If you weren’t at the August membership meeting at Office Furniture Warehouse, hosted by Beverly and John (JJ) Jerman, you missed an inspiring talk by Olivier LeMaitre, as well as some good information on our upcoming trip to France. Be sure to see Lulu’s article below, and ask me (at the September 7th membership meeting at the Flat Duck) about his remarks.
If you are having trouble deciding where to ski this winter, perhaps part of the problem is you are not familiar with the destination for our third 2022 ski trip, Mt. Bachelor (February 19-26), as the club hasn’t been there in the 25 years that I have been a member (although Janet Brooks and A.B. Maynard were there this past winter).
Mount Bachelor is a stratovolcano (built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava), in the Cascade Range of central Oregon, 18 miles from the town of Bend. It was named Mount Bachelor because it stands apart from the nearby Three Sisters volcanic peaks. Mount Bachelor last erupted between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago, so I’m not worried about it happening the week we will be there. In addition to the ski area, the volcano’s summit hosts the Mount Bachelor Observatory, located at an elevation of 9,000 feet above sea level (so altitude sickness shouldn’t be a problem for anyone).
The Mount Bachelor ski area has operated on the mountain since 1958, with the installation of the first chair lift in 1962 (there are now 15 lifts including 8 high speed quads). The resort is one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest with a skiable area of 3,683 acres (for comparison, Snowmass has 3,339 acres), a vertical drop of 3,365 feet, and six terrain parks. There are 101 trails totaling 62 miles, with the longest being 4 miles. A unique feature of skiing this volcano is you can ski 360° around it (so you can always be in the sun or shade as you wish). There is a lot of terrain for all abilities as the percentages of runs are as follows: Green 15%, Blue 35%, Black 30%, and Double Black 20%. The average weather conditions (from 2017-2018) are High Temperature: 24°F, Low Temperature: 21°F, Snowfall per week: 20 inches. (Mt Bachelor Snow History (snow-forecast.com)).
We will be staying the Doubletree Hilton in the town of Bend in the geographic center of Oregon at an elevation of 3623’. In February the average high and low temperatures in town are 46°F and 24°F. The Bend metropolitan population is about 200,000 (about 40% of Chattanooga’s metro population). Besides skiing, some other things to consider include ice skating, snowshoeing, sledding, sled dog touring, snowmobiling, and Nordic skiing (there are 59 miles of groomed trails). Some things to do off the snow include caving, helicopter tours, walking the Roundabout Art Route (a collection of over 20 pieces of public art on display outdoors), and exploring the town via Riddle Routes which guides you through town using a variety of clues. You may want to take the Bend Ale Trail, as largest such trail in the West it is divided into 7 territories. There are more than two dozen breweries as well as a bunch of distilleries, cideries, wineries, and kombucha brewers. Prizes are given for each territory you complete. https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-4254580
Our summer activities are going full blast. I think everyone enjoyed the SUP party hosted by Barbie Standifer at the Harbor Heights Subdivision Clubhouse. Don’t forget about the Hiwassee Raft Trip on Sunday August 29th https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-3933037 , the Bardstown Bourbon Trail – October 1-3 https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-3753468 , the Zipline Adventure October 14
https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-4446115.
On July 20th, the International Olympic Committee unanimously approved the addition of ski mountaineering to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy (Cortina was the destination of our 2002 Europe ski trip, and just up the road from our 2019 trip to Ortisei). If you are like me, you might be wondering what is ski mountaineering? The “individual” discipline is a mass-start race that follows an established trail, challenging skiers to race up and back down mountainous terrain while passing through a serious of checkpoints. The races typically last between 1 1/2 and two hours. “Sprint” races, as their title suggests, take skiers through a fast-paced fixed course featuring an uphill ski section, a hiking section and a descent around race gates. These races typically take about three minutes to complete. The relay race is based on the sprint format, with a team of three or four athletes taking turns completing the course. The 2026 games will feature five medal ski mountaineering events: men’s individual and sprint, women’s individual and sprint, and one mixed-gender relay event. I suggest you start practicing now so you can make the 2026 team. Ski mountaineering to make Olympic debut at 2026 games in Italy | SkyHiNews.com
Telluride just announced a new wrinkle to their lift ticket and season passes, included in the price is a $25,000 no-deductible insurance policy covering medical expenses from accidents on the mountain. Telluride passes, lift tickets will include insurance coverage for accidents (coloradosun.com) I hope no one in our club needs to use this, and wonder if this is the start of a trend or a one-and-done deal?
Speaking of season passes, most of us are aware of the EPIC and IKON passes, but how many of you know about the Indy Pass? The Indy Pass covers 2 days of skiing (and you can buy a 3rd day’s pass for 25% off the daily rate) at 76 small to midsize ski resorts (in 25 US states, 2 Canadian provinces, and just recently 2 Japanese Prefectures). Indy Pass resorts near Chattanooga are Ober Gatlinburg TN, Cataloochee NC, and Winterplace WV. Indy Pass | 76 Resorts ❄️ 152 Days ❄️ $279 (indyskipass.com)
We have several new members to report: Alecsa, Asa, Ashton, & Lisa Hendrick; Estee & Jay Jackson; Joan, Michael, & Savannah Pinchot; and Sandy Battles. Let’s be sure we make them feel welcome.
Stay safe everyone,
Bob
Event Listing
Hiawassee River Raft/Duckie float trip – August 29 https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-3933037 Webb Brother's Rafting on the Hiwassee River (webbbros.com)
Membership Meeting @ the Flat Duck Event Venue – September 7
https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-4462741
Bardstown Bourbon Trail – October 1-3 https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-3753468
Kentucky Bourbon Trail - Things To Do in Bardstown, KY | Visit Bardstown
Membership Meeting @ TBD – October 5
Zipline Adventure at the Historic Banning Mills – October 14
https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-4446115 North Georgia's Ultimate Zipline | World's Largest Zipline Adventure (historicbanningmills.com)
Crescent Ski Council Fall Convention, Glenstone Lodge, Gatlinburg, TN - October 22-24 Crescent Ski Council
Membership Meeting @ TBD – November 2
Len Foote Hike Inn – November 5-6 https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-3235020
(note the revised date) The Hike Inn (hike-inn.com)
Crescent Ski Council’s Steamboat Ski Trip – December 4-11, 2021 https://www.crescentskicouncil.org/TripFlyers/2021_Steamboat%20Trip_Information.pdf
Christmas Party – TBD
Snowmass Ski Trip – January 8-15, 2022 https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-4231819
Breckenridge Ski Trip – February 5-12, 2022 https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-4241705
Mt. Bachelor Ski Trip – February 19-26, 2022 https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-4254580
Chamonix/Lyon/Paris Skiing & Touring Trip- March 5-18, 2022 https://chattanoogaskiclub.org/event-4284148