CROSS-COUNTRY SKI AREAS BENEFIT FROM S0CIAL DISTANCING
The Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) has been conducting on-line sessions with its members to share information about the ski area response to the COVID-19 pandemic since last spring. 
Ski area operators have planned to minimize congregation of skiers by requiring on-line purchase of daily ski area trail passes, rental equipment and reserving private ski lessons. The plans for flow of ski area traffic on the premises and in the buildings have been altered, and then the winter weather arrived.
As per usual for the XC ski business, there is snow is some places and a lack of snow in others; but this year cross country ski equipment has been flying off the shelves since August. 
CCSAA Executive Director Reese Brown stated that the CCSAA website has seen a 199% increase in hits during December and there were 300 hits in one day to access results of a CCSAA survey that was produced.
XC ski area operators were mostly very upbeat about the demand and the level of business this winter. - R.L.
AVALANCHE KILLS SKIER NEAR PARK CITY: A man died in an avalanche Friday morning in Dutch Draw, according to Summit County Sheriff’s Lt. Andrew Wright, the fourth life lost in the last 15 years in the easily accessible but avalanche-prone backcountry skiing spot just outside the boundary of Park City Mountain Resort.
Authorities identified the victim as 31-year-old Kevin Jack Steuterman. Dutch Draw is located just beyond the backcountry access gate at the top of the Ninety Nine 90 lift on the Canyons Village side of PCMR.
According to a Utah Avalanche Center report, Steuterman and his girlfriend rode the Ninety Nine 90 lift and hiked to the nearby access gate. Neither were carrying avalanche equipment. A sign near the gate tells readers “you may die” entering the backcountry and features a large skull and crossbones.
COVID-19 CLOSES BLUEBIRD BACKCOUNTRY, HUNTER MOUNTAIN TEMPORARILY
Two very different ski areas on opposite sides of the country have had to shut down temporarily due to COVID-19, according to published reports.
Bluebird Backcountry, CO, a new ski area without lifts, was closed over the weekend because someone who was there last week has tested positive for the coronavirus. A statement sent out by founders Erik Lambert and Jeff Woodward, didn’t say whether the person testing positive was a guest or staff member.
Anyone who might have been exposed has been notified, the statement said. Those who had reservations for this weekend will have the opportunity to reschedule or receive a refund.
An announcement on its website said: Bluebird Backcountry will resume our normal operations beginning this Thursday, January 14! All of our services — including ski area access, rentals, backcountry lessons, avalanche courses, and limited food and beverage - will be open.
On the other side of the country, skiers across the Northeast learned that the Hunter Mountain, NY, was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, with its owners pointing to COVID-19 among ski patrollers as the reason, according to The Times Union.
There were other reasons, the story alleges, including an unprecedented spate of retirements and resignations by Hunter’s large, longtime corps of volunteer ski patrollers. Many are disillusioned by the resort’s new owner, Vail Resorts, which has cut back on the benefits given to patrollers such as free passes for their families.
The shortage of  ski patrollers points to one of several trends sweeping through the ski industry including the rise of corporate ownership and a graying population of largely weekend patrollers.
Hunter reopened on Friday.
PEOPLE * Bruce Anders, president of OBER Gatinburg, TN, died Jan. 8 due to complications from COVID-19. …Jessie Diggins made more history by becoming the first non-European to win cross-country skiing's Tour de Ski title. The American, who won team sprint gold with Kikkan Randall at PyeongChang 2018, took overall victory after finishing second to Sweden's Ebba Andersson in the 10km mass start in Val Di Fiemme on Jan. 10.