow is like hopping back and forth between your edges and requires both balance and agility. Include plyometric training at the end of your strength work outs this summer to build the strength, speed and explosiveness of your turns.

Plyometric exercise included repeated explosive motion like jumps and leaps. A simply plyometric exercise that requires no equipment is the "ski jump," where you jump, feet together, laterally back and forth over a line, kind of like you're skiing. You can also use a step or low wall to jump up and then down from. Always land softly and try not to pause between jumps until your set is complete.

Yoga is also a great off-season activity, as it will help improve flexility and balance.

3. Cardio and Stamina

Finally, the last piece of maintaining and improving your fitness during the off-season, is working on your cardiovascular fitness.  Skiing requires a lot of stamina, frequently at high altitude, so cardio and endurance training are key.  Running, biking and swimming are all great options, but really anything that gets your heart pumping for an hour or so a three to five times a week is excellent. Alternate between doing slow/long-distance sessions and high intensity interval training (HIIT) work outs to maximize your results.

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With this plan in place, I'm feeling much more confident about my fitness for next winter. In fact, after focusing on these three areas all summer, I assume I'll be forgoing chairlifts altogether next season! 

Let us know how you plan to prep for next season in the comments! Do you have a tried-and-true method or an inovative new plan?

Prep your Skis for Summer!

They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - and that’s certainly true when it comes to your ski and snowboard equipment. A little TLC this spring will go far to preventing your gear from degrading over time and keeping it in peak condition for longer.

Here’s a quick guide to end-of-season ski and snowboard care to keep your gear safe in the off-season and allow you to hit the slopes with the first snow in the fall.

1.  Repair

While thoroughly tuning your skis at the end of the season may seem like a waste of time, dealing with issues like core shots right away will help you maintain the integrity of your skis. Get nicks, and scrapes patched and sharpen your edges for good measure.  You won’t regret the extra effort when you hit the slopes with pristine skis at the beginning of next season.

2. Wax

The best thing you can do for your equipment in the off-season is give them a good thick coat of wax. Waxing them prevents the bases from getting nicked in storage and prevents oxidation which can degrade your bases while they’re not in use. Leave the wax on thick, and scrape in the fall when you’re ready to use your equipment again.

3.  Store Carefully

Finally, put your skis or boards in a safe spot to hibernate for the summer. Keep them somewhere out of extreme conditions including heat, cold or sunlight and where their bases don’t scrape or rub against anything. Beware of propping them upright where they can be knocked over or in a pile with other equipment. Consider investing in rack to give your quiver the rest they deserve before next season.

Use your Pass One More Time

Many season passes include discounts on tuning and wax.  The Epic pass, for instance, allows pass holders get free or heavily discounted equipment tuning at multiple locations in California, Colorado, and Utah. The Rocky Mountain Super Pass gets holders 10-30% off tune-ups at Winter Park Resort and Copper Mountain.

Check the details of your pass, and don’t miss this opportunity to use it one last time this season!

Snowriders for 100% Renewables

Snow and mountain communities know better than most what’s at stake in the face of climate change.  We can see snow and our way of life threatened by irregular weather and freezing patterns, warming winters, and earlier and earlier springs each year.

We don’t want to watch our winters melt away! That’s why Snowriders International is dedicated to fighting for a 100% renewable energy economy.

A 100% renewable energy economy is essential to cutting global warming pollution and ensuring snowy winters for generations to come.

We must take urgent and decisive action to reduce emissions to the levels that science tells us are necessary to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.  Snowriders believes transitioning to 100% renewables is a necessary step in curtailing our carbon emissions and protecting our planet. The 100% renewables goal is both possible and vitally important to protecting the future of snowsports in North America.

Renewable energy is good for mountains and mountain communities.

Renewable energy is also clean energy. Wind and solar power keeps our mountain air clear of pollution and alpine views free of smog.

We need to act now before it’s too late!

The good news is that the goal of 100% renewable energy is closer than ever. Solar and wind energy are both growing rapidly nationwide, and renewable energy now employs more people than oil and coal!

Snowriders International has fought towards this goal for years in our work on the Clean Power Plan, the Paris Climate Agreements and more. Today, we thinks it’s more important ever to reaffirm our goals and redoubling our climate efforts. If we are going to confront change and protect the future of snow sports, transitioning to a 100% renewable energy economy is essential.

Weird Winters

The winter of 2016/17 has been a weird one.  From record-breaking snowpacks in some regions to early resort closures in others, skiers and snowboarders have experienced erratic and unusual weather across the country.

This unusual winter weather is another side effect of climate change.  As the climate warms, precipitation and weather patterns are changing in complicated and unpredictable ways, causing both unseasonably warm spells, and enormous destructive storms in turn. In fact, scientists believe the warming and changing climate is causing more storms of greater intensity each year, even in places where total snowpack is depleting.

 A look back at the past winter alone shows the destabilizing effect that climate change is having on our weather.  Here are just a few highlights:

A Winter of Weird Weather

In early December 2016, Beaver Creek resort was forced to cancel their annual mens world cup event due to unseasonably warm weather. 

View fullsize

By Famartin (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

In early February, Jackson Hole Resort had to close for several days due to power outages caused by an enormous snow storm - “ a very unusual event” according to a Jackson Hole Spokesperson.  The same storm closed roads across Wyoming for almost a week.

By Torstein Frogner (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Also in February, the American Birkebeiner - the largest cross country ski race in North America - was cancelled due to lack of snow and warm temperatures in Wisconsin.  This is only the second time in its 45 year history that the race has been cancelled.

By Michael (originally posted to Flickr as Emerald Bay) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

In April, several California resorts announced they would be open into the summer, due to the size of their snowpack. The Lake Tahoe region received over 700 inches of snow this year, 250 over average.

This past weekend, Mount Washington in New Hampshire received a record breaking 30 inches of snow, while most New England ski mountains have been closed for weeks due to spring temperatures.

Finally, over all, it was an extremely warm winter - the second mildest on record in fact. And it’s no fluke; according to the New York Times winters are warming and spring is coming earlier and earlier each year. It’s “moved [up], on average, a full two weeks” in the last 50 years.

 

Climate Action is Essential to the Future of Snow Sports

While we can all appreciate skiing on the Fourth of July, we would prefer healthy stable winters for decades to come.  It’s important to recognize that the erratic and extreme winter weather we are experiencing, even the positive side effects, are visible symptoms of climate change. And without rapid meaningful action to combat climate change, the future of snow sports is very uncertain.

Help Snowriders act on climate by joining Snowriders today!

Colorado Public Lands Day is Coming Up!

Join Snowriders, Conservation Colorado and Rocky Mountain Underground at Arapahoe Basin on May 20th to celebrate the first Colorado Public Lands Day with games, prizes, and live music!

Saturday May 20th, 2017 marks the first ever Colorado Public Lands day - a day to celebrate the incredible resource that public lands provide to Coloradans. It’s fitting that Colorado would be the first state to formally celebrate their public lands. There’s a lot to celebrate! No less than 35% of Colorado’s land area - over 24 million acres - is public. Colorado is home to four national parks, eight national monuments and 41 state parks!  And by some estimates, public land generate $35 billion in spending for the Colorado state economy.  A large portion of this sum is thanks to all the ski areas that make use Colorado’s public land!

Skiers for Public Land

We agree with thousands of Coloradans, that public land are one of Colorado’s greatest assets.  Skiers reap huge benefits from this shared resource. For one thing, much of the land we ski on is publicly owned.  Twenty-three of Colorado’s major ski resorts use substantial quantities of public land including Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Vail, and all four Aspen Mountains.  Without the use of public lands, many of these ski resorts could not function.

Skiers benefit from public lands in other ways as well. The protection of Colorado’s public lands keeps the mountain air fresh and preserves our natural inheritance for generations to come. Federal and state stewardship of the land surrounding our ski slopes also preserves Colorado’s awe-inspiring views.  Some of the most iconic vistas in the state - from the Maroon Bells behind Aspen Highlands to the peak of Crested Butte -  are public land.

Our Skiers for Public Lands campaign is working to build awareness for the important asset our public lands provide to us as skiers and as citizens. Protecting our public lands from private development is essential to the future of all outdoor recreation, as well our efforts to combat climate change and environmental degradation.

Come Celebrate Colorado’s Public Lands With Us!

On Saturday May 20th, we’ll be at Arapahoe Basin celebrating our public lands with Conservation Colorado and Rocky Mountain Underground! There’ll be games and prizes, a photo booth, and live music at the base as part of Arapahoe Basin’s annual swimsuit party!

Come find us at the base and take a photo for our #Skiers4PublicLands campaign!

Can’t make it to the event? You can still become a Skier for Public Lands by signing our petition here!