The Top 9 Highest Paved Roads in the United States Millions of miles of paved roads snake throughout the United States. With winter closing in, a world of snow-related closures will begin to fall on high-altitude roads and mountain passes. In honor of this, we decided to answer the question, what are the highest paved roads in the United States? Drive em’ while you still can! Related: The 15 Highest Ski […] Brains Lucas Gauthier | June 22, 2025 12 Comments
LEKI’s Spitfire Poles and Patrol Gloves: A Winning Combination for Winter With the flakes beginning to fly and snowmaking going full blast, it’s time to think about gear—specifically, what poles and gloves will keep you planted, warm, and primed to rock the mountain this ski season. Enter LEKI’s Spitfire poles and Patrol gloves, two products that stand out in performance, durability, and comfort, making them an ideal pairing for this winter […] Gear Lucas Gauthier | October 16, 2024 0 Comments
Why This is THE Year to Ski Alyeska Resort, AK This season has been one for the books at Alyeska Resort, Alaska. With record-breaking early-season snowfall that shows no sign of stopping, the crown jewel of Alaska ski areas has racked up over 52 FEET of snow. That’s the same height as a full-grown giraffe standing on top of 12 Toyota Priuses! The 627 inches of powder this year makes […] Lucas Gauthier | March 20, 2024 0 Comments
[PHOTOS] Olympic Snowboarders Throw Down at 2024 Winter X Games The vibe in Aspen was electric as the first day of the 2024 X Games at Aspen Buttermilk kicked off with the men’s and women’s snowboard superpipe events. As the sun began to set on Friday night, 16 olympic-level snowboarders geared up geared up to take on the superpipe in the Aspen Buttermilk terrain park. With 22-foot-high walls stretching down the mountain […] Industry News Lucas Gauthier | January 27, 2024 0 Comments
The Science Behind Problematic Pink Snow An annual summertime sight in alpine environments, pink snow, also known as watermelon snow, often lingers on late-season snowpack and glaciers worldwide. Though it may be appealing to try and take a bite of the brightly colored snow, it may forecast a more sinister warning about our warming environment. The bacterial phenomenon behind pink snow helps to accelerate the melting […] Brains Lucas Gauthier | June 23, 2023 0 Comments
The Power of Elevation: Why Not All Snow Is Created Equal Any serious skier will tell you that not all snow is created equal. Light, fluffy powder, dense, wet snow, and icy sleet all start as the same thing: moisture in the air. An intricate dance of atmospheric moisture, environmental conditions, and resort geography all combine to create the spectrum of snowfall that snowsports enthusiasts crave. Despite the numerous factors that […] Featured Article Lucas Gauthier | February 2, 2023 3 Comments
The 9 Highest Ski Areas in North America With over 700 ski areas in North America spanning from beautiful Lake Tahoe to the corner of Maine, every location has something unique to offer. In honor of the great diversity of skiing across North America, this article will recount the highest-elevation ski areas on the continent. Related: Silverton Mountain: North America’s Highest Ski Area View this post on […] Brains Lucas Gauthier | October 31, 2022 17 Comments
Diversity, Social Equity, and Sustainability in the World of Cannabis Historically, America’s relationship with cannabis has been a rough affair. Undertones of racial inequity, unjust punishments, and discrimination have hung over marijuana use for most of the last century, however legislative actions are beginning to change this. While the legalization of recreational cannabis in 18 states is an important step in promoting equity in impacted communities, businesses such as A […] Lucas Gauthier | April 20, 2022 1 Comment
Arapahoe Basin, CO Report: Good to be Back on Snow By the time I rounded the hairpins of Loveland Pass to arrive at Arapahoe Basin signs were placed on the roadway warning visitors that the lower “Early Riser” lot was already full. At 8 in the morning, it was rare to see the lot full even on the busiest days, but it wasn’t a normal day, it was opening day. […] Conditions Report Lucas Gauthier | October 18, 2021 0 Comments
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, CO to Open Sunday Kicking off Front Range Ski Season Arapahoe Basin has pulled the trigger and announced that they will be opening Sunday, October 17 to kick off the Front Range ski season. The Legend plans to spin the Black Mountain Express from 8:30-4:00 servicing the intermediate High Noon run and a portion of the early season Banana Terrain Park. This opening comes only a day after Wolf Creek […] Industry News Lucas Gauthier | October 14, 2021 1 Comment
US Mint to Produce Snowboarding Coin Highlighting History in Vermont Coming in 2022, the United States Mint will start producing a limited edition one-dollar coin highlighting the impact of Vermont on the sport of snowboarding. The coin is a part of the “American Innovation” series of one-dollar coins, which will eventually highlight innovations from all 50 states plus Washington DC. The coin, designed by artist Justin Kunz, was designed specifically […] Brains Lucas Gauthier | October 8, 2021 0 Comments
Colorado Ski Area Upgrades and Opening Dates for 2021-2022 Season With the 2021-2022 Winter Season looming, snow sports enthusiasts begin to brush off their gear and look towards the slopes in the hope of early snow. Many Colorado ski resorts have undergone upgrades over the off-season to improve their winter experience. From new lifts to parking expansions, ski areas have documented their changes and posted their opening dates in anticipation of […] Industry News Lucas Gauthier | September 21, 2021 0 Comments
A Colorado 14er Has Been Closed Due to Liability Concerns 14er Mount Lindsey, located near Alamosa, Colorado, has been closed to public access due to liability concerns. Access to the summit block of the 14,048ft tall mountain is now prohibited, as stated by a sign placed by the landowners, the Trinchera-Blanca Ranch. While the closure doesn’t impact the surrounding peaks or most of the trail to the top, the summit […] Climbing Lucas Gauthier | September 9, 2021 1 Comment
Vail, CO Expansion on Golden Peak Creates More Room for Ski Racing An expansion of Golden Peak at Vail Mountain in Colorado lays the foundation for a new training and racing venue for the dual moguls’ event. The initial Golden Peak expansion, undertaken in 2019, included three new ski runs over a 68-acre expansion area and a new T-bar lift to service the terrain. Although the runs are primarily designed for race […] Industry News Lucas Gauthier | August 31, 2021 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe Basin Under Threat From Caldor Fire Protecting the Lake Tahoe Basin has become the nation’s top firefighting priority as the Caldor Fire rapidly grows. With more than 3,200 fire personnel working to contain the Caldor blaze California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has requested a presidential major disaster declaration for eight counties, including some of those surrounding Lake Tahoe. If approved this request would allow food, housing, and […] Fire Lucas Gauthier | August 27, 2021 4 Comments
Solitude Mountain Resort, UT, Raises Minimum Wage to $15 Per Hour Following an industry-wide rush to increase wages and entice workers, Solitude Mountain Resort has jumped on the train and increased its starting minimum wage to $15 an hour. The increase applies to all non-tipped positions and even includes wage bumps for certain potions paid above the old starting wage. The change represents more than a 2X increase over the Utah minimum […] Industry News Lucas Gauthier | August 17, 2021 0 Comments
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, WY, Just Issued More Backcountry User Days for the Upcoming Ski Season A recent approval from the Bridger-Teton National Forest means that Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, WY, guides will now be able to host more skiers in the Teton backcountry. For more than 30 years Jackson Hole has offered guided backcountry expeditions surrounding their permit area, and now the popular service will be able to take more adventurous skiers into the backcountry. […] Industry News Lucas Gauthier | August 13, 2021 3 Comments
Lake Tahoe, NV Condominium Sells for Record Price of $6 Million A condo built as a part of the luxury Tahoe Beach Club development has just sold for a whopping $6 million to a Las Vegas-based buyer. The 3,970-square-foot condo located at 17 Beach Club Drive on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore is priced at $1,561.71 per square foot—the fourth-highest amount for a condo. The property description notes that the five-bed, six-bath […] Lucas Gauthier | August 11, 2021 1 Comment
The Secret World Beneath Antarctica’s Ice Antarctica may be the world’s most mysterious continent, a frozen world free from permanent human development or habitation. The unforgiving environment holds the world’s record low temperature of −128.6 °F(−89.2 °C) set in 1983 and is consistently the coldest, driest, and windiest area on Earth. Despite the unique attributes of the surface, scientists have increasingly been drawn to the land hiding […] Brains Lucas Gauthier | August 5, 2021 0 Comments
S**** Valley Turns to Skiers to Help Rename Chairlift As a part of its effort to remove the word “Squaw” from its name, Squaw Valley is asking for skiers and community members to help rename one of the ski area’s chairlifts. On August 1, the ski area announced on twitter that the Squaw Creek chairlift would be renamed through an open contest where community members could submit and vote […] Industry News Lucas Gauthier | August 4, 2021 12 Comments
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