Trail Map

  On Mountain Facilities


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  Independence Superchair

  Rocky Mountain Superchair

The video is cool, but the photos aren't the greatest - what gives?

Unfortunately, I have had limited time to do these demos. I shoot on my days off from work, which aren't always the best days to shoot. As I get more days on the mountain (and hopefully more clear days), the demos will be updated and improved. I will also be adding more demos in the near future, and my goal will be to cover 1 lift with 5 trails per day on the mountain (including both video and top-notch still photography). Provided the weather cooperates and my digital camera doesn't freeze, some top-quality demos will be posted very soon.

I tried to open a video, and I was asked to download a "codec" from Microsoft. What is a codec, and do I really need it?

Codecs are software "translators" that allow you to watch video on your computer. I used one of the newest codecs to produce my videos, and a number of older computers (particularly Windows 95 and 98 machines) don't have this codec pre-installed. Simply download the codec, and the videos will play just fine. Codecs are very small in most cases, so the download shouldn't be much more than a minute (even on a 28k modem).

Why is are the videos so small? And why can't I see them on a Macintosh?

The videos are created in Windows Streaming Media format with a target of a 33.6k modem. Rendering the video for such a low target means that everyone can see it, but the size of the window can't be very large. Later versions of the VMT will have both low bandwith video for modem users and larger, better quality videos for cable modem and high speed lines. Later VMT's will also include video in Quicktime format for Macintosh users (though the video will not stream as it does for Windows Media Player).

I understand this is just a demo. What would a full Virtual Mountain Tour include?

The Virtual Mountain Tour is completely customizable. As a result, you can include as much or as little as you wish. Here are the main potential components of a full Virtual Mountain Tour:

• Full mountain coverage of as many trails as possilbe. Each trail would be covered by helmetcam video and a full photo tour. When video footage is not practical (such as on expert terrain and mogul runs where the footage would run extremely long and be very jerky), the trail would be covered with a photo tour. The target for coverage would be 70-80% of all trails
• Full trail map. A full trail map would be made available to assist in navigating the mountain tour, with a printable version available to download.
• All on-mountain facilities would be shown. Each facility would have a series of pages produced to highlight what they offer, including restaurants or other unique features. 360 degree Quicktime panoramic views of the interior would be optional.
• Base-mountain areas would be shown and available to tour. Tours can be as simple as a "quick hike" photo tour similar to the photo tour seen on the trails, or a full detailed walkthrough of each village's offerings.
• Hotels and condos for rent can also be included. Virtual tours of these facilities can also be created and included to give a full sense of all the offerings at the resort.