Skiers in North America may know of 'Snowshoe' Thompson and 'Jackrabbit' Johannsen (photos from Wikipedia), two people of Norwegian origin who became known for pioneering skiing in this continent. The history of skiing here is peppered with the exploits of expatriate Norwegians, most of them peaceful purveyors of a perfectly pleasant pastime. Jon Torsteinsson Rue, …
Continue reading Is global conflict good for the ski business?
I've enjoyed skiing at resorts and touring centers, but dislike having to drive a long distance for it. Having lived in a resort town for a time I remember chafing at the limited scope and ceiling of work and careers for year-round residents. And the traffic during holiday and vacation weeks. One foundational idea for …
Continue reading The dream: Urban XC skiing in North America
This New York Time article "Why the West Got Buried in Snow, While the East Got Little" prompted me to take a the National Weather Service's 'National Gridded Snowfall Analysis'. Out governmental climate nerds have a wealth of information, some with graphic presentation. I took the total snowfall accumulation maps for fifteen years, zoomed in …
In brief This season was shorter but significantly better overall than last year's. The average number of weeks in the touring center season was at 13-1/2 this year vs. 14 for 2019-20. Season length was pretty consistent even when excluding the downstate and flatland regions. More revealing is the calculation of 'average quality of skiing': …
Every once in a while I think I should take up rollerskiing. Usually, recalling the couple of times I tried it decades ago encourages me to have a drink and calm down until the urge goes away. Of course nothing is so good for dryland simulation as rollerskiing, and after a winter like the one …
Across the Snow Line 