The Best Time to Ski and Snowboard in Australia and New Zealand When’s the best time to ski in Australia or New Zealand? With recent snowfall pictures from Down Under flooding social media, it’s a question many skiers are asking. In fact, just today, an Instagram user asked SnowBrains whether the last week of August and first week of September are too late for decent snow in New Zealand. A good starting […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | June 17, 2025 0 Comments
Skier Seriously Injured Following 1,000-Foot Fall Near Skywalker Couloir, CO On Saturday, June 14, at approximately 10:30 a.m., the Boulder County Communications Center received reports of a skier suffering serious injuries following a fall near the Skywalker Couloir on South Arapahoe Peak, west of Nederland, Colorado, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office reports. Related: Skier Seriously Injured After Tumbling 2,000 Feet in Skywalker Couloir, CO Multiple calls were made to 9-1-1; […] Backcountry SnowBrains | June 17, 2025 0 Comments
Copper Mountain, CO, Launches Summer Hike Park, Extending Ski Season Into September As Colorado’s winter season draws to a close, Copper Mountain has officially opened its Summer Hike Park, providing the state’s only on-snow terrain park experience through the summer months. The park, located in Center Village, welcomes skiers and snowboarders every Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with operations scheduled through September 7, weather permitting. Related: Ski and […] Industry News SnowBrains | June 17, 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
The 7 Biggest Threats to the Future of Skiing and Snowboarding Skiing and snowboarding have long been beloved winter traditions, drawing people to the mountains for both adrenaline and escape. But behind the lifts and powder days, the industry faces serious challenges. Based on community discussions and expert concerns, the future of snow sports depends on how the industry responds to a range of emerging threats, including climate change and cultural […] Industry News Brent Thomas | June 17, 2025 0 Comments
Landslide Closes U.S. Highway 6 Indefinitely Over Loveland Pass, CO A landslide has forced the closure of U.S. Highway 6 between Loveland Ski Area and Arapahoe Basin, a high-alpine route popular with travelers and recreationists in Colorado’s central Rockies. The Colorado Department of Transportation closed the road early Sunday morning around 5:30 a.m. after a section of mountain slope gave way near mile marker 226 on Loveland Pass. The debris […] Martin Kuprianowicz | June 17, 2025 0 Comments
Perisher Resort, Australia, Will Open Blue Cow Area This Weekend Perisher Resort, Australia, announced today, June 17, that Blue Cow will officially open this coming Saturday, June 21. This means that all four of Perisher’s resort areas will be open from this weekend: Guthega, Smiggin Holes, Perisher, and Blue Cow. Please note, however, that the four resort areas are not yet interlinked. “Blue Cow is one of the most iconic […] Industry News SnowBrains | June 17, 2025 0 Comments
New Hope for Kanin-Sella Nevea Cross-Border Resort as Slovenian Government Commits €30 Million After nearly two years of closure, the Kanin-Sella Nevea ski resort straddling the Slovenian-Italian border could soon reopen, as the Slovenian government has pledged up to €30 million for the construction of a new cable car from Bovec to the mountain’s summit. According to Slovenian newspaper Primorske Novice, the cabinet formally endorsed a letter of intent on June 12, contingent […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | June 16, 2025 0 Comments
[PHOTOS] Landslide Tears Through Village Near Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italian Dolomites A massive landslide unleashed by violent overnight storms tore through the alpine village of Borca di Cadore in Italy’s Veneto region early Monday, burying homes and vehicles under tons of mud, rock, and debris. Located just south of Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites, the village was hit shortly after midnight during a thunderstorm that dumped heavy rainfall across the region. […] Julia Schneemann | June 16, 2025 0 Comments
Millions of Acres of Public Land at Stake if Reconciliation Bill Gets Passed, Prompting Backlash Across Western States A controversial new proposal from Senate Republicans has sparked fierce opposition after revealing plans to force the sale of up to 3.3 million acres of federally owned public land across 11 Western states, including Colorado, Utah, and California. Introduced as part of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s FY25 Budget Reconciliation bill, the plan would direct the Bureau of […] Julia Schneemann | June 16, 2025 0 Comments
Group of 3 Hikers Killed by Lightning Strike While Hiking in Austria’s Vorarlberg Region A tragic accident unfolded in Austria’s Verwall Alps on Sunday when three experienced hikers were fatally struck by lightning during their descent from the Hoher Riffler, a 3,168-meter (10,394-foot) peak in the heart of the popular Vorarlberg ski region. The victims—a 62-year-old man, his 60-year-old brother, and the brother’s 60-year-old wife—had begun their descent around 12:30 p.m. when weather conditions […] Hiking Julia Schneemann | June 16, 2025 0 Comments
National Weather Service Issues First-Ever Heat Advisory in Alaska For the first time in state history, the National Weather Service has issued an official heat advisory for Alaska, signaling a shift in how hot weather is communicated to residents in one of the nation’s coldest regions. The advisory, issued for the Fairbanks area, is in effect for Sunday, when temperatures are expected to climb above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 […] Weather Martin Kuprianowicz | June 16, 2025 2 Comments
Aspen One Announces Updates on Its Efforts to Alleviate Housing and Childcare Pressures Within Its Communities Across Ski Industry June 16, 2025 – With housing and childcare at a critical juncture in mountain communities, Aspen One has made significant progress in adding units for its employees throughout the Roaring Fork Valley (RFV) and in other locations in which it operates, including Ketchum, Idaho, and Mammoth, California. Childcare also remains a priority within these communities, and Aspen One continues to be […] Industry News Press Release | June 16, 2025 0 Comments
Veteran Mountain Guide Becomes First Person to Summit Mount Rainier, WA, 600 Times in New World Record Mountain guide Brent Okita reached the summit of Mount Rainier for the 600th time on Friday, setting a new world record for the most ascents of Washington’s highest peak, according to RMI Expeditions. At 64 years old, Okita is now the only person known to have climbed the 14,410-foot mountain that many times. A professional guide since 1986, he completed […] Climbing Martin Kuprianowicz | June 16, 2025 0 Comments
Huge 20-Foot Deep Landslide Closes Section of Loveland Pass, CO, Disrupting Arapahoe Basin Closing Day A significant landslide forced the closure of Loveland Pass, Colorado, early Sunday morning, blocking U.S. Highway 6 near mile marker 226, roughly one mile before the Summit County line. The slide, which measured approximately 100 feet wide and 20 feet deep, did not involve any vehicles or cause injuries, according to officials from the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office and […] SnowBrains | June 16, 2025 0 Comments
Hikers Struck by Lightning on 14er While Calling Search and Rescue Results in Colorado’s Highest-Ever Helicopter Rescue Two hikers from New York were rescued in a record-setting helicopter operation after being struck by lightning near the summit of Colorado’s Torreys Peak late Thursday, while on the phone with rescue teams, according to a social media post from Alpine Rescue Team. Related: When Lightning Strikes: This Simple Advice Could Save Your Life Alpine Rescue Team responded just before […] Hiking SnowBrains | June 16, 2025 0 Comments
U.S. Ski Racer Mikaela Shiffrin Receives Honorary Degree from Dartmouth College, NH On Sunday, June 15, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, awarded American alpine ski legend Mikaela Shiffrin an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during its commencement ceremony, recognizing not only her record-breaking career but also her advocacy for mental health and her resilience in the face of personal loss. Shiffrin, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the most decorated skier in World […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | June 16, 2025 0 Comments
South America’s Ski Season is Here With 2 Resorts Open and 7 Kicking Off Soon The 2025-26 ski season is a little more than five months away for most people living in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the start of June means skiing south of the equator is just about to begin. Typically, ski resorts in South America open in the first week to the second week of June, depending on the weather. Some ski resorts […] Industry News Gregg Frantz | June 15, 2025 0 Comments
An Analysis of Avalanche Risk by Major Ski Country For most skiers and snowboarders, the risk of dying in an avalanche is very low. Yet there are those who suffer from nivisphobia—the fear of avalanches—and cite it as the reason they avoid the mountains altogether. A healthy respect for avalanche risk can save your life in the backcountry. But how rational is a genuine fear of avalanches when viewed […] Brains Julia Schneemann | June 15, 2025 0 Comments
7 Ways to Up Your Game as a Resort Skier Resort skiing is awesome, no matter how you look at it. Chairlifts that float you up the mountainside, hot laps with friends, ski patrol doing all the work so you don’t have to worry about avalanches—skiing inbounds is a vibe, and if you’re like me, you might do it a lot. But if you’re also like me, then you’re constantly […] Brains Martin Kuprianowicz | June 15, 2025 6 Comments