Mount St. Helens, WA, Backcountry Report: Volcano Season has Arrived Report from Wednesday, April 17, 2024 Mount St. Helens, Washington, may not be as big as it used to be, but it’s still a formidable PNW staple. I was excited to return to St. Helens after a wonderful, placid trip in 2023 and this Wednesday did not disappoint. The route from Portland to the Marble Mountain Sno Park was bare and […] Conditions Report Nicky Blumm | April 18, 2024 0 Comments
Mt. Hood, OR, Backcountry Report: It’s Hard to Hate Spring Report from Monday, April 8, 2024 Even though it’s hard to hate spring, I really do resent it. The extra hours of sun eat away at the snowpack and erase all the dust from the trees. Sure, it’s the natural seasonal cycle, but it feels like spring comes early every year. My first spring tour was up Mt. Hood’s east slopes. I […] Conditions Report Nicky Blumm | April 9, 2024 0 Comments
Park City, UT, Conditions Report: Easy Weekend Powder Skiing Report from Saturday, March 30, 2024 Park City, Utah, is a massive resort that spans miles of canyons and valleys. As broad as the resort is, lift access extends far into the upper reaches of the nearby peaks. Saturday was a powder day with six inches of fresh after warmer weather. Snow at lower altitudes was heavy, but the upper mountain […] Conditions Report Nicky Blumm | April 1, 2024 0 Comments
Snowbird, UT, Report: Falling Through Snow Report from March 28-29, 2024 Snowbird, Utah, changes a rider’s perspective on steepness: not sliding over snow, falling through it. Spending two days in fresh powder at the ‘Bird made hearts race for most of 40,000 vertical feet. At Snowbird, the “black diamond” label covers quite a range of terrain. On the one hand, consider a run called Fluffy Bunny. […] Conditions Report Nicky Blumm | March 30, 2024 0 Comments
Powder Mountain, UT, Report: PowMow Has it All Report from March 26-27, 2024 Powder Mountain, Utah, stands out among American ski hills. It’s massive, multi-faceted, and has an exciting future. ‘PowMow’ was a cold, wintery paradise, even in late March. Our day began with a top-to-bottom run which was 95% fresh tracks. We quickly navigated from Hidden Lake Express Lift to the Paradise Chairlift. Built in 1999, the […] Conditions Report Nicky Blumm | March 27, 2024 1 Comment
Snowbird, UT, Report: Insider Knowledge to the Deep and Steep Report from March 25, 2024 Arriving after multiple powder alerts to Snowbird, Utah, had us out of the car nice and early. Light traffic to the base of the Gad Valley had us in the lot before 8:15 a.m. We spent most of our day in that valley with a couple of trips around the Cirque and a quick moment at […] Conditions Report Nicky Blumm | March 26, 2024 0 Comments
Snowbasin, UT, Conditions Report: Big Lifts, Many Turns Report from March 24, 2024 The Cottonwood Canyon traffic can be fickle, so we spent a happy Sunday at Snowbasin, UT.We were met by no crowds, sunshine, and some very deep turns. Some places were much deeper than the 7 inches indicated on the resort’s website. The top half of the John Paul Express was velvety. Long, untracked lines through […] Conditions Report Nicky Blumm | March 25, 2024 0 Comments
No Poles, No Problem: The Joy of Skiing Like a Snowboarder In January 2019, something ordinary happened that changed how I slide over snow: I forgot my poles. I wasn’t about to rent poles from Mt. Bachelor, so I opted for a poles-free day, thinking I might learn something from the park rats. I never picked up poles again. As it turned out, with no poles, I had no problems (and […] Nicky Blumm | March 21, 2024 0 Comments