Andrew Rivkin Visits the Beautiful Aspen Snowmass

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In order to make a ski trip out west a complete success, make sure to find the perfect place to stay. Whether you want to be in the heart of the resort amid the action and excitement, or tucked away in a cozy and quaint part of town, Aspen Snowmass has great accommodations for visitors seeking all sorts of retreats.

Andrew Rivkin loves to stay at the Aspen Square Condominium Hotel, located across the street from the Silver Queen Gondola at Aspen Mountain, in the heart of downtown Aspen. Aspen Square is a condominium property with full hotel services, and the most convenient place to stay; two of the many reasons Andrew loves to stay here. With a great location, it is close to the unique shops, art galleries and outstanding restaurants.

Moreover, larger condominiums for bigger groups include a full kitchen, fireplace, comfortable living-room seating area, and outside deck. Facilities include an outdoor heated pool and hot tub, both open all year; and our new indoor Fitness Center.

Andrew Rivkin: Aspen, Colorado

Another great place to stay is the Aspen Mountain Lodge, one of Aspen’s most popular and affordable lodges, located next to the skier shuttles. The rooms are comfortable and versatile; each room has two or more beds with one queen. And all include a wet bar with small refrigerator, in-room coffee, bathrobes, and many have balconies with mountain views and Jacuzzi whirlpool baths. You can enjoy complimentary mountain breakfast and daily après ski parties in the central atrium lobby. The dramatic four-story stone fireplace creates a warm and romantic atmosphere. One thing Rivkin is sure to take advantage of when he stays is the outdoor Jacuzzi and pool.

For those looking to spend more time at Snowmass, the Crestwood Condominiums offers the best in service and convenience. The Crestwood offers condominium comfort at the base of Snowmass with
excellent ski-in/ski-out convenience, breathtaking scenery and unmatched hospitality.  Deluxe one-, two-, and three-bedroom condominiums feature fully equipped kitchens, fireplaces, a bath for every bedroom, private balconies with gas BBQ grills, and a dataport line in all rooms.

Facilities include an outdoor heated pool, two therapy pools, a sauna and an exercise room. The Crestwood has two spacious conference rooms available for meetings, banquets or social events. Our services include daily housekeeping, full-service front desk, grocery/liquor shopping, dinner reservations, and complimentary Snowmass Village and Aspen airport shuttle service. Undoubtedly one of the best places to stay in all of Aspen, it is perfect for the family or those intent skiers looking for a great day on the slopes with plenty of relaxation later on.

For something a little different, there is the beautiful Sanctuary at Snowmass Club. Setting new standards in chartered ownership, Sanctuary offers unparalleled services and country club amenities. From exclusive on-mountain privileges in winter to unlimited access to our outstanding new Jim Engh golf course in summer, Sanctuary is a true year-round resort. Other amenities include a 19,000 square-foot athletic club, 11 outdoor and 2 indoor tennis courts, 18-hole golf course, on-mountain privileges, pilates, massage, physical therapy and yoga.

One of the many reasons Aspen is successful, and why Andrew Rivkin seeks to return so often, is the comfort and convenience that so many hotels, lodges, and condos offer guests at Aspen Snowmass.

Andrew Rivkin Reviews the Dynastar Speed Limited Skis

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With the ski season approaching I thought I would post Andrew Rivkin’s review of a couple of the seasons hottest ski’s.

Dynastar Speed Limited Skis

The Dynastar Speed Limited Carbon is one truly superior ski. Wood core, Titanal and Carbon make up a serious “weapon” for experts who crave total performance with no excuses. Andrew Rivkin recommends these skis for skiers that ignore speed limits. The shovel initiates with authority, while the generous taper angle (18mm) provides the expert with the ability to choose turns of any radius without prejudice. Very interesting skis that deliver top performance and high speed capabilities that rival race skis.

Andrew Rivkin: Dynastar Speed Limited Skis

Dynastar Speed Limited Skis

 

Black Diamond Guru Skis

The lightest ski Black Diamond makes, the Guru leads the pack on the climbs while rewarding your efforts with a solid edge hold and stable carves on the way down. Andrew Rivkin recommends these skis for epic expedition-style ski tours. Beyond its lightweight-but torsionally stiff-construction, the Guru further reduces weight by maximizing running length with a shorter tip and flat tail. This allows you to run a shorter overall size, which saves weight without sacrificing skiing performance.

Andrew Rivkin: Black Diamond Guru Skis

Black Diamond Guru Skis

 

Andrew Rivkin Offers a Preview of the Upcoming Winter Season

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As we approach the 2011/2012-winter season, Andrew Rivkin offers an insight into what to expect weather-wise. Being an avid skier, Rivkin is looking forward to a season that is forecasted to produce a significant amount of snow. The upcoming winter season looks to be cold and wet across the northern tier of states, and the drought will worsen in the South. Similar to last winter, the Pacific Ocean cooling known as La Nina is affecting the weather pattern. For the Great Lakes region, it is looking like an average winter with a tilt toward colder and wetter weather.

Andrew Rivkin: 2011/2012 Winter Temperature Forecast for Canada

2011/2012 Winter Temperature Outlook for Canada

For Andrew Rivkin this is the type of forecast he wants to hear. This weather pattern should provide for excellent skiing conditions at Ontario ski hills including Blue Mountain Resort, Horseshoe Resort and Craigleith Ski Club.

With a preview this past weekend, the major cities of the Northeast United States are forecast to get above average amounts of snow. If Rivkin recalls correctly, this past winter was characterized with similar conditions for cities on the Eastern Seaboard, which received more snow than places further North and inland. Hopefully this pattern changes a bit to give residents of Ontario a more authentic winter season. If his busy work-schedule permits, Rivkin is aiming to head up to several of the ski hills in Ontario on weekends and get in as much as skiing as he can.

Despite the “average” weather forecast for the upcoming winter season, Andrew Rivkin is taking no chances. He recently purchased the Troy-Bilt Powermore OHV Snowthrower and is excited to put it to good use. It was the following review that sold Rivkin on the Powermore: “this snow blower can thrower anything the Alberta winter can give it from 3 inches of snow to 5 foot snow drifts.” If it is good enough for an Alberta winter, it is more than suitable for an Ontario winter.

Check out the Troy-Bilt Powermore OHV Snowthrower below:

Troy-Bilt 420 cc / 45-in Powermore® OHV Snowthrower

Andrew Rivkin Visits Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood

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Andrew Rivkin enjoys spending weekends in Collingwood, Ontario. With a population of only 18,000 the resort oriented town offers tourists an incredibly fun-filled time during any season. Situated on the Southern shores of Georgian Bay Collingwood is located two hours North-West of Toronto.

Andrew Rivkin notes the proximity of the ski hills to Georgian Bay. This allows for an abundance of lake-effect snow to drop-down onto the hills. The snow creates the ideal ski conditions. In the summer the remote location of this town allows for an ideal weekend getaway. Andrew Rivkin enjoys challenging bike-rides in the morning and a relaxing horseback ride in the afternoon.

Andrew Rivkin: Blue Mountain Resort

A night view of Blue Mountain Resort

The largest resort in the area is the Blue Mountain Resort. The resort offers year-round accommodations and activities. Andrew Rivkin enjoys staying at Blue Mountain because of the luxurious accommodations and abundance of outdoor activities. Among the several lodging places available at Blue Mountain, Andrew Rivkin enjoys staying at the Seasons of Blue. The accommodations at Seasons of Blue remind him of the luxurious ski resorts in places like Switzerland.

Blue Mountain has one of the largest snowmaking machines in Canada. This ensures top-quality ski conditions even when it has not snowed for several days. A new introduction to the ski resort this past winter was the Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster. It is Ontario’s first mountain coaster! A cool feature on the Ridge Runner is the ability to control your own speed. To experience the full excitement of a roller coaster, you can travel at speeds up to 42 kilometers per hour. If you wish to take-in the magnificent view of Georgian Bay and the surrounding Niagara Escarpment you can also slow it down.

While Andrew Rivkin enjoys the extravagant ski trips to Europe and the Rocky Mountains, being able to decide last-minute to get away for a weekend is nice. After a long week of work driving north to Collingwood to enjoy the beautiful outdoors helps take the mind off of work. With a bunch of friends it can be an amazing weekend.

Check out some of the activities available at Blue Mountain below!

Andrew Rivkin Loves His New Enduro Ski’s

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Although the ski season has come to an end and we are now in the heart of summer, I thought it would be a good time to give my review on the Enduro XT 850 ski’s.
I truly enjoyed skiing the rocky mountains in these sleek pair of ski’s during the 2011 winter season.
They offer a high-performance all-mountain ski that combines Powerline for unrivaled stability and control with all mountain rocker for more terrain versatility.
Andrew Rivkin loves these ski’s!

Take a look at them below.
Andrew Rivkin's Enduro XT850 Ski's

About The Report

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Andrew Rivkin is an avid athlete and spends much of his winters travelling to some of the finest and most sought after ski mountains in the world, including Aspen, Park City, Ischgl, The Alps, Whistler, Vail and others. This website is written and maintained entirely by Andrew Rivkin and is intended to give both Ski newbies and FANATICS a taste of what to expect at these various mountains, the best equipment to use and general reviews on the skiing,ambience,hotels,dining and entertainment that each of these destinations offer.

Andrew Rivkin is a frequent writer/blogger/photographer and so you can expect ton of Andrew’s live updates on this site. The 2009/2010 ski season is fast approaching as summer quickly comes to an end.