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Lynn Barlow

Wide Skis and Your Knees: Bigger Isn’t Always Better

narrow skis

Even though most ski manufacturers haven’t released their winter 22/23 ski lineups, it’s never a bad time to learn more about ski design and performance. It seems like nearly every skier is opting to ride skis that are wide underfoot, and indeed, the market reflects this trend. From 2012 to 2017, there has been a 25% increase in wide ski […]

Lynn Barlow | February 20, 2024
11 Comments

Peak Skis Using Innovation to Bring Skiing Into the Future

Last season I began noticing folks ripping around on a brand of skis I’d never heard of before–Peak Skis. I asked around and learned that the skis are designed by legend Bode Miller (the best United States male alpine skier), and that the skis had a “KeyHole” design that folks seemed to love. So when I was asked if I […]

Post Tag for Featured ArticleFeatured Article
Lynn Barlow | January 29, 2024
1 Comment

Blue Light Blinking: Bridger Bowl’s Unique Snow Report System

blue light blinking

Bridger Bowl Ski Area, MT, has one of the most unique means of sharing snowfall with the nearby town of Bozeman, MT: a blue light on top of a downtown hotel. The light is turned on whenever Bridger Bowl receives more than two inches of fresh snow and stays on for 24 hours after it snows. The famous Blue Light […]

Lynn Barlow | October 14, 2023
2 Comments

Taos, NM: A Confluence of Culture

Brought to you by Taos Ski Valley When you picture a ski town, you might imagine quaint European chalets tucked under a cozy layer of snow. Or, you might think of swanky condos and the sprawling mega-mansions of the super-rich. Chances are, you did not picture structures made out of adobe (a mud and straw mixture) that have stood for […]

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Lynn Barlow | April 10, 2023
1 Comment

Top 6 Reasons to Switch to Intuition Liners This Season

Why Buy A Custom Liner? All ski boots come with a stock liner, some of which are low-quality foam. Everyone’s feet are unique, and stock liners don’t provide a custom fit. A good fitting high-quality custom liner, like Intuition Liners, will help you ski better by eliminating gaps between your foot and the boot. This helps transfer power to the […]

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Lynn Barlow | September 26, 2022
0 Comments

Rafting With the National Ability Center

rafting

Brought to you by the National Ability Center The National Ability Center was founded in 1985 in Park City, Utah, to provide ski lessons to veterans. Almost 40 years later, the NAC runs programming based in both Park City and Moab, Utah, and serves over 7,000 people. The NAC now has an equestrian program, downhill skiing, snowboarding, several competitive Paralympic […]

Post Tag for RaftRaft
Lynn Barlow | May 11, 2022
1 Comment

SnowBrains 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

We’ve compiled a list of our picks for holiday gifts for the skiers and snowboarders on your shopping list. Top Pick: Insta360 One X2 Shot on Insta360 One X2 The Insta360 One X2 is an amazing pocket-sized action camera sure to thrill any skier or snowboarder on your holiday shopping list. The One X2 is jam-packed with incredible features to […]

Post Tag for GearGear
Lynn Barlow | December 10, 2021
1 Comment

La Niña Explained: July, the ENSO, Winter 21/22 and You

What do July, the ENSO, and Winter 21/22 all have in common? La Niña, of course! NOAA has just released their prediction for a La Niña winter 20/21. As of July, there is a 55% chance of a La Niña winter, which is great news for the Pacific Northwest and the northern Rockies and not-so-great news for the intermountain region […]

Post Tag for WeatherWeather
Lynn Barlow | July 13, 2021
0 Comments

Sun Valley Resort, Idaho Opens New Terrain With Sunrise Expansion

sunrise expansion

Brought to you by Sun Valley Resort While most resorts have put expansion projects on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, Idaho’s Sun Valley Resort recently debuted a major terrain expansion and lift upgrade for the 2020/21 season. Called the Sunrise expansion, this upgrade adds 380 skiable acres of advanced, ungroomed terrain to Bald Mountain, the centerpiece of the resort’s […]

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Lynn Barlow | February 16, 2021
0 Comments

How SCARPA Makes the Best Backcountry Boots

best backcountry boots

Brought to you by SCARPA As more and more people opt out of liftlines, crowded lodges, and overpriced beer in favor of the thrill of earning (untracked) turns in the backcountry, one question remains: which backcountry boot is the best? I spoke with SCARPA CEO Kim Miller to uncover the reasons why their backcountry boots are arguably the best in […]

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Lynn Barlow | February 9, 2021
0 Comments

The Ultimate Guide to Skier Slang

As we head into what is likely to be another epic winter, thanks to La Niña, we’ve compiled a list of common skier slang. Wondering about the difference between blower and boilerplate? Curious why that guy with the twin tips in the lift line keeps yelling about steeze? Read on. Blower: adjective Refers to ultra-light powdery snow. See also: cold smoke […]

Lynn Barlow | October 23, 2020
1 Comment

Evan Gill: First African American to Summit Colorado’s 14ers

14er

Evan Gill hopes to be the first African American to summit all 58 of Colorado’s 14ers. A 14er is a mountain over 14,000 feet high. In 1995, an African American man named Michael Washington summited all 53 of the known 14ers in Colorado at the time. However, as mountain measuring techniques have improved, the number of verified 14ers in Colorado […]

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Lynn Barlow | October 12, 2020
3 Comments

A Comprehensive Guide to Mountain Snacks

The coronavirus has changed many aspects of our lives. As the seasons change, many resorts are announcing their plans for promoting social distancing on the mountain. Nearly all of these reopening plans include guidelines meant to reduce or limit the amount of time guests spend indoors, meaning that chowing down on an overpriced burger from the resort’s cafeteria might not […]

Lynn Barlow | September 25, 2020
0 Comments

The Top 5 Ski Areas in Montana by Category

by category

NOAA just announced a 75% chance of a La Niña winter which means a snowier than average winter for Montana. With a ton of resorts and ski areas to choose from, it can be hard to decide where to visit. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the best resorts in Montana by category, including most acreage, gnarliest terrain, best après, best […]

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Lynn Barlow | September 17, 2020
0 Comments

Sharks Discovered Living in a Volcano

sharks living in volcano

Scientists captured video evidence of sharks living in a volcano. The scientists dropped a camera into the main crater of the volcano Kavachi, located in the Solomon Islands. Kavachi was not actively erupting when the team captured the footage, but to be safe, they only left the camera in the underwater crater for an hour. The water inside the crater […]

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Lynn Barlow | September 5, 2020
36 Comments

SWE: The Difference Between Blower Pow and Mashed Potatoes

SWE

If you’ve skied blower powder or struggled through thigh-burning turns in fresh mashed potatoes, you’ve experienced SWE. SWE stands for snow water equivalent. The SWE of a particular snowfall can make for an epic powder day, a struggle through heavy snow, or even create dangerous avalanche conditions. Basically, SWE can be thought of as the amount of water covering the […]

Lynn Barlow | September 5, 2020
1 Comment

Cold Smoke, Sierra Cement, and the Ice Coast: What’s in a Name?

the ice coast

Most folks have probably heard some interesting nicknames and slang for different snow conditions and climates. Words like cold smoke, Sierra cement, and the ice coast get bandied about regularly. But what’s in a name? And why do different areas experience such different snow conditions? Related: The Different Types Of Snow Conditions That We Experience On The Mountain: Avalanche scientists and […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Lynn Barlow | August 13, 2020
0 Comments

7 Awesome Montana Ski Areas You’ve Never Heard Of

montana ski areas

When you hear the words, “Mom and Pop ski area,” you might picture a quaint small town resort with perhaps 200 feet of vertical and maybe as many skiable acres. Not so in Montana. Here are 7 awesome Montana ski areas you’ve never heard of, each with over 1,000 feet of vertical and plenty of annual snowfall. Lost Trail Powder […]

Lynn Barlow | August 7, 2020
6 Comments

The 9 Lowest Ski Areas in North America

It’s a fact that people love to ski and snowboard. While getting face shots on a remote Alaskan spine might be a thrilling goal, folks everywhere have fun on snow. Lots of high altitude resorts with huge amounts of skiable acreage get recognition, but what about the little guys? Here are the 9 lowest ski areas in North America: 9. […]

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Lynn Barlow | July 31, 2020
11 Comments

Top 5 Ski Bum Approved Socially Distant Summer Staycation Ideas

summer staycation

It’s never too early to start seriously looking forward to next winter. In spite of all of the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, most resorts, including Vail, are planning to fully open for winter 2020/21. Even though it isn’t quite August yet, it’s always a good time to start getting stoked for next winter. Here are our top 5 ski […]

Post Tag for Friday FunFriday Fun
Lynn Barlow | July 24, 2020
0 Comments

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