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James Pulfer II

Colorado Native having spent a few years in Montana. An extreme snowboarder who enjoys rock climbing, fly fishing and mountain biking among other things. Lift Operations veteran of nine winter seasons at resorts such as Big Sky, Crested Butte, Telluride and Powderhorn.

Pacific Group Resorts Acquires Controlling Interest of Powderhorn Mountain Resort, CO

Pacific Group Resorts (PGR) recently announced the acquisition of a majority ownership stake in Powderhorn Mountain Resort, near Grand Junction, Colorado. Through a subsidiary named Powderhorn Pacific LLC, the company recently purchased a controlling interest in Powderhorn Mountain Resort from Andy Daly and the Gart Companies who have owned it since 2011. PGR has skillfully operated the resort for six [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for Industry NewsIndustry News
James Pulfer | February 20, 2025
0 Comments

The 11 Oldest Ski Gondolas Still in Use in North America Today

Gondolas are a comfortable mode of aerial transport used to access alpine locations while being sheltered from the harsh elements. Similar in construction to an aerial ski lift, with the added protection of an enclosed cabin to hold in warmth and block out the wind. While new gondolas are being installed each year across North America for skiing, this article [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for BrainsBrains
James Pulfer | February 10, 2025
4 Comments

Largest Skiable Acreage of Each U.S. State with a Ski Area

The U.S. has some vast ski areas, but which is the largest in each state? This article will break it down state by state to determine which resort offers the most skiable acres for each state with a ski area. Not necessarily the tallest resorts but those with the most expansive terrain choices. Park City Mountain Resort โ€“ Utah โ€“ [โ€ฆ]

James Pulfer | January 21, 2025
0 Comments

How Avalanche Mitigation Has Evolved in Utah and Beyond

Utahโ€™s Wasatch Mountain Range receives large amounts of snow, and with that comes serious avalanche problems to mitigate. Whether by ski resorts or the Utah Department of Transportation, great efforts are made each season to keep the public safe from avalanches. Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC) provides incredible access to world-class skiing, only miles from metropolitan Salt Lake City. More than [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for AvalancheAvalanche
James Pulfer | January 2, 2025
1 Comment

Best Types of Snow for Skiing and Riding

So, what type of snow is the best to ski or ride on? This is somewhat of a loaded question; at the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference. Many locations regularly experience the full spectrum of snow consistencies throughout the course of a winter season. Snow conditions can change from day to day, and even hour [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for BrainsBrains
James Pulfer | December 30, 2024
2 Comments

These are the Oldest Aerial Trams in North America That are Still in Use for Skiing

Tram at Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire

Aerial Trams are an incredible marvel of engineering wonder. These mega machines can move large crowds to impossible destinations with ease. Aerial tramways were originally utilized in North America to transport mining ore from precarious locations to mills that refined the precious metals. It wasnโ€™t long until they began to use these tools to shuttle people uphill which gave way to [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for Industry NewsIndustry News
James Pulfer | December 16, 2024
2 Comments

The Awesome North American Ski Resorts That Allow Camping

Unfortunately, overnight parking and camping are not allowed at many ski areas, but there are some according to Roadtrippers.com. With slopeside rooms costing hundreds of dollars, or even $1,000 or more in some locations, skiing can be a pricey pastime. However, with a good sleeping bag and reliable transportation, you may find a new favorite hidden gem to save money [โ€ฆ]

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James Pulfer | December 11, 2024
5 Comments

SCOTT Sports Partners with Recco Technology

SCOTT Sports makes a wide array of outdoor gear, used in various sporting categories. The company recently teamed up with Recco Rescue Systems to start utilizing this potentially life-saving technology in their products. SCOTTโ€™s new line of helmets will incorporate Recco Technology in an attempt to reach more consumers, in turn saving rescue teams time and increasing efficiency. Recco currently has [โ€ฆ]

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James Pulfer | December 10, 2024
1 Comment

How Walt Disney Helped Create the Ski Area Trail Sign System in North America

Trail sign designation symbols are fundamental knowledge at ski resorts in North America, but their origins are not. They consist of green circles (easiest), blue squares (more difficult), and black diamonds (most difficult), and are the basis of all ski runs in the U.S. Although many variations exist at specific locations, the history of these three main symbols is fascinating. An [โ€ฆ]

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James Pulfer | December 9, 2024
0 Comments

3 Ski Areas to Check Out in Colorado for $100 or Less This Season

In the age of mega passes and triple-digit day tickets, affordable ski areas are becoming a thing of the past. Purchasing tickets in multi-packs before the season starts can save money, but sometimes, narrowing down where to ski in a state like Colorado is hard. Often, smaller areas with fewer lift options and less vertical charge cheaper rates. Escape the [โ€ฆ]

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James Pulfer | November 25, 2024
0 Comments

Aspen Ski Company, CO, Offers Free Tickets to X Games Aspen 2025 to Local High School Students

It should come as no surprise that Aspen, Colorado, produces some incredible young winter sports athletes. Three examples at the top of our heads are Gretchen Bleiler, Alex Ferreira, and Torin Yater-Wallace, all of which accomplished X Games podiums at a young age. These kids have great access to incredible terrain, both in-bounds and out-of-bounds. Aspen Skiing Company intends to [โ€ฆ]

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James Pulfer | November 21, 2024
0 Comments

Whistler Blackcomb, BC, Report: From Low Tide to Sweet Ride

Report from 2/27/24-2/30/24 My first time skiing in Canada just so happened to be my first time out of the United States. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Whistler, British Columbia, where I rode not one, but two world-class mountains. The snow conditions were below average upon arrival, but that was about to change drastically. I had my [โ€ฆ]

James Pulfer | March 7, 2024
0 Comments

Sun Valley Resort, Idaho, Report: The Warm Springs Enhancement Project Comes to Fruition

 Report from February 15-16th, 2024 As long as I have been participating in snowsports, Iโ€™ve wanted to visit Sun Valley, Idaho. Mostly due to the incredibly rich ski history that has made this mountain what it is today. From North Americaโ€™s first aerial ski lift to the Union Pacific railroad history that put this place on the map. The history [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
James Pulfer | February 28, 2024
0 Comments

Powderhorn, CO, Report: First Real Powder Day of 2024 Was a Darn Good One

snowboarder in very deep snow at powderhorn mountain resort colorado

Conditions Report from Monday, January 8, 2024, at Powderhorn Mountain Resort, CO  I awoke at 6:00 am to let my dog outside, not expecting what I was about to find. I checked the Pow cam, as we were supposed to add a few inches to our early-season snowpack overnight. Am I seeing things?!! The forecasted 1-3โ€ณ overnight turned into 20โ€ณ of [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
James Pulfer | January 11, 2024
0 Comments

Powderhorn Mountain Resort, CO, Report: Welcome to the Endless Winter

Conditions report from April 4th, 2023, at Powderhorn Mountain Resort, CO Itโ€™s no secret that the western U.S. has been breaking records left and right regarding snow totals. If youโ€™re unaware of this, you either donโ€™t ski or live under a rock. Historic totals are stacking up in many western states in a winter that seemingly may never end. Many Sierra [โ€ฆ]

James Pulfer | April 6, 2023
0 Comments

Silverton Mountain, CO, Report: Worth the Wait For All-Time Conditions

silverton, colorado

Trip report from 3/25/2023 at Silverton Mountain, CO Yet another atmospheric river event has delivered the goods here in western Colorado. If you were skiing this day in the San Juan mountains, you may have thought it was January. Not only due to a soft, deep, and mid-winter-like snow surface, but the temperature was downright frigid for March in Colorado. Silverton [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
James Pulfer | March 28, 2023
0 Comments

Ski Cooper, CO, Report: Hidden Gems of CO are Alive and Well

Trip report is from Ski Cooper, CO, on 3/12/2023 Losing an hour of sleep due to daylight savings hurt a little after a full day of riding spring powder. Although, 14โ€ณ of snow in 48 hours helped keep the stoke level high. We rose an extra hour early to head towards the โ€œHeart of the Rockies.โ€ It was lightly snowing [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
James Pulfer | March 16, 2023
0 Comments

Powderhorn Mountain Resort, CO, Report: Springtime in the Rockies!

Report from Saturday, March 11th, at Powderhorn Mountain Resort in far western Colorado. The night before, I checked the radar compulsively, with another potent Atmospheric River event inbound from California. Lower elevations received heavy pouring rain throughout the night and into the morning. This was not a bad thing, knowing that my favorite stashes sit 4 to 5k feet in elevation [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for Trip ReportTrip Report
James Pulfer | March 13, 2023
0 Comments

Steamboat Ski Resort; First Resort in Colorado to Surpass 200โ€ณ of Snow

Ample early-season snow in many Colorado ranges allowed the earliest opening days on record. Pair this with the recent atmospheric river event, to realize some of Coloradoโ€™s resortsโ€™ impressive year-to-date totals. Steamboat Ski Resort is leading the pack, with a whopping 240โ€ณ of snow so far this season. Whatโ€™s even more stoke worthy is that it just keeps coming. I presume [โ€ฆ]

James Pulfer | January 17, 2023
0 Comments

Ski California Gold Pass: Whatโ€™s Included?

If you live in California or Nevada, you are gonna want to put this pass on your radar. The โ€œSki California Gold Passโ€ includes 32 mountains across both California and Nevada, covering the whole Tahoe area and some. Including big names such as; Sierra-at-Tahoe, Heavenly, Mt. Rose, Squaw Valley, Northstar, Mammoth, Big Bear, and Homewood just to name a few. You [โ€ฆ]

Post Tag for Industry NewsIndustry News
James Pulfer | October 6, 2020
0 Comments

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