Central California

[~mikey b]

Winter Solstice party at my house Saturday night. Keg of Celebration Ale. Food, campfire, trampoline, slack line, etc... All are welcome.

[~mikey b]

http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/n...adc707de5.html



Update: Resort sale complete as of today

This has been quite a year for the Bear Valley Mountain Cooperative. The co-op began as an idea to buy the struggling Alpine County ski resort with grassroots investments. The movement gained traction and amassed hundreds of interested shareholders within months.

When Skyline International Development Inc. entered into a purchase agreement for the ski resort in August, the co-op stepped back – but it didn’t bow out.

The co-op’s revised bylaws and a collaborative agreement with the newly named Skyline Bear Valley Mountain were approved by 97 percent of the voting co-op members. And as of Dec. 11, Bear Valley Mountain Cooperative is finally official.

“The benefits are pretty much the same and, in fact, they’re better than what we were originally advertising when we were planning to buy the mountain itself,” said interim co-op board President Steve Troyer, a Bear Valley homeowner and Silicon Valley executive.

Skyline is expanding the mountain’s operation, and co-op member benefits will include discounts at the resort’s businesses in the village, including an extension of Reba Sports.

Moving forward, Troyer said the co-op’s priorities are establishing an official board and continuing to grow the membership, which currently includes some 600 individuals – many with multiple shares.

Members’ benefits became active Dec. 15. Their membership cards, acquired at the mountain, can be used to get the goods: two vouchers for lift tickets, lessons and rentals; free season passes for intrepid members 70 and older, plus members’ children 13 and younger; 50 percent discounts on preferred parking; and 15 percent off at resort-owned businesses and eateries.

Co-op shares are still $2,500 each with an annual $300 membership fee beginning the year after joining. Troyer said 93 percent of the shareholders’ proceeds will go toward operating improvements, which have yet to be fully defined.

“We’re looking to the mountain to provide the preliminary view,” Troyer said. “We’ll have a process for surveying the membership to get their priories and maybe some discussion opportunities as well.”

Troyer said he anticipates the funds will start to flow to various improvements by May 2015. But so far – in the first days of this new collaboration and under new management – the slopes have been smooth and the skiers pleased, Troyer said.

“The most exciting thing right now is there is snow,” he said. “I think on top of that, the other thing they’re excited about, at least having been up there last weekend, is that the operation at the mountain is running a lot more smoothly than in recent years. Obviously, snow helps.”

Mother Nature has provided generously, supplying about 35 inches of snow mid-mountain in conjunction with the resort’s snowmaking efforts.

“Having all the snowmaking systems working, having well-trained people assisting them at the resort, those are the key things,” Troyer added.

The co-op’s membership benefits come on the heels of the mountain’s official full-time opening on Dec. 13.

“People are just psyched,” said Bear Valley’s Marketing Director Rosie Sundell. “It’s just this pent up, ‘I can’t wait to be skiing’ energy.”

The lifts began turning Nov. 30, which was an early start “for the first time in a long time,” Sundell said.

“I have really credit our snowmaking crew,” she said. “We’ve learned our system well over the last three years because we had to.”

For months, Skyline’s purchase was still pending the transfer of a special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service, but the transfer was fully executed today, according to Stanislaus Forest representative Beth Martinez.

And even before the sale was technically completed, Skyline began making improvements to the resort’s restaurants, shops and event lineup, including a new winter music series that begins at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Sky High in Bear Valley Village with a deejay spinning everything from ’80s classics to today’s pop.

“Bear Valley is going to be happening this winter,” Sundell said. “You can find restaurants, events, fresh snow. It’s like a little storybook.”

And as for the co-op, that positive forecast has been the hope all along.

“This has always been about the future of Bear Valley,” Troyer said.

For news on the co-op, go to bvmcoop.org. For more about the resort and ski tickets, visit bearvalley.com.

Contact Alicia Castro at alicia@calaverasenterprise.com or call 498.2053.

[~mikey b]

BV closed all day yesterday due to wind.

DR closed early Tu and opened late Wed due to wind.

Should be better next few day and HOPEFULLY a system bumps out the ridge next week.

[~mikey b]

Soooo...

Dodge is closed for now. We'll reopen ASAP. Snow dependent.

BV is skiing great. The few groomed runs are good. Off piste variable as fuck. I'll be there all weekend with DR race monkeys.

Dr. John. Paging Dr. John.

[~mikey b]

Bear has been holding up well enough. Heavy weather finally drive me off the hill. Windy, foggy, soaking wet.

[~mikey b]

Wow. Great day at BV today! 3-5" skied way better than we expected. 2 dads + 2 boys = good times.

[ScotFree]

Yeah, It was great. I think I might have crossed paths with you at some point. I heard someone shout "Owen", which was weird because I was there with my Owen. I was amazed that there was still nice untracked stuff in the afternoon on National and Yellow Sub.

Steve

[~mikey b]

sure was quiet

will probably be a shitshow this weekend

[GiBo]

Godamnit. Shittiest ski season in my over 35 years of skiing here. Anyone done Bear lately? Worth it? I see Polar Express isn't open.

[~mikey b]

Totally worth it. Especially $12 Tuesday. Polar is done due to mud on Pipeline. We will be there next three weekends.

[GiBo]

Can't get the boy out of school for a Tuesday. Might be a spring ski, beer and brauts day for us next Saturday. I'll let you know if we head up.

[~mikey b]

Race training this weekend. Maybe lunch at Koala Corner? Also "Pick and Ski" music event with other hippies Fri and Sat night. Could maybe get away for a tour one day if anyone else is around. (Paging Dr. John)

[powdrhound]

$12 Tuesday. How can I pass that up?
I will be there Tuesday.
Old fart with 7,800' club stickers on the skis.
Sailcat - are you out there?

[~mikey b]

I'll be there with young Owen.

[~mikey b]

So we met this guy at BV yesterday.

Johan Hultin

http://m.sfgate.com/magazine/article...nd-2872017.php

90 years old. Out on skis for his 88th consecutive year. Has skied all over the world.

Was kind enough to chat with us for a bit and share some stories. A lot has been written about him, but not about his life on skis. He's agreed to do a series of interviews with me and share some stories. Hoping to put together an article about him.

An extremely interesting and engaging fellow. Young Owen offered to help him carry his skis. He said "thank you, but I'm a big enough boy to carry my own gear."





With his lovely wife Eileen.



Just over 90 and just under 9.

FKNA!

[~mikey b]

GiBo?

Dr. John?

Lifts open 0930 so no rush to get up there.

[~mikey b]

Update: Koala chair is closed. Lost the top ramp and trail across the ridge due to extreme meltage. It was barely hanging on this weekend. Still some good turns to be had off Kuma.

[powdrhound]

I got my $12 worth.
Run of the day was Wolfe. It took a small traverse, so I had it to myself. All day. Ended by flying National a few times. Got the last chair of the day.
All the runs off of Koala were mocking me. They looked the cleanest on the hill!
And the Closed rope above Submarine frustrated me badly. There was such a sweet line in there. Would only have to clip out for a couple of steps.......!

Ah, the memories. It still feels like my real Home Hill. The Old Stuff display in the Lodge was great! More memories.

[~mikey b]

Glad you had fun. 'Tis but a short hike over the ridge to Koala. Yellow Sub was sorta fucked the other day. Had to jump rocks to get where we were going.

I fixed my washer.

[GiBo]

Cool story on the good doctor, Mike.

The C man is out of school this week. Think I'll sneak up Friday.

This storm has Mattly stoked!!!

[~mikey b]

We are in Mammoth for Far West races. Home Thursday. I doubt I'll make it up Friday. Have fun!

[GiBo]

Damn you live large, man! Go Owen!

[~mikey b]

He's had a difficult weekend. Bottom of the heap. But we're having fun,

We live small. We just ski a lot.

[~mikey b]

8" at Grizz top as of now. Go get some.

[GiBo]

Mattly says they got 17 total, but all the closed stuff is gonna stay closed. Slim pickings, but Caleb needs time on the boards...