Winter 2010 ski season - snowdrifter trips (see snow reports for conditions)
Join us at our ski meetings and get all the latest updates on the ski trips for this winter season. We meet at 7:30 pm on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month from October through March. April through September we just meet on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7:30 pm. All trips are on sale now. Attend the ski meeting, get information on the trips, and enjoy the social atmosphere of McNally’s Pub with your fellow Snowdrifters. Trips details are below and in the newsletter.
Your Trip Committee has been diligently working on planning our trip schedule for next season. Based upon your trip survey results, we have picked the two trips that were most requested. For Europe, we have chosen Italy, Courmayeur & Rome and for our Western trip, Aspen-Snowmass. We are putting trips on sale at the June meeting, since we have substantial vendor deposits due per contract terms. Sign-up and to be assured of a spot on these two great trips!
You've saved, you've waited, and now you're all set to go skiing. Preparing for your trip includes covering yourself from unfortunate occurrences that threaten to interfere with even your best-laid plans. By purchasing this coverage, you can cover yourself against cancellation penalties, medical costs, baggage and ski equipment loss and delays, as well as gain access to a wide range of traveler's assistance services. Click on the following links for details and to purchase your travel insurance
You must be a member to enroll for a ski tripClick the Get Our News button to see the Flakey Newsletter for details of costs, and to contact trip leaders or contact Frank Hodowal (630) 584-0868.
Prices are based on current exchange rate, air fuel charges & taxes and might have adjustments by final payment.
Courmayeur, Italy: January 22 - 29, 2010 Price: $1550
Courmayeur, Italy is located in the western end of the Valle D' Aosta on the border of France. The old village is is car-free and sheltered from the main road and is perched under beautiful Mt. Blanc. The village is absolutely delightful, with wonderful bars and restaurants. Evenings can be spent strolling the winding cobblestone streets, exploring the many shops, and relaxing in cafes and restaurants.
Courmayeur's skiing is characteristically Italian. Skiers enjoy the scenically beautiful runs dropping down into the trees beneath the Mont Blanc range as well as the fresh pasta and the local red wine at the many cozy slope-side restaurants. From the 2,755m Cresta d'Arp there are off-piste routes in three directions, one of them to the nearby resort of La Thuile. For adventurous (but not necessarily highly skilled) skiers there is the breathtakingly beautiful Vallée Blanche which runs 11 miles down to Chamonix. If you tire of skiing Courmayeur slopes, Cervinia, La Thuile, Pila, Chamonix, and Verbier can be reached for a full day of skiing. There are also cross country skiing tracks nearby. There are many trail variations leading off from the main track from 3 to 20 kms, with bars, restaurants, ski hire shops, and assistance at Planpincieux.
INCLUDES:
New Years Weekend at Marquette December 31, 2009 – January 3, 2010 Price: $350
Trip Leader: Frank Hodowal
Spend the New Years weekend skiing and celebrating the New Year with Snowdrifters
Marquette Mountain is a winter sports area for skiing and snow boarding, located a few miles south of
Marquette, Michigan, the major city in the state's Upper Peninsula
The hill has a summit elevation of 1357 ft (414 m) and a vertical drop of 600 ft (183 m). 22 percent of the 25
runs are beginner, 39 percent intermediate and 39 percent advanced. It has three chairlifts and a rope tow,
snowmaking, night skiing, and receives an average of 210 inches (17.5 ft., 533 cm) of snowfall annually, the
grateful recipient of lake effect snow from nearby Lake Superior, which is prominently visible to the north
and northeast. Marquette is a town that celebrates an annual 225-inch snowfall with the slogan "Don't
hibernate, participate."
INCLUDES:
Temperatures drop early in the northern Great Lakes, and what Mother Nature doesn't brew out of Lake Superior-the planet's prime snowmaker-a fleet of the mountains snow guns will blow. Snowmaking covers 100 percent of the terrain and the guns are often on the job by late October. They usually get the mountain covered and open by mid-November and keep their base through April.
Initial payments are due at the September 21 meeting with the following payment schedule:
| September | $100 | October | $100 | November | $150 |
Copper Mountain: Wednesday, February 17 to Sunday, February 21, 2010 Price: $795
Trip Leaders: Larry and Kathy Clinton 630 584-7181
Copper Mountain is just 75 miles from Denver with 2,450 acres of skiable terrain and a village that feels more like a neighborhood. Copper's guests enjoy steps away lodging, après ski entertainment, naturally divided terrain that provides runs for all skier skills.
The ski area features beginner slopes on the western side of the mountain, intermediate slopes in the center, and expert terrain on the eastern side. Advanced "double black diamond" slopes are located on the two peaks above 12,000 feet (Copper and Union Peaks), including four expert-only bowls: Copper Bowl, Union Bowl, Spaulding Bowl, and Resolution Bowl. Copper Mountain Ski Resort is the largest resort in Summit County when measured by area.
INCLUDES:
Copper tends to have fewer lines and shorter wait times, even at the height of tourist ski season. Copper's expert bowls are comparable in difficulty to the infamous bowls at Vail, as well as the lesser-known Independence Bowl at Keystone Imperial, Bowl at Breckenridge Ski Resort, and Vasquez Cirque at Winter Park/Mary Jane.
Copper Mountain hosted the World Cup tour in 1976 with four alpine ski races: slalom and giant slalom and for both men and women.
Base Elevation: 9,712 feet/2,926 meters
Vertical Drop: 2,601 feet/793 meters
Lifts: 22 total (1 six-person, high-speed lift; 4 high-speed quads; 5 triple chairlifts; 5 double chairlifts and 7
surface lifts)
Marked Trails: 126 (21% beginner, 25% intermediate, 36% advanced, 18% expert)
Average Snowfall: 282 inches/710 centimeters
Longest Run: 2.8 miles/5 kilometers (Soliloquy to Roundabout)
Additional Activities: Ice Skating, Snowshoeing, Tubing, Snowmobiling, Sleigh Rides, Dog Sledding, Cross
Country Skiing, Racquet and Athletic Club, Spa Facilities, Shopping, Dining, Après
| Payment Plan: | August | $150 | November | $150 | |
| September | $150 | December | $195 | ||
| October | $150 |
Aspen- Snowmass, Colorado: March 6 - 13, 2010 Price: $1295 or $1000 without lift tickets
Trip Leaders: Pam Murray and Bonnie Mahlum
Aspen- Snowmass is a world famous ski destination with the "Power of Four" World Class Ski Areas within minutes. Our destination at Snowmass is just 12 miles from downtown Aspen. Snowmass is the largest of four resorts. There 3,000+ acres of ski terrain with the longest run over 5 miles. It is about 75% intermediate terrain. Beginners can learn at Buttermilk with all green & blue runs. Experts will find Aspen or Ajax more to their liking with 75% of the runs intermediate and above. Just in case you still are having trouble finding suitable terrain, try Aspen Highlands With your 5 of 7 day interchangeable lift ticket you can decide what mountain you want to ski each day!
We will be staying at the Tamarack Townhomes in Snowmass Village. Tamarack is adjacent to the Sky Cab Gondola and Village Express chair lift and 50 yards from skiing. It is at the base of Fanny Hill on the Village Shuttle line and less than one-half mile from the Snowmass Village Mall. Each 2-story condominium –style townhouse has two bedrooms, two baths, two fireplaces, a full kitchen, private ground floor entrance, and ski storage. The property features outdoor heated pool and hot tub, bathhouse with showers.
We will fly non-stop on Saturday, 3/6/10 at 8:25am from Chicago, O’Hare to Eagle/Vail and return to Chicago on Saturday, 3/13/10 arriving at 2:55pm. Flying to Eagle/Vail rather than to Aspen eliminates a connection in Denver, and the Eagle/Vail airport is reported to have fewer winter closings than the Aspen airport.
INCLUDES:
| Payment Plan: | September | $400 | October | $400 | November | $400 | December | $95 |