Martin Kuprianowicz

Skier, storyteller, and Editor-in-Chief at SnowBrains.

Human Remains Found in Blatten, Switzerland, Following Massive Glacier Collapse Last Month

Blatten Aftermath following glacier slip

[UPDATED Friday, June 27, at 6:07 pm European Central Time] Human remains were discovered Friday in the debris field above the village of Blatten, more than three weeks after a devastating glacier collapse buried large parts of the valley in rock, ice and mud. According to a press release from the Valais Cantonal Police, the remains were recovered during a […]
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Public Urged to Help Protect 58 Million Acres of National Forest as Trump Administration Moves to Repeal Roadless Rule

protect our winters roadless rule nature wilderness

More than 50 million acres of protected U.S. forestlands could face new threats as the Trump administration moves to eliminate longstanding environmental safeguards. On June 23, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the administration intends to rescind the Forest Service Roadless Rule, a federal policy that has safeguarded vast swaths of national forestland from new road construction, logging, […]
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2 Survivors Wearing Life Jackets Escape Lake Tahoe Boat Tragedy That Killed 6

Six people are confirmed dead, two remain missing, and two others were hospitalized after a boat capsized in rough waters on Lake Tahoe Saturday evening, with authorities confirming the only survivors were wearing life jackets. Emergency crews responded around 5 p.m. on June 21 after the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office received reports of an overturned boat carrying 10 people […]
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19 People and Dog Rescued After Being Trapped for Hours in Austrian Cable Car Damaged During Storm

Austria cable car rescue

19 people and a dog were rescued unharmed Monday evening after spending more than four hours trapped in a gondola suspended high above the ground during a summer storm in western Austria. The passengers were riding the Karrenseilbahn, a popular cable car in the state of Vorarlberg, when severe winds struck the area around 3:00 p.m. local time, pushing two […]
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Trump Administration Rescinds Roadless Rule, Raising Questions for Backcountry Skiing and Forest Access

The Trump administration has rescinded the 2001 Roadless Rule, a move that could reshape how 58.5 million acres of national forestland are accessed, managed and developed—with direct implications for the ski industry and backcountry users. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that it will lift the two-decade-old protections, describing the rule as overly restrictive and outdated. The Roadless Rule […]
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French Alpinist Vivian Bruchez Becomes First to Climb and Ski All 82 of the Alps’ 4,000-Meter Peaks

4000 m peaks alps

French mountain guide and ski mountaineer Vivian Bruchez has become the first person to climb and ski all 82 summits over 4,000 meters (13,00 feet) in the Alps—a feat that has taken more than two decades, dozens of partners, and an unwavering commitment to both athleticism and alpine ethics. On June 20, Bruchez summited Pointe Marguerite (4,065 meters, 13,337 feet) […]
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Sugar Bowl Resort, CA, Launches $100 Million Improvement Plan, Largest in Resort’s History

sugar bowl tahoe California

Sugar Bowl Resort, one of California’s oldest ski areas, has launched a $100 million infrastructure upgrade, the largest investment in its 86-year history, according to an announcement by the resort this week. The improvements include a complete renovation of the Village Lodge, replacement of the resort’s original gondola, a reimagined day lodge experience, and expanded culinary offerings—all part of a […]
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Big White Ski Resort, BC, Announces $9.4M Infrastructure Investment for 2025-26 Season

big white upgrade

Big White Ski Resort will invest $9.4 million in infrastructure improvements ahead of the 2025 winter season, with upgrades aimed at enhancing sustainability, expanding guest services, and modernizing key lift systems. The resort announced the investment Thursday, June 11, calling it a strategic step in its long-term development plan. The focus for this summer includes expanding power and fiber infrastructure […]
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Historic Beaver Village Lodge Demolished in Winter Park, CO, to Make Way for New Development

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The historic Beaver Village Lodge, a longtime landmark at the eastern entrance to Winter Park, was demolished last week after standing for more than eight decades. Demolition began June 11 to clear space for a new community clubhouse that will serve as part of the Roam housing development, according to the resort. Known to locals simply as “Beaver’s,” the lodge […]
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Landslide Closes U.S. Highway 6 Indefinitely Over Loveland Pass, CO

loveland pass co

A landslide has forced the closure of U.S. Highway 6 between Loveland Ski Area and Arapahoe Basin, a high-alpine route popular with travelers and recreationists in Colorado’s central Rockies. The Colorado Department of Transportation closed the road early Sunday morning around 5:30 a.m. after a section of mountain slope gave way near mile marker 226 on Loveland Pass. The debris […]
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Veteran Mountain Guide Becomes First Person to Summit Mount Rainier, WA, 600 Times in New World Record

mount rainier

Mountain guide Brent Okita reached the summit of Mount Rainier for the 600th time on Friday, setting a new world record for the most ascents of Washington’s highest peak, according to RMI Expeditions. At 64 years old, Okita is now the only person known to have climbed the 14,410-foot mountain that many times. A professional guide since 1986, he completed […]
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Beartooth Basin Ski Area, MT, to Wrap Up Season This Sunday, June 15

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beartooth Basin Ski Area (@beartoothbasin) One of North America’s most unique summer ski areas is preparing to call it a season. Beartooth Basin Ski Area, perched at 10,900 feet on the Montana-Wyoming border, will close for the year this Sunday, June 15. The high-elevation, lift-served ski area has been spinning chairs […]
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Facing Housing Crisis, Lake Tahoe Regional Housing Survey Deadline Extended to June 30 to Capture Urgent Community Input

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In an effort to better understand and address housing challenges across the greater Lake Tahoe region, the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) have extended the deadline for their regional housing needs survey to June 30, 2025. The online survey, available in English and Spanish, is part of an updated housing needs assessment that […]
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Aviation Report: Pilot Lacked Key Training and Lead Ski Guide Had Elevated Cocaine Levels in Fatal Alaska Helicopter Crash That Killed 5, Including Czech Billionaire

helicopter crash

On March 27, 2021, under the bright, deceptive calm of a blue sky, an AStar helicopter carrying six people—three Czech nationals, two American guides, and a pilot—lifted off from Wasilla Lake, heading for the remote, untouched powder of Alaska’s Chugach Mountains. It never returned. By the end of the day, Petr Kellner, Czechia’s richest man, was dead. So were four others. […]
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National Park Service No Longer Pursuing Legal Action Against Trail Runner Over Grand Teton Shortcut While U.S. Attorney’s Office Continues Prosecution

The National Park Service has rescinded its support for the federal prosecution of ultrarunner Michelino Sunseri, who is facing charges after cutting a switchback during a speed record attempt on the Grand Teton last year. Sunseri, 32, of Idaho, had completed the demanding 13.2-mile round-trip route from Lupine Meadows to the 13,775-foot summit of the Grand Teton in 2 hours, […]
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France’s Outdoormix Festival Returns in June With Extreme Sports, Live Music, and a Fresh 2025 Lineup

outdoormixfestival

One of Europe’s most unique outdoor events, the Outdoormix Festival, is set to return this June with a weeklong celebration of high-adrenaline sports and live music in the heart of the French Alps. Held each spring in the mountain town of Embrun, the Outdoormix Festival combines elite outdoor sports competitions with nightly concerts, drawing athletes, artists, and fans from across […]
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New Speed Records Set on Mont Blanc by French Athletes Benjamin Vedrines and Elise Poncet

Mtl Blanc sunrise alps chamonix

In a historic week for high-speed alpine ascents, two French athletes have claimed new Fastest Known Times (FKTs) for skiing ascents and descents of Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest peak. On May 24, 32-year-old French mountaineer Benjamin Vedrines completed a blistering round-trip from Chamonix to the 4,809-meter (15,777-foot) summit of Mont Blanc and back in 4 hours, 54 minutes, and […]
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