Neglected to report yesterday that US downhiller Jackie Wiles suffered a season-ending injury this weekend in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, definitely opens a spot on the team. No word yet whether Mikaela Shiffrin will step into that downhill spot; it’s hers if she wants it…snowstorms here and there in the east past couple days; Killington VT for example dropped ropes on some 30 trails that had closed after the rain event. Down the road at Okemo they’ve got everything open but for a couple of tree runs and little-used connectors…good news continues in Colorado, good indicators Steamboat and Arapahoe Basin both grabbing a couple inches every other day or so it seems…still not helping out in Western Colorado, high desert area Powderhorn Resort in Mesa dealing with terrible lack of snow, just announced they’ll be closing Mondays-Wednesdays until they get more…similar deal in part of the Sierras, California’s China Peak has shut down for the second time this season, no snow to speak of, check out the photo above taken yesterday as temps surged into the 60s. Kudos to management, they’ve made a deal so that passholders can get one free day ticket at Sierra-at-Tahoe. They say they’re working on a similar arrangement with Sugar Bowl…back to Vermont, our friends at New England Ski Industry report that Ariel Quiros and Bill Stenger have surrendered ownership of Jay Peak and Burke Mountain, apparently part of a civil settlement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Quiros also agreed to a $1 mil fine; Stenger to $75k, said to be distributed to those who suffered losses in the EB-5 program due to their alleged malfeasance…elsewhere in Vermont, good news for the non-profit that is running a rope tow at the former Ascutney Resort, looks like they’ve come into a used T-bar lift that will enable them to access a bunch of the old terrain…sad to report the passing of Utah’s 77-year-old Ian Cumming, former owner of Snowbird, Powdr Corp, and a key player in the effort to host the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City…and it seems we missed a fatality report last week at Park City; a 20-year-old skier hit a tree in the Canyons section. According to Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Andrew Wright, it was undetermined if the skier was wearing a helmet, and that his identity would not be released until out of state family members could be contacted.