31 October 2016 — Happy Halloween…Good news/bad news deal out of the Tahoe area. First the bad, Mt Rose will not be opening as expected this morning due to the recent rains and warm temps.  Good news is, the cold is back and they’re blowing snow as I type this; check the photo above…if you’ve stumbled across the subway ski guy video making the rounds, that’s from the Williamsburg area in Brooklyn NY and apparently he’s also been photographed at the local Apple Store.  The video is easily seen via Jerry of the Day, guy in full gaper regalia and a pair of what appears to be Rossy straight skis.  At first I thought they were Atomic ARCs due to the color scheme but incorrect.  No word yet on who or why…tough news out of Alaska, University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Fairbanks are cutting all NCAA skiing programs, as well as indoor track.  The school has lost some $50 million in funding from the state, and says these moves address $2.7 million of that shortfall.  The nordic and alpine programs date from 1977…more details on that $260k award to a Chicago man who was clobbered by Coloradoan Casey Ferguson at Keystone in 2015, seems that Mr. Ferguson lives with his parents and their homeowners insurance is covering the bill…well how about this, 63-year-old Peter Daley of Steamboat Springs, CO is re-launching the long defunct Northland brand of skis.  Northland was a Minnesota based manufacturer that sold a lot of entry level skis through department stores.   The new Northland won’t exactly be budget oriented, but will continue the tradition of supplying skis that are lighter and easier to use; more info available at their website…and Whiteface NY has announced November 18 as the target for opening day…Be careful driving, a lot of kids out tonight.

Top photo courtesy Mt Rose, NV