WOOT WOOT! Nukin' in Missoula

[RoooR]

Marshall to come under ownership of Missoula County:

https://montanafreepress.org/2023/10...reas-heritage/

So, status quo for MTB etc up there I guess?

Better than status quo. Stage 1 includes a better climbing trail and extensions of Bjorn and Hello Kitty to the base area. Eventually we'll have over 20 miles of bike specific trails up there. As an East Missoula resident I can't believe that there's going to be a legit bike park up the road from me. Just awesome. Make sure your membership to MTB Missoula is current as they're really doing awesome work up there and all around town.

[RoooR]

Missoula is incredibly up-zoned in "less desirable" neighborhoods (i.e. where poorer people live) but remains staunchly single-family* in all of the most desirable neighborhoods.

Almost like a significant portion of the populace with signs declaring how much they believe that "housing is a human right." are giant hypocrites.

[Rasputin]

Almost like a significant portion of the populace with signs declaring how much they believe that "housing is a human right." are giant hypocrites.

I haven't seen what you describe.

Having become somewhat involved in houseless activism over the past six months in Missoula, and having learned a bit about our city's government from attending council meetings, and talking with longtime local social activists, I have found those who say "housing is a human right", and take action, to be genuine enough in their convictions (which is not to say they are effective). Certainly, there are NIMBYs who don't want industry, or lower income housing in their neighborhood (let alone emergency shelters), and apply political pressure to keep it that way, but they aren't carrying signs to demonstrate for housing rights.

[RootSkier]

Almost like a significant portion of the populace with signs declaring how much they believe that "housing is a human right." are giant hypocrites.

Precisely one person on city council is opposed to single-family zoning, from what I can tell. Personally I wouldn't want to be on city council in a million years so I am not sure how to fix that problem.

[Terrapin Ben]

Who's getting a pass? Long term forecast and the cost have me a little shook.... Whenever I get a pass to the bowl, I tend not to ski anywhere else because I want to get the most value out of it. Not sure how to proceed this year...

[Iowagriz]

I'm not buying this year.

Bad forecast, mgmt complacency, and hurting knee problems. I'll get a frequent skier card from Whitefish and get up there several times. Venture out to some of the others within a few hours drive, and orient try to xc ski more if the snow does arrive.

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[Terrapin Ben]

frequent skier card at Big Mtn might be the best deal going. If only I could be sure there was snow over the holidays and the bowl is 100% open, the pass would be worth it. But it just feels like a huge gamble this season.

[RootSkier]

Always get the pass. The long-term forecast is beyond useless, historically.

And every snowbowl skier knows the best days are always the days there is zero chance you're going unless you have a pass. And I'm not talking about the days the snow report is great.

[RootSkier]

It's also possible I have Stockholm Syndrome and just can't quit that one day in 2009.

[Rasputin]

There are two types of skiers, those who fret about the conditions, and those who go skiing.

[Northway]

Snowbowl’s got my $$.

As my mom always says: you have to get out of base camp.

[byates1]

There are two types of skiers, those who fret about the conditions, and those who go skiing.

This guy right here.

[Iowagriz]

If the snow comes, I'll be skiing. It just won't be at the bowl. Root nailed it with Stockholm syndrome. But, I now have the time and have escaped.

[Terrapin Ben]

Always get the pass. The long-term forecast is beyond useless, historically.

Yes, This is the truth.

Snowbowl’s got my $$.

As my mom always says: you have to get out of base camp.

I pulled the trigger last night. And mom always knows best.

[stuckathuntermtn]

I always get the pass. Stockholm Syndrome, plus my schedule is always all over the place so skiing 20 minutes away is where it's at. Also, just in general.

[toast2266]

It's also possible I have Stockholm Syndrome and just can't quit that one day in 2009.

That was a good day.

[RootSkier]

If the snow comes, I'll be skiing. It just won't be at the bowl. Root nailed it with Stockholm syndrome. But, I now have the time and have escaped.

I'd still rather ski at the Bowl than anywhere within a 3-hour drive. And I'd rather drink post-ski beers at the LRI than anywhere within a 20-hour drive.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Also, the drives to other places can really suck. I guess Disco can be down to an hour and a half. Sometimes it even snows there!
I have had some horrid drives to/from Lookout. That snow is so wet. Or it comes down so hard I can't see past my headlights. Or all the 18 wheelers get stuck.

[jamal]

Yeah I bought one, just weekday though because i work saturdays and don't want to be up there on weekends anyway. Not sure i rode lifts anywhere else last year. Maybe 1 day at lost trail?

It's pretty funny that my best days skiing up there last year were before they opened and the day the power went out.

[Northway]

Picked up some passes today. Warm above the clouds, parking lot was near as muddy as spring. Please snow.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Guess who's getting bar code scanners!

[406]

They mentioned that in the issue of Snowbowl good times. Will be interesting how it works out.

[Solo_Skier]

They mentioned that in the issue of Snowbowl good times. Will be interesting how it works out.

It'll work just the same but instead of looking up your number on a board they will just scan the bar code on your pass and when it fails they will try to scan it again, and keep repeating the process until it works or they just let you through.

[RootSkier]

So do the passes have bar codes and shit this year? Are they the same homemade shit with laminate-while-you-wait process and everything?

Good to see that the Bowl still hasn't gotten sign offs from the Forest Service, per the Missoulian today:

Montana Snowbowl Ski Area north of Missoula still lacks permission to
operate with barely one week remaining until the mountain's planned
opening day of Friday, Dec. 8.

As of Wednesday, the U.S. Forest Service, which administers the special-use permit
allowing Snowbowl to operate on public lands, had not given the ski area permission
to begin operation Dec. 8. The agency previously ordered Snowbowl's owners, Brad
Morris and his son Andy, to hire an independent, third-party inspection of all surface
and aerial lifts and rope-tows at the ski area, and to fix any problems identified,
before the ski area would be allowed to operate. Additionally, the agency ordered
Snowbowl to develop a plan to improve how its ski patrol and lift operators respond
to safety incidents.

Carolyn Upton, supervisor of the Lolo National Forest, told the Missoulian in
September that Snowbowl would need to prove it completed those tasks before she
could allow the ski area to operate this winter. The agency's increased scrutiny of
the ski area came after a series of lift malfunctions and failures in recent
years, including a March incident in which a man and his 4-year-old son fell
from an improperly modified chairlift at the ski area when the chair struck a
lift tower and broke apart. Snowbowl's lift operators and ski patrol failed to respond
to the incident.

On Tuesday, Lolo National Forest Public Information Officer Hilary Markin wrote in
an email that Snowbowl had not yet corrected all of the lift deficiencies uncovered in
the inspection.

"There are a few remaining tasks that Snowbowl is working to complete as follow-up
actions from the third-party lift inspections," Markin wrote. "Once these are
completed, Snowbowl will notify the Forest Service that the Preseason Lift Inspection
Certification has been performed and all deficiencies have been corrected.

"Once the terms and conditions of the special use permit are met for the start of the
season," she continued, "the Forest Service can authorize winter operations to begin."

It was unclear Wednesday if the ski area was on track to receive permission to operate
by its planned opening day of Dec. 8. And, like many ski areas across the West,
Snowbowl still lacked natural snow. According to the National Weather Service, the
ski area could get 2–4 inches of snow this weekend. Brad Morris was not immediately
available for comment Wednesday.

The Missoulian obtained the third-party lift inspection report in a public records
request. The inspection, conducted by engineer Harry McLean Jr., kicked off in mid
August, with the first report issued by early September. At the time, McLean wrote
that additional inspections would be needed to confirm chairlifts complied with
national standards.

The report identified deficiencies with all four of the ski area's aerial chairlifts:
Grizzly, LaValle, Snow Park and Transporter. Snow Park was the lift involved in the
March incident. A separate Forest Service inspection in the wake of that incident
found multiple deficiencies with the lift as well. Transporter is the new triple-seat lift
that opened last winter.

The lift deficiencies varied by lift and ranged from improper wiring of lift controls to
sub-standard or improperly positioned lift components. McLean wrote that the
Sunrise T-bar lift was waiting for parts and couldn't be inspected. He took a "cursory
look" at the rope tow.

McLean also compiled a list of actions for all four chairlifts to bring them into
compliance. The list included ensuring each lift control station had operating
telephones; ensuring lifts had operating stop-start gates; ensuring lifts had fire
extinguishers; inspecting the large cables, called "wire ropes," from which chairs
hang; labeling lift control buttons and confirming they work; and making sure lift
operators are trained, tested and certified.

I am not sure why Brad wasn't available for comment, but I thought Andy had taken over as the main spokesman?

[406]

That is interesting that Transporter also had "deficiencies."