Beartooth Pass, MT/WY, Road Closure Due to Snow and Extreme Weather Shuts Down America’s Only Summer Ski Area A Beartooth Pass road closure is in effect after snow and extreme weather forced the shutdown of U.S. Highway 212 at the Montana/Wyoming state line. Plow crews are en route, but no reopening timeline has been confirmed. The 68-mile road, which peaks at 10,947 feet, typically closes from early Fall through April or May due to deep snow. The Beartooth […] SnowBrains | June 10, 2026 0 Comments
French Ski Instructor Convicted for Secretly Filming Sex Act in Gondola A French ski instructor has been convicted after secretly filming a sex act inside a gondola at Courchevel, France, one of the world’s most famous ski resorts. The ski instructor received an eight-month suspended prison sentence from a court in Albertville on June 1 after a complaint was filed by the young woman involved. The case dates back to February […] Industry News SnowBrains | June 7, 2026 0 Comments
The 13 Largest Ski Resorts on Earth, Ranked by Size We all know that bigger is better when it comes to ski resorts and many other things. In the USA, a biggest ski resort is Big Sky and it’s 5,800 acres. There are ski resorts in the Alps that make Big Sky look like a kiddie hill. So, where are the biggest ski resorts on Earth? Mostly in the Alps, it’s true, but there are a couple others outside of the Alps in North America. If you’re a true ski freak […] Brains SnowBrains | June 7, 2026 75 Comments
Search for Missing Auburn University, AL, Student Ends Tragically in Mountains Outside Kyoto, Japan A weeklong search for missing Auburn University student James “Weston” Higginbotham has ended in tragedy after volunteer search-and-rescue teams found his body in a mountainous area outside Kyoto, Japan, on Saturday, June 7. The 20-year-old American student had been missing since May 29 while traveling in Japan with his family. His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, confirmed the news in a statement […] Hiking SnowBrains | June 6, 2026 0 Comments
National Park Service Ranger Killed in Crevasse Fall on Denali, AK A National Park Service mountaineering ranger died Thursday, June 4, 2026, after falling into a crevasse while on patrol high on Denali, Alaska, the tallest mountain in North America. Related: Skier Dies After Falling 80-Feet Into Crevasse in Jasper National Park, AB According to the National Park Service (NPS), seasonal mountaineering ranger Robin Pendery, of Enumclaw, Washington, fell into a […] Climbing SnowBrains | June 6, 2026 0 Comments
Widow Sues 29029 Everesting Challenge Organizers After Husband’s Death at Snow King Mountain, WY, Alleging Fatal Medical Negligence A wrongful death lawsuit following the Everesting challenge death at Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is making explosive allegations about what event organizers knew — and failed to do. The widow of a Connecticut investment banker Slava Leykind, who died after participating in a grueling endurance challenge at Snow King Mountain last year, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit […] Hiking SnowBrains | June 5, 2026 0 Comments
Bill Koch’s Elk Mountain Lodge in Aspen, CO, Headed to Auction This July One of Aspen’s most recognizable ultra-luxury ski estates is heading to auction this summer. Elk Mountain Lodge, billionaire Bill Koch’s sprawling ranch compound outside Aspen, Colorado, will go under the hammer in July after sitting on the market for more than 500 days, according to reporting first published by the Aspen Times. The 52-acre property, located at 125 Rooney Circle […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 29, 2026 1 Comment
Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde Hit Copper Mountain, CO, for Spring Ski Training Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde are back on snow together, sharing a relaxed spring training session at Copper Mountain, Colorado, as both athletes continue their off-season preparation. Shiffrin posted images from the session with her fiancé Kilde, captioning the moment: “A little spring skiing at Copper Mountain with the best team (and fam).” The World Cup overall champion was […] Competition SnowBrains | May 28, 2026 1 Comment
Mammoth Mountain, CA, Extends Ski Season Into June Following Fresh Snowfall California’s Mammoth Mountain has announced another extension to its 2025–26 ski season, with lifts now scheduled to operate through Sunday, June 7 as late-season snow and cold temperatures continue to preserve conditions on the upper mountain. The resort said Tuesday that it plans to continue skiing and snowboarding operations “as long as conditions allow,” extending the season further into June […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 27, 2026 0 Comments
Caltrans Orders Temporary Closures on Three Sierra Passes Due to Weather Today, California transportation officials have announced temporary highway closures across several major Sierra Nevada mountain passes due to incoming weather conditions. According to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), closures will affect State Route 4 over Ebbetts Pass, State Route 89 over Monitor Pass, and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass beginning Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. No […] Weather SnowBrains | May 26, 2026 0 Comments
[TRAILER] SnowBrains Film “300” To Screen at the Jersey Shore Film Festival This June SnowBrains is stoked to announce that its first-ever ski film, 300, will be screening at the Jersey Shore Film Festival, in Deal, New Jersey, just an hour and a half south of New York City. Set on the iconic Jersey Shore, the Jersey Shore Film Festival brings together thousands of film lovers from across the tri-state area to celebrate filmmakers from […] Featured Video SnowBrains | May 25, 2026 1 Comment
From Combat to Chair Lifts: How the 10th Mountain Division Built the American Ski Industry The 10th Mountain Division in WWII: – Arrived in Italy on January 6th, 1945 & immediately entered combat – Fought in the roughest terrain of Italy during WWII – Saw combat in Cutigliano, Battle of Monte Castello, Monte Della Torraccia-Mount Belvedere, Canolle, Mongiorgio, Torbole and Nago. – 992 killed in action – 4,154 wounded in action […] Brains SnowBrains | May 24, 2026 158 Comments
Sunrise Climb Ends in Fatal Fall for Teenager on Germany’s Zugspitze A German teenager has died after falling during a night ascent of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain, in an accident that rescuers say occurred on steep snow-covered terrain in winter-like conditions. According to Tyrol police and the Bergrettung Ehrwald (Ehrwald mountain rescue), the incident occurred in the early hours of May 22 on the Stopselzieher via ferrata route, which leads […] Climbing SnowBrains | May 23, 2026 0 Comments
Big Drift, Buried Bathrooms, and Rockfall: The Real Story of Plowing Going-to-the-Sun Road in 2026 Glacier National Park, Montana, plow crews have reached the Big Drift, the final stretch of snow blocking Going-to-the-Sun Road, and are simultaneously working to clear the Logan Pass Visitor Center, park officials confirmed this week, marking a critical milestone in the Going-to-the-Sun Road 2026 opening season. Related: The Mountain Passes and Roads in the United States That Close Every Winter […] National Parks SnowBrains | May 21, 2026 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Closing Weekend Is Set for May 24 — Here’s Everything Happening Palisades Tahoe, California, closing weekend is set for May 24, wrapping up the 2025-26 ski season on Memorial Day Weekend with spring skiing and the return of the Made in Tahoe Spring Festival. Related: [TRAILER] SnowBrains Film “300” To Screen at Mammoth Lakes Film Festival This Memorial Day Weekend – Join Us Palisades Tahoe Closing Weekend: What to Expect on […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 20, 2026 0 Comments
Elko County Plane Crash Rescue Begins With a Smartphone Alert in Remote Nevada Mountains A solo pilot survived an Elko County plane crash rescue on Sunday after a multi-agency operation spanning the better part of a day extracted him from the remote East Humboldt Mountain Range in northeastern Nevada, the Elko County Sheriff’s Office announced. Related: Private Ski Area Approved in Nevada’s Ruby Mountains After Public Resort Plan Denied iPhone Alert Triggers Elko County […] SnowBrains | May 18, 2026 0 Comments
Every Ski Resort Still Open in North America Right Now — Full List With Closing Dates The 2025–26 ski season in North America is drawing to a close, though not before delivering one of its most lopsided finales on record. While resorts across the American West shut down weeks ahead of schedule amid a historic low-snowpack season, the East posted one of its strongest late-season performances in years and the Canadian Rockies delivered a winter so […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 18, 2026 0 Comments
Mammoth Mountain, CA, Spring Skiing 2026 Enters Its Final Stretch With Two Lifts Closing Mammoth Mountain spring skiing 2026 is entering its final stretch, with the California resort announcing a series of operational changes Saturday, closing two lifts while keeping more than 70 trails accessible through the end of May. Mammoth Mountain Spring Skiing 2026 Lift Changes Take Effect Sunday Unbound Express (Chair 6) and Gold Rush Express (Chair 10) ceased operations after Saturday, […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 18, 2026 0 Comments
California’s 9,945′ Tioga Pass Opens for 2026 — and It’s the Earliest Opening Since 2015 Tioga Pass opens for 2026 at 8 a.m. Friday, May 15, marking the earliest start to the season at Yosemite National Park’s eastern gateway in 11 years and completing the full slate of High Sierra passes for the summer season. The pass, which carries Highway 120 through the park at 9,945 feet above sea level, is the highest paved route […] National Parks SnowBrains | May 18, 2026 0 Comments
Banff Sunshine, AB, Surpasses 10 Meters of Snowfall for the Season Banff Sunshine, Alberta, is closing out its 2025-26 ski season on a high note, with the upper mountain surpassing the 10-meter (33-foot) snowfall mark as of Saturday, May 16. For the Alberta resort it is the snowiest season in over a decade and far above its typical annual average of around 600 cm (236 inches). Related: Closing Weekend at Banff […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 18, 2026 0 Comments