Winter Scenics

(NEDERLAND, Co., SHOT 6/7/2004).University of Colorado professor Tad Pfeffer of Nederland treks out of the Arapaho Glacier after completing his research work there one afternoon. He and others trekked in with ground penetrating radar to study snowpack levels in the glacier near Nederland. Scientists from the University of Colorado have been studying the effects of global warming on the Arapaho Glacier near Nederland for about five years. Using new techniques such as radar, the scientists are hoping to find the total amount of snowpack in the glacier and the long-term net loss of snowpack because of global warming. .(Photo by MARC PISCOTTY/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS)

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SHOT 12/14/2003 - The first stop of the Vans Triple Crown of Snowboarding wrapped up its first stop of the season with the Mountain Dew Pro Nationals Superpipe and Slopestyle Finals at Breckenridge, Co. Sunday. Some of the top names in snowboarding competed Friday through Sunday in three different events - Superpipe, Slopestyle and a Rail Jam. Patrick Kagi of Antrem, N.H. makes his way through the Slopestyle course and onto a rail as spectators watch from atop the superpipe Sunday. Kagi finished 23rd in the Slopestyle event..(Photo by Marc Piscotty/ © 2003)

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SHOT 10/2/2002 - Aspen leaves gather droplets of water as the early-season snow begins to melt near Empire along Highway 40 Wednesday morning. Aspens are trees of the willow family and comprise a section of the poplar genus, Populus sect. Populus. Aspens (apart from the aberrant White Poplar) are distinguished by their nearly round leaves on mature trees, 9?16 cm diameter with irregular rounded teeth. They are carried on strongly flattened leaf stems, which enable the leaves to twist and flutter in the slightest of breezes. All the aspens (including White Poplar) typically grow in large colonies derived from a single seedling, and spreading by means of root suckers; new stems in the colony may appear at up to 30?40 m from the parent tree. Each tree only lives for 40?150 years above ground, but the root system of the colony is long-lived, in some cases for many thousands of years, sending up new trunks as the older trunks die off above ground. For this reason it is considered to be an indicator of ancient woodlands..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2002)

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SHOT 12/28/2003 - Olga Solomina of Miami, Fla. waits for friends and family at the base of Aspen Mountain Sunday December 28, 2003. She said she used to model in Europe and Paris and was born in Russia. New Year's and Halloween are the busiest times of the year in the high-end resort town of Aspen. Finding a hotel room or restaurant reservation can be a challenge to say the least and prices tend to be even higher than normal because of the high demand. She was staying in Aspen, Co. for New Year's Eve. Aspen has become famous as a playground for the rich and beautiful..(Photo by Marc Piscotty/ © 2003)

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A lone truck sits parked at the end of a plowed drive unable to make it any further in the deep snow near Castle Rock. Aerial photographs along the I-25 corridor from Centennial to Greeneland of the effects of a slow moving winter blizzard that left as much as two feet of snow on the ground around the Denver area. Heavy snowfall and blowing winds have caused widespread closures and cancellations around Denver as a slow moving snow storm made its way through the area Thursday December 21, 2006. The snow started falling early Wednesday and finally started to taper off mid-day Thursday with as much as two feet of snow on the ground around the Denver area. I-25 was still closed from Lincoln Ave. to Colorado Springs at the time of the photographs but was later opened the entire way from Wyoming to New Mexico..(MARC PISCOTTY/ © 2006).

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Friends (From front to back of line) William Neidig, 27; Ruby Hernandez, 24; Danett Hernandez, 20 and Raul Hernandez, 21 go over a jump on tubes at the Coca-Coca Tubing Hill at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado Tuesday December 20, 2005. The attraction costs $18 for adults and $13 for kids for a one hour session. With all the snow that has fallen recently the mountain towns have become a winter wonderland and playground.They said they came up for the day to have fun because Raul is headed to Iraq soon. They came up tubing for a day last year also..(MARC PISCOTTY/ © 2005)

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Loveland Ski Area trail maintenance and snowmaking manager Mark Abrahamson checks the quality of snow and repositions snowmaking equipment early in the morning on Wednesday October 5, 2005. With temperatures finally consistently cold enough to make snow the ski area has started making snow on the trail the area hopes to have open by mid-October. Abrahamson is from Georgetown and has been working at Loveland for 18 years..(MARC PISCOTTY/ © 2005)

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Jon Tandler (cq) of Cherry Hills Village snowshoes on one of the many trails that run through the hills surrounding the Home Ranch in Clark, Co. on Friday February 2, 2007. Tandler was there for the third time and was out enjoying the outdoors with his wife and two kids. The 1,500 acre ranch is a high-end dude ranch by summer and a cross country skiing and snowshoeing paradise in the winter. The Home Ranch also welcomes guests with world-class dining at the all-inclusive ranch near Steamboat Springs. The ranch has been open since 1980 and rates in the winter range from $420/night for a room in the lodge to $525/night for a cabin..(MARC PISCOTTY/ © 2007)

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Piles of chopped firewood sit stacked on the porch of the Sundown cabin on the 1,500 acre Home Ranch in Clark, Colo. Sundown is one of eight cabins on the property. The ranch is a high-end dude ranch by summer and a cross country skiing and snowshoeing paradise in the winter. The Home Ranch also welcomes guests with world-class dining at the all-inclusive ranch near Steamboat Springs. The ranch has been open since 1980 and rates in the winter range from $420/night for a room in the lodge to $525/night for a cabin..(MARC PISCOTTY/ © 2007)

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SHOT 4/8/2007 - Images of Telluride, Co. including Telluride scenics and images of the heavy spring snowfall in the Umcompaghre National Forest and Sheep Mountain near Telluride. A bird flies through the air as a shaft of sunlight pierces the heavy cloud cover after an evening dusting of spring snow left the trees around Telluride covered the next morning..(Photo by Marc Piscotty © 2007)

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SHOT 3/22/2004 - Friends Brian Brill (left) of Blue River and Amy Kirchner of Breckenridge, Co. grill out on The Beach at Arapahoe Basin Monday afternoon after a day of skiing and snowboarding. With temperatures in the 50's and plenty of sun, spring conditions are in full force at all of the Colorado ski resorts. The flamingo belongs to Kirchner and she said it has traveled all over the country with her. The Beach is a popular apres-ski party area at Arapahoe Basin..(Photo by Marc Piscotty/ © 2004)

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SHOT 12/6/2007 - Skiier Brian Siffermann of Denver, Co. launches himself off a jump at Crested Butte Mountain Resort one afternoon. Images of dining, shopping and places to stay in the town of Crested Butte, Co. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a popular destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The town also features Elk Avenue, an historic main street where much of the shopping and dining is located. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado.(Photo by Marc Piscotty/ © 2007)

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SHOT 12/6/2007 - A skiier plows through some fresh powder at Crested Butte Mountain Resort one afternoon. Images of dining, shopping and places to stay in the town of Crested Butte, Co. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a popular destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The town also features Elk Avenue, an historic main street where much of the shopping and dining is located. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado.(Photo by Marc Piscotty/ © 2007)

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??? on Friday February 2, 2007. The 1,500 acre Home Ranch in Clark, Colo. is a high-end dude ranch by summer and a cross country skiing and snowshoeing paradise in the winter. The Home Ranch also welcomes guests with world-class dining at the all-inclusive ranch near Steamboat Springs. The ranch has been open since 1980 and rates in the winter range from $420/night for a room in the lodge to $525/night for a cabin..(MARC PISCOTTY/ © 2007)

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SHOT 12/6/2007 - Images of the start of an epic season of snow in 2007 and 2008 in the town of Crested Butte, Co. A bicycle is covered in snow on Elk Avenue in the start of what would become one of the best seasons of snow on record for the ski town. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a popular destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The town also features Elk Avenue, an historic main street where much of the shopping and dining is located. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado.(Photo by Marc Piscotty/ © 2007)

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SHOT 12/6/2007 - Images of snow piled high along Elk Avenue in the town of Crested Butte, Co. The 2007-2008 ski season was one of the best on record because of the huge snow totals. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a popular destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The town also features Elk Avenue, an historic main street where much of the shopping and dining is located. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado.(Photo by Marc Piscotty/ © 2007)

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SHOT 3/26/08 6:47:44 PM - Homes on a hillside bask in some of the last light of the day as the sun sets in Crested Butte, Co. Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census. The Colorado General Assembly has designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. Backcountry skiing in the surrounding mountains is some of the best in Colorado. Crested Butte is a mountain peak of the Elk Mountains in the U.S. State of Colorado. It is also a town population aprox. 2000. The Greater area includes Crested Butte, Mt. Crested Butte, Riverland, Riverbend, and Crested Butte South..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2008)

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SHOT 1/10/09 5:21:14 PM - A wreath and Tibetan prayer flags adorn an entryway and a door of a home in Crested Butte, Co. Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census. The Colorado General Assembly has designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. Backcountry skiing in the surrounding mountains is some of the best in Colorado. The mountain, Crested Butte, rises to 12,162 feet (3,700 m) above sea level. Prayer flags are colorful panels or rectangular cloths often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas to bless the surrounding countryside or for other purposes. Unknown in other branches of Buddhism, prayer flags are believed to have originated with Bön, which predated Buddhism in Tibet. Traditionally they are woodblock-printed with texts and images..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2009)

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SHOT 1/10/09 5:32:39 PM - A cruiser bike stuck in a snowbank in a backyard in Crested Butte, Co. Bikes are a popular form of transportation in the small mountain town even in the wintertime. Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census. The Colorado General Assembly has designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. Backcountry skiing in the surrounding mountains is some of the best in Colorado. The mountain, Crested Butte, rises to 12,162 feet (3,700 m) above sea level..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2009)

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SHOT 1/10/09 5:56:14 PM - The last light of the day catches a peak just outside of Crested Butte, Co. as the sun sets. Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census. The Colorado General Assembly has designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. Backcountry skiing in the surrounding mountains is some of the best in Colorado. The mountain, Crested Butte, rises to 12,162 feet (3,700 m) above sea level..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2009)

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SHOT 1/10/09 6:03:55 PM - Icicles hang from a roofline on the Forest Queen hotel in Crested Butte, Co. This 7-guestroom hotel is on Elk Street in historic Crested Butte, a block from the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre. Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census. The Colorado General Assembly has designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. Backcountry skiing in the surrounding mountains is some of the best in Colorado. The mountain, Crested Butte, rises to 12,162 feet (3,700 m) above sea level..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2009)

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SHOT 1/10/09 6:05:46 PM - An icicle on a home in Crested Butte, Co. Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census. The Colorado General Assembly has designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. Backcountry skiing in the surrounding mountains is some of the best in Colorado. The mountain, Crested Butte, rises to 12,162 feet (3,700 m) above sea level..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2009)

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SHOT 1/12/09 1:12:50 PM - Snow falls at Third Street and Elk Avenue in Crested Butte, Co. Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census. The Colorado General Assembly has designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. Backcountry skiing in the surrounding mountains is some of the best in Colorado. The mountain, Crested Butte, rises to 12,162 feet (3,700 m) above sea level..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2009)

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SHOT 1/12/09 1:13:03 PM - A Crested Butte, Co. local rides his bike down Elk Avenue, the town's main street, during a snowstorm. Bikes are a popular form of transportation in the small mountain town even in the wintertime. Crested Butte is a Home Rule Municipality in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. A former coal mining town now called "the last great Colorado ski town", Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and a variety of other outdoor activities. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census. The Colorado General Assembly has designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado. The primary winter activity in Crested Butte is skiing or snowboarding at nearby Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Mount Crested Butte, Colorado. Backcountry skiing in the surrounding mountains is some of the best in Colorado. The mountain, Crested Butte, rises to 12,162 feet (3,700 m) above sea level..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2009)

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SHOT 1/12/09 3:41:21 PM - Monarch Pass (el. 11,312 feet (3,448 m)) is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of south-central Colorado in the United States. The pass is located on the continental divide at the southern end of the Sawatch Range along the border between Gunnison and Chaffee counties, approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of the town of Salida. The pass carries U.S. Highway 50 over the Sawatch Range, providing a route between Tomichi Creek in the upper basin of the Gunnison River on the west and the South Arkansas River, a tributary of the Arkansas River on the east. The pass is traversable by all vehicles under most conditions and is generally open year-round. It is prone to heavy winter snowfall however, and is often temporarily closed in heavy winter storms. During icy conditions, a single runaway truck ramp on the south side provides security for truckers who need to use it if they lose control. The pass is widely considered one of the most scenic in Colorado, offering a panoramic view of the southern end of the Sawatch Range from the summit. A gift shop and small restaurant are located at the pass. During the summer, an aerial tram from the parking lot at the summit lets visitors ascend to the top of Monarch Ridge above the pass (at approximately 12,000 feet above sea level), allowing a wider view of the surrounding peaks. During the winter, visitors enjoy skiing at Monarch ski area..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2009)

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SHOT 1/12/09 3:42:56 PM - Wind kicks up fresh snow off of pine trees near the summit of Monarch Pass. Monarch Pass (el. 11,312 feet (3,448 m)) is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of south-central Colorado in the United States. The pass is located on the continental divide at the southern end of the Sawatch Range along the border between Gunnison and Chaffee counties, approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of the town of Salida. The pass carries U.S. Highway 50 over the Sawatch Range, providing a route between Tomichi Creek in the upper basin of the Gunnison River on the west and the South Arkansas River, a tributary of the Arkansas River on the east. The pass is traversable by all vehicles under most conditions and is generally open year-round. It is prone to heavy winter snowfall however, and is often temporarily closed in heavy winter storms. During icy conditions, a single runaway truck ramp on the south side provides security for truckers who need to use it if they lose control. The pass is widely considered one of the most scenic in Colorado, offering a panoramic view of the southern end of the Sawatch Range from the summit. A gift shop and small restaurant are located at the pass. During the summer, an aerial tram from the parking lot at the summit lets visitors ascend to the top of Monarch Ridge above the pass (at approximately 12,000 feet above sea level), allowing a wider view of the surrounding peaks. During the winter, visitors enjoy skiing at Monarch ski area..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2009)

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Nathaniel Martinez (cq), 15, walks down Clay Street near West 40th Ave. in Northwest Denver on his way to Decatur West Nursing Home where he works to help out shoveling sidewalks on Thursday. Heavy snowfall and blowing winds have caused widespread closures and cancellations around Denver as a slow moving snow storm made its way through the area Thursday December 21, 2006. The snow started falling early Wednesday and finally started to taper off mid-day Thursday with as much as two feet of snow on the ground around the Denver area. Local residents spent much of the morning on Thursday trying to dig out of one of the largest winter storms in years. .(MARC PISCOTTY/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS) CQ Nathaniel Martinez

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(DENVER, CO Shot on 4/10/05) .Tanner plays in the snow during an unexpected spring blizzard in Denver, Co..(Photo by MARC PISCOTTY/ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS)

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SHOT 10/18/2006 - The first snow of the fall season covers the ground at Berkeley Park in Denver, Colo. knocking some of the fall foliage off the trees and onto the ground. Snow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure..(Photo by MARC PISCOTTY/ © 2006)

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SHOT 1/26/09 3:37:06 PM - Canadian Geese brave the chilly waters of Rocky Mountain Lake Park in Denver, Co. one afternoon as mist rises off the warmer water into the cooler surrounding air. The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is a goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to North America. It is quite often called the Canadian Goose. This species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a variety of habitats. Its nest is usually located in an elevated area near water such as streams, lakes, ponds and sometimes on a beaver lodge. In recent years, Canada Geese populations in some areas have grown substantially, so much so that many consider them pests (for their droppings, the bacteria in their droppings, noise and confrontational behavior). This problem is partially due to the removal of natural predators and an abundance of safe, man-made bodies of water (such as on golf courses, public parks and beaches, and in planned communities). Canada geese are known for their seasonal migrations. Most Canada geese have staging or resting areas where they join up with others. Their fall migration can be seen from September through the beginning of November..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2009)

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Snowboarder Danny Kass (#11) gets some big air out of the Superpipe at the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix in Breckenridge, Co. on Wednesday December 14, 2005. The U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix event is the first of three stops in a series that will determine who will make the U.S. Snowboard Team that will head over to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Twelve women and 25 men competed in the Superpipe at Breckenridge in the first of two finals Wednesday.

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SHOT 1/26/2004 - Ski Superpipe competitor Gigi Couttet, 15, of Courchevel, France blasts out of the pipe during a practice session at Winter X Games VIII at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen on Monday. Men's Superpipe finals are on Tuesday evening. The five day long event that started Friday and continues through Tuesday and features more than 250 of the top winter sports athletes from across the globe competing in Moto X, Ski, Snowboard and Snowmobile. For the first time, the Winter X Games will feature nighttime events under lights to go along with the live telecasts.

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(SANTA CATERINA, Italy - Shot 2/2/2005).U.S. women's downhiller and Vail, CO native Lindsey Vonn (#16) kicks up snow as she carves through a set of gates during training on Wednesday on the Pista Deborah Compagnoni slope. The second of three training runs was held Wednesday in Santa Caterina on the Pista Deborah Compagnoni slope in Santa Caterina, Italy in preparation for Sunday's women's downhill at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships..

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Hannah Teter of Belmont, Vt. flips out of the halfpipe during the halfpipe finals at the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix in Breckenridge, Co. Saturday December 17, 2005. The Breckenridge event was the first of three stops in a series that will determine who will make the U.S. Snowboard Team and represent the country in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Shaun White of Carlsbad, Ca. won the men's event while Gretchen Bleiler of Snowmass Village, Co. won the women's event. The Grand Prix, now in its 10th year as the premier snowboard series in North America, features a cash purse of $340,000 and a new Chevrolet truck to the overall male and female winner of the series. Teter won the first halfpipe event but finished 5th in the second event with a score of 31.90..(MARC PISCOTTY/ © 2006)

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Ben Palmer, 16, of Denver rotates halfway through a 360 on the big kicker at Echo Mountain Park near Evergreen on Sunday April 9, 2006. Echo Mountain Park is Colorado's first terrain-park only ski and snowboard area and features numerous rails, obstacles and jumps on the site of the former Squaw Pass Ski Area in the Arapaho National Forest near Mount Evans. The area opened recently and is hoping to attract a younger crowd with cheaper tickets, music, contests and a shorter and easier drive from Denver. It was Palmer's first time skiing at Echo Mountain Park..(MARC PISCOTTY/ © 2006)

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SHOT 11/29/2007 - U.S. skier Bode Miller catches air off the Red Tail jump during the downhill run of the Men's Super Combined at the 2007/08 Charles Schwab Birds of Prey ski race in Beaver Creek, Co. The event was won by Swiss skier Daniel Albrecht (2:00.26) with French skier Jean-Baptiste Grange finishing second (2:00.93) and Czech skier Ondrej Bank finishing third ((2:01.23). US skier Bode Miller finished just out of the medals in fourth (2:01.28) and Ted Ligety finished eighth (2:01.67). Thomas (TJ) Lanning finished tenth (2:01.89). Miller, always a controversial figure in skiing, quit the U.S. Ski Team in the offseason to race on his own. Miller didn't place in the top three in any of the events in Beaver Creek this year..(Photo by Marc Piscotty/ © 2007)

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SHOT 1/25/08 12:46:30 PM - Tim Humphreys of Basking Ridge, NJ grabs the tails of his snowboard while airborne during practice Friday January 25, 2008 at Winter X Games Twelve in Aspen, Co. at Buttermilk Mountain. Humphreys just missed qualifying for the finals in the event finishing in 11th place. The 12th annual winter action sports competition features athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money is skiing, snowboarding and snowmobile. Numerous events were broadcast live and seen in more than 120 countries. The event will remain in Aspen, Co. through 2010..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2008)

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SHOT 1/25/08 12:12:33 PM - Norwegian snowboarder Andreas Wiig from Oslo gets airborne over a gap jump during a practice session for the Snowboard Slopestyle qualifying Friday January 25, 2008 at Winter X Games Twelve in Aspen, Co. at Buttermilk Mountain. Wiig qualified for the event and went on to win with a score of 92.00, beating out U.S. riders Kevin Pearce (88.33) and Shaun White (83.33). It was the second year in a row Wiig has won gold in the event. The 12th annual winter action sports competition features athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money is skiing, snowboarding and snowmobile. Numerous events were broadcast live and seen in more than 120 countries. The event will remain in Aspen, Co. through 2010..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / WpN © 2008)

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SHOT 1/25/08 12:14:51 PM - Heikki Sorsa of Helsinki, Finland goes big off the gap jump during practice for qualifying in the Snowboard Slopestyle evenrt Friday January 25, 2008 at Winter X Games Twelve in Aspen, Co. at Buttermilk Mountain. The 12th annual winter action sports competition features athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money is skiing, snowboarding and snowmobile. Numerous events were broadcast live and seen in more than 120 countries. The event will remain in Aspen, Co. through 2010..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2008)

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SHOT 1/26/08 2:40:21 PM - Blair Morgan works his way through some small jumps during a qualifying run for the finals of the Snowmobile Snocross event Saturday January 26, 2008 at Winter X Games Twelve in Aspen, Co. at Buttermilk Mountain. The 12th annual winter action sports competition features athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money is skiing, snowboarding and snowmobile. Numerous events were broadcast live and seen in more than 120 countries. The event will remain in Aspen, Co. through 2010. Blair Morgan (born October 9, 1975 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) is a multi-time CMRC Canadian National championship-winning motocross racer. He is also a multi-time World Snocross snowmobile champion and a 5-times X-Games gold medalist. Blair is a fan-favorite in the sport for his sheer speed and determination. He has made several comebacks from devastating injuries, and is crediting with pioneering the modern snocross riding style, drawing comparisons to Jeremy McGrath of supercross for his innovation..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2008)

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SHOT 1/26/08 2:54:29 PM - Bobby LePage (left) of Hermantown, MN gets airborne as Ryan Simons (right) of Camrose, AB Canada follows in hot pursuit during the Snowmobile Snocross elimination Saturday January 26, 2008 at Winter X Games Twelve in Aspen, Co. at Buttermilk Mountain. The 12th annual winter action sports competition features athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money is skiing, snowboarding and snowmobile. Numerous events were broadcast live and seen in more than 120 countries. The event will remain in Aspen, Co. through 2010..(Photo by Marc Piscotty / © 2008)

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$SHOT 1/25/2004 - Tanner Hall of Kalispell, Mont. goes up and over a kink in one of the rails on the Ski Slopestyle course at Winter X Games VIII at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen on Sunday. Hall walked away with a gold medal in the event, it's his third consecutive Winter X Games gold medal. The five day long event that started Friday and continues through Tuesday and features more than 250 of the top winter sports athletes from across the globe competing in Moto X, Ski, Snowboard and Snowmobile. For the first time, the Winter X Games will feature first-time nighttime events to go along with the live telecasts. Events are free to attend. Tanner Hall (born October 26, 1983) of Kalispell, Montana is a freeskier. In an attempt at his fourth straight Winter X Games gold in skier slopestyle he was upset by Charles Gagnier..In March of 2005, Hall was severely injured in an attempt to switch 900 over the infamous 136 foot Chad's Gap, coming up short on the high side of the landing and fracturing both ankles and heel bones..(Photo by Marc Piscotty/ © 2004)$