In Search of Powder

Author: Jeremy Evans
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 0803228392
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 255

Book Description
As a recent college graduate and fledging newspaper reporter in the Lake Tahoe area, Jeremy Evans became immersed in ski bum culture?a carefree lifestyle whose mantra was simply: ?Ski as much as possible.? His snowboarding suffered when he left for a job in the Portland area; and when, at twenty-six, he suffered a stroke, he reexamined his priorities, quit his job, moved back to Tahoe, and threw himself into snowboarding. But while he had been away, the culture had changed. This book is Evans?s paean to the disappearing culture of the ski bum. A fascinating look at a world far removed from the larger culture, it is also a curious account of a passion for powder and what its disappearance means. ø Evans looks at several prominent ski towns in the West (including Crested Butte, Jackson Hole, Telluride, Lake Tahoe, Park City, and Mammoth) and the ski bums who either flourished or fled. He chronicles the American West transformed by rising real estate costs, an immigrant workforce, misguided values, and corporate-owned resorts. The story he tells is that of quintessentially American characters?rejecting materialism, taking risks, following their own path?and of the glories and pitfalls their lifestyle presents.

Powder Days

Author: Heather Hansman
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN: 1488069050
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 268

Book Description
*A Boston Globe Bestseller!* *An Outside Magazine Book Club Pick!* *Winner of the International Ski Association's Ullr Book Award!* "A sparkling account."—Wall Street Journal An electrifying adventure into the rich history of skiing and the modern heart of ski-bum culture, from one of America's most preeminent ski journalists The story of skiing is, in many ways, the story of America itself. Blossoming from the Tenth Mountain Division in World War II, the sport took hold across the country, driven by adventurers seeking the rush of freedom that only cold mountain air could provide. As skiing gained in popularity, mom-and-pop backcountry hills gave way to groomed trails and eventually the megaresorts of today. Along the way, the pioneers and diehards—the ski bums—remained the beating heart of the scene. Veteran ski journalist and former ski bum Heather Hansman takes readers on an exhilarating journey into the hidden history of American skiing, offering a glimpse into an underexplored subculture from the perspective of a true insider. Hopping from Vermont to Colorado, Montana to West Virginia, Hansman profiles the people who have built their lives around a cold-weather obsession. Along the way she reckons with skiing's problematic elements and investigates how the sport is evolving in the face of the existential threat of climate change.

Colorado Powder Keg

Author: Michael W. Childers
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700636749
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Book Description
Downhill skiing is a vital economic engine for many communities in the Rocky Mountain states, attracting 20 million skier days per season. Colorado is by far the most popular destination, with more than two dozen major ski resorts creating a thriving industry that adds billions to the state's coffers. But, many ask, at what cost? Michael Childers traces the rise of Colorado's ski industry alongside that of the burgeoning environmental movement, which sprang up in opposition to rampant commercial development on mountains that had been designated as public lands. Combining official ski resort figures, U.S. Forest Service documents, real estate and tourism records, wildlife data, newspaper articles, and public comments, Childers shows how what started as an innocent leisurely pursuit has morphed into a multi-billion dollar business that forever changed the landscape of Colorado and brought with it serious environmental consequences. This first environmental history of skiing in Colorado traces the recreation's rise in popularity as a way of examining major changes in public land management in the American West during the last century. As more people headed to Colorado's mountains in search of thrills on the slopes, the USFS quickly became overwhelmed by the demand and turned resort development over to the private sector. The result has been a decades-long battle between developers and environmentalists-with skiers and Colorado residents caught in the middle. Childers examines the history of the ski industry within Colorado throughout the twentieth century along with the challenges the industry's growth posed in balancing the private development of public lands and mounting environmental concerns over issues such as rural growth, wildlife management, and air and water pollution. He then traces the history of radical environmentalism back to the 1960s to show how it picked up momentum, culminating in the Earth Liberation Front's 1998 arson at Vail Ski Resort--which ended up doing more harm than good to the environmentalist cause by recasting the mega-resorts as victims and turning public opinion against all environmental activists in the area. As Americans weigh their desire for fresh powder against their concern for protecting unspoiled lands, Childers's book provides valuable food for thought. Colorado Powder Keg opens a new window on the history of skiing in the American West as it adds to the broader debate over the management and purpose of national forests.

Powder Ghost Towns

Author: Peter Bronski
Publisher: Wilderness Press
ISBN: 0899975186
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
In its heyday, Colorado had more than 175 ski areas operating on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains, and while many of those resorts have shut down, their runs still shelter secret stashes of snow. Pristine slopes await backcountry powder hounds out to discover these chutes and steeps, bunny hills and bumps. Chronicling the history of more than 36 of these "lost resorts," Powder Ghost Towns provides the beta for how to ski and board these classic runs today, with comprehensive information on trailheads, where to skin up, and the best descents. Coverage ranges from southern Wyoming's Medicine Bow Mountains to the Colorado-New Mexico border, including famous old resorts like Hidden Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Powder Road

Author: Stephan Drake
Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing
ISBN: 9780972342247
Category : Alaska
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The Powder Road documents the dream of ski travel. It's the story of a road trip from Colorado to Alaska in search of the best skiing on earth. In February of 2005, with rumors of a big winter in Alaska, four friends left Boulder, CO, driving pickup trucks towing four-stroke snowmobiles and skis. The caravan moved northward and stopped in classic ski towns like Aspen, CO, and Jackson Hole, WY, before crossing the American/Canadian border and into the beautiful ranges of British Columbia and Alaska.

Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth

Author: Jim Steenburgh
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
ISBN: 1492016802
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 199

Book Description
Utah has long claimed to have the greatest snow on Earth—the state itself has even trademarked the phrase. In Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth, Jim Steenburgh investigates Wasatch weather, exposing the myths, explaining the reality, and revealing how and why Utah's powder lives up to its reputation. Steenburgh also examines ski and snowboard regions beyond Utah, making this book a meteorological guide to mountain weather and snow climates around the world. Chapters explore mountain weather, avalanches and snow safety, historical accounts of weather events and snow conditions, and the basics of climate and weather forecasting. Steenburgh explains what creates the best snow for skiing and snowboarding in accurate and accessible language and illustrates his points with 150 color photographs, making Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth a helpful tool for planning vacations and staying safe during mountain adventures. Snowriders, weather enthusiasts, meteorologists, students of snow science, and anyone who dreams of deep powder and bluebird skies will want to get their gloves on Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth.

Powder Burn

Author: Daniel Glick
Publisher: Public Affairs
ISBN: 0786745665
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 302

Book Description
In October, 1998 an arson caused $12 million in damage at Vail, the country's largest ski area. A shadowy radical environmental group called the Earth Liberation Front claimed credit for what the FBI called the costliest act of ecoterrorism in U.S. history. But as it turns out, credible suspects were everywhere, since Vail was owned by a New York investment firm that had alienated a wide swath of Colorado's high country residents."Who couldn't have done this?" wondered a local sheriff's investigator. More than a clever whodunit, Powder Burn scrapes away the glitz of America's premier ski destination to reveal a cautionary tale about runaway opulance and rapid change in the New West. As the Denver Post put it, "Vail is a microcosm of the disputes over growth raging across the Rockies, and Glick's take on the fire helps to fan the flames." Packed with odd characters and paranoia, with beautiful mountains and despicable actions, Powder Burn is about corporate greed, the environment, a small town and a mysterious unsolved crime. As Vail celebrates its fortieth anniversary with a full season of hoopla and self-promotion, this book makes compelling reading for skiers, true crime enthusiasts, or anyone interested in the environmental, social, and political issues raised by the evolution of the new West.

Powder

Author: Patrick Thorne
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 178648675X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
The most impressive, thrilling and scenic ski runs from one of the world's leading ski experts. Long descents, big verts, challenging pistes and stunning scenery, Powder is the definitive guide to the best and most feared ski runs on the planet. Whether you're a serious off-piste skier or a novice with alpine ambitions, this visually stunning guide will undoubtedly inspire the winter Olympian in all of us. Along with classic runs in Chamonix, Whistler and Jackson Hole, Powder will also take you to offbeat and exotic locations such as the Himalayas, the Atlas Mountains and the 2014 Olympic destination of Sochi in Russia - places notable not only for the fantastic skiing and snowboarding, but also for their extraordinary scenery. Powder is the ultimate bucket list for any snowsports enthusiast, challenging beginners and experts alike to take on the most breathtaking runs the world has to offer. Contents include: Mt St Elias, Alaska; Whitehorn 2, Lake Louise, Canada; Inferno, Mürren, Switzerland; Tortin, Verbier, Switzerland; Aiguille Rouge, Les Arcs, France; Klein Matterhorn Descent, Cervinia, Italy; Lyngen Peninsula, Norway; Sochi Olympic Downhill, Rosa Khutor, Russia; Mizuno no Sawa, Niseko, Japan; Everest, Mt Everest, Nepal; The Motatapu Chutes, Treble Cone, New Zealand; Fast One, Mt Buller, Australia; Mt Vinson, Antarctica.

Interference Powder

Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
ISBN: 9780761452751
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 148

Book Description
Fifth-grader Nina Zabin happens upon a strange powder that causes events in her life to change, and not always for the better, as the school's Brain Buster Extravaganza approaches and she takes her best friend's place as representative for their class.

Powder

Author: Shannon Cain
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 172

Book Description
Literary Nonfiction. Poetry. Women's Studies. POWDER brings us poetry and personal essays from 19 women who have served in all branches of the United States military. Contributors to POWDER have seen conflicts from Somalia to Vietnam to Desert Shield. Many are book authors and winners of writing awards and fellowships; several hold MFAs from some of the country's finest programs. The essays and poems here are inspired by an attempted rape by a Navy SEAL; an album of photos of the enemy dead; heat exhaustion in Mosul; a first jump from an airplane; fending off advances from Iraqi men; interrogating suspected terrorists; the contemplation of suicide; and a poignant connection with women and children in Bosnia. Their writing exposes the frontline intersection of women and soldiering, describing from a steely-eyed female perspective the horror, the humor, the cultural clashes and the fear.