Club Colorado  

Chris Davenport ascending Mt. Thielson. Photo courtesy of blog.spyder.com volcano tour day 4

Are you following the Ring of Fire tour that Aspen/Snowmass’ Chris Davenport and his ski mountaineering team are undertaking? You know Chris Davenport…the big mountain skier from Snowmass and father of three who in 2006-07 climbed and skied all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks, in a single year?

Well this month, when most skiers and riders have turned in their snow gear for any number of warm-weather two-footed means of propulsion, Davenport traded in his gear for this.

Adoringly referred to as the Spyder Land Yacht, Davenport and his team are in it cruising the Pacific Northwest currently on the Ring of Fire tour, the next chapter in his adventure chronicles. The Ring of Fire tour mission is to ski 14 volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest.

The odds are in his favor for several reasons, one, he’s done a similar adventure before, to some degree. Two, snow conditions in that part of the county are better than the rest of the ski states right now, and three, the terrain, while challenging, is technically different than the 14ers.

The team started on May 4 and if all goes according to schedule, they’ll wrap up on May 21. To date, with the help of sponsors Whole Foods, Spyder, and Smith, they’ve accomplished Lassen Peak, CA, Mt. Shasta, CA, Mt. McLoughlin, OR, Mt. Thielson, OR, Mt. Bachelor, OR, Three Sisters, OR, Mt. Washington, OR, Mt. Jefferson, OR, and Mt. Hood, OR.

Keep up with the Ring of Fire tour on Twitter using hashtag #VolcanoTour, by following @SteepSkiing, @JessMcMillian, @DRahlves and the Ring of Fire Tour blog.

Mom and I skiing in Wisconsin in 1976

I heard a story from my mom the other day that I’d never heard before, and it connected a lot of dots for me in terms of how I came to love skiing. Turns out, my mom planted the seed that made our family’s love of skiing blossom.
The story went like this… (continue reading…)

Photo by John Trousdale

Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort was recognized by the National Ski Areas Association for its new initiative to attract skiers and riders to the sport. On Tuesday, May 8, the National Ski Areas Association presented Purgatory with an award for the “Best Learn to Ski & Snowboard Month Campaign” during the national convention’s Marketing Awards Reception in San Antonio, TX. This award recognizes the resort that has the most compelling marketing campaign to attract new customers to the industry.

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Photo by Dustin Schaefer

Moon over Loveland Ski Area.

This news article origingally ran in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent.

Written by John Stroud

Tom Jankovsky courtesy of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Longtime Sunlight Mountain Resort general manager and part owner Tom Jankovsky joins a group of seven new inductees elected this week into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum and Hall of Fame.

Jankovsky, who is also a Garfield County commissioner, has been general manager of the Glenwood Springs resort since 1985.

He became part of Sunlight’s ownership group in 1988, and has also served on the Colorado Ski Country USA board since the late 1980s.

“I was honored just to be nominated, and to be named to the hall is a real honor and a surprise,” Jankovsky said.
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Photo by Kimberly Trembearth

Arapahoe Basin will be hosting its inaugural Chili Cook-off on Saturday, May 19, 2012.  A-Basin is currently looking for the best chili chefs in town to win $500 for the overall best chili title.

The cook-off will be divided into green and red categories and include prizes for 1st place overall and 2nd and 3rd place for each of the categories. A People’s Choice winner will also be chosen.  Judging criteria is based on taste, presentation and creativity.

The event will take place in the base area from noon until 4:00 p.m.  Great American Taxi featuring Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon will be entertaining the crowd with a free concert from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.  Special tasting packages will be available for $20 to include 15 chili tastings and three 12 oz beers.

Think your chili is the best in Summit County, why not enter the competition? Download a registration form on A-Basin’s website www.arapahoebasin.com/events with all the details.

A-Basin’s first Chili Cook-off is sponsored by Sobieski Vodka and Sierra Nevada.  For additional participation and registration information please contact A-Basin at 888-ARAPAHOE or visit www.arapahoebasin.com/events.

A-Basin has plenty of top to bottom spring skiing and riding; don’t put the gear away yet!