Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Going for the D-Spin 720º at 47-Years-Old View this post on Instagram A post shared by SnowBrains (@snowbrains) Report from May 25, 2025 I woke up at 1 am last night and everything was so clear. I’d wake up at 5:45 am, drive to Palisades Tahoe, land the D-Spin 720, and roll back down to Mammoth for Tall Carl’s party. Tahoe had been off the table because […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
The Joy of Skiing & Snowboarding with Your Kids For many of us, our passion for skiing and snowboarding began at an early age. Maybe it was when we were a young kid or picked it up in High School or college. Either way, if you have kids or plan to have them, it can dramatically change how you experience and enjoy the mountains. And I’m here to say that […] Brains Brent Thomas | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
The Rich History of Extreme Skiing in Crested Butte, CO Colorado’s Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) was the early centerpiece for extreme skiing. Before extreme in-bounds terrain became mainstream across the resort ski industry, a day on the slopes meant clipping into skinny 200+ cm skis and proceeding to rip groomers. Now, many skiers head straight for the bowls, cliffs, chutes, or whatever extreme terrain the resort offers to get […] Industry News Luke Guilford | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
9 Ski Resorts That Offer Adjacent Cat Skiing in the U.S. For those looking for untouched powder and a remote backcountry experience, it is hard to beat cat skiing. As a cheaper alternative to heli-skiing, it gives guests the thrill of exploring endless terrain without the crowds or lift lines of resort skiing. Conveniently, some resorts offer a cat skiing operation attached to the ski area so guests can experience the […] Brains Brent Thomas | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
Trip Report: 13,994′ Mt. Humphreys, CA | “Northeast Couloir” With A Crew of 9 Report from May 23, 2025 Mt. Humphreys is one of 4 Eastern Sierra peaks on my wedding ring. I’d skied one of the east chutes last year. It was time to go back for the classic Northeast Chute. But I wasn’t alone. We were a huge crew of 9 marauding uphill. 13,996′ Mt. Humphreys “Northeast Couloir” Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
The 9 Most Dangerous Ski Slopes in the World There is a whole lot about skiing that causes it to be considered a dangerous sport. People ski on crazy terrain, in less than ideal conditions, and most tend to be doing this at high speeds. Although many people think skiing and riding is a little too extreme, most of us who do it know it is worth all the risk. […] Taliana Potts | May 26, 2025 39 Comments
Brain Post: Denali, AK, Not Everest, is the Tallest Mountain on Land in the World Denali is the World’s tallest mountain, according to Denali National Park and Preserve. Yep, you read that right. The peak of Mt. Everest is 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level, making it the mountain with the highest elevation. However, the base of Mount Everest is estimated to be 17,000 feet (5,200 meters), making the vertical rise of the mountain roughly 12,000 […] SnowBrains | May 26, 2025 4 Comments
Bodies of 5 Backcountry Skiers Found After Avalanche Near Zermatt, Switzerland [Updated May 26] Five backcountry skiers were found dead Saturday, May 24, near the Rimpfischhorn, a towering 13,800-foot peak in the Pennine Alps east of Zermatt, Switzerland, after they failed to return from a high-altitude tour. Rescue services were alerted around 4:30 p.m. local time when two other skiers noticed several sets of abandoned skis near 13,100 feet on the […] Avalanche AvyBrains | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
The History of the Legendary 10th Mountain Division, The Men Who Started USA’s Ski Industry The 10th Mountain Division in WWII: – Arrived in Italy on January 6th, 1945 & immediately entered combat – Fought in the roughest terrain of Italy during WWII – Saw combat in Cutigliano, Battle of Monte Castello, Monte Della Torraccia-Mount Belvedere, Canolle, Mongiorgio, Torbole and Nago. – 992 killed in action – 4,154 wounded in action […] Brains SnowBrains | May 26, 2025 158 Comments
History With SnowBrains: How Whistler, BC, Got Its Name Whistler Mountain was known by the Lil’wat Nation as Cwítima or Kacwítima and Sk̲wik̲w by the Squamish Nation. In 1932, the mountain was named London Mountain because the thick fog surrounding the area reminded the first British settlers of London’s infamous pea soup fog. However, as more and more European settlers flocked to Canada, the name Whistler started to take […] Brains Julia Schneemann | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
Early Snow Hopes Melt as Mt. Hutt, New Zealand, Delays King’s Birthday Opening Just weeks after Mt. Hutt, New Zealand, surprised the New Zealand ski community with its earliest planned opening in 16 years, the Canterbury ski field has been forced to delay operations due to recent poor weather. Warm temperatures, rain, and wind eroded the early-season snow cover in the last couple of weeks. The resort confirmed today, May 26, that it […] Kiwi Brains | May 25, 2025 0 Comments
Vail Resorts Adds a Total of 6 New Austrian Ski Resorts to Epic Pass Offering 1 Day Ahead of Price Hike Just days ahead of its annual price increase, Vail Resorts announced a major expansion of its Epic Pass offerings in Austria, adding six prominent alpine resorts to the 2025–26 pass lineup. The newest additions—Sölden and Silvretta Montafon—were revealed on May 25 and May 23, respectively, capping off a week of high-profile announcements that also included Saalbach, Zell am See-Kaprun, Mayrhofen, […] SnowBrains | May 25, 2025 0 Comments
SnowBrains Forecast: Early-Season Powder Blast for the Central & Southern Andes This Week This forecast was created at 3:30 p.m. PST on Saturday, May 24, 2025. A moisture-laden northwest flow will sweep across the central and southern Andes from Sunday through Tuesday, delivering up to 21″ of fresh snow and kick-starting the region’s early-season snowpack. A dense burst of heavy, wet snow arrives first, followed by progressively colder air that lowers snow levels […] Weather WeatherBrains | May 24, 2025 0 Comments
This ‘Ski Lift Graveyard’ Is More Like a Museum With an Abundance of Alpine History Nestled in the French Alps along a quiet roadside near the town of Taninges lies a strange and beautiful sight: row after row of decommissioned ski lifts. Chairlifts, gondolas, bubbles, and cable cars rest quietly in what looks like an outdoor museum. To the passerby, it is known informally as the ski lift graveyard. But this is no junkyard. It […] Industry News Brent Thomas | May 23, 2025 0 Comments
At 17, Montana Teen Becomes Youngest American Woman to Summit Mt. Everest and Complete 7 Summits Emma Schwerin, a 17-year-old student from Montana, has become the youngest American woman to summit Mount Everest, capping off an ambitious 18-month journey to climb the highest mountain on each continent. Schwerin reached the 29,029-foot summit of Everest on May 15, completing the final leg of what mountaineers call the Seven Summits—a global challenge that includes peaks such as Kilimanjaro, […] Climbing CragBrains | May 23, 2025 0 Comments
Beartooth Highway, MT, to Open for 2025 Season Today With Beartooth Basin Ski Area Opening Next Week, Pending Weather The Beartooth Highway, one of the highest and most scenic roads in the United States and home to summer-only ski area Beartooth Basin, is expected to open for the season on Friday, May 23, as crews wrap up final snow removal and road repairs ahead of Memorial Day weekend. “The work involves more than just snow removal,” transportation officials wrote […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | May 23, 2025 0 Comments
Arapahoe Basin, CO, Announces June 8 Closing Day After 214 Days of Skiing Ski season is sadly coming to an end in Colorado. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area announced yesterday that it will close on Sunday, June 8. Related: These Are the 9 Ski Resorts That Are Open in North America This Weekend The ski area said in a social post: “We will ski & ride 7 days a week until June 1. After […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 23, 2025 0 Comments
9 Resorts to Visit Before You Die, According to SnowBrains Readers Last January, we asked our readers what resorts they thought everyone should visit before they die. The following list is based entirely on readers’ responses to what resort they think skiers and riders need to visit before their final day comes. It’s sure to be an expensive trip all over the world, but according to SnowBrains readers, these resorts are […] Brains Tyler Hatch | May 23, 2025 3 Comments
Vail Resorts Adds Another 2 Austrian Resorts to the Epic Pass Offering Unmatched European Access Ski and ride Mayrhofen and Hintertux in Austria’s famous Zillertal ski region with Epic Pass Epic Passes are on sale now at the lowest price of the year ($1,051) through May 26 BROOMFIELD, Colo., May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Vail Resorts today announced that Epic Pass is expanding its resorts in Austria with Mayrhofen and Hintertux joining the lineup beginning with […] Industry News Press Release | May 23, 2025 0 Comments
Trip Report: “Red Rock Island Chute” – Paiute Pass Ridge Off Peak 12,621 in California Report from May 21, 2025 Yesterday, we decided to maximize our bang for the buck. Paiute Pass Ridge, California. Fox and Garrett had skied the “Red Rock Island Chute” the previous day, and their footage was stellar. For Greggy, Lee, and me, it was a no-brainer. This was the 4th chute I’ve skied on Paiute Pass Ridge, and it was […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 22, 2025 0 Comments