The Arizona snowbowl JUST OPENED today!! Latest opening ever...More powder 2 them, they could have just gave up.

Part of the problem: Arizona Snowbowl has no (or very, very limited) snowmaking. They've been trying to expand their snowmaking capacity for years but have been locked in a very big battle with Native Americans- the Navajo I believe (but am probably wrong about that). It sits on a sacred mountain and the Navajo (I'm just using their name at this point to keep things from getting too confusing) aren't happy that there's even a ski area on the mountain. Snowmaking for them is out of the question.

With the politics involved, I'm not sure if or when AZBowl will ever get a good snowmaking system. I wonder if a winter like this one will help or hurt their cause...

A snow making system wouldn't have helped them this year...no water! What the heck is the problem with snowmaking machines to the Indians? Bet they wouldn't have any problem with a gambling casino up there!

I think this is the story in question:

Flagstaff, Arizona (AHN) - A judge ruled Friday to allow officials at Arizona Snowball to use treated wastewater to make snow.

The ruling angered Native American tribes, such as The Hopi Tribe, the Navajo Nation and others, who say that the move will taint a mountain that they consider to be sacred. Snowbowl is located in the Coconino National Forest in the San Francisco Peaks, which is federal land. However, the company is owned and operated in the private sector.

Snowbowl officials say that a lack of snow has left the ski resort struggling and that adding new snow artificially is necessary. The water will be treated by pipeline, coming from Flagstaff.

U.S. District Judge Paul Rosenblatt said in his ruling that the project didn't infringe on the tribes' religious practices because they didn't do so within the realms of the project area.

And you think we have a problem with dodging the brown spots during spring skiing!

Murphy, your story is full of crap!

Har har, what a pun.

Well, technically there IS water in AZ even this year, just very, very little of it. I'm sure the skiing on the beginner slope and one intermediate run that they could have made snow on would have been epic...