From: mwallace@nyx.cs.du.edu (Mark Wallace)
Subject: Colorado Skier - Trivia 2 - Who Gets The Most!
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 18:58:52 GMT



Subject:  THE COLORADO SKIER - TRIVIA 2


Greetings from THE COLORADO SKIER


This is part of a new series on Skiing and Ski Area Trivia.  It
is being separated out from our companion series on "The Lost Ski
Areas of Colorado".  We hope to finish that other series by the
time the snow flies.  This series, however will continue as long
as we can think of ski area trivia questions and as long as you
keep reading them and give us feedback.


THE COLORADO SKIER TRIVIA -  EDITION #2


1.  THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE


A.  Trivia Question of The Year  (Mother of All Trivia Questions)

    "Which Colorado Ski areas receive the most snow?"  or, 

  "Which Colorado ski areas had the highest average base depth on
  1 April over the last ten years?"   We think that Number 1 is
  easy so you had to pick the Top 3.  We will print the Top 5. 
  If your 3 are in our 5, YOU WIN.

  If, by some miracle, your Top 3 are the SAME as our Top 3, you
  will win "a calendar and a hearty handshake".  Bonus Question: 
  Where did that last quote come from?  Hint: The hero thwarted a
  robbery and the grateful establishment rewarded him with the
  quoted riches.  If you get the Top 3 and the Bonus Question
  right, your reward will be a job with The Colorado Skier!  

  And the winners are (average depth on 1 April, in inches):

             Wolf Creek           118
             Monarch               86
             Arapahoe Basin        75
             Loveland              73
             Telluride             72


  Note 1:  Purgatory was a very close sixth, at 71 inches.  Our
  statistician points out that in "median" snow depth Purgatory
  beat Telluride 72 to 71.  That suggests a "tie" is in order. 
  However, our contest chairperson says the rules were very
  clear, that Mean value would be used.

  Note 2:  Berthoud Pass was open 7 of the 10 years.  Their
  average was 84 inches.  That would have put them in 3rd place.

  Note 3:  Vail, arguably the biggest and best ski area in the
  country, only came in 16th place, behind lowly Ski Cooper.

  Note 4:  There was a minor snag with Winter Park.  For 7 of the
  10 contest years, Mary Jane had a separate snow report which
  was always several inches higher than for Winter Park.  Here
  are the numbers:

         Winter Park  (10 years)        62
         Mary Jane    (7 years)         77
         Combined  (7 M.J. & 3 W.P.)    75

  We have three things to say about the situation.  1)  Mary Jane
  didn't report for the entire 10 years, so doesn't qualify.  2) 
  If you picked Mary Jane as one of the top three, consider
  yourself a winner.  3)  Let's hear it for Mary Jane - best
  results of any "major" ski area.


B.  THE GUESSES.  Here are the guesses from Mark, ourselves (yes,
    of course before we did the research!), some workmates, and
    some network folks:


       The Skier            Mark               Work - Ed

       Wolf Creek          Wolf creek          Wolf Creek
       Monarch             Telluride           Monarch
       Steamboat           Steamboat           Telluride


       Work - John         Work - Kris         Work - Evan

       Wolf Creek          Wolf Creek          Wolf Creek
       Steamboat           Purgatory           A-Basin
       Monarch             Steamboat           Wolverton Mtn (!)


       Net - Steve         Net - Paul          Net - Rick
       
       Wolf Creek          Wolf Creek          Wolf Creek
       A-Basin             Mary Jane           A-Basin
       Winter Park         Purgatory           Monarch
                           Monarch             Purgatory
                           Steamboat


    So, who said the first choice would be easy!  We didn't re-
    order them either; everyone picked Wolf Creek first.  But how
    many of you have actually skied there?

    We will award prizes in Section D, but in summary, of the 9
    contestants, 8 got two of the top five correct, and 2 got
    three of the top five correct.  Why did so many people
    (including us) pick Steamboat?  


C.  THE BONUS QUESTION.  In the 1940 comedy classic "The Bank
    Dick", W.C. Fields, working as a bank guard, thwarted a bank
    robbery and was rewarded by the bank president with "a bank
    calendar and a hearty handshake".  (Actually it may have been
    a hearty handCLASP but who can remember after 52 years!)  Two
    of the guesses were "Richard Pryor" and "Doc Holiday".  Now
    read Ricks' answer:

    "The quote is, I'm fairly sure, from a W.C. Fields movie, but
    I don't remember the exact title.  Something like 'The Bank
    Robbery'."     Is he old - excuse me - good or what!      
    {You may recall that Rick was the only one who knew all four
    of the Colorado gondolas which have been removed/replaced.}


D.  AND THE WINNERS ARE:

    First:  Rick - got 3 of the Top 3 and got the Bonus Question.
    Second:  Ed - Picked 3 of the top 5.
    Third:  Paul - Got a legitimate 2 right plus Mary Jane. 
    Honorable Mention:  Evan - most unusual pick.

    So Rick, what kind of a job would you like with The Colorado
    Skier?  Research, statistics, writing, librarian?  Mark has
    the Communications Manager slot filled right now and John
    Cooley is our Chief Field Agent.


E.  THE BORING DETAILS.  For those of you who want to know
    everything (besides us, that is probably two other people,
    including Rick), here is some more data:

    Area            Mean       Median     High        Annual

    Wolf Creek      118         116       174          465"
    Monarch          86          85       103          350
    A-Basin          75          75        90          360
    Loveland         73          73        85          300
    Telluride        72          71        91          300

    Purgatory        71          72        97          250
    Snowmass         66          63        99          300
    Steamboat        65          61        87          325
    Copper           64.5        63        76          255
    Keystone         64          62        76          230



2.  EGOS ARE US.  Which ski area CLAIMS to be the "largest ski 
    area in the country" even tho they do not lead in ANY
    category, including:  vertical drop, number of trails,
    acreage, number of lifts, lift capacity, number of skier
    days, snowfall, or even highest lift ticket price.  They do,
    however, lead in size of ego! 

    Answer:  HEAVENLY VALLEY, of course.  Almost everyone who
    guessed, guessed correctly.  Of course someone had to pick
    Vail.  (which actually does lead in some categories.)



3.  TRAILRIDGE (Gretna, Nebraska) FOLLOW-UP.  We mis-read our own
    data.  Trailridge (one word) did operate for the 91-92 season
    and is expected to continue operations.  Richard wrote that
    he has skied there, and his brother used to be a ski
    instructor there.  A fellow from work, here in Colo, grew up
    in a house in Gretna, only two miles from the ski area.  Gee,
    we just pick some piddling little ski area to make a trivia
    question out of and everybody has skied there!  Let's see if
    we do as well on the next one (see 4c).



4.  NEW TRIVIA QUESTIONS


a.  TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  Which western non-Colorado ski
    areas had the highest average snow depth on 1 April over the
    last 10 years?  Same rules, expanded region.  However, we
    don't have all of the data.  Here is what we have:  Most of
    California, most of Utah, plus Mt. Bachelor, Sun Valley, and
    Taos.  A little research suggests that Grand Targhee and
    Jackson Hole are the most likely potential winners we don't
    have enough data on.  

    Since the data is incomplete, we won't have a contest but you
    are welcome to send in your guesses anyway.  Secondary
    question:  How many, if any, of the other western areas will
    average out higher than Wolf Creek? 


b.  In 1969, the TIMP HAVEN, Utah ski area was renamed.

      1)  What is the new name?
      2)  What famous person owns the area?
      3)  What is the significance of the new name?


c.  Somewhere between Colorado and the Appalachians was a ski
    area called HIDDEN VALLEY.  In what unlikely state was it
    located?  



5.  LATE BREAKING NEWS

    a.  BERTHOUD PASS - We last reported that the NFS had given
    the creditors until 30 Sep to remove the chairlifts.  Rick
    reports that the chairs are now stacked on the ground and the
    cable is "limp"  (we hate it when that happens!).  Say
    goodnight, Berthoud. 

    b.  LOVELAND - Loveland got a lot of media attention when
    they announced plans to start making snow on 23 Sep. 
    Loveland has millions of dollars invested in water rights,
    water holding ponds, generators, compressors, pumps, computer
    controls, miles of pipe, miles of hose, snowguns, and at
    least one operator and a few publicists.  This stuff is
    supposed to make snow.  What was produced, with all of the TV
    cameras running, was water spray!  Our theory is that they
    were just wetting down their Fall wheat crop! 



6.  How about suggesting some trivia questions (but don't worry,
    WE will never run out).  Maybe something you have always
    wondered about or just something that you think would be a
    good trivia question.  Keep it objective/statistical, not
    subjective/opinion.  For example, we will tell you the five
    BIGGEST ski areas in New Hampshire, but not the five BEST. 
    The latter would just be an opinion that anyone could offer,
    including us, but we won't.


       ***  Keystone opens in 4 weeks!  ***


    Cheers from THE COLORADO SKIER


    "Happiness is snow tires on all four wheels."