Sun Peaks Resort, BC, is First Canadian Ski Area to Employ Snow Farming and Storage Technique Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia, Canada, is the nation’s first ski area to utilize a snow farming and storage system. Developed by Snow Secure, the system works by collecting snow in massive piles and then covering them with Snow Secure’s insulated mat technology. The goal is to preserve the snow through the summer and into the fall when ski area […] Industry News Luke Guilford | June 2, 2025 0 Comments
Eastern Sierra, CA, Report: Steep, Well-Walled, & Short | The Lower Lamarck Lake Chutes Report from May 27, 2025 My last day of backcountry skiing for the season was in the Lower Lamarck Lake Chutes. Lee and I set off at a casual 7:00 a.m. from Mammoth, and we were hiking by around 8:30 a.m. We walked the trail to the lake, then had to route-find around the lake, where we finally encountered snow […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | June 1, 2025 0 Comments
Top Ski Resorts Launch Global Alliance to Push Sustainable Tourism A group of major international ski resort operators has joined forces to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing their industry: climate change. On May 7, 2025, at the Interalpin trade show in Innsbruck, Austria, leading resorts from across Europe, Scandinavia, and even New Zealand formally launched the Global Sustainability Ski Alliance, marking the first global effort of its kind […] Industry News Brent Thomas | May 31, 2025 0 Comments
Mammoth Mountain, CA, Report: Memorial Day Weekend Radness! Report from May 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 2025 The past week at Mammoth has been fire. Groomers are good. Wiggles are good, and new ones are forming all the time. Bumps are good. Off-piste skiing is exceptional—especially on Cornice & Chair 23. I’ve been riding my new e-dirt bike to the mountain each day, and it makes every […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 29, 2025 0 Comments
AZ Snow Zone Brings Year-Round Indoor Skiing and Snowboarding to Phoenix, AZ A new kind of snow sport experience has landed in the desert of Arizona, and it is completely indoors. AZ Snow Zone, the nation’s first indoor dry slope facility of its kind, has opened its doors, offering skiers and snowboarders a place to ride throughout the year without needing snow or mountain elevation. Founded by local snowboard enthusiast Joshua Sinclair, […] Industry News Brent Thomas | May 29, 2025 0 Comments
Utah Tourist Economy to Take $132 Million Annual Blow from Sundance Film Festival Moving to Colorado After more than four decades of calling Park City home, the Sundance Film Festival is officially packing up and moving to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027. The announcement came two months ago and marks a significant cultural shift for Utah, as well as a potentially devastating economic one. Related: Sundance Film Festival to Relocate to Boulder, CO, in 2027 Organizers from […] Brent Thomas | May 29, 2025 0 Comments
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 […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
The Joy of Skiing & Snowboarding with Your Kids For many of us, our passion for skiing and snowboarding began at an early age. Maybe it was when we were a young kid or picked it up in High School or college. Either way, if you have kids or plan to have them, it can dramatically change how you experience and enjoy the mountains. And I’m here to say that […] Brains Brent Thomas | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
9 Ski Resorts That Offer Adjacent Cat Skiing in the U.S. For those looking for untouched powder and a remote backcountry experience, it is hard to beat cat skiing. As a cheaper alternative to heli-skiing, it gives guests the thrill of exploring endless terrain without the crowds or lift lines of resort skiing. Conveniently, some resorts offer a cat skiing operation attached to the ski area so guests can experience the […] Brains Brent Thomas | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
Trip Report: 13,994′ Mt. Humphreys, CA | “Northeast Couloir” With A Crew of 9 Report from May 23, 2025 Mt. Humphreys is one of 4 Eastern Sierra peaks on my wedding ring. I’d skied one of the east chutes last year. It was time to go back for the classic Northeast Chute. But I wasn’t alone. We were a huge crew of 9 marauding uphill. 13,996′ Mt. Humphreys “Northeast Couloir” Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
This ‘Ski Lift Graveyard’ Is More Like a Museum With an Abundance of Alpine History Nestled in the French Alps along a quiet roadside near the town of Taninges lies a strange and beautiful sight: row after row of decommissioned ski lifts. Chairlifts, gondolas, bubbles, and cable cars rest quietly in what looks like an outdoor museum. To the passerby, it is known informally as the ski lift graveyard. But this is no junkyard. It […] Industry News Brent Thomas | May 23, 2025 0 Comments
9 Resorts to Visit Before You Die, According to SnowBrains Readers Last January, we asked our readers what resorts they thought everyone should visit before they die. The following list is based entirely on readers’ responses to what resort they think skiers and riders need to visit before their final day comes. It’s sure to be an expensive trip all over the world, but according to SnowBrains readers, these resorts are […] Brains Tyler Hatch | May 23, 2025 3 Comments
Sundance Resort, UT, Announces Pivotal Terrain Expansion and New High-Speed Lift In a bold move to elevate its standing in Utah’s competitive ski market, Sundance Resort has confirmed it will add a new high-speed quad lift and significantly expand terrain by the 2026-27 ski season, as reported by The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast. This much-anticipated project, which is centered on Sundance’s highest and best “back mountain” terrain, will add 165 […] Industry News Brent Thomas | May 21, 2025 0 Comments
Trip Report: “South Fork Bowl” – Skiing 3,400-Vertical-Feet on Peak 13,103 in Big Pine, California Report from May 19, 2025 Garrett told us we had to go down to Big Pine and ski Peak 13,103 next to Kid Mountain. He said it was only a 2-mile dirt walk, then snow all the way. What I didn’t realize is that it would be a 3,300-vertical-foot bootpack… Peak 13,103, CA – South Fork Bowl Details Summit (actually […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 20, 2025 0 Comments
The Growth of Skiable Terrain in the Western U.S. Has Been Far Greater Than You Might Think What if I told you that, over the past 30 years, the Western U.S. has effectively added the equivalent of 22 ski areas the size of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort? For most skiers and snowboarders, that would sound like an impossible dream — or at least a wildly optimistic projection. And yet, that’s exactly what has happened across the 11 […] Brains Brent Thomas | May 18, 2025 0 Comments
Eastern Sierra, CA, Report: The “Bat Cave Chutes” In 5-Star Corn Snow Report from May 16, 2025 2 days ago, we saw this zone on our hike up University Peak and I loved the look of it. Convoluted, spines, chutes, and open faces all in one zone. We came back for it the next day, yesterday. 2 days ago, it was cool in the morning. Yesterday was hot. We battled up that […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 17, 2025 0 Comments
Trip Report: The East Face of 13,595-Foot University Peak, CA Report from May 15, 2025 I knew we wanted to start south this year in the Eastern Sierra, CA, but I didn’t make it here until May 10 due to a family issue. Even more reason to start in the south. Fox had just been down there to a zone I’d never been to and said it was special. I […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 17, 2025 1 Comment
Mammoth, CA, Report: Mini-Powder Day Fun Dust-On-Crust in Paranoids, Cornice Bowl, Avalanche Chutes, & More Report from May 14, 2025 It snowed pretty damn hard on Tuesday night here in Mammoth… Mammoth reported 3″ of new snow yesterday morning. We hit the mountain early and grabbed 4th chair on Chair 2. Our first run was on Chair 3 and it was dust on crust but fun dust on crust We did another 3 down Coyote […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 15, 2025 0 Comments
The Benefits of Yoga and Pilates for Skiers and Snowboarders For skiers and snowboarders, incorporating dryland training both mid-season and off-season is crucial to your success on the slopes. The sport requires a unique combination of strength, mobility, balance, and core stability. When it comes to exercises typically geared toward skiers and snowboarders, many people think of those that develop leg strength and power, such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, and […] Brains Brent Thomas | May 15, 2025 0 Comments
Eastern Sierra, CA, Report: 113mph Winds, Lenticular Clouds, & Crazy Long Chute In The Sun Report from May 13, 2025 Yesterday was insanely windy in the Eastern Sierra, CA. Mammoth Mountain saw winds up to 113mph and didn’t open for the day. We brainstormed all morning on where to ski and ended up heading to the “Trailer Park Chutes.” These chutes don’t look like much from below, but man, they are long and fun. The […] Backcountry Miles Clark | May 14, 2025 0 Comments