David Ballou revels in powder on the slopes at Aspen, the kind so deep that a skier can fall in the fluffy white stuff and not quite touch the ground.
The University of Michigan biochemistry professor spent eight days carving tracks last month during one of the best seasons the upscale resort has seen in years.
“I just put the skis on edge and just scream from one side to the other side of the runs,” said Ballou, of Ann Arbor. “It’s just terrific.”
Despite a record-warm January, the winter has been generous with record or near-record snowfall across much of the West yet stingy in other regions such as the Northeast. And one Arizona resort has yet to open.
Some areas have remained open by relying on machine-made snow.
It isn’t considered as soft as the real stuff and doesn’t drift into the contours of the slopes quite as nicely, but it can be groomed and shaped.
“If you look at the areas east of the Mississippi, they’ve gotten much more sophisticated in their snowmaking,” said Michael Berry, National Ski Areas Association president. “They can make more snow now in a shorter period of time than ever before. If this had happened 30 years ago, or even 20 years ago, it could have been disastrous for the industry.”
Analyst Dennis McAlpine of McAlpine Associates, who monitors Vail Resorts Inc., said the warm weather in the Northeast likely will prompt more skiers to travel to the West or Canada, where the snow has been plentiful.
Colorado resort managers are hopeful they will set a record for skier visits this year. The previous record of 11.98 million was set in the 1997-98 season; last year, the total was 11.81 million.
From October to December, the resorts reported 3.1 million skier visits, said Rob Perlman, president of the trade group Colorado Ski Country USA.
“We have clear momentum,” he said. “It will come down to March whether we set a record or not.”
