Why Does Alaska Gets So Much Snow? Every year, as Spring dawns on North American ski resorts and the snow begins to melt, it happens: the pros ship it up to the Last Frontier. Easily the largest state in the US, Alaska is 663,298 square miles – and could comfortably fit the next three largest states inside its borders. Alaska not only has the country’s highest point (Denali at 20,320 feet), but also the coldest temperature on record (-80 F in Prospect Creek, 1971). ameliatraynor | February 1, 2019 2 Comments
How the North American Avalanche Danger Scale Works: Utah Avalanche Center and the US Forest Service bring you the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale. You must remember four important points about this scale: 1) The scale is not linear. Your risk increases about two fold for each rising level on the danger scale. In other words, you take on twice as much risk at Moderate as Low and you take on four times more risk going from Low to Considerable. And so on. The risk numbers […] Avalanche ameliatraynor | October 2, 2018 2 Comments
Top 10 Most Popular US Ski Resorts Ranked by Skier Visits The 10 most popular ski resorts in the United States, ranked by annual skier visits. Note: Winter Park, Copper, Park City, Squaw Valley and Killington could have higher annual skier visits but they chose not to make their numbers made public. Numbers are from last ski season. No. 1 – Vail Mountain, CO Annual Skier Visits: 1,634,250 No. 2 – Breckenridge Ski Resort, CO Annual Skier Visits: 1,600,750 No. 3 – Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, CA Annual Skier Visits: 1,128,500 No. 4 – Keystone Resort […] ameliatraynor | June 5, 2018 15 Comments
Why Wyoming’s Tetons Get So Much Snow Notorious for its jagged peaks, deep snow and world-class skiing, Wyoming’s Teton Range spreads north to south along the Idaho border. Home to infamous backcountry lines and resorts like Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee, the Tetons boast some of the best snow stats in the country. Weather ameliatraynor | January 19, 2017 3 Comments
The Top 5 Ski Resorts in Vermont: The Green Mountains of Vermont are an east coaster’s paradise. While the state may be a bit colder than its western counterparts, Vermont’s got a lot to offer. ameliatraynor | November 2, 2016 1 Comment
Best 10 Small Ski Resorts in North America Bigger isn’t always better. These 10 awesome small ski resorts in North America pack a punch in less than 3,000 acres. ameliatraynor | June 2, 2016 17 Comments
Top 6 Ski Town Music Festivals in North America Music & mountains – what else do you need? Every year, ski towns all over the country bring a little funk to the alpine air – and 2016 is no exception. From the Green Mountains to the Sierras, these 6 music festivals will keep you entertained until the snow starts up again. ameliatraynor | May 19, 2016 0 Comments
Gear Review: Women’s 686 Parklan Ceremony Jacket The Parklan Ceremony Jacket from 686 is what dreams are made of. Whether you are lapping the park, exploring the backcountry, or heading out to the bars – the Parklan is an all-around closet staple. Gear ameliatraynor | April 19, 2016 0 Comments
The History of Grand Targhee Ski Area, WY + Old School Photo Tour: 42 miles northwest of Jackson Hole lies a lesser known Teton ski destination: Grand Targhee Resort. Accessible only through the Teton Valley in Idaho, this Alta WY ski resort is a bit off the beaten path – which is what makes Grand Targhee so great. ameliatraynor | January 21, 2016 6 Comments
Top 10 Ski Lifts in the Rocky Mountains, USA: The Rocky Mountains are known for having some of the best skiable terrain in the world. An expansive mountain range, the Rockies span over 3,000 miles from British Columbia to New Mexico. This list contains an (admittedly subjective) collection of the best chairlifts & trams in the Rockies. While these selections aren’t always the longest or highest, they’ve been chosen for their access to incredible terrain or their memorable histories. ameliatraynor | January 11, 2016 2 Comments
Alpine Meadows Opens 1 Month Early! Sunbathing, tailgating, and shedding layers – the scene at Alpine Meadows on Friday looked more like Spring skiing than opening week. The warm weather was welcome on the second day of operations, after steady snow and cold temperatures allowed Alpine to open for the season over a month early. Conditions Report ameliatraynor | November 13, 2015 0 Comments
Boreal Conditions Report: Bluebird Pow Days (& Nights) Boreal Mountain Resort had one hell of an opening week. After the first winter storm slammed Tahoe with early season powder last week, resorts all around the lake rushed to be the first to operate. While Mt. Rose boasted “first open”, the magic carpet and accompanying mini park weren’t quite enough to satisfy my six months of powder thirst. Boreal followed suit – but gave Mt. Rose a lesson on “opening day”. For the first time since 2004, Boreal was able to operate top-to-bottom on their first day of the season. Conditions Report ameliatraynor | November 11, 2015 0 Comments
Snowboarding Stowe’s Melted Snow River Stowe, Vermont’s Mike Toohey and Danger Dave ride a melting river up on Mt. Mansfield in Stowe. — Snowboarder Magazine. From Snowboarder Magazine, these guys hiked up the closed gondola area of Stowe to hit this melted snow river. Spring skiing in Vermont at its finest!!! ameliatraynor | May 5, 2015 0 Comments
California Ski Resorts Fight to Stay Alive As California endures its fourth year of brutal drought, ski resorts are changing the way they do business. The $1.3 billion California ski industry is being forces to reshape itself in an attempt to stay afloat. After a less than stellar ski season, many Californian resorts are switching focus to improving summer operations. Resorts like Heavenly and Squaw Valley are vamping up summer recreation activities, including zip-lines, ropes courses, and mountain coasters. ameliatraynor | May 4, 2015 0 Comments
Oregon Man Dies in Ski Accident at Mt. Bachelor A Deschutes County sheriff’s officer says 29-year-old Peter Sky died in a skiing accident at Mount Bachelor on Thursday, April 30. Sgt. Ronny Dozier said Sky was skiing with a friend Thursday afternoon when he lost control and hit a tree. Sky, from Bend OR, was reportedly an experienced skier and was wearing a helmet at the time. Despite first aid efforts by citizens, the Mount Bachelor Ski Patrol and Bend Fire Department medics, Sky […] ameliatraynor | May 1, 2015 0 Comments
VIDEO: Incredible Drone Footage of Antarctica From December 2014 to January 2015, Stockholm-based filmmaker Kalle Ljung spent 20 days touring touring Antarctica with his 73-year-old-fathe . Using a DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter, Ljung filmed this short film, capturing stunning footage of the incredible Antarctic landscape. From Kalle Ljung: We started from Ushuaia in Argentina and went to Port Williams in Chile, rounded Cape Horn and crossed the Drake Passage towards the Melchior […] ameliatraynor | April 28, 2015 0 Comments
VIDEO: Everest Basecamp Hit by Avalanche | 4/25/15 At least 18 are dead and dozens injured in the avalanche set off by the massive magnitude-7.8 earthquake that has left at least 3,300 dead in Nepal and neighboring countries on Saturday. More than 200 climbers have been rescued around Mount Everest. Many mountaineers have taken to social media to share their experiences. Dutch climber Eric Arnold describes the avalanche in a blog post: Through the radio we hear the bad news. ameliatraynor | April 27, 2015 0 Comments
Big Bear’s Snow Summit Bike Park: Opening May 8th Winter is over, and bike season is here. SoCal’s only lift serviced bike park at Snow Summit is set to open on Friday, May 8th. Let the fun begin. Snow Summit Mountain Bike Park: The Next Chapter is Ready to be Ridden. Mountain Bike Season Kicks Off May 8 at Snow Summit Big Bear Lake, Calif. – For many mountain bikers the dirt at Big Bear is hallowed ground. With a history that spans back to the sport’s earliest days, it’s long been a place where the mountain biking elite sewed their oats. Biking ameliatraynor | April 24, 2015 1 Comment
Kim Jong-un Climbs North Korea’s Tallest Mountain According to the state-run media, Kim Jong-un has climbed North Korea’s highest peak, Mount Paektu. Reports say the leader summited the 9,022 foot peak alongside hundreds of fighter pilots and party officials. “Climbing Mount Paektu provides precious mental pabulum more powerful than any kind of nuclear weapon,” Jong-un said to the troops, according to a Rodung newspaper. (“pabulum” = “bland or insipid intellectual matter, entertainment) ameliatraynor | April 24, 2015 2 Comments
VIDEO: Freeskier Survives HUGE Avalanche with ABS Backpack In January 2013, Aymar Navarro was filming in the Aran Valley in the Spanish Pyranees with a camera crew. It had been snowing for days, dumping over four feet of fresh powder in the mountains. Navarro, along with his crew and a mountain guide, opted for a less exposed, flat slope to film in an attempt to minimize risk. “3, 2, 1 jump, then a few turns, when I suddenly realized that the entire hillside collapsed very quickly,” said Navarro […] Avalanche ameliatraynor | April 24, 2015 0 Comments
Amelia Traynor
Amelia Traynor
Avalanche
Weather
Gear
Conditions Report
Biking
