Andy Hays, Author at SnowBrains

Waiting for the Rain in California…

Waiting for the rain to come. In the wintertime there are fewer things I loath than the sound of an ice cold rain pounding down on the roof. Yet come summertime there is nothing that my ears long for more than the gentle pattering on the tin, turning to a more audible soaking roar. […]

Andy Hays | July 15, 2014

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Did Park City Execute the Greatest Blunder of All-Time?

A recent court order all but seems to have closed the book on the struggle to control the resort at Park City, Utah. In what apparently was an oversight of the most colossal variety, the former operators of Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) missed the deadline for renewing their lease. Always the opportunist, Vail Resorts swooped in and snatched it from their grasp. A shocking turn of events to say the least. Somewhere, someone at PCMR […]

Andy Hays | June 24, 2014

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Has “Soul” Become the New “Extreme”?

It has been recently been brought to my attention that if I was looking for soul, I could discover it at Squaw Valley this summer. Pausing for a moment, I took in the significance of this. Skiing apparently also has a soul, and he currently calls the valley home as well, or as much as could be confirmed by the marketing department. Little is known if the two souls are in fact related in any way, nor was […]

To Duck The Rope or Not to Duck…| The Forbidden Dance

He doesn’t care what kind of skier you are. He won’t discriminate, expert, beginner, or terminal novice alike. He is the skier’s oldest and most persistent foil, on a long enough timeline the day will come that you find yourself face to face with, The Rope. The Rope’s orange color gives it an officious look, as it hangs there looking stern. Often times there are additional medallions of warning, badges on a deputized strand of nylon. Rope wants you to know he has his eye on you. For the most part Monsieur rope and I ignore each other. […]

“City House, Country House” | Can Mountain People Really Run Squaw Valley?

In their most recent advertisement the ironically named, Squaw financed coalition, Save Olympic Valley (SOV) enlisted a pair of second home owners, San Francisco couple Terry and Heidi Deveau, to share their concerns with the incorporation efforts. “We’re concerned that Squaw does not have enough qualified people to run a town…” Yes, they decided to go there, It seems Andy Wirth and his friends don’t think that you are smart […]