Hometown Mountain Shoutout: Northeast Slopes, VT: Volunteer Based—Community Driven The thermometer reads 2° Fahrenheit below zero as we gather our ski gear off of the old wooden drying rack by the woodstove. Moments later, Dad comes in through the side door with an arm full of firewood, the wind howling, blowing snow through the opened door as he shivers and quickly closes it behind him. He looks at my […] Chris Grant | November 19, 2024 1 Comment
The Ski Area Snow Report: Fact or Fiction? We’ve all had those days: The snow report is claiming an epic dump, but on the hill, it skis like only a few inches. What the heck? Is the snow report just a total lie? A publication in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics decided to have a closer look. Snow reporting is a challenging process. Things like elevation, wind, and […] Brains Mike Lavery | July 22, 2024 12 Comments
5 Stars — The Highest-Rated Ski Resort in Every Ski State A standard practice in 2024 is firing up Google, searching for a restaurant, business, activity, etc., and scrolling through reviews and comments until a suitable match is found. Using the court of public opinion is often a great method to minimize poor results and manage expectations, particularly in unfamiliar locations or with new activities. Related: Does Affordable Skiing Still Exist? […] Jared Roberts | March 20, 2024 6 Comments
Hometown Mountain Shoutout: Wolf Creek Ski Area — The Most Snow in Colorado In a state renowned for plentiful powder days sandwiched between periods of beautiful bluebird weather, one Colorado ski area stands above the rest. Wolf Creek Ski Area, resting on the Continental Divide in Southern Colorado between the charming towns of South Fork and Pagosa Springs, is perfectly situated to capitalize on its unique microclimate that guides storms originating in the […] Industry News Jared Roberts | October 20, 2023 0 Comments
Why Bluebird Backcountry in Colorado Permanently Closed On July 10, 2023, it was announced that Bluebird Backcountry in Colorado would permanently shut its doors to skiers and snowboarders. The news shocked many since the ski area had only been running for three seasons and was initially very successful. However, Bluebird, unfortunately, announced that they would be shutting down their 1200-acre terrain permanently. As the only ski resort […] Industry News Ian McIsaac | July 19, 2023 0 Comments
Hometown Mountain Shoutout: Nashoba Valley, MA – More Than Meets the Eye This ski hill might seem unassuming to many, but let me tell you, Nashoba Valley, MA, is not your average ski hill. Nashoba Valley had its first season in 1964; ever since then, it has provided skiers of all abilities a New England skiing experience. Finding exciting and challenging trails at Nashoba can be tricky. Still, in a good snow […] Ian McIsaac | June 23, 2023 0 Comments
What Exactly Qualifies as a ‘Ski Area’? Often times when I hear people talking about the largest ski areas in North America, debate arises as to what qualifies as “one” ski area. At what point is ski area marketing going too far in this regard? Case 1: Long connector trails Example: Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont In this case, single trails provide the only connections between mountains. Resorts with […] Brains Spencer McLaughlin | October 31, 2022 0 Comments
[MAP] Every Ski Area on U.S. Forest Service Land You might have to do some squinting, but above is a graphic of every ski area operating on U.S. Forest Service Land. Is your home mountain on USFS land? Related: Topographic Ski Maps: A New Way of Tracking Resort Days Brains SnowBrains | August 9, 2022 1 Comment
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