Top 11 Ski Resorts with the Most Named Trails in North America Ski resorts love to brag about their numbers. Snowfall, vertical, and skiable acres are common, but one that is sometimes overlooked is the number of marked trails. Having a significant number of marked trails at a ski resort gives skiers more variety, helps spread out crowds, and makes navigation easier for guests of all levels. It also improves safety, enhances […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 25, 2025 0 Comments
5 of the Best Real Foods for Fuel and Recovery Some of the simplest, staple foods we know and love are also the best “real foods” for our bodies, especially before and during recovery after physical activities. These real foods must be easily digestible for our bodies to metabolize efficiently, and full of nutrients to do what we need them to do. Also, anything jam-packed into a bottle or crammed into a […] Brains John Cunningham | July 19, 2025 0 Comments
Where is the Future of Snowboarding Heading? Over the past decade, snowboarding has seen a decline in participation and sales, especially when compared to the sport’s surge in popularity in the early to mid-2000s. Despite the sport’s young age, it seems to have already gone through an entire life cycle, reaching peak popularity in the 2010-2011 season, followed by a steep decline in the following years, according […] Brains Quinn Brophy | July 16, 2025 0 Comments
The 10 Biggest Ski Resorts on the East Coast Although the East is home to hundreds of small hills, there are a surprising number of big mountain ski areas that offer an abundance of terrain that rivals West Coast resorts. Many East Coast resorts get overlooked when skiers and riders are looking to book week-long vacations. Many people pass over these resorts, thinking they do not offer enough terrain to […] Brains Brett Currie | July 15, 2025 3 Comments
How to Be a More Sustainable Skier How to Be a More Sustainable Skier With climate change at the forefront of everyone’s mind these days, it’s no surprise that the ski and snowboard industry is working hard to reduce its environmental impact. Resorts across the world are implementing more sustainable methods of snow production, lift power, and transportation. But what can you do as an individual to […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 14, 2025 0 Comments
Top 9 States with the Best Snow Quality When it comes to skiing and snowboarding, not all snow is created equal. The best days on the mountain usually come down to one key factor: snow quality. Light, dry powder offers the smoothest turns, the softest landings, and the kind of float that makes every run feel like a dream. While snowfall totals get most of the attention, the […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 14, 2025 0 Comments
Brain Post: How Big Is Your Blind Spot? We all know cars have a blind spot. Some are larger than others, but that’s not news. The question here is: Do skiers and snowboarders have a blind spot? And if so, where? The answer lies not in the gear, or the thick layers of fleece, down, and Gore-Tex apparel. Nor does it have anything to do with those nice […] Brains Bevan Waite | July 12, 2025 3 Comments
Why Does It Snow So Much in Utah? Big Cottonwood Canyon (Brighton and Solitude) and Little Cottonwood Canyon (Alta and Snowbird) resorts are world-renowned ski destinations, and Utah is said to have the “Greatest Snow on Earth”. At first, this may seem odd and, frankly, a bold statement for a state probably better known for desert towers and slot canyons. So let’s unpack the claim and better understand what makes Utah powder so […] Weather John Solder | July 12, 2025 4 Comments
The Best Places in the U.S. to Ski During the Day and Gamble at Night After a long, action-packed day on the slopes, sometimes a little after-hours action at a casino is just what one needs to keep that adrenaline going. While many people might think of casinos and picture the deserts of Las Vegas, or the ocean beaches of Atlantic City, there are plenty of places you can roll the dice or spin a slot machine […] Brains Joseph Kaufmann | July 11, 2025 0 Comments
Top 5 U.S. States for Extreme Bucket List Adventures If you live for adrenaline, love pushing your limits, or want to check some wild experiences off your bucket list, the U.S. has no shortage of epic places to do it. From skydiving over the ocean to rock climbing in desert canyons or paddling through whitewater rapids, each state brings something unique to the adventure table. Related: 17 Not So […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 11, 2025 0 Comments
The Hidden Costs of Search and Rescue: Why Getting Rescued Always Ends up Costing More Why do search and rescue operations end up being so expensive? Since 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor recreation has spiked among Americans. As more and more people have gotten out into the wilderness, the number of emergencies have risen as well. Alongside increasing extreme weather events, this has caused a perfect storm of conditions putting pressure on Search and […] Brains Elliot LeBlanc | July 10, 2025 0 Comments
Should Helmets Be Mandatory at Ski Resorts? It wasn’t very long ago that ski helmets were more of an obscurity then the norm like they are today. Though ski helmets were initially invented in the 1950s with the use of technology from World War II, they didn’t really began to see wide spread use until the early to mid 2000’s. A study from ScholarBlogs found that in the […] Industry News Joseph Kaufmann | July 10, 2025 4 Comments
Top 7 Most Unexpected Animals Seen on the Slopes Like any outdoor activity humans participle in, from time to time we tend to come in contact with the original inhabitants of the area we choose to make our playground. Many ski resorts are on national forests, and in those dense, often remote areas one can run into some pretty striking wildlife. In fact, Colorado’s White River National Forest is […] Brains Joseph Kaufmann | July 9, 2025 0 Comments
Top 9 Most Rewarding Ski-Related Jobs Working in the ski industry isn’t just a job for many—it’s a lifestyle. It’s early mornings, frozen fingers, big laughs, and the kind of fulfillment that’s hard to find behind a desk. The work can be tough, the pay isn’t always glamorous, and the weather doesn’t care about your comfort. But ask anyone who’s spent a season—or a lifetime—in the […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 7, 2025 0 Comments
Is There Such a Thing as ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ Skis? If you’ve ever stood at the base of the mountain, skis in hand, wondering whether one goes on the left and the other on the right, you’re not alone. For most skiers and most skis, the answer is simple: it doesn’t matter. Traditional alpine skis are symmetrical, meaning they’re designed to perform the same no matter which foot they’re on. […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 5, 2025 0 Comments
How Do You Define a “Local”? Many people visit different mountains throughout their lives, and it is always helpful to meet up with a ‘local’ when hitting a resort you may have never been to before. They can advise on what trails to hit, where to find the best bumps, which lifts to use, where to eat, and where to go for the best Après-ski. There […] Brains Gregg Frantz | July 4, 2025 0 Comments
Scientists Uncover the Ideal Conditions Causing Big Champagne Powder® Days at Steamboat, CO: ‘Speedy Snowflakes’ Scientists at Storm Peak Laboratory in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, analyzed 45 years of snowstorm data to pinpoint what drives Steamboat Resort’s biggest powder days. They conclude that extreme snowfall—those top 5% events—requires a specific atmospheric recipe of cold temperatures, northwest storm tracks, and strong winds. “These are the days everyone remembers,” Gannet Hallar, Ph.D., director of Storm Peak Lab and […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 2, 2025 0 Comments
The 7 Friendliest U.S. Airports for Skiers and Snowboarders For skiers and snowboarders traveling for a destination ski trip, the journey to the mountain is a necessary yet potentially dreadful part of the expedition. Navigating through airports with bulky gear can be a hassle, making it crucial to have a seamless travel experience. The friendliest airports for skiers and snowboarders understand this and go above and beyond to ensure […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 2, 2025 0 Comments
A Closer Look Behind the Innovative Backfill Technology That Powered the Teton Pass, WY, Road Repair After a Devastating Landslide When a massive landslide took out a section of Wyoming Highway 22 on June 8, 2024, it didn’t just damage pavement—it cut off a lifeline. Known as the Teton Pass “Big Fill Slide,” the collapse destroyed a key stretch of road that connects eastern Idaho’s Teton Valley with Jackson Hole, Wyoming—a world-class destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The sudden failure, triggered by extreme weather […] Brains Brent Thomas | July 1, 2025 0 Comments
Did You Know There Used to Be an Unconventional Ski Area in the Suburbs of Atlanta, GA? For a few years in the late 1970s, Atlanta, Georgia, offered an unexpected twist for thrill-seekers: the Vinings Ridge Ski Area. Far from the powdery peaks of traditional ski resorts, Vinings Ridge operated on a synthetic surface due to the warm climate, making it a unique, year-round attraction. Related: The 5 Most Unique Ski and Snowboard Towns on The Planet […] Brains Brent Thomas | June 30, 2025 10 Comments