SnowBrains Header logo
  • Store
  • Podcast
  • Snow Forecasts
  • Conditions Reports
  • Gear
  • Avalanche Forecast
  •  
SnowBrains Facebook Page SnowBrains Twitter Page SnowBrains Instagram Page SnowBrains YouTube Page SnowBrains RSS Feed

sierra nevada

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 […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | May 26, 2025
0 Comments

Missing Camper Found Alive After Almost a Month in Snowy Sierra Nevada Wilderness

Tiffany Slaton, a 27-year-old from Jeffersonville, Georgia, was found alive Wednesday afternoon after surviving nearly a month alone in the snowy Sierra Nevada wilderness. Her discovery near Lake Edison brought relief to her family and the Fresno County community, concluding an intensive search that spanned nearly 600 square miles, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Related: Could You Survive […]

Avatar photo SnowBrains | May 15, 2025
0 Comments

Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Fear, Anxiety, & Relief in “The Chimney”

Report from March 20, 2025 “Scott Schmidt described [The Chimney Sweep] as being like a 90-meter ski jump. This is an appropriate analogy, particularly at low and low-medium snow levels. When viewed from above, the inrun looks long, and it feels even longer when you are skiing it.” – Dr. Robb Gaffney in Squallywood Difficulty:  Medium Snow 8, High Snow […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | March 21, 2025
0 Comments

Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Backflips Off The Tram Building & Mainline Pocket | Big Hucks Off “The Drifter” & “Smooth Air”

PalisadesTahoeBackflip

Report from March 18, 2025 When you’re old, you need a plan. And a friend. Or, better yet, a friend with a plan. I had local legend Aaron Fox guiding me yesterday and he had a plan. There are so many options on a sunny powder day at Palisades… You can get overwhelmed. You can easily make the wrong call. […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | March 19, 2025
0 Comments

Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: “Best Day of the Year at Palisades (for me)” – Cody Townsend

miles clark

Report from March 17, 2025 “Best day of the year at Palisades (for me).” – Cody Townsend, 3/18/25 I think Cody is right. It was the best day of the year at Palisades for me so far for sure. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cody Townsend (@codytownsend) The day started cold, windy, and snowy. KT-22 skied […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | March 18, 2025
0 Comments

Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Sunny Wind-Buff Snow Fun in the “Ahhh Chutes”

Report from March 16, 2025 Yesterday was a sunny, wind-buff snow day at Palisades Tahoe, CA. We weren’t sure what to expect, so we got out there early. The previous day delivered wind buff magic at Palisades that we sampled from 3-4pm after backcountry skiing. Right off the bat, the wind-blown snow was stiff and catchy. It wasn’t great. Then, […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | March 17, 2025
0 Comments

Lake Tahoe, CA, Backcountry: Powder Bliss Above A Shimmering Lake

Report from March 15, 2025 “Beware the ides of March…” – Soothsayer, Julius Ceasar, Shakespeare Fox & Garret took us to a new zone yesterday. The unknown was high and we were willing to explore. Well, the unknown was high for me, at least. They’d been here before. Trail breaking was harsh in the deep, dense snow but I was […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | March 16, 2025
0 Comments

Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: “Chute 75” | Saw The Skull & Crossbones, Skied It Anyway

Report from March 14, 2025 After backcountry skiing in the morning, we rallied for a few laps at Palisades Tahoe, CA. We bubbled directly onto KT-22 looking for windbuff. We were told Chute 75 was smooth and flat we we went there first. It was perfect. Wind blow snow, no moguls (on the upper part), good turns, high speeds. Our […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | March 15, 2025
0 Comments

Lake Tahoe, CA, Backcountry Report: Deep Powder Snow Exploding Off My Skis & Jacket

Report from March 14, 2025 Yesterday we went for a zone that takes a bit of a walk. We were the only people in the entire area. All day. The skinning up was brutal at times. Deep, dense snow up to 3 feet deep had slathered the mountainside. We took turns bashing the snow down in 7-minute shifts. The wind […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | March 15, 2025
0 Comments

Lake Tahoe Backcountry, CA, Report: Happiness = 27″ of Deep, Dry Powder

Report from March 13, 2025 We woke up at 6 am today completely confused about what to do… Backcountry or Palisades Tahoe? We agonized for about 30 minutes then finally decided on backcountry when we heard that it snowed about 32″ overnight up top and there was a slight chance of lightning and thunder this afternoon. The UC Berkeley Snow […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | March 13, 2025
0 Comments

Skier Sentenced to Prison for Using Father’s Ski Pass

Stock photo of Sierra Nevada ski station, Spain backcountry terrain.

A Spanish skier has been sentenced to one year and nine months in prison for repeatedly using his elderly father’s ski pass to access the lifts at Sierra Nevada, Spain. The father’s ski pass was a free ski pass for skiers over the age of 70 and the defendant was accused of repeatedly using his father’s ski pass over two […]

Post Tag for Industry NewsIndustry News
Julia Schneemann | February 6, 2025
0 Comments

24 Days Without Measurable Snow is California’s 3rd Longest Winter Dry Spell Since 1991

Climate change is killing skiing

According to California’s Central Sierra Snow Lab (CSSL), the Sierra Nevada is experiencing an unusually dry January, marking its seventh driest start to the year since 1971. As of January 28, 2025, the lab has recorded only 1.5 inches of precipitation this month, raising concerns about potential drought conditions in the region. Related: SnowBrains Podcast Episode #60 | Dr. Daniel […]

Avatar photo SnowBrains | January 28, 2025
0 Comments

Splitboarder Survives Night Alone After Friend Abandons Him in Sierra Nevada Backcountry

A splitboarder had to be rescued from the backcountry in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains on December 29 after his friend left him behind. El Dorado County Search and Rescue (EDSAR) teams responded to the distress call near the junction of Warr Trail and Saxon Creek Trail, also known as Mr. Toads, at around 5 p.m. Related: Hiker Rescued After Unplanned Night […]

Avatar photo SnowBrains | January 6, 2025
3 Comments

Palisades Tahoe, CA, Operations Update: Mixed Precipitation Followed by Powder

Operations Update: Mixed Precipitation Followed by Powder By Maddie Condon/Palisades Tahoe on December 27, 2024 The storm that rolled in on Thursday dumped 12 inches of new snow in 24 hours on our upper mountain, and 2 inches of snow at the base. That being said, winds are playing a big factor in our operational ability, as this storm is […]

Post Tag for Industry NewsIndustry News
Avatar photo SnowBrains | December 27, 2024
0 Comments

Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Opening Day For KT-22 | First Human Being Down “Ahhh Chutes” This Season

Report from December 20, 2024 Today was the last day of Autumn 2024. Today was also the first day the legendary KT-22 opened for the season. KT holds the best terrain at Palisades Tahoe, CA, and it showed. KT didn’t open until noon as patrol was waiting for conditions to soften. Once it popped, everyone went nuts. I saw just […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | December 20, 2024
0 Comments

Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Playing “Q*bert” In Crunchy Corn Snow After the Big Rain/Freeze Event

Report from December 18, 2024 It’s incredible how quickly this place can go from catastrophe to damn fun. For me, this happened in 24 hours, but I’m getting reports that folks were having fun off-piste in the sunshine at Palisades Tahoe as soon as the same day of the rain/freeze event. What happened? It rained to the top of the […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | December 19, 2024
0 Comments

[Photo Tour] Look But Don’t Touch at Palisades Tahoe, CA, Yesterday

Report from December 17, 2024 Look But Don’t Touch Yesterday at palisadestahoe, CA! “If you go off-piste, you’re taking your life in your hands,” Ski Patroller David told us yesterday… And he was right, the off-piste was treacherous after the previous day brought rain to the top and a freeze overnight. The whole mountain was a crusty popsicle. Then, only […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Miles Clark | December 18, 2024
0 Comments

Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Stormy Fun Wet Powder Skiing Before The Rain…

Report from December 15, 2024 We weren’t sure what to expect out there yesterday so we stumbled outta bed and onto the slopes at Palisades Tahoe early. The storm was hitting hard with 100mph winds that kept the upper mountain closed. Red Dog and the Resort Chair were open so we headed up. View this post on Instagram A post […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | December 17, 2024
0 Comments

Lake Tahoe, CA, Backcountry Report: Skiing Fast Powder Snow Above Stunning Lake Tahoe

Report from December 15, 2024 Yesterday, we got out into the Lake Tahoe, CA, backcountry early. Well, we thought we were early, but people had already done two laps by the time we hit the top… No matter, there was plenty of room out there, and our first run was buttery smooth. The wind had its way with the snow, […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Play Video
Miles Clark | December 16, 2024
0 Comments

Lake Tahoe, CA, Backcountry Report: Big Storm, High Avalanche Danger, & Mellow Turns

Report from December 14, 2024 We got out into the Tahoe backcountry early today in a driving blizzard. The Sierra Avalanche Center called for HIGH avalanche danger, with human-triggered avalanches likely. This pushed us into low-angle, non-exposed terrain. So, we went for a lovely walk in about 2 feet of new snow. Geoff, Jamie, and I cruised around, set skin […]

Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report
Miles Clark | December 14, 2024
0 Comments

Posts navigation

Older posts

Share your story:

Submit A Link

Top 10 Trending right now:

  • Norwegian Freeskier Completes World Record Pond Skim at Summer-Only Ski Resort Fonna, Norway
    Norwegian Freeskier Completes World Record Pond Skim at Summer-Only Ski Resort Fonna, Norway
  • Evacuations Ordered and North Rim Closed at Grand Canyon National Park, AZ, Due to Wildfire Threat
    Evacuations Ordered and North Rim Closed at Grand Canyon National Park, AZ, Due to Wildfire Threat
  • The 9 Highest Elevation Ski Lifts In the World
    The 9 Highest Elevation Ski Lifts In the World
  • [UPDATED: June 20] NOAA Winter 2025-26 Outlook: Long-Lead Seasonal Outlook Gives Sneak Peek of Next Winter
    [UPDATED: June 20] NOAA Winter 2025-26 Outlook: Long-Lead Seasonal Outlook Gives Sneak Peek of Next Winter
  • Top 5 Hardest Ski Lifts to Get On or Off
    Top 5 Hardest Ski Lifts to Get On or Off
  • The Top 9 U.S. Mountain Towns People Are Moving To
    The Top 9 U.S. Mountain Towns People Are Moving To
  • Is There Such a Thing as 'Left' and 'Right' Skis?
    Is There Such a Thing as 'Left' and 'Right' Skis?
  • Severe Floods Wash Away Home and Kill Father and 2 Children in New Mexico Ski Town 1 Year Post Devastating Wildfires
    Severe Floods Wash Away Home and Kill Father and 2 Children in New Mexico Ski Town 1 Year Post Devastating Wildfires
  • Skiing Truths Revealed: Debunking the Most Common Myths on the Slopes
    Skiing Truths Revealed: Debunking the Most Common Myths on the Slopes
  • Mount Rainier Eruption Could Wipe Out Nearby Cities - With Mud
    Mount Rainier Eruption Could Wipe Out Nearby Cities - With Mud
  • Meet the Team
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
  • Site Map
SnowBrains
Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: SnowBrains Child Theme.