Monday, September 19, 2011

Vail 2011-12 Snow Prediction

You can't predict the weather, but it doesn't mean that people aren't going to try. Short-range weather predictions are often flawed, let alone long-term predictions about such variable conditions as temperature and precipitation. The La Nina weather pattern this coming winter means one thing for sure — there will be unusually cold ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the Equator. The conditions tend to bring wetter than normal conditions across the Pacific Northwest and dryer and warmer than normal conditions across much of the southern tier of the United States. Colorado sits right in the middle, meaning things here could go either way. Last season was also a La Nina year. This coming winter is a “big La Nina year,” but that doesn't necessarily mean previous La Nina patterns in the area mean anything about what's to comeJ Really, Colorado falls in an area where the weather phenomena don't necessarily affect our region one way or another.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Vail Oktoberfest

Why we celebrate Oktoberfest......
Oktoberfest - In September?
Oktoberfest traditionally starts in the third weekend in September and ends the first sunday of October.
What is Oktoberfest? It began with the Royal Wedding on 12 October 1810.


Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12 October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The fields were renamed Theresienwiese ("Theres'a Fields") to honor the Crown Princess, although the locals have since abbreviated the name simply to "Wiesn". Horse races in the presence of the royal family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in subsequest years gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest.
The Oktoberfest continues in 1811
In 1811, an added feature to the horse races was the first Agricultural Show, designed to boost Bavarian agriculture. The horse races, which were the oldest - and at one time - the most popular event of the festival are no longer held today. But the Agricultural Show is still held every three years during the Oktoberfest on the southern part of the festival grounds.
More and more things to see and do
In the first few decades, the choices of amusements were sparse. In 1818, the first carousel and two swings were set up. Vistitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands, which grew rapidly in number. In 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by the enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries. The remainder of the festival site was taken up by a fun-fair. The range of carousels offered was already increasing rapidly in the 1870's as the fairground trade continued to grow and develope in Germany.