Aspen stays quiet
ASPEN, Colo. -- Winter was retreating last week in Aspen. On the south side of Smuggler Street, in the shade of the Victorians and their modern replacements, shoulder-high snowpiles lingered from the onslaught of early winter. Across the street, like a nicely turned ankle, the south-facing lawns were showing slips of green.
Winter stormed into Aspen in a major way in December, smashing at least one record for total snowfall accumulation at local ski mountains. But March was entirely docile.
Aspen was also quiet, at least compared to what March is usually like. Advance bookings for last week were 53 percent, compared to 78 percent of capacity for the same week last year.
Wyo. law snuffs 'em
JACKSON, Wyo. -- The Virginian is unique within Teton County. It is the only bar or restaurant in which a person can strike a match and then take a deep drag off a pipe, cigar or cigarette. All other bars and restaurants have banned smoking.
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But by late May, the Virginian will also have to post a no-smoking sign. After hearing testimony for two years, the Teton District Board of Health has adopted a smoking ban for businesses in the county except for hotel and motel rooms, private clubs and tobacco shops.
Same skiers, lower revenue in Mammoth
MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. -- Skier days have been flat from last year, but revenue for Intrawest at its Mammoth Mountain operation is down 5 percent, with significant drop-offs in both retail outlets and ski school, reports The Sheet.
Rusty Gregory, ski area manager at Mammoth, told a forum recently that getting financing has become much more difficult. Before the recession, a ski area operator could borrow up to five times its cash flow. Now, that's been reduced to three times cash flow—but only for those who have a track record.
