Update on Japanese Earthquake That Has Left at Least 30 Dead On New Year’s Day, a level 7.5 earthquake as measured by the United States Geological Survey (7.6 by Japan’s Meteorological Agency) struck off the west coast of Japan near the Ishikawa prefecture. Rescue operations are still underway but thus far the death of 30 people has been confirmed. Numbers are expected to rise as many people are still trapped under […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | January 2, 2024 0 Comments
Trip Report: 45º Steep East Couloir of 11,330 Twin Peaks | Wasatch Mountains, UT Report from December 31, 2023 Yesterday I decided to go for a long walk and try a scary, steep line that I knew was going to hold bad, wind-hammered snow. I’d seen the east couloir of 11,303′ Twin Peaks (Broads Fork, Twin Peaks East) from Cardiac Ridge on December 15, 2023, and it looked skiable. It had just enough snow. […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | January 1, 2024 0 Comments
Earthquake Off the West Coast of Japan Shocks Hakuba Ski Areas Reported January 1, 2024 At 4:10PM local time January 1, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit Noto in the Ishikawa Prefecture of Japan. Tsunami warnings are in effect for Niigata with the swell expected to be over 10ft. This coastal region directly includes the route between Hakuba and Lotte Arai. Two ski resorts frequented by Americans on the Epic and IKON pass […] Weather Brett Ploss | January 1, 2024 0 Comments
Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Main Island & Hits Ski Resorts, 16’ Tsunami Expected, Evacuation Orders in Place A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit Japan’s west coast on the main island, Honshu, on New Year’s Day at 4:10 p.m. local time near the Ishikawa prefecture. The earthquake was felt in the entire central part of Honshu, Japan’s largest island, which is home to ski resorts in the Nagano prefecture like Hakuba. Following the earthquake, between 15-20 aftershocks have been […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | January 1, 2024 0 Comments
You Can Own This Swedish Resort for Less Than $500,000 Anyone in the market to buy a ski resort should check out Gruvbacken in HusÃ¥. Göran Folkesson has owned the resort for the last 25 years. The 75-year-old has a great passion for the sport but has been trying to sell the resort for the previous two years, hoping that someone younger with new ideas can propel it into the […] Industry News Brent Thomas | December 31, 2023 0 Comments
Niseko Hanazono, Japan, Report: Light Snow Overnight, Holiday Crowds Arrive Report from December 31, 2023 I looked out my window this morning to finally see snow coming down. Typically a usual sight in Niseko, but any trace has been absent the past few days. Being New Year’s Eve, the crowds came. Lines aren’t often found in Japan, but since Niseko is rated as the #1 resort in the country, people […] Conditions Report Brett Ploss | December 31, 2023 0 Comments
Mt. Hood, OR, is Experiencing the Worst Start to a Ski Season in 34 Years The snowfall across much of the U.S. this winter has been disappointing. Although plenty of resorts are open, the average snowpack is well below historical averages. Perhaps nowhere else is this more apparent than on Mt. Hood, Oregon. The current settled snow at the base at Timberline Lodge is a measly 26 inches. Typically, by January 1 at the resort, […] Industry News Brent Thomas | December 31, 2023 0 Comments
Niseko, Japan, Report: Softer Snow with More on the Way Report from December 30, 2023 Drove over to Niseko Grand Hirafu this morning. The snow was better than at Annupuri due to having less sun exposure. Niseko United is the umbrella that combines four ski resorts which are inter-connected by lifts and all available on the IKON pass. From left to right in the above trail map are Annupuri, Niseko […] Conditions Report Brett Ploss | December 31, 2023 0 Comments