Powder alert Kirkwood Ca.
12-24" of NEW SNOW!
20-49" of snowfall this season to date.
Today's Forecast: Snow expected throughout the day

We’ll have probably have intermediate terrain only, Chair 5, but it’s the start of the season none the less. For the weekend, we hope to have Chairs 1, 5, 6 and 11, but it really just depends on the weather. We'll open whatever we can, as quickly as possible. Ticket prices will be discounted; prices will be determined when we know how much terrain we can offer. All services will be available on the Village Plaza; private lessons only until we open Chair 1. If you have a beginner in the group, please call or check the website first to ensure we have beginner terrain available before heading up. It snowed all day yesterday. From first light until well after dark, we had snow at all elevations. It was wet, the kind of snow that works its way down between the rocks and into the nooks and crannies where it will freeze and hold. This is the old tried and true recipe for great base. Nothing better than wet, sloppy snow, and lots of it, to paint the mountain with that most important base coat. This is the anchor for the 40+ feet of snow that will pile on top of it in the next few months.
That is the good news. The not so good news is that even though it snowed all day long (a pretty impressive feat given the low was around 33˚), the measuring stick at the bottom read a consistent 14 inches… all day long. Not a big deal, we wouldn’t even really make mention of it, if it wasn’t for the fact that we’re opening tomorrow and we need more than what we have to give our beloved guests what they want – great conditions, lots of terrain and plenty of options.
ALso a reminder,... Expedition: Kirkwood, California’s only resort based backcountry education program, teaches skills needed for backcountry skiing and riding. Seasoned Kirkwood ski patrollers and certified guides lead all programs, which include necessary backcountry specific equipment, including avalanche beacon, probe and shovel. Expedition: Kirkwood also offers several camps and clinics designed to improve your on-mountain skills including new women’s only clinics that teaches the skills to master a variety of terrain and snow conditions, how to find the best line and off-piste skiing etiquette.

Kirkwood
***



IOC International Olympic Comittee
Pleased with progress, IOC encourages Torino 2006 team
Led by Chairman and Olympic skiing legend Jean-Claude Killy, the IOC’s Coordination Commission has concluded its 10th and final full visit to Turin to review preparations for the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games. The Commission’s visit comprised three days of intensive meetings and site visits, and considered all aspects of the work required to ensure the successful staging of the Games.
IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Jean-Claude Killy said: “In terms of the seven years it takes to work on hosting the Olympic Games, the Opening Ceremony for Torino 2006 is now only a moment away. In and around Turin, great preparation work has been accomplished. The IOC is confident that one final effort from the Torino 2006 team, working as one, will lead to wonderfully successful Games. The world’s best winter sports athletes deserve nothing less.”
After meetings which brought together the representatives of the government at city, regional and national level, with five ministers present, Killy said: “We were particularly pleased to see all the public authorities that will help Torino 2006 deliver the Games around the same table. Preparing for the Olympic Games is a team effort. It is important this team stays focused and stays together, taking its cue from strong leadership on the part of the Organising Committee.”
Following the lighting of the Olympic torch on 27 November in ancient Olympia, and prior to its arrival in Rome on 7 December, Killy said: “Italy’s passion for sport is legendary. As the Olympic torch continues its relay towards Turin, I expect the whole country to be set alight as the passion for these Games builds and builds. With the winter sports season well under way, all eyes are turning to Turin and to Italy. Tens of thousands of people are looking forward to experiencing a festival spirit in Turin, while hundreds of millions more are looking forward to watching the Games.”
Drawing on his own experience and that of his IOC colleagues of organising successful Olympic Winter Games, Killy said: “Of course there will be challenges at Games time: there are always surprises either with the weather or a whole range of other issues. The success of the Games will depend on the ability of the organisers to overcome those challenges through successful Games operations. The IOC is confident that TOROC and its partners have the skills and experience to find solutions wherever there may be problems.”
Torino 2006 Organising Committee (TOROC) President Valentino Castellani added: “For more than six years now, we have had the opportunity to appreciate the advice and experience of the IOC Coordination Commission. We all share the same passion for the Olympic Games and this passion drives us all to want to do our best possible work to ensure the success of the Games. We are especially passionate about doing our best for the athletes. The athletes’ dreams of the Games motivate them through many years of training. I am confident they will be delighted by what they find in and around Turin.”
Although no further Coordination Commission meetings will take place before the Olympic Winter Games in Turin, smaller groups from the IOC will continue to visit, providing observations, advice and helping apply lessons from previous Games. IOC President Jacques Rogge will visit Turin, where he will meet with TOROC, tour venues and visit the ISU speed skating World Cup event, on 9 December.
IOC News Letter

Countdown

A Review of the Winter Olympic sites in order starting with
CHAMONIX 1924 Ist Olympic Winter Games
In 1921, the International Olympic Committee voted to stage “International Sports Week 1924” in Chamonix, France. This event was a complete success and was retroactively named the First Olympic Winter Games. The first event to be decided in Chamonix was the men’s 500m speed skating.



The first gold medal went to Charles Jewtraw of the United States. A. Clas Thunberg of Finland earned medals in all five speed skating events: three gold, one silver and one bronze. Norway’s Thorleif Haug dominated Nordic skiing, winning both cross-country races and the Nordic combined. The Canadian ice hockey team won all five of their matches, outscoring their opponents 110 to 3.

16 NOCs (Nations)
258 athletes (11 women, 247 men)
16 events

Credit: IOC Museum archives
Olympic Org
Photo: IOC/COUTTET Auguste

Chamonix Today
Chamonix