Skiing in a Warming Climate

Greater increase in winter temperatures in Northeast, Midwest and down to Texas, and parts of the Mountain West. Source: NRDC

This year’s skiing season has gotten off to a worrisome start. According to Bob Berwyn of the Summit County Voice:

With the state’s major ski resorts struggling to open just minimal amounts of terrain in time for the busy Christmas holiday season, two University of New Hampshire researchers estimate that the $12.2 billion industry has already suffered a $1 billion loss and dropped up to 27,000 jobs due to diminished snow fall patterns and the resulting changes in the outdoor habits of Americans.

Katharine Q. Seelye of The New York Times reports that ski centers at “the lower elevations and latitudes” will likely close as the climate warms:

Whether this winter turns out to be warm or cold, scientists say that climate change means the long-term outlook for skiers everywhere is bleak. The threat of global warming hangs over almost every resort, from Sugarloaf in Maine to Squaw Valley in California. As temperatures rise, analysts predict that scores of the nation’s ski centers, especially those at lower elevations and latitudes, will eventually vanish.

Under certain warming forecasts, more than half of the 103 ski resorts in the Northeast will not be able to maintain a 100-day season by 2039, according to a study to be published next year by Daniel Scott, director of the Interdisciplinary Center on Climate Change at the University of Waterloo in Ontario.

The percentage of ski resorts in the Northeast predicted to be viable by 2039:

• Connecticut – 0%
• Massachusetts – 0%
• New York - 25%
• New Hampshire - 39%
• Maine - 57%

What about the Rockies? According to Seelye's article, “Park City, Utah, could lose all of its snowpack” by end of the century and the snowpack in Aspen, Colorado  “could be confined to the top quarter of the mountain." 

Will artificial snow rescue the ski mountains? In view of the predicted water shortages in the West, this is of doubtful economic feasibility.  Seelye writes: “After last year’s dry winter and a parched, sweltering summer, reservoirs are depleted, streams are low, and snowpack levels stand at 41 percent of their historical average.”

"Skiing Sunday was grand." However, this skiing season is not over. John Meyer, of The Denver Post, had a "grand" experience at Winter Park last Sunday when:

Colorado ski areas were blessed with a nice storm — 14 inches at Winter Park, for example. So I went back to Jones Pass on Sunday, hoping conditions were adequate at last. It was more than adequate. I was blessed with one of my most enjoyable backcountry experiences ever.

Outdoors: Mt. Bierstadt, August 2012

Intermittent foot paths allow passage through the "dreaded willows." Bierstadt's peak, in the upper right, as seen in the morning light. 

On Saturday August 21, my wife and two of my sons and I hiked 14,060 ft. Mt. Bierstadt. For my wife and my youngest son, the goal was their first 14er. For my oldest son, his third ascent up Bierstadt, it was to support us while enjoying the outdoors and physical activity. My first climb of Bierstadt (also with my oldest son) was in August 2010, just one month before a cycling crash down Squaw Pass. Thus, my prime motivation was to see if I was back to baseline and could climb it again. 

Nearby lake on left side of trail. 

Hiking together at the higher altitudes. 

View from the other side of the mountain. 

Taking a break before the final push. People on the summit are barely seen as faint linear images on crest in the right upper corner.

At the summit. 

The path down. The parking lot is beyond the lake seen in the left upper quadrant.

There may be another reason for the adults to climb, recently expressed nicely by Mark Sisson:

The comfortable plateau we’ve achieved – with all good intention – can seem less satisfying. Where did the peaks of life go? Do we make space for exuberance or adventure anymore? In seeking to live vitally, we inherently value more than the necessities of survival, more than the elements of comfort. It’s a mark of thriving, I think, to test the scale and dimension of existence – in whatever way fulfills us personally. We can choose to prioritize the role of awe, adventure, and uncertainty in our lives. The fact is, the power of intermittent euphoria (IE) can fill a deep – and deeply human – well.

Mark's Daily Apple

November 15: Hiking the French Valley, Torres del Paine National Park

The first hikers in Chile came by boat. Nomadic clans from Siberia crossed Beringia - the landmass that connected Asia to Alaska - 15 to 18 thousand years ago. They likely travelled south along the west coast of North and South America using small boats and living on seafood, waterfowl, and caribou. These Paleo-Americans reached southern Chile 14,600 thousand years ago and steadily moved inland, some inhabiting the Milodon Cave (Cueva del Milodon) in Patagonia 12,000 years ago. 

Today, almost 15,000 years following the arrival of the first Paleo Americans, the same rhythm seems to be at work. A boat takes you to another point on the land and exploration continues by walking, hiking, or trekking. Both means of travel provide a deep sense of connection to the natural wonder of southern Chile. The modern world, however, still shows it presence: Torres del Paine National Park is so large, reaching the trailheads usually requires a hydrocarbon burning boat or road vehicle.

Following dinner in the EcoCamp dinning dome, our expert guides reviewed the two hiking options for the coming day. All nine members of our group selected the French Valley hike. My son and I packed a Paleo lunch in a Tupperware-style container and small backpacks containing a camera, outerwear, snacks, and one bottle of water - our guides advised us the natural spring water was drinkable. Obviously, talk to your guide and make your own decision. 

View of Los Cuernos (The Horns) from the boat. 

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Hiking: Chautauqua, Boulder, CO

In 1898, residents of Boulder, CO had the foresight to preserve Chautauqua Meadow at the base of the Flatirons. Over 100 years later, and now known as the Colorado Chautauqua National Historic Landmark, the park still provides a great outdoor experience. Despite 54,554 participants in the Bolder Boulder 10K run on Memorial Day, the drive to Boulder and and park access were surprisingly manageable.

The parking lot can be found by traveling west on Baseline road. With 140 miles of trails in the park, all degrees of difficulty are available. As my second hike since the cycling injury last September, we chose an a 2 1/2 miles route asceding about 1,000 ft.

Made of conglomerate sandstone, the Flatirons were raised during a mountain building period about 80 to 35 million years ago. They are thought to be named for the flat clothing irons used in pioneer America (Boulder was incorporated in 1871).

Walking sticks, also called trekking poles, unload the knees. As noted at Slackpacker.com, they "reduces the pressure strain on the opposite leg by approximately 20%" and "reduce the body weight carried by the legs by approximately 5 kg" on level ground and by 8 kg on an incline.

If you are in the area, Chautauqua park is a great place for a morning hike. Afterward, head to Pearl Street and have lunch at one of the many small restaurants. 

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Mt. Bierstadt trip report

One thing we know about human migration in the Paleolithic: humankind walked a lot. While it took countless generations for our ancestors to the reach France, Spain and Britain from Africa, the bottom line, they walked. Around 13,000 years ago, they walked into Colorado. While it is not known when Native Americans first climbed a Colorado peak, it is believed Mt. Beirstadt was one of them. For paleoterran fitness and rejuvenation, a summer climb was in order.

Mt. Bierstadt, rising to 14,060 feet, is Colorado’s 38th highest peak. Located in the Front Range and within easy access from Denver, the mountain is ideal for an August ascent. For my son, it would be his second Bierstadt climb; for me, my first 14er.

Departing Denver at 5:07 am, we drove south on Colorado Blvd and turned west on Hampden Avenue (Highway-285). At Grant, forty miles outside of Denver, we turned right on the Guanella Scenic and Historic Byway, a gravel and paved two-lane road also known as Guanella Pass Road and County Road 62.

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