How Protect Our Winters Has Been Fighting Against Public Land Sales in Congress The assault on our nation’s public lands continues in Congress as the U.S. Senate debates the reconciliation bill. Last week, Utah Senator Mike Lee introduced a provision to the bill that would allow for the sale of up to 3.5 million acres of public land to help pay for tax cuts included in the bill for the wealthiest individuals and […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | June 26, 2025 0 Comments
What Can You Do to Stop the Massive 3.3 Million Acre Sell-Off of Public Lands Across the U.S.?—Call Your Senator Congress wants to sell your public land to pay for a tax cut. A shocking new proposal from Utah Senator Mike Lee would put up to 3.3 million acres of Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management land up for sale. The proposal is part of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ currently before the Senate that would give unprecedented tax cuts […] Zach Armstrong | June 19, 2025 0 Comments
The Deadliest Winter Since 2021: A Look at Last Season’s Utah Avalanche Center Annual Report Summer is a time for reflection and building for many parts of the ski industry. Seasons are analyzed, ground is broken on new projects, and new courses are charted for the next winter. The Utah Avalanche Center recently released its annual report, giving the public an inside look about how it thought about the winter in Utah, as well as […] Avalanche Zach Armstrong | June 19, 2025 0 Comments
The Supreme Court Changed the National Environmental Protection Act. Here’s What It Means For The Ski Industry The United States Supreme Court recently issued a ruling in Seven County County Infrastructure Coalition vs. Eagle County, which drastically changes how the highest court in the land views the National Environmental Protection Act, or NEPA. These changes could have profound implications for anyone who uses public lands, whether for recreating or for business, including the ski industry. The case, […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | June 17, 2025 1 Comment
Why is the Return of Rob Katz to Vail Resorts as CEO Such a Big Deal? On May 27, 2025, Vail Resorts announced that Rob Katz would be retaking the helm as CEO. Katz was previously CEO of Vail Resorts from February 2006 to November 2021. Katz’s first tenure as CEO was marked by drastic changes in the ski industry, many of which were pioneered by Katz himself. In 2006, when Katz first took over as […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | June 11, 2025 1 Comment
Closure of 103 Year Old Failing Bridge Cuts Off Access to Mount Rainier, WA Visitors to Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, will have one less entrance to choose from for the foreseeable future. On April 14, 2025, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) permanently closed the Carbon River Fairfax Bridge located on State Route 165. The 494 foot bridge, first opened in 1921, has been closed following a recent inspection because of concerns […] National Parks Zach Armstrong | June 3, 2025 0 Comments
Skiers Take on Copper Mountain, CO, Over 9% ‘Resort Surcharge’ in Class Action Lawsuit If you’ve bought food at a ski resort recently and thought, “This should be illegal,” you’re not alone. A class action lawsuit has been filed against Copper Mountain, Colorado, and the resort operator, POWDR, by Gary Chaney and other Copper Mountain visitors for allegedly engaging in deceptive pricing practices. The lawsuit claims that not including the resort surcharge of 9% […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | June 3, 2025 0 Comments
What’s Left at the Forest Service? The Aftermath of the DOGE Cuts and How They Have Weakened Our Public Lands The Forest Service is in trouble. Already faced with budget uncertainty, the Forest Service and the rest of the U.S. Department of Agriculture fell into the sights of the legally dubious Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk, vowed to cut Forest Service staff across the board by 10% as part of their purge of the Federal […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | April 30, 2025 0 Comments
Great Dane in Boise, ID, Becomes First Dog to Complete 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America The skiing world was shocked this week to learn that a seven-year-old Great Dane named Denali became among the first mammals to successfully descend all fifty lines in Davenport, Newhard, and Burrows’ Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America. Even more surprising is that no human did all fifty descents with Denali. After tagging along with a few different human […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | April 1, 2025 0 Comments
Big Sky, MT, Report: Winter’s Not Over Yet Report from Saturday, March 22, 2025 “What about Big Sky?” my partner asked while we were perusing the list of Mountain Collective resorts early in the season, planning possible ski trips for the season. Though I had always been aware that Big Sky was a big resort in the grand state of Montana, I had not found my way up […] Conditions Report Zach Armstrong | March 26, 2025 0 Comments
The Idaho Supreme Court Could Change Ski Area Liability Law All Over Again Skiing is a risky endeavor, and it is the thrill that comes from that risk that draws many participants into the sport in the first place. Ski areas work hard to mitigate these risks, but countless waivers, signs, and warnings remind us every time we go to the mountain of the inherent risks of skiing. A legal battle is unfolding […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | March 7, 2025 0 Comments
Silver Mountain, ID, Report: Classic Chairlifts, Great Snow, No Crowds Report from Thursday, February 27, 2025 Way up in northern Idaho, in the weird strip of land between Washington and Montana called ‘the Panhandle’, lies Silver Mountain Resort. Named for the precious metal that was mined here along with zinc and lead, visitors to Silver can mine some golden memories of their own. Despite spending most of my ski days […] Conditions Report Zach Armstrong | March 6, 2025 0 Comments
[PHOTOS] Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Steep Skiing and Amazing Vistas Report from Sunday, February 9, 2025 Of all the furry creatures that call Lake Tahoe home, the booming population of black bears are probably the most famous. More seldom seen is the badger, though sightings occur almost every year. This past weekend, a large group of Badger Chemists were spotted at Palisades Tahoe. Not surprisingly, Badger Chemists are found in […] Conditions Report Zach Armstrong | February 11, 2025 0 Comments
Why Ski Patrollers at Park City Initiated The Biggest Ski Patrol Strike In History For Vail executives at Park City, Utah, December 27, 2024 started out as any other holiday would. Employees filtered in and were getting ready for the day, but at Ski Patrol Headquarters in both the Park City and Canyons base areas, the sense of normalcy would not last. Shortly after arriving, unionized patrollers read a brief statement in the locker […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | January 31, 2025 0 Comments
Pomerelle, ID, Report: Sunny Groomers and Good Vibes Report from Sunday, January 26, 2025 Sawtooth National Forest may be known for steep couloirs and challenging summits, including four of the Fifty Classic Ski Descents in North America, but the forest also hosts several ski areas of a much more relaxed character. I traveled to one of these little-known gems this week, Pomerelle Mountain Resort. Located near Albion, Idaho, […] Trip Report Zach Armstrong | January 31, 2025 0 Comments
Idaho Avalanche Educator Chago Says You Are Not Good Enough At Avalanche Rescue The goal of many backcountry skiers has long been to find better snow and fewer people than what can be found in ski resorts. This goal routinely exposes backcountry travelers to avalanche risks that are hundreds or thousands of times greater than what is found in a ski resort. Twenty years ago, backcountry skiing was a small, dedicated group of […] Avalanche Zach Armstrong | December 9, 2024 4 Comments
Forest Service Budget Challenges Threaten Avalanche Center Operations Nationwide Chances are, if you’ve gone backcountry skiing in the United States recently, you’ve looked at an avalanche center forecast. Regional avalanche centers utilize a mix of professional observers and forecasters, public observations, and weather stations to generate daily assessments and forecasts of the avalanche risk in mountain ranges across the United States. Looming federal budget cuts have forced the Forest […] Avalanche Zach Armstrong | November 10, 2024 1 Comment
Record-Setting Trail Runner Alex Borsuk Reminds Us that the Mountains are a Playground On a clear day in May 2013, Alex Borsuk was on a plane, flying over Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan on her way to a new job in Bellingham, Washington. Having grown up in Ohio, she had never seen a glacier and did not know there were active volcanoes in the continental United States. She immediately felt the desire […] Featured Article Zach Armstrong | October 24, 2024 0 Comments
Former President of Palisades Tahoe, CA, Dee Byrne Speaks on Why She Believes Tahoe Needs The New Village at Palisades If you’ve been to the Tahoe area recently, you’ve probably heard buzz about the Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan. Originally introduced in 2012, this contentious redevelopment project has been argued in the court of public opinion and the California Court of Appeals for 12 years. The project would transform the base area at Palisades Tahoe into a year-round resort […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | October 21, 2024 0 Comments
[PHOTOS] Bogus Basin, ID, On Film After a long, smoky summer, Idaho has finally received a break in the temperatures and air quality. While people in other parts of the country may already be thinking about snow and some mountaintops have already received some snow, many mountain bikers in Idaho are getting ready for some much-anticipated fall riding. Here are a few silver halide emulsions from […] Biking Zach Armstrong | October 21, 2024 0 Comments
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