Riley McDonald, Author at SnowBrains

Patagonia Gives Employees A Week Off for the Holidays

Patagonia decided once again to give employees the week between Christmas and New Year off. All Patagonia employees in the US and Canada, including offices, retailers, and warehouses, are receiving pay for time off from December 25th through January 1st. Patagonia continues to lead the retail industry in taking care of its employees. CEO Ryan Gellert explains that this closure […]

Riley McDonald | December 30, 2022

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The New Elan Voyager: The World’s First High-Performance All-Mountain Folding Ski

After jumping through all of the hoops and emptying out your bank account just to go on a few-day ski trip… you now have to face the headache of getting all of your gear on a plane or packed into the car. Arguably, the worst part about skiing is trudging your skis, poles, boots, helmet, goggles, and the bag full […]

Industry News

Riley McDonald | December 22, 2022

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Deer Valley, UT, Will Offer Season Passes to Homeowners Willing to House Employees

A significant issue faced by ski resorts is finding a solution to enable employees to continue working at the resort while being able to afford housing. Ski resort towns are notoriously expensive, the tourist attraction of skiing and a quaint town experience creates a perfect storm for a high cost of living. Most resort employees are seasonal workers that receive […]

Industry News

Riley McDonald | December 20, 2022

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British Columbia Closes Large Backcountry Skiing Area Due to Uncompliant Skiers

Glacier National Park in British Columbia, Canada, was forced to close an entire backcountry skiing area because skiers failed to stay out of avalanche mitigation areas. On December 1st, skiers entered the closed MacDonald West area. This area was closed due to avalanche mitigation concerns. To ski in Glacier National Park, one must obtain a winter permit. This permit requires […]

Industry News

Riley McDonald | December 14, 2022

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Everything You Need to Know About Skier’s Toe

The dreaded skier’s toe… The bane of any unsuspecting skier’s existence. Nothing like a subungual hematoma, also known as skier’s toe, can damper a season. Typically, skier’s toe results in your big toenail turning black. This may be concerning and some will fret about the possibility of frostbite, chances are it is just a subungual hematoma. While incredibly irritating and […]

Brains

Riley McDonald | December 12, 2022

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Switzerland Implements Changes to Avalanche Warnings

The Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) responded to requests to make its Avalanche Warning System more detailed by implementing a change in the way the warning system operates. They are pioneering a new path toward avalanche safety with a major change. The five categories of danger remain the same: 1- Low 2- Moderate 3 – Considerable […]

Avalanche

Riley McDonald | December 6, 2022

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The Best 5 Places to Ski and Surf in the Same Day

There are few things that can combine to create the perfect day, but skiing and surfing are definitely among the activities that can. Below are 5 places around the world that can create this perfect storm: Ben Lomond National Park, Tasmania, Australia Ski resort: Ben Lomond Ski Resort Ben Lomond is the largest ski resort in Tasmania with 7 lifts […]

Riley McDonald | December 5, 2022

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5th Annual Beacon Bash at Winter Park in Colorado

The 5th Annual Beacon Bash will be held Saturday, December 10th, from 9 am to 4 pm at Winter Park, Colorado. The event will provide top-notch avalanche education, rescue skills, beacon training, and an opportunity to demo backcountry gear. Backcountry Access, Inc (BCA) and ORTOVOX will sponsor two major beacon practice parks. These parks will be open all day and […]

Industry News

Riley McDonald | November 30, 2022

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