Why are skiers slamming into trees?
BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (MYN)—The death of an 11-year-old boy who slammed into a tree on the edge of an intermediate ski trail at Breckenridge has John Wolters, a visitor from Texas, wondering about grooming policies. It's not the first such death—two other skiers also died at Breckenridge last year after hitting trees.
Writing in the Summit Daily News, he points the finger in two areas: First, shaped skis have made it much easier for beginner skiers to rapidly ski with confidence.
"They go from bunny slopes to the intermediate slopes overnight. Therein lies the tragedy. It appears from my unscientific research that most of the deaths occur from hitting objects on intermediate slopes," he says.
"These accidents could be prevented or lessened in severity," Wolters goes on to say, "if the resort management companies—Vail Resorts in this case, would alter their slope-grooming habits. If they would leave a 5- to 8-foot area ungroomed near the trees and obstacles, there would be fewer skier deaths."
Blogging on the newspaper's Web site, a reader identified as Tom Clancy thinks the recommended solution unworkable. "Any death is a tragedy, but building berms along the sides of all blue runs to prevent beginners from crashing into trees is a bit far-fetched," he says. "I think a much better idea is for beginning skiers to take some lessons so they can learn how to turn, stop, staying the middle of the run and properly bail out before getting too close to the edge."
Price of Steamboat's ski-in homes soaring
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (MTN)—Steamboat Springs is fast establishing the kind of real estate prices that are more commonly associated with Vail, Aspen and perhaps Telluride. The Steamboat Pilot & Today reports of a 6,277-square-foot slope-side townhome that was subdivided into a duplex. One side sold for $5.4 million and the other side for $5.3 million. Undeveloped lots in the same neighborhood are listed for $2 million.
Another property has an asking price of $4.3 million, and real estate agent Arlene Zopf of Steamboat Village Brokers says that many potential buyers see the price as no barrier. "I have a lady from Texas coming this weekend, and she only wants to look at ski-in, ski-out properties—only the best."
