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Show WASATCH CANYON MOUNTAIN Snowbird’s Baby Thunder Is a Reality - No, Really! REPORT Solitude Ticket System: Value by the Run SOLITUDE most — It user-friendly is perhaps idea to hit skiing since step-in bindings. This*season, the Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon the alpine ski area has intro- duced a lift-ticket system that gives skiers their money’s worth and its just about hastle-free. It hearkens back to the days of the old 10-ride pass. Remember bought a ticket good the ski lift, and if you rides day, the back first for a second Somehow wayside, Solitude some could on come day and so on... 10-rider fell revives by the long-thongs But the new the idea and system at and adds improvements. It skier $32 rides didn’t use up all with zinc-oxide. 10 you the along those? You for works buys — pass something points the — on price you like this: a lift ticket. of a Solitude can buy, a For all-day instead, 180 points of skiing. A number of points are 1,000 points for $190. That might used up on each ride on the chair lift. But some chairs require more points than others. Typically, the beginner you six days or an entire season. chair uses per ride, while lift ticket 18 As the up 8 points expert average between chair uses skier will 10 and 20 points. The take somewhere runs before using up the points on the tag. But weather this is turns don’t worry. the best lousy You or you don’t get your money’s part: have worth, game and wait can get the tired: to stay to if you bought points. You can go home, football er to clear or for your If watch the for the weathlegs to recover. And the ticket is transferable. use it one and your girlfriend day You can use it the next. You can buy up to When you you buy points, complete ski up with to the you ically reads points and muss, no your Of a at the automat- subtracts lets you onto fuss, no digging course, get turnstile tag, pass. It is the wave last a micro-chip. base of the lift, the computer the the lift. for No your of the future. all this doesn’t mean you can’t buy a day pass, the old fashioned way. having You some ticket each can. gnarly But rather than dude punch your ride, you simply push your ticket into a slot at the turnstile, something like an ATM, SNOWBIRD — After two years April gave approval for Baby Thunder wrangling with the US Forest Service, In doing so, the Forest Service said the ‘significantly the Baby Thunder chairlift is up and new chairlift would not canyon as a whole running, bringing “beginner” and impact” the However, as ondition of approval “intermediate” ski terrain to this Little Snowbird have to install Baby Cottonwood Canyon resort. Snowbird CEO Ray Gardiner has Thunder further east — up the canyon said that his resort needs to attract — because of sensitive wetlands where intermediate skiers as well as the the chair was originally planned One of the significant objections experts, who love Snowbird for its brought forth by Baby Thunder critics steep terrain and deep powder snow. was that it would set the stage for a Most ski tourists are not in the “expert’ Snowbird expansion into the White class and observers say to be financialPine Canyon area in Little Cottonwood ly successful, ski resort must attract mediocre skiers. Canyon Last year, Gardiner and Snowbird sued the Forest Service when it blocked the instalBaby lation of Thunder, stating that ee “ +)~~ ie = ie Tein all environmental Tt Sree Sy ges ks ; . > _s le impacts had not ey :¥ been properly addressed Bob Athey and Steve Lewis of Save Our Canyons organi7 a ax zation had appealed the environmental Baby Thunder before installation Photo by Steve Leu e Skier uses automated turnstile. specific TIMES and voile, you’re on the chairlift. @ assessment on the project provided by Snowbird, arguing that the “cumulative effect” of the resort's expansion on the entire canyon should be studied. The Forest Service bought the argument, but by that time, Gardiner had already bought the expensive Swiss-made chairlift, leading some observers .to call the lift, “Gardiner’s Folly.” As the summer building season of 1994 slipped away, Gardiner became angry and more angry, saying that he already had assurances from Forest Service officials that Baby Thunder would be allowed to be installed. Following more environmental analysis, however, the Forest Service in The Ski Team Continued from page Back 12 last 18 years in the business that surrounds sports. The last nine of those years he has spent in the NBA. Getting the Ski Team back on track won’t take original thinking,” he says. ‘Tm going to take a lot of good ideas that I’ve learned in the NBA and other places, and steal them... creative thinking is a better way to put it.” The CEO says he will retire the Ski Team’s debt this year (1996). And as for the ongoing budgetary needs, Lieweke says they are well within reach. “We are dealing with a relatively reasonable number (of dollars) that we have to go out and raise.” Already, he’s hinting at some upcoming surprises in January and on Course? February that will yield funding- things he is unwilling to leak just yet. Problems with skiers complaining about coaches, and coaches in one discipline complaining about not getting enough resources, all boils down to money, Lieweke explained. “All of those problems are related to funding. Everything surrounding the Ski Team begins and ends with money.” And Lieweke knows that money for sports begins and ends with TV. He also recognizes that the long-term success of bringing competitive athletes into skiing is tied up in TV. ‘In this day and age, TV is everything in our society . . . We are committed to re-shaping the image of skiing on TV.” @ Snowbird’s owner, Dick Bass, has long maintained that White Pine Canyon would become part of his resort. But in a Mountain Times interview last year, Gardiner said Baby Thunder and White Pine were separate issues. “Baby Thunder has nothing to do with White Pine,” Gardiner said “Issues of expansion will be addressed as they arise Baby Thunder is within Our present boundaries.” Part of the original Baby Thunder proposal included a race course and small buildings to facilitate racing. But that idea was nixed by the Forest Service as having too much impact on the area. @ LAKE A NEW YEAR'S Downtown Alliance EVE CELEBRATION Sunday, 4 pm to Over Live a Midnight Dozen y Alliance gi UTAH Dec. ¢ ¢ Arts Fun e he. = & THE Salt Crafts Midnight Fin SALT LAKE COUNTY OF ARTS! 31st « Downtown Venues Entertainment The present ¢c, Lake « City Parades Fireworks Children 12 and under free with adult. IHC $5 Admission Buttons on Sale Now! 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