Long Term Review: Outdoor Research Trailbreaker Touring Pants In the world of backcountry touring, gear is everything. Unfortunately, finding the right gear for the right occasion is really, really hard. Unbiased, detailed gear reviews can help you narrow down the choices, and here at SnowBrains, that’s what we’re all about! I was sent the Outdoor Research Trailbreaker II pants to review this past winter and spring. I’ve broken the […] Gear Clay Malott | June 17, 2021 0 Comments
Long Term Review: Outdoor Research Ferrosi Touring Shell Back in February, I was sent the Outdoor Research Ferrosi hooded touring shell to review. These are my honest opinions after four months of significant use. I’ve broken the review up into five sections: fit, uphill performance, protection from the elements, miscellaneous pros/cons, and “the bottom line.” Reviewer Stats: Name: Clay Malott Days toured with the Ferrosi Shell: 55 Height: 6’3″ Weight: 160lbs Testing […] Gear Clay Malott | June 17, 2021 0 Comments
All-Time Highest Temperature Ever Tied in Salt Lake City, UT Yesterday 107°F. That was the temperature recorded at the Salt Lake City International Airport yesterday, June 15, 2021. Only twice in the past 147 years of record-keeping in Salt Lake City has the Utah capital witnessed a temperature so high. Once in July of 1960 and again in July of 2002. For now, the record remains tied at 107ºF. But will […] SnowBrains | June 16, 2021 6 Comments
Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows, CA, Kicks Off Summer Operations June 18 Activities include Aerial Tram sightseeing, e-mountain biking, roller skating, Kids Adventure Camp, and the Tahoe Via Ferrata Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows’ summer season kicks off Friday, June 18, when the resort reopens for mountain exploration, outdoor adventure programming, and family-friendly activities. Aerial Tram Offering sweeping, panoramic views of Lake Tahoe and surrounding mountain vistas, the Aerial Tram is a 10-minute […] SnowBrains | June 16, 2021 0 Comments
NOAA: May 2021 Tied for Sixth-Warmest May on Record This post first appeared on climate.gov and was written by Rebecca Lindsey According to the latest monthly global climate summary from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), May 2021 was among the top-ten warmest Mays on record: The May 2021 global surface temperature was 1.46°F (0.81°C) above the 20th-century average of 58.6°F (14.8°C), tying with 2018 as the sixth-warmest […] WeatherBrains | June 16, 2021 0 Comments
This $72.5-Million Mansion Just Became the Most Expensive Home Ever Sold in Aspen, CO A mansion at the base of Red Mountain, Aspen, has just sold for $72.5-million, setting a record for a single-family home in the affluent Colorado town, reports the Wall Street Journal. The house, overlooking downtown Aspen, is a 22,000-square-foot, 11-bedroom compound, including a guesthouse. The previous owner bought the property for $43-million in 2009. The wood, stone, and glass property, on 4.5-acres, […] SnowBrains | June 16, 2021 1 Comment
RV Driver Spent a Week Stuck on Colorado Mountain Pass Balanced Over 400-Foot Drop A Colorado man spent a week in his RV precariously stuck above a 400-foot drop after driving his 38-foot vehicle, plus sedan towed behind, down a narrow and rugged track high in the San Juan Mountains near Durango, CO. Related: The Legendary RV Culture of Crystal Mountain, WA’s B-Lot The man turned onto Lime Creek Road in the San Juan National […] SnowBrains | June 16, 2021 7 Comments
Woman Missing in Alaska After Reporting Being Charged by Multiple Bears Update 6/17 0330 PT: At approximately 1730 hours on Wednesday, June 16th, 2021, the Alaska State Troopers were notified by a volunteer SAR member departing the search area that Fina Kiefer walked out of the woods as they were driving by on Knik River Road, about a mile from the trailhead. Kiefer has injuries and EMS is transporting her to a […] SnowBrains | June 16, 2021 1 Comment
54 Days of Survival in the Sierra Nevada Backcountry: The Story of Lieutenant David Steeves In the 1950s the cold war was escalating; the KGB had just been established and the Russians were gearing up to launch the Sputnik into orbit. Vietnam was split at the 17th parallel and McCarthy’s witch hunt had raised the ardor to a fevered pitch. America was engaged in a race of military mite and super power status came with a focus on state of the art aircraft with superior handling and missile firing accuracy. Readiness was paramount and Lockheed’s T-33 was a front line training jet for advanced level Air Force pilots. Only a few trusted high level men where engaged in the secrecy […] Guest Author | June 16, 2021 5 Comments
60% of Idaho Ski Areas Offer Summer Mountain Biking Adventures This article was provided courtesy of Ski Idaho BOISE, Idaho (June 14, 2021) — 11 of Idaho’s ski areas offer lift-served mountain biking, and four — Lookout Pass (plus the Route of the Hiawatha), Silver Mountain, Soldier Mountain, and Tamarack — have already opened their trails for the season. Five more — Bogus Basin, Brundage Mountain, Grand Targhee, Kelly Canyon, […] Biking CycleBrains | June 16, 2021 0 Comments
Classic Big Sur, CA Trail Reopening on Friday After 13-Year Closure Wildfires suck. They destroy everything—including your favorite hiking trails, sometimes leaving them closed for decades at a time. But now a popular Big Sur trail flanked by redwood trees that leads down through a gorge to a 60-foot waterfall is set to open Friday after a 13-year closure. 13 years ago, a wildfire destroyed access to the Pfeiffer Falls Trail […] Martin Kuprianowicz | June 16, 2021 0 Comments
Man Breaks Beaver Creek, CO Record, Ski Biking Almost 100,000-Vertical-Feet in One Day This post was written Trina Thomas Competition is his middle name, which explains why Brodrick Nickens defied the odds, skiing just under 100,000 vertical feet in one day on his Sno-Go ski bike at Beaver Creek Resort, CO, on April 6, 2021. Related: Man in Beaver Creek, CO Skis 90,000+ Vertical-Feet in One Day The former D1 athlete committed an […] Industry News SnowBrains | June 15, 2021 2 Comments
San Francisco, CA, Born Teenage Freeski Prodigy is New Face of Tiffany & Co. San Francisco, CA, born freeskier prodigy Eileen Gu is one of three new A-list ambassadors for Tiffany & Co. for its 2021 Tiffany T1 “Give Me the T” campaign. Related: VIDEO: Mount Hood, OR Summer Skiing Slush Laps With Pro Skier Eileen Gu 17-year-old Red Bull athlete Gu, who represents China, joins Black-ish actress Tracee Ellis Ross, and Queen’s Gambit star […] Industry News SnowBrains | June 15, 2021 4 Comments
Potential for Huge Ice Avalanche Leads Officials to Advise Avoiding North Face of Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, French Alps Various elements seem to indicate the imminence of a potentially large ice avalanche (of the order of 10,000 to 20,000 cubic meters) from the front of the main glacier suspended from the north face of the Aiguille du Midi (between Frendo and Mallory) in the French Alps. Related: American Alpine Institute Warning Mount Baker, WA Climbers of Huge Serac Expected […] Climbing CragBrains | June 15, 2021 0 Comments
Search Continues For Lone Hiker Missing for 5-Days in Grand Canyon National Park, AZ The National Park Service (NPS) is conducting a missing person search at Grand Canyon National Park, AZ. Charles Lyon, 49, of Tyler, Texas, was last seen at the Best Western hotel in Tusayan, Arizona on June 10, 2021. Lyon abandoned his vehicle on the South Rim along Desert View Drive near Lipan Point on or around June 11, 2021, and […] SnowBrains | June 15, 2021 0 Comments
Summer Operations and Opening Dates at Colorado Ski Resorts With a successful 2020-21 winter season in the rearview mirror and new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on masks and vaccines, Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) member ski areas are looking forward to welcoming guests to ski areas and mountain communities across the state this summer. Related: 10 of the Best Bike Parks in North America: Below […] SnowBrains | June 15, 2021 0 Comments
Heatwave Causes Beartooth Basin Summer Ski Area, WY/MT, to Close For the Season Today Beartooth Basin ski area, North America’s only summer-only ski area, announced yesterday that they would be closing today, June 15th, before summer has even officially begun. The ski area, which opened for the season on May 29th and usually stays open into July, cannot compete with the heatwave currently blazing down on the US. Ten days ago multiple days of hot […] Industry News SnowBrains | June 15, 2021 0 Comments
Whistler Blackcomb, BC Refuses to Refund Prepaid Cardholders During 2020-21 Season Several skiers bought prepaid passes at Whistler Blackcomb for the 2020-21 season but didn’t get to use all of their days. They claim they weren’t able to use them due to British Columbia’s COVID-19 health order to avoid non-essential travel and stay in their own regions. They went forward to ask Whistler Blackcomb for a refund on their unused days. […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | June 15, 2021 0 Comments
Long Term Review: 2020-2021 WNDR Vital 100 This past winter and spring, I had the pleasure of skiing on WNDR’s brand new Vital 100 ski. All too often in the ski industry, equipment is reviewed for a handful of days and then is sent back to the brand. I had the incredible opportunity to ski over sixty days on these skis this season, which has given me a […] Gear Clay Malott | June 15, 2021 0 Comments
NOAA: Which Mountain Snowpacks are Most Vulnerable to Global Warming? This article was originally published by Alison Stevens on Climate.gov on March 22, 2021 As Earth heats up thanks to human-caused climate change, scientists expect that winter snowpacks will melt increasingly earlier in the spring. According to a new NOAA-funded study, these impacts are already underway, but global warming isn’t impacting every region equally. While snowpack in some regions has been […] SnowBrains | June 15, 2021 0 Comments