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John Cunningham

Originally from Michigan. Grateful to call South Lake Tahoe, California home. Passionate skier, writer, hiker, and lover of all things outdoors. @johnnyskistahoetrees

Mammoth Mountain, CA, Report: Second Season is Still Going Strong in the Sierra

Report from June 5, 2025 As my 3:15 a.m. alarm broke the silence and stillness of the night, part of me questioned my own sanity. But after that split-second thought passed, I jumped right out of bed, beyond eager to get this day started and go skiing. In the past couple of weeks, Mammoth Mountain, California, announced not one, but [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | June 8, 2025
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Top 5 End-of-Season Spring Skiing Traditions

As ski resorts begin to close, itโ€™s a great time to look back and reflect on the past winter. The ups and downs. The chairlift-chats and gut-busting laughter with friends, both old and new. The long days filled with powder and aprรจs. But just because the snow is winding down, doesnโ€™t mean the fun has to, too. If there is [โ€ฆ]

John Cunningham | May 14, 2025
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Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Celebrating Day 100 This Season With Sun and Slush at the Spring Skiing Capital

Report from May 8, 2025 Every time we load our gear into the car at 4:45 am for a Palisades spring skiing tripโ€”pitch-black and only half-awakeโ€”it ends up being a phenomenal, fun-packed 16 hours. And once again, this gorgeous May day proved to be no different. Since Palisades Tahoe is, as always, the last resort open around the basin, it was [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | May 10, 2025
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Boyne Mountain, MI, is Still Blowing Snow in April

While ski resorts across North America are slowly starting to close for the season, one resort in the Midwest refuses to call it quits just yetโ€”and perhaps anytime soon. On April 7 and 8, Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls, Michigan, fired up snow guns across the hill to help hold on to the last of winter. This 2024-25 season was [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | April 9, 2025
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Almost A Century of Fun: A Brief History of Pond Skimming

Pond skim

For many years, spring skiing has brought forth sunshine and smiles, bikinis and bathing suits, and most famously, the pond skim. People have been using skis or variations of skis dating thousands of years back for transportation, hunting, and recreation. The concept of water skiing and skimboarding came to fruition in the early 1920s. So when did these all get [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | April 1, 2025
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A Look at the Spring Phenomenon of Wiggle Runs

As the snow begins to soften, resorts all over experience the same incredible phenomenon: the โ€œwiggle runsโ€ start to appear. Also commonly referred to as โ€œsnake runsโ€ due to their obvious appearance, they are hard to miss and a lot of fun to ski or snowboard down. Related: Mammoth Mountain, CA, Report: Hangmans Chute, Wipe Out, The Chair 3 Wiggle Wiggles [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | March 20, 2025
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Gear Review: Aleck x Smithโ€”Where Outstanding Sound Meets Premier Safety

Aleck x Smith

For myself and so many others, safety is always the number one priority while skiing and snowboarding. With that being said, an almost equally important factor to a good day on the mountain is having fun and enjoying yourself. The feeling of freedom and finding your flow as you cruise or dance down the snowy mountain is indescribable. Now, thanks [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | March 17, 2025
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Top 9 Must Ski Destinations Around the World

Whistler

Who doesnโ€™t love a good destination ski trip? Anticipation levels are sky-high while planning your travel, from finding accommodation to checking out local dining options. The immediate thrill when arriving in a unique winter paradise accompanied by friends, family, or your own good fortune. There are not many feelings quite like it. Each year, TripAdvisor puts together a list of the [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | March 16, 2025
1 Comment

Gear Review: Testing Out LEKIโ€™s New Griffin Pro 3D Gloves and Detect S Ski Poles

Over the past few weeks, Iโ€™ve had the pleasure of testing LEKIโ€™s new Griffin Pro 3D gloves and the Detect S ski poles. While gloves and poles are usually an afterthought, my experience skiing with these products has altered my thinking. From the effectiveness and ease of use of the Trigger System to the overall feel and functionality of the new [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | February 10, 2025
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What to Wear and How to Layer to Stay Warm on the Coldest Days

skier going uphill on snowy slope with red backpack

While fancy new skis are bound to make skiing a lot of fun, the easiest way to ensure a great day on the slopes and out in the elements is to properly layer the correct types of ski clothing. There is nothing worse than frozen fingertips, cold feet, and the feeling of being genuinely frigid (or steam-room sweaty!) and unable [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | January 20, 2025
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5 People Fall From Chairlift Due to Malfunction at Heavenly Ski Resort, CA

Chair lift malfunction

[Updated 5:38 p.m. EST on Monday, December 23] On Monday, December 23, around 10:00 a.m., a chairlift malfunctioned on the Nevada side of Heavenly Ski Resort, Lake Tahoe, causing five passengers to fall from the lift. It is reported that one chair on Comet Express rolled backward into another, jolting the people on the front chair off. Also, a passenger [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | December 23, 2024
3 Comments

Diamond Peak, NV, Opening Day Report: Great Skiing, Better Views, Now Bring on the Snow

Diamond peak ski

Report from December 5, 2024 Another ski resort in the Lake Tahoe Basin has officially opened for the season! Diamond Peak Ski Resort, Nevada, kicked things off on Thursday, December 5, and it was an absolutely beautiful day. We arrived just minutes before the lifts started spinning, geared up, and wandered over to the Lakeview Quad. It was my first [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | December 8, 2024
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The Top 7 Most Expensive Skis on the Market

Half naked woman skiing on top of a red Ferrari

If you are hunting for new skis to show off this upcoming winter and have endlessly deep pockets and money to blow, consider yourself in luck. Feel like turning heads with your Bentley or Balenciaga bases? Or flying past everyone on your Porsches while arching beautiful turns down the mountain? These skis will cost you an arm and a leg [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | November 19, 2024
1 Comment

Top 9 Most Googled Ski Resorts in the United States

Copper Mountain. Credit: Ikon Pass

As 2025 quickly approaches and around 90% of all Americans own a smartphone, accessibility to information is constantly at our fingertips. I find myself saying, โ€œJust Google itโ€ or โ€œLook it upโ€ multiple times a day about many different things. However, I must admit that most of those things are related to skiing. Thankfully, plenty of other people are constantly [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | November 18, 2024
0 Comments

Mount Rose Ski Tahoe, NV, Opening Day Report: Love at First Sight?

Report from November 8, 2024 Opening day is something that almost all skiers and snowboarders worldwide patiently (or should I say anxiously) wait for. If youโ€™re able to make it, you feel the stoke and gratitude in the air before the lifts start spinning. If you miss it, maybe you get FOMO, or maybe youโ€™re eagerness grows for what the [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | November 12, 2024
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Decline in Non-Native Shrimp Population Believed to be Behind Improved Clarity of Lake Tahoe, CA/NV

secret cove, Lake Tahoe, Nevada,

Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada, is well known for the crystal clear and majestic colors of its Caribbean-like water. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, researchers from UC Davis-Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) have seen Lake Tahoeโ€™s clarity fluctuate and decline. The turquoise and cobalt blue water, which attracts millions of visitors every year from all over the world, is not as [โ€ฆ]

John Cunningham | October 15, 2024
0 Comments

Snow Farming in California and Utah: A Missed Opportunity?

Consistent snowfall year after year, especially in the early season, can be unpredictable, as many of us unfortunately know. For myself and all of the Lake Tahoe region, we experienced record-breaking snow during the 2022-23 season that started strong in early November and did not let up until May. Last season (2023-24), as resorts around the area pushed back opening [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | September 30, 2024
1 Comment

Wildfire Raging South of Reno, NV, Prompts Evacuations

Davis Fire

A wildfire broke out on Saturday, September 7 southwest of Reno, Nevada, and has grown rapidly ever since. Officials are now reporting the Davis Fire has grown to 5,596 acres as of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 10, an increase from 4,703 acres on Monday morning. Evacuation orders and warnings are still in place for more than 14,000 residents in [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | September 10, 2024
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Vermont School Teacher Noah Dines Breaks World Record for Most Human-Powered Vertical in 1 Year

Noah Dines

Although the ski season is still months away in North America, a 30-year-old Boston native has already accomplished an astonishing skiing record. Noah Dines has officially set the new world record for ski-touring the most human-powered vertical feet in one year. With a jaw-dropping 2,506,500 feet already under his belt and nearly four months left in the year, Dines is [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | September 6, 2024
0 Comments

Norway Mountain, MI, Ready to Re-Open for the Upcoming Season

Norway Mountain Re-Opening

Itโ€™s been seven long seasons since the lifts were spinning at Norway Mountain in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. After a year of progress updates, skiers and snowboarders in the Midwest can rejoice over the good news: Norway Mountain will officially reopen for the 2024-25 winter season. Related: Norway Mountain, MI, Aiming to Reopen for the 2024/2025 Season This past [โ€ฆ]

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John Cunningham | September 3, 2024
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