Here’s a couple shots from around the slopes:

Breck, with 5 inches of new snow in two days:

A-Basin, with 3 inches:

Monarch, with 3.5 inches, which opens Wednesday:

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A 14-year-old Colorado Springs girl has died after an accident on an intermediate trail at Breckenridge Ski Resort, the first on-the-slopes fatality in Colorado this ski season.

Haley Rose Gans was on a day ski trip Friday, when, at 11:48 a.m. she hit a tree on the Spruce trail. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

She was wearing a helmet, but Summit County Coroner Joanne Richardson said she was seen skiing very fast before the accident.The coroner said the victim was home-schooled, and died from chest injuries.

A mountain employee said Friday snow conditions have been icy from the freeze-thaw cycle, with little new snow.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office said only that it is being investigated as an accident.

Breckenridge opened for the season Nov. 12.

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(Photo from the Durango Herald)

Apparently the First Amendment doesn’t apply at Durango Mountain Resort.

There’s a story from the Durango Herald, which went out on the AP wires this afternoon, about a skier who complained about the resort changing its schedule in an article in the tiny newspaper. Apparently they are only opening Friday through Sunday in early and late season, and some who have weekday only passes are upset.

So the resort, in a move that defies logic, decided to yank her pass, and refunded her $539. Here’s their letter, as reported by the Herald:

“While we have never met, I understand from your calls to The Durango Herald and your conversation with our general manager that you are most unhappy with the approach that Durango Mountain Resort takes in trying to meet the skiing and riding needs of both our local and out-of-town customers. Our general manager tried very hard to explain our early/late additional weekend days, but it is evident that the offering and services we provide are not meeting your expectations.

“Accordingly, we held a meeting with our management team and determined that it would be best if we part ways and refund you the all-season pass you purchased so you can find another place to ski/ride that better meets your expectations,” the letter reads. “We have refunded your credit card $539 and we have discontinued your pass privileges.

“On behalf of our 800-plus employees, we wish you well and want you to know that we will continue to do our very best to meet or exceed the expectations of all our customers, regardless of where they live,” the letter concludes.

Um - you would think a massive ski resort could afford a single public relations person. Nearby Telluride can, and they shrewdly offered the woman a pass.

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(An architect’s rendering of a new Helen Hunt Falls Visitor Center)

Check out today’s story on the conundrum facing supporters of North Cheyenne Canon Park in the Springs. The Friends of Cheyenne Canon and Bristol Brewing Co. have raised about $50,000 for a new visitors center at Helen Hunt Falls, but because of city budget cuts, there may be nobody to staff it, casting doubt on the whole endeavor.

They’re now trying to raise a total of $100,000 to build it and help the city staff it.

So how can you help?

Have a beer. Bristol donates all proceeds from the sale of its Cheyenne Canon Ale, a nutty brew made with pinon nuts, to the park .It won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival and is sold in 22-ounce “bombers.”

Also visit the Friends’ Web site here.

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Canada’s Intrawest, a pillar in the ski resort development industry and host to next year’s Winter Olympics in Whistler, is selling Summit County’s Copper Mountain to Utah-based Powdr Corp.

The deal, announced today, is expected to close in December, pending approval by the U.S. Forest Service.

In a statement released today, company officials said the deal will have no impact on Copper operations, including its pass products and vacation reservations.

Read the entire story here.

It sounds like passes will work the same this year, but you have to wonder if the Winter Park- Copper pass, which is the only real competition for Vail Resorts’ Colorado Pass on the Front Range, will be offered next year. Here’s a prediction: If not, your Colorado Pass will cost you a heck of a lot more next year.

UPDATE: Oh yeah, I should have mentioned, Winter Park, one of the resorts Intrawest still operates in Colorado, opens Wednesday, with two trails and 33 acres. Have, um, fun…..

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(The summit of Pikes Peak Tuesday morning, still a winter wonderland)

Remember Saturday, when the smarter among us were huddling for warmth and shelter? Well, people were still apparently climbing Pikes Peak. A post on 14ers.com by some guys who climbed it Saturday from The Crags  talks about deep and blowing snow, no visibility and a shuttered Summit House. But it apparently didn’t stop them from reaching the top….

I know Pikes has a reputation among  fourteeners as a mountain people climb all year, but I guess I’m a fair-weather-fan.

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Monarch Pass as of 1:25 p.m. Friday. Nice.

OK, now it’s hitting Summit County. Here’s Breck:

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The Colorado Springs Business Journal reports that the owners of a rock climbing gym in Monument plan to open a 17,000-square-foot gym and office complex in the building at the southeast corner of Kiowa and Nevada. Read the whole thing here.

It sounds like the gym, which will have a 45-foot-high climbing wall, according to the article, would be a nice addition to the churches, restaurants, boutiques and bars that make up our downtown. Let’s just hope they don’t decide to cash in on the post-Rumbay foot traffic like King’s Chef across the street.

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Claiming to have “more skiable terrain than any other resort in Summit County” - which isn’t saying much, considering how dry this fall has been, Breckenridge opened Thursday.

On an 18-inch base of man-made snow, they have 108 acres on 4 runs including Springmeier, Spruce, Trygve’s and lower Crescendo. Among the other slim pickin’s in Summit County, Keystone had 5 runs on 81 acres, A-Basin has 5 runs on 85 acres and Copper Mountain has 4 runs on 59.5 acres.

Snow is expected this weekend, 4 to 8 inches Friday night and again Saturday night, but it begs the question, how long does it take for 5 runs to get skied out on a powder day?

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(above: A shot in the Lizard Head Wilderness last summer during the one hour of non-rainy weather we got all weekend)

U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennett announced Tuesday they introduced a bill to expand wilderness in one of Colorado’s most stunning locations, the northern San Juan Mountains.

The bill would add protect 61,000 acres, by adding 33,383 to existing wilderness, creating a special management area for 21,697 and withdrawing another 6,500 from mineral leasing. Vehicles, bikes, road-building and mining are generally not allowed in wilderness areas.

Here’s a map, courtesy  of the San Juans Citizens Alliance:

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