Top 9 Tips for Buying and Selling Gear at the Ski Swap Fall is here, and that means one thing, it’s ski swap season! Time to grab some new gear for cheap or turn last year’s setup into a stack of cash. Here are our expert tips on how to work the ski swap like a pro. BUYING 1. Get there early. All the best deals will be gone in the first hour or […] Mike Lavery | September 18, 2024 0 Comments
The Ski Area Snow Report: Fact or Fiction? We’ve all had those days: The snow report is claiming an epic dump, but on the hill, it skis like only a few inches. What the heck? Is the snow report just a total lie? A publication in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics decided to have a closer look. Snow reporting is a challenging process. Things like elevation, wind, and […] Brains Mike Lavery | July 22, 2024 12 Comments
Terror On The Trails. Can’t We All Just Play Nice? Like sunny days and warm temperatures, summertime is the season for mountain bikers getting injured by booby-trapped trails. It’s sad and scary that it has become a common occurrence. Whether these are childish pranks or true attempts to injure others, does it really have to come down to this? Wire snares, spike strips, barbed wire, blockades, and even Punji Stake […] Cycle Mike Lavery | May 9, 2024 7 Comments
Is It A Smart Idea to Use Marijuana In The Mountains? When Canada legalized marijuana in October 2018, pushback came from an unexpected place––search and rescue. Not long ago, marijuana was still considered a bad drug mostly used by hippies and stoners. These days it’s becoming legal, socially accepted, and even used for its medicinal purposes. Legal or illegal, the odors wafting off the chairlift don’t lie – people like to smoke […] Mike Lavery | April 20, 2024 3 Comments
9 Amazing Facts About Polar Bears Polar bears aren’t just ordinary big white bears (they’re actually not white at all…), they’re highly specialized for life in the harshest environments. Here are nine amazing facts about polar bears. 1. They’re thought to have evolved from brown bears that became isolated due to glaciation in the eastern part of Siberia. The latest research has the two species diverging genetically around […] Brains Mike Lavery | October 30, 2023 1 Comment
When Is The Best Time to Ski Montana? Winter is coming; time to plan some trips! When’s the best time to ski Montana, you ask? Off the top of my head, I’d say February, but let’s look at the numbers. I compiled average monthly snowfall data at five popular Montana ski resorts. Big Sky and Bridger Bowl are in southwest Montana near Bozeman, Red Lodge is a bit […] Mike Lavery | October 7, 2023 2 Comments
[GEAR REVIEW] Hestra Mountain Bike Gloves It’s no secret that Hestra makes some of the highest quality winter gloves money can buy. I have a pair of Hestra Vertical Cut ski gloves that are at least 10 years old and still going strong. Hestra also makes bike gloves, and they recently sent me the All Mountain Sr., Ergo Grip Enduro, and Bike Long Sr. Gloves to […] Gear Review Mike Lavery | October 4, 2023 0 Comments
South America’s Famous Santa Rosa Storm In South America, there’s a meteorological phenomenon known as La Tormenta de Santa Rosa (The Santa Rosa Storm) that is both fact and legend. In folklore, it’s said to be the most violent weather of the year, sinking ships and burying entire villages in snow with little mercy. Reality may be a bit different, depending on who you ask. The festival […] Brains Mike Lavery | August 16, 2023 15 Comments
Mike Lavery
Mike Lavery
Brains
Cycle
Gear Review