How Walt Disney Helped Create the Ski Area Trail Sign System in North America Trail sign designation symbols are fundamental knowledge at ski resorts in North America, butย their origins are not. They consist of green circles (easiest), blue squares (more difficult), and black diamonds (most difficult), and are the basis of all ski runs in the U.S. Although many variations exist at specific locations, the history of these three main symbols is fascinating. An […] Industry News James Pulfer | December 9, 2024 0 Comments
Wolf Creek Ski Area, CO, Conditions Report: Strong Early Season Conditions as the 85th Season Ramps Up Report from November 24, 2024 Wolf Creek Ski Area, Colorado, opened a month ago as the first major ski resort in North America. Wolf Creek opened 100% of its terrain by mid-November, the earliest ski area in the country to claim that feat, thanks to its usual early-season snow. So it was high time to pay a visit, especially after […] Conditions Report Brett Ploss | November 26, 2024 0 Comments
Alta, UT, Report: Day #1 of the Season After 7″ of New Snow Falls Report from November 3, 2024 Yesterday was ski day #1 of the North American ski season for me. Alta got about seven inches of new snow overnight so I decided to go see how skiable it was. Alta felt like an operating ski resort yesterday. The parking lot was half full, people were tailgating hard, and hundreds of folks were […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | November 4, 2024 1 Comment
Top 5 Places to Live for the Most Powder Days in the U.S. The thrill of powder days lures skiers and riders alike to unlikely locations across the globe in search of that sweet white gold that falls from the sky. So, if scanning the forecast for powder days is your thing, it might be worth looking into real estate in some of these towns. The following five cities are located within an […] Tyler Hatch | October 15, 2024 0 Comments
NASA: Smoky Skies Across North America This post first appeared on NASA Earth Observatory. In July 2024, wildland fires in Canada billowed smoke that drifted across North America. A stretch of extreme heat, coupled with windy conditions and thunderstorms, helped spur the ignition and expansion of fires in several Canadian provinces. As of July 24, 989 fires actively burned in Canada, with over half of those […] Fire Guest Author | August 1, 2024 0 Comments
Top 5 Longest Chairlifts in North America Chairlifts have a love-hate relationship within our sport. They are a necessity (for most of us) to get us on the slopes, while also giving us a bit of time to rest our burning legs and enjoy the scenery. However, chairlifts are also known for pushing our patience to the limit. We’ve all been on that one lift, that always […] Industry News Anton Lengyel | July 15, 2024 4 Comments
Trip Report: Black Mountain – “North Face Chutes” | Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA Report from June 1, 2024 I was exhausted the past week after skiing 461 of the past 541 days. Yesterday was no exception. I searched for an easy one. One that wouldn’t end me… Black Mountain in Virginia Lakes appeared just right. 11,770′ Black Mountain “North Face Chutes” Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA Summitย (actually a ridgeline):ย 11,700 feet Car:ย 9,800 feet […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | June 3, 2024 0 Comments
Mammoth Mountain, CA, Closing Day 2024 Report: Raucous Summit Party & Finally Got the Damn D-Spin 720ยบ Report from May 27, 2024 Closing day at Mammoth Mountain was all-time on Monday… It was especially poignant for me. One of my big goals each year is to land a D-Spin 720ยบ. My initial goal was to land this trick until I was 40-years-old. I’d copied that goal from the legendary Mike Douglas who vowed to stomp that trick […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 31, 2024 0 Comments