Jackson Hole Closure: On the night of Tuesday, Feb. 7, fierce winds downed power lines to force Jackson Hole Mountain Resort into an unprecedented closure that will last until Monday, Feb. 13. The Wyoming resort’s base area, Teton Village, was left without electricity due to the damaged power poles along Highway 390.

Photo: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Electrical power has been available in the nearby town of Jackson. Jackson Hole Airport has managed to stay open for the most part thanks to backup generators. Nevertheless, United Airlines, Delta and American Airlines did offer travel waivers for destination visitors coming to the area. Snow King Mountain overlooking Jackson and Grand Targhee Resort on the other side of Teton Pass have been able to operate as usual.

A-Basin Backcountry Event: On Saturday, Feb. 4, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area hosted its 15^th- annual “Beacon Bowl” competition and fundraiser to benefit the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC). The timed competition involved finding buried beacons just off the Wrangler run on the lower part of the mountain. Matt Janzen won the pro division with a time of 4:35. Rodney Lim captured the recreational division. Mark Jardin took top honors in the junior competition.

 
Photo: Eric Wagnon

Funds from the silent auction CAIC fundraiser are still being collected, but the event’s total proceeds are expected to exceed $13,500, according to Adrienne Saia Isaac, A-Basin’s marketing and communications manager. The CAIC provides an invaluable service to backcountry skiers and boarders through detailed avalanche advisories for mountains across the state.

A-Basin Expansion: A few days after the backcountry-focused Beacon Bowl, A-Basin made news with plans to bring 468 acres of backcountry terrain inbounds. The ski area released more details and a timeline for The Beavers and The Steep Gullies expansion that was approved by the U.S. Forest Service in November.

Graphic: Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Next ski season, The Steep Gullies and part of The Beavers will open as inbounds hike-back terrain. In time for the 2018-19 season, a fixed-grip quad chairlift will be installed to serve 339 acres in The Beavers.

End of Skiing Magazine Print Edition: As reported Thursday by Jason Blevins of the Denver Post, Skiing Magazine will stop publishing its quarterly print edition. Generally catering to a younger readership, Skiing Magazine’s content will be incorporated into its sister magazine, SKI, that had been targeted solely to an older, more affluent demographic. The skiingmag.com website will stay intact.

Alpine World Ski Championships: The 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships kicked off Monday, Feb. 6, in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The ski-racing events will continue through Sunday, Feb. 19. Highlighting the early results, Canadian Erik Guay became the oldest world champion in alpine-skiing history by winning the super-G at the age of 35.

Reporting and writing by Eric Wagnon (thanks Eric!)