Posted by Curtis Fong on Feb 17, 2018
Friday, February 2, 2018: Drive to Salt Lake City – Alta Ski Resort We packed up the Subaru and enjoyed our included breakfast and bid our farewells to the Kalispell and Whitefish Mountain Resort… There was dusting of fresh snow this morning… Today would be another long drive heading east and south all the way back down to Salt Lake City and base of the Cottonwood Canyons resorts… Heading out of Kellogg was smooth and easy back on Hwy 90 towards St. Regis and beyond… as well as navigating through Missoula… We connected to I-15 just short of Butte and continued to Dillion where we stopped for a Subway lunch break… By this time, although Subway Sandwiches are a good and healthier option to the fast food chains… I was getting a little Subway’d out… About two hours later we came through Idaho Falls…and continued, until we cross the Utah border… Somewhere back there, can’t remember the crossing or town, but we had to stop for fuel as the Fuel light came on and glad we did as there was less than a half gallon left… Lots of traffic on I-15, and plenty moving at a much faster pace as we got nearer to Salt Lake City… Negotiating the freeway system in Salt Lake is now a breeze as the GPS Mapping System, put us on I-80 toward Park City, but the 215 Exit before it winds up to Parley’s Summit… The 215 freeway runs along the west side of the Wasatch Range and delivered us to the Cottonwood exit that we were looking for… Our accommodations were at the Hyatt Place Salt Lake City / Cottonwood… Hyatt Place We were fortunate to have this set up by our friends at Alta Ski Resort and Visit Salt Lake Visitors Bureau… This was a really nice hotel, more of a corporate business hotel with a very welcoming staff, large relaxing lobby and large food seating area for accommodating their included breakfast… Starbucks and bakery snacks also available as well as a bar… But, you couldn’t just order a drink at the bar, as it is a restaurant and you had to order food from their menu to get a beer or drink… Understood as Utah alcohol laws have been changing and since the 2002 Winter Games and although you still have to go to a State Owned Liquor Store to...
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Posted by Curtis Fong on Feb 15, 2018
Monday, January 29: On the Road Back in the USofA and to Whitefish, Montana With the Subaru loaded, we decided to have breakfast in the Legends Restaurant in the Lake Louise Inn that offered a nice breakfast buffet… I like choices… great service as well… We hit the road at about 8:30am and programmed the GPS Mapping program, setting our end destination to Kalispell, Montana, where our next accommodations was set up… There was no 35cm of snow on the road and we were thinking that the server from last nights dinner, might have misread the report at maybe 3.5cm of snow… there was snow on the roadways and our concerns about the drive diminished. Snow was on the roadways in places but for the most part, easy going as we climbed back up over the pass and back through Radium Hot Springs… We made a short stop in Radium before heading to the Canadian/US Border… We presented our Passports at the US Border entrance at Roosville and headed south on Hwy 93 towards Whitefish, Montana… Lunch was on our minds and stopped at Cafe Jax in Eureka, Montana… We had stopped here in a previous road trip and they deliver great food and fun service! A few miles north of Whitefish the GPS Voice told us to make a right turn off the highway and so we did… not sure if this GPS System detects traffic and delays, but the route took us to the west of Whitefish, bypassing the highway going through the town and brought us back on Hwy 93 south of Whitefish and on to Kalispell… We had reservations at yet another Holiday Inn Express, just few miles south of Whitefish and at this junction there was everything one could want with shopping centers, restaurants, lodging and more… including a Cabela’s… And, no wonder… Kalispell is the gateway to Glacier National Park and this area has been growing as more and more retired folks are moving to this area… Dan was also interested in picking up some real estate information from this area, as you never know where one may migrate to in the future… We drove into Whitefish that evening to meet with old, but young, friend, Dan Hansen, who formerly worked at Mammoth, rode his bike across the US one year and works with the local tourism agency… We met him in the Great...
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Posted by Curtis Fong on Feb 13, 2018
Thursday, January 25: Departure for NASJA Group, but continuing on the road The NASJA Western Winter Summit Meeting officially ended this morning with a bus departing at 8:00am, taking participants back to the Spokane airport for departures… Dan and I, along with Hula-Gan planned to continue on the road with more skiing destinations in Alberta, Canada as well as back through Whitefish, Montana, Silver Mountain, Idaho and Alta, Utah… We opted to spend an additional night in Nelson, but decided to drive out to Red Mountain Ski Resort out of nearby Rossland, BC, Canada and about an hour drive away… We packed our boots and gear and headed out, following the directions of the GPS Mapping unit in the car… On route, we encountered a traffic delay with a roll over truck and accident that stopped traffic in both directions… and yes, it was snowing again with slick roads and everyone trying to get somewhere in a hurry… By the time we got to Red Mountain, there was a long chain of cars attempting to get into the parking lot… We followed the flow and found one of the last 5 parking spaces in a lower lot… Geeze… this was a Thursday and why so many skiers & riders? We over heard some skiers stating that the power was out at Whitewater and everyone decided to drive to Red Mountain because you can’t pass up a powder day… We were glad that we made that decision but knew there would be lines on this day. Red Mountain was on the road trip in 2012 when I had my hip replaced, but have had the opportunity to ski it two years ago on a similar road trip and was able to ski all the pods offered… Red Mountain has 2,877 acres of lift-serviced terrain with 110 marked runs, served by 7 Lifts… It also boasts 2,919 feet of vertical and is a good size mountain with 5 different pods… http://www.redresort.com This is a fun mountain… And is one of the only Ski Areas that one can make and investment in and be a part owner… http://www.redresort.com/ownthemountain/ Clouds were moving in and out over the top of the mountain and the call of more fresh snow thru-out the morning set up for perfect conditions… We headed up the Silverlode Chair then jumped on the Motherlode to the top of Granite Mountain at...
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Posted by Curtis Fong on Feb 10, 2018
Road Trip 2018: January 21-25: NASJA Western Winter Summit at Schweitzer & Whitewater Sunday, January 21: Heading North to Sandpoint Idaho Morning came early, especially when one is attempting to sleep on the couch, but another cloudy day with light snow falling in McCall… We packed up the gear and decided to go the infamous Pancake House for breakfast… This place is a local’s favorite and features Cinnamon Rolls that are so huge, it consumes the entire plate. I did not go for that but for a more traditional eggs, sausage & pancakes breakfast… to which I did not even come close to finishing… http://mccallpancakehouse.com We hit the road around 8:00am and caught Hwy 95 at New Meadows and headed north to Sandpoint, Idaho, via Coeur d’Alene… This was a long drive but also had great scenery along the way… Skies were somewhat clear and the sun popped out as we drove over Nez Perce Pass… We stopped short of Coeur d’Alene in Plummer, Idaho, at a Native American gas / smoke / souvenir shop to stretch and grab a cup of coffee… As I was taking a few photos of Hula-Gan at this stop, a guy got out of a vehicle, walking up to the building and said hello, and, “Aren’t you with NASJA”? I took a second look and really didn’t recognize him, but replied, “Yes, and how did you know”? He replied that we had met at a previous NASJA Meeting and a conversation started from there… John Brice was a corporate member of NASJA and I told him, that Dan and I were heading to Schweitzer to attend this year’s Western Winter Summit Meeting… He said, he had let his membership laps, but was returning from making turns at a couple of smaller resorts… This “perhaps” meeting blew me away… middle of nowhere stop and to run into a person who was an acquaintance… This use to happen more frequently and blow Dan’s mind… Back in the day… early 90 thru late 2000’s, when I hosted the K-MTN TV, morning Mountain Resort Report at Lake Tahoe and then co-hosted and produced the Lake Tahoe Today show with RSN Network… I guess I was considered a celebrity and people would stop me and ask, “Hey, aren’t you Curtis Fong, The Guy From Tahoe”? I recall these situations happening in a restaurant in Aspen, Colorado; as well...
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Posted by Curtis Fong on Feb 7, 2018
Road Trip 2018: January 18-20: On the Road / Bogus Basin / Brundage Thursday, January 18, 2018: On the Road Again… Subaru Packed and set up with Studded snow tires… plus, had the front rally bar with the PIAA fogs installed… Dogs fed… Dog sitters briefed… Filled the tank last night and now ready to hit the road on this year’s adventure in search of snow… Every winter is different and this season with it’s slow start at Lake Tahoe, hitting the road with my buddy, Dan Giesin has always been a traditional Rite of Winter for many years as countless visits to other resorts planned before and after, all centered around joining our associates at our annual NASJA (North American Snowsports Journalists Association) Western Winter Summit Meeting…http://nasja.org For the past two years, we have added a travel mascot… Hula-Gan the “Hula Ski Powder Monkey” and with him joining us on this year’s road trip, we are hoping he brings us good luck in finding fresh snow and real powder. This year’s NASJA’s meeting is set to start Sunday evening, January 21 at Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpoint, Idaho, then move to Nelson, British Columbia, Canada to ski Whitewater and finish up the morning of January 25… We planned to ski Bogus Basin and Brundage Mountain Resort before heading north to Sandpoint and Schweitzer… Dan and I headed out to eventually hit Interstate 80 to Winnemucca, NV… From there, after a stop at Subway for a bite, we headed north on Hwy 95 towards McDermott, thru the Jordan Valley and to the Boise, Idaho… We’ve made this drive a few times before and the mountaintops along the route had some white stuff, but just on the tops… there have been winters where these were covered with snow, but not this year. Not meant to be a commercial, but we have been use to staying at Holiday Inn Express… https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/boise/boidt/hoteldetail This, now an upgrade from the early days of our road trips staying a Super 8’s, because of free internet… and, sometimes being frustrated attempting to work out their hotel rooms, especially a few years back, when I would kick Dan out of the room to record my radio ski reports, edit the recording and file transfer it back to the radio station… Sometimes the internet would take so long to transfer it, and yes, I would curse and wait for...
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