Avalanche at Tuckerman Ravine

Tuckerman Ravine
Saturday April 25, 2009

Yes, avalanches do happen in the Northeast. This one was caught on tape with a snowboarder riding it to the bitter end last Saturday. It was a very warm day and a typical "Lunch Rocks" crowd was on hand to lend support to the unsuspecting snowboarder.
Avalanches are dangerous anywhere but at Tuckerman Ravine there can be other hazards. Warm spring weather starts to warm the rock face and giant ice chunks can break off the upper cliffs. They can be size of a small car.

Great video by "Shotstar34".
Thanks for sharing.
The Ski Traveler

Historic Ski Train sold, ends 69 years of service between Denver and Winter Park

Skiing Examiner: Historic Ski Train sold, ends 69 years of service between Denver and Winter Park

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Didier Cuche and the Flip

I am a fan of FIS World Cup Skiing. It was a fantastic racing season from start to finish this year. The downhill races in Wengen and Kitzbuehl were spectacular and the night slalom race at Schaldming will not soon be forgotten. The 40,000-plus ski fans at that event with their torches lighting up the night sky, their enthusiasm and flag waving reminded me how popular alpine ski racing is in Europe. It is a very major event. The World Cup at Val D'Isere saw Lindsey Vonn set the standard and break all the records. The Bode Miller soap opera continued all season long with Bode recently announcing he will be racing next season. Will he skiing in the 2010 Olympics? Only time will tell.
The one Alpine skier that caught my eye this year was the Swiss racer Didier Cuche. He is an aggressive, technical perfectionist who gives 100% for each race he enters. When he's doing well, he shows it with exuberance and enthusiasm as only a skier could who loves his sport. When he makes a mistake that costs him a race, he exhibits frustration and anger. It is the anger part that makes him different from all the rest. The story goes that after a particularly bad run he kicked his ski off in disgust at the finish area only to have that ski flip in the air nearly hitting him. An idea clicked in his head and he practiced this trick over the Summer season until it was perfected. Yes, all racers feel the need to take off their ski and show the brand to the TV cameras. That's how they make money for their sponsors. But when Didier Cuche crosses the finish line, everyone knows that the show is about to start. The cameras wait for it and the fans want to see it. The Didier Flip. It is now Didier Cuche's trademark and I know the Head Ski Company couldn't be happier. Congratulations to Didier Cuche for a spectacular season. - The Ski Traveler

Skiing Heritage

The recent passing of Andrea Mead Lawrence and just finishing a wonderful book, a biography of Buddy Werner, reminded me of skiing's rich history. Skiing has changed through the years and was brought about by passionate people who shared their enjoyment of skiing with the world in so many ways. Skiing Heritage is a remarkable collection of all those skiers and an archive of photos, events, clippings and interviews. It is a great resource for those who write about skiing and those who are just interested in history of the sport.

Skiing Heritage publishes a magazine 4 times a year. Each issue is a collection of stories of famous skiers, events and ski resorts. This is one magazine that I guarantee you will read from cover to cover. It is that compelling. Go to I.S.H.A. (Ski Heritage) and join today. If joining is not your thing, consider a donation. It will be very much appreciated. - The Ski Traveler

Other Ski history organizations:
New England Ski Museum
U.S National Ski Hall of Fame
Colorado Ski Museum
Vermont Ski Museum
Mammoth Ski Museum

My Soul is In Vermont

Andrea Mead Lawrence
1932 - 2009

Andrea Mead Lawrence received historian Bud Greenspan's decree "Greatest Winter Olympian of All Time" a half-century after becoming the only U.S. woman to win two skiing gold medals at one set of games.

In an article by Kevin O'Connor of the Rutland Herald in her last interview before her passing. She grew up outside of Rutland, VT on the slopes of Pico Peak and never forgot the Green Mountains of Vermont. It always seems as though all great skiers give so much back to the sport they love and the communities they call home. Andrea Mead Lawrence was no exception. She will be missed by her family, friends and the skiing community.

Los Angles Times The Los Angles times article

Andrea Lawrence Institute for Mountains and Rivers

Keep in Touch with Cellphone and Webcams

Skiing Gadgets - The Resort Web Cam

Several resorts have web cams that you can actually control from your home computer. You may have to wait in line but when it's your turn, you are free to roam, zoom, check the ski conditions and generally do all those things you can do with a camera except actually be there on you skis..
On a bright spring skiing day at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, NY, I observed a family from NJ conversing by cell phone, talking to their friends and waving at the web camera. They were sharing their ski day with their friends back home. A lot of fun but certainly good PR for Whiteface. With that thought in mind, I immediately whipped out my cell phone and called my son in Truckee, CA. Fortunately, with the 3 hour time difference, he was just getting up. Within minutes, he was online and looking at us soaking up the sunshine at the Mid-Station Lodge. He was thrilled to see us and so were we. The picture you see is what he captured that day. He reminded me that Squaw Valley has the same type of Web "Uber" Cam. He uses it to see his friends "Hucking" the cliffs at Squaw Valley.
What follows is a list of a few available web cams at different ski resorts. Check before you go on a trip to see where the cameras are located. Just about all resorts have some sort of web cam and a few have the user controllable kind. Please remember where you are when you call. Nobody wants a phone call in the dead of night just to see you on a web cam!

Have fun out there,
The Ski Traveler

Heavenly - Lake Tahoe Fixed live camera

Whiteface Mountain - Wilmington/Lake Placid - controllable (down for the season)

Squaw Valley - Lake Tahoe - the Uber cam, controllable

Aspen-Snowmass - Aspen, CO Aspen Mt. Gondola Cam - Controllable

Val Thorens - France Fixed cameras

Big Sky - Montana Live and controllable

Switzerland - Wengen, Murren and the Schilthorn Fixed cameras

Earthcam - Source for just about all webcams