The Most Difficult In-Bounds Ski Runs in the World, According to SnowBrains Readers Who doesn’t like a good challenge? For many, a picturesque ski day involves long blue cruisers, open fields of powder, and relaxed après at a cozy slopeside lodge. However, for some, the perfect run involves harrowing steeps, mandatory airs, sketchy straight lines, and conditions that would put hair on the chests of even the most seasoned skiers. For adrenaline junkies […] Brains Kien Warren | October 6, 2026 0 Comments
The 11 Oldest Operating Ski Lifts in North America The up is never as fun as the down. The chairlift is just a means to get that next face shot or to continue the hunt for the perfect turn. No one ever talks about how insane the tram is as they’re about to crap themselves when they realize how psycho Corbet’s Couloir truly is. No. The magic of floating up […] Brains Brent Glogau | August 15, 2026 23 Comments
March Madness Ski Resort Edition, 2026: A Nail-Biting Round 1 to Start Round 1 of SnowBrains’ 2026 March Madness Ski Resort Edition saw 32 matchups featuring some of the best ski resorts from across North America. In Round 1 alone, over 65,000 votes were cast by SnowBrains followers across social media platforms to help decide what the best ski resort in North America is. Related: March Madness Ski Resort Edition 2026: Vote […] Featured Article SnowBrains | March 23, 2026 0 Comments
March Madness Ski Resort Edition 2026: Vote on the Best Ski Resort in North America Just when you thought the ski season was about to wind down, the biggest ski resort showdown begins. In honor of one of the best tournaments ever created, SnowBrains’ March Madness Ski Resort Edition sets out to crown the overall best ski resort in North America, voted by the people. Last year marked the first edition of the tournament, featuring […] Featured Article SnowBrains | March 15, 2026 2 Comments
Mad River Glen, VT, Buys 1,100 Acres to Conserve Land for Backcountry Use Mad River Glen has finalized the purchase of more than 1,100 acres of land surrounding its ski area in Fayston, Vermont, securing the property for conservation and backcountry recreation. The cooperatively owned ski area closed the $2.5 million deal Tuesday, general manager Matt Lillard told VTDigger. The acquisition more than doubles the land owned by the resort’s cooperative, which previously […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | February 27, 2026 0 Comments
Mad River Glen, VT, Could Pull Off Land Acquisition And Pub Renovation Thanks To Co-op Shareholder Donations Mad River Glen, one of the only co-op owned ski areas in North America, is drawing nearer to completing purchase of an 1,100 acre parcel of land next door to the ski area, affectionately called the 20th hole. The opportunity to buy the land came up suddenly, after an anonymous group, Lyme Mill Brook LLC, put in an offer to […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | January 23, 2026 0 Comments
Mad River Glen, VT, Exercises Right To Purchase 1,100 Acres Next Door In 1995, Betsy Pratt, longtime owner of Mad River Glen, Vermont, made the bold decision to sell the ski area to the skiers, by way of a co-op. At the time, the co-op could only raise enough money to buy the ski area itself, and the Pratt Family retained control of some 1,100 acres next to the ski area that […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | December 12, 2025 0 Comments
Dream Job Alert: Mad River Glen, VT, Is Hiring a Snow Reporter In elementary school, all the kids dreamed of testing ice creams or video games as their career. As adults, we are often told to abandon those dreams for more realistic and stable position. Well, Mad River Glen, an iconic resort in Eastern Vermont, is hiring a Snow Reporter for the 2025-26 season. This job is a revolt against those norms […] Industry News Zach Suffish | November 3, 2025 0 Comments
Mad River Glen, VT, to Allow Snowboarders Next Season While Alta Ski Area, UT, Considers Similar Policy Mad River Glen in Vermont has announced an ambitious plan to allow a trial run for snowboarders on February 29, 2026. If all goes well, snowboarders will be allowed on the mountain starting in winter 2026-27. Mad River Glen is well known for being one of only three ski resorts in the country prohibiting snowboarders from accessing its lifts. The […] Industry News Spencer McLaughlin | April 1, 2025 1 Comment
March Madness Ski Resort Edition: Vote on Who Will Be Crowned Champion as Best Ski Resort in North America While March may be the most exciting time of year for basketball fans, the month typically sees skiing wind down to a close—until now. To honor the most intense sports tournament on the continent, SnowBrains decided to host a March Madness of its own to find out which ski resort its following would crown champion as the Best Ski Resort […] SnowBrains | March 25, 2025 0 Comments
Mow Some Grass, Earn Your Pass This Fall at Mad River Glen, VT Have you ever wondered how ski resort trails are mowed in the summer? Well, most ski resorts mow most of their terrain using either tractors or snowcats with mower attachments on the front. At Mad River Glen in Waitsfield, Vermont, the mowing is done a little bit differently. While some of the beginner and intermediate terrain is mowed by tractor, […] Industry News Jake Benton | August 17, 2024 0 Comments
The Most Challenging Ski Runs on the East Coast According to Locals Mostly known for extremely variable and icy conditions, the East Coast is not exactly famous for its challenging runs. Nevertheless, there are definitely some very steep and technical runs located at various ski areas throughout the region. We hope that this list will help out the select skiers and riders who seek out more of a challenge on the East […] Industry News Jake Benton | July 24, 2024 2 Comments
Hometown Mountain Shoutout: Embracing Tradition at Mad River Glen, VT Nestled in the heart of Vermont’s Green Mountains, Mad River Glen remains a sanctuary for skiers and locals alike. Those holding on to the nostalgia of the fabled and now disappearing sleepy east coast ski town, flock to the Mad River Glen (MRG) single chair every winter to enjoy its unique beauty and the challenging terrain it provides. The iconic […] Kenneth Condon | August 3, 2023 2 Comments
Hometown Mountain Shoutout: Mad River Glen, VT – Simply One of a Kind Skiing is an exercise in putting oneself at the mercy of Mother Nature, and no mountain better embodies this spirit than Mad River Glen, VT. It is classic New England skiing: rugged, ungroomed terrain, narrowly cut trails, and minimal man-made snow. Skiers may easily have either the most humbling or epic day of their life, depending on the conditions at […] Industry News Brady Mokrzycki | June 1, 2023 1 Comment
Vermont is Home to the Best Glades and Steep Skiing Classics on the East Coast Brought to you by The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing As a native New Englander, Vermont skiing has always been something special. Growing up, my dad and I would drive hours past our local resorts and head straight for Vermont. The trails were more challenging, the snow was deeper, and the trees seemed to grow the perfect distance apart. […] Featured Article Mike Lavery | January 19, 2022 6 Comments
How Old is Your Ski Lift? When you come to a resort and ride a ski lift, do you think of how old that lift is? Probably not, unless you’re stuck on the chair for a few hours. Are the new lifts more reliable and safe than the older ones? Well, it’s hard to say—I was stuck for three and a half hours on a relatively […] Industry News Claire Weiss | January 26, 2021 5 Comments
The Most Affordable & Most Expensive Ski Destinations in the United States Last week, the largest vacation rental search engine, HomeToGo, released its 2021 Ski Season Report detailing its findings on the 55 most affordable and expensive ski destinations in the United States. Here is what they found: Most Expensive Destinations The top of the list may not come entirely as a surprise. Alta, Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek, and Deer Valley take […] Industry News Liam Abbott | January 20, 2021 0 Comments
Mad River Glen, VT & James Niehues Partnership Raises Over $120,000 “The Man Behind the Maps” has done it again. James Niehues, along with Open Road Ski Company, have completed their partnership with legendary ski area Mad River Glen, VT, and the results couldn’t have gone better. Related: “Mad River Glen, VT: Paint It If You Can?” The partnership raised a grand total of $121,327 from 514 backers in just over […] Industry News Taylor Stephan | October 9, 2020 0 Comments
Mad River Glen, VT: Paint It If You Can? Mad River Glen is known for its slogan “ski it if you can.” However, one man known for his iconic trail maps within the ski industry is finally going to “paint it if he can.” James Niehues, legendary trail map artist and creator of “The Man Behind the Maps,” is taking his talents to Eastern Vermont. He’s painted over 250 […] Industry News Taylor Stephan | September 17, 2020 1 Comment
Mad River Glen, VT Renovates 72-Year Old Basebox and Patrol Building Mad River Glen, infamous for its single chair, challenging east coast terrain, and rustic vibe, has initiated a substantial renovation project on their 72-year old Basebox and ski patrol building. Remaining unchanged for over 30 years, both buildings will be revamped in order to coincide with safety, efficiency, and regulatory code standards. With their primary goal being to address current codes, Mad […] Industry News Emily Crofton | May 9, 2020 0 Comments
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