History With SnowBrains: The Origin of Snow Groomers Have you ever wondered who came up with the idea of grooming ski runs? Interestingly, grooming snow predates the invention of the ski lift or ski trails. Long before skiing became a commercial industry, heavy snow-covered roads were compacted by teams of horses hauling large agricultural rollers across them — horseshoes were often fitted with caulks for traction on the […] Brains Ryan Flynn | August 29, 2026 0 Comments
Own A Piece of Aspen History: The Little Nell and Bell Mountain Chair Auction is Live If you want a piece of Aspen ski history, now could be the perfect time. To make way for its new Nell Bell chairlift, Aspen Mountain, Colorado, has taken down its historic Bell Mountain and Little Nell chairlifts. The two lifts served the resort’s skiers and snowboarders for nearly 120 combined years. While it is disappointing to see them go, […] Industry News Quinn Brophy | July 8, 2026 0 Comments
Take it to the Streets: Unpacking the Origins of Urban Skiing “Skiing” brings to mind varied images for each person that hears the word. Some think of crisp corduroy and the feeling of carving high speed turns on a fresh morning groomer. Others envision steep powder fields, waiting to be carved into symmetrical sinusoidal waves as turns are linked down the face. Over the past few decades, though, more skiers have […] Brains Morgan Stierman | January 13, 2026 0 Comments
From Silver Boom to Powder Legend: The Alta Ski Area Story High in Little Cottonwood Canyon, dawn breaks with the echoing boom of avalanche cannons across serrated peaks–a morning ritual at Alta Ski Area that hints at its rich and restless history. Few ski resorts can claim a genesis as dramatic as Alta’s: a silver mining boomtown turned ghost town, resurrected in 1938 as a skier’s paradise atop Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. […] Brains Clay Malott | March 26, 2025 0 Comments
The Daring Ski-Hayden Dream: War, Ambition, and Aspen’s Greatest “What if?” In the 1930s, a group of daring visionaries believed they could build a European-style ski resort high in the Colorado Rockies that might one day rival the grand destinations of the Alps. Their chosen site was Mount Hayden, rising above the ghost town of Ashcroft near Aspen—a snowy paradise they hoped would become a winter sports haven, complete with cutting-edge […] Clay Malott | February 13, 2025 0 Comments
Long-Lost Vermont Ski Area Up For Auction One of Southwest Vermont’s long-lost ski resorts, Snow Valley, is up for auction this September. Snow Valley first opened its doors in 1942 as part of America’s first generation of ski areas. Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions, a luxury property auction marketplace, is taking appointments to view the 390-acre property that was once a premier ski resort in the Northeast. Vermont skiers […] Industry News Dana Andresen | August 25, 2022 0 Comments
Butt Naked Skiing: Freedom at its Finest [arve url="https://vimeo.com/77177549"] Katy Shipley | July 11, 2022 145 Likes 0 Tweets 1 Comment
The Abandoned – Snoqualmie Ski Bowl, WA In this week’s edition of The Abandoned, we will take a look at one of Washington’s old gems: the Snoqualmie Ski Bowl. Last week we went over Cuchara Mountain Resort in south-central Colorado. You can check that article out here: The Abandoned – Cuchara Mountain Resort, CO Snoqualmie Ski Bowl was the first ski resort on Snoqualmie Pass, a major […] Brains Ryan Flynn | January 25, 2021 9 Comments
The Abandoned – Cuchara Mountain Resort, CO In this week’s edition of The Abandoned, we will take a look at one of the more famous abandoned Colorado ski resorts, Cuchara Mountain Resort. If you missed last weeks edition, check it out here: Related: The Abandoned – Iron Mountain, CA Cuchara Mountain Resort was located in south-central Colorado, roughly a 78-mile drive south from Pueblo. The mountain began […] Brains Ryan Flynn | January 14, 2021 0 Comments
Le Massif de Charlevoix: The Under-Appreciated Resort of the East With Big Potential If you travel one hour down the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City, Canada, you will stumble upon the small town of Charlevoix, home to the resort with the largest vertical drop in eastern Canada. With a 2526’ (770m) vertical drop, an average of 212” (645cm) of snow a year, challenging terrain, vast off-piste skiing area, and spectacular views that […] Liam Abbott | December 10, 2020 24 Comments
Sugar Bowl, California and 80 Years of Ski Culture Sugar Bowl, Lake Tahoe As a former Alta employee (showing up the 76th year) and a current Tahoe resident I am beyond ecstatic to have the opportunity to inform most if not all SnowBrains’ readers that this is Sugar Bowl’s 80th year in operation. Originally purchased for $10 per acre from the Southern Pacific Railroad by investors in 1923 along with the […] Industry News Dan Scheibelein | November 15, 2019 0 Comments
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