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west coast

Mt. Ashland, OR, Pauses Ski Operations Indefinitely Due to Not Having Enough Snow

Mount Ashland, Oregon, has recently announced via Facebook they are pausing ski operations indefinitely as of December 31, 2025. Mt Ashland, located in South Central Oregon, is a owned and operated by the non-profit Mt. Ashland Association and was founded in 1964. Located in a subalpine climate, yearly rainfall averages over 60 inches, while snowfall averages 223 inches. The high […]

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Avatar photo Joseph Kaufmann | January 6, 2026
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Early-Season Snowpack Struggles in the West as the East Surges Ahead

western snowpack map

Winter is starting to settle in across North America, but the story of November’s snowpack depends entirely on where you look. In the West, the season is off to a slow and uneven start—with many basins sitting far below normal. Meanwhile, the Northeast is stacking up impressive early-season totals, led by standout performers like Jay Peak and Stowe in Vermont. […]

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Martin Kuprianowicz | November 18, 2025
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How Much Does It Need to Snow for It to Be Considered a Powder Day?

pow day at snowbird

Everybody loves powder days. It’s as simple as that; there is nothing better than floating down wide-open groomers, tree runs, or steep chutes with fresh snow under your feet. The stoke coming from the lift lines, watching others enter the white room from the lift, and wrapping the day reminiscing on the lines you skied. Powder days are skiing at its […]

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Will Hart | July 4, 2025
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What Are the Core Differences Between East Coast and West Coast Resorts?

East Coast skiing or West Coast skiing? It’s a common question asked by many skiers, from beginners to experts. Having grown up skiing on the East Coast and been fortunate enough to have taken multiple trips out west, I have firsthand knowledge and experience in each of these categories. Skiing is such a fantastic sport with hundreds of mountains in […]

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Sam Fishman | June 19, 2025
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March Madness Ski Resort Edition: The Finals– East vs. West

SnowBrainsMarchMadnessFinals

And then there were two… One from the West, and one from the East. After 30 matchups and over 75,000 votes cast across the past two weeks, SnowBrains followers have nailed down one ski resort to represent each side of North America.  Over the course of the inaugural SnowBrains March Madness tournament, there have been a number of twists and […]

Avatar photo SnowBrains | April 7, 2025
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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 Summit (actually a ridgeline):  11,700 feet Car:  9,800 feet […]

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Miles Clark | June 3, 2024
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Mammoth Mountain, CA, Closing Day 2024 Report: Raucous Summit Party & Finally Got the Damn D-Spin 720º

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 720º. 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 […]

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Miles Clark | May 31, 2024
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Trip Report: Peak 12,691′ Paiute Pass Ridge Chutes – “Ice Fall Chute” | Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

Report from May 30, 2024 After skiing 457 of the past 537 days, I was exhausted and needed an easy tour yesterday. I’d skied 2 chutes off Paiute Pass Ridge last year and knew it was an easy hike for good steep skiing. Time to go back…  Peak 12,691′, CA – “Paiute Pass Ridge Chutes”  Icefall Couloir Details Summit (actually, this […]

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Miles Clark | May 31, 2024
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Trip Report: “Kindergarten Chute” on Peak 13,121′ | Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

Report from May 28, 2024 Yesterday, we went for a classic. Kindergarten Chute on Peak 13,121′ in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. We’d tried to ski this chute in early May 2024 but it looked firm and unwelcoming so we skied a chute we dubbed “Preschool Chute” along with the “Wahoo Gullies.” Fortunately, Kindergarten Chute welcomed us with […]

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Miles Clark | May 29, 2024
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Trip Report: 1 Annoyingly Long 2,700-Vertical-Foot Chute | 11,575′ Gilcrest Peak “Northeast Chutes” East Variant | Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

Report from May 22, 2024 Yesterday, we returned to Gilcrest Peak to sample the East variant of the Northeast Chutes. Last week we’d skied the Western option and it was delightful. Cool, windy weather has had us seeking east-facing or lower-elevation north-facing terrain. We parked at Lundy Lake at about 10 a.m. and started up. 11,575′ Gilcrest Peak “North Couloirs” […]

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Miles Clark | May 24, 2024
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Trip Report: 12,100′ East Peak “East Face Chutes” | Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

Report from May 20, 2024 Yesterday, we went for a line that’s been staring me in the face for 20 years. You can see East Peak from Highway 395 and its chutes always beckon. What has always kept us away is the approach… 12,100′ East Peak “East Chutes” Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA Summit (actually a ridgeline):  11,600 feet Car:  7,500 […]

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Miles Clark | May 21, 2024
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Trip Report: 13,417′ Mt. Lamarck “North Couloir” | Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

Report from May 17, 2024 Garrett and I returned to 13,417-feet-high Mt. Lamarck’s “North Couloir” yesterday. We tried to ski Lamarck back on May 3, 2024, but it was firm that day. Instead, we skied a chute called “Valdezean Amor Couloir” and it was delicious. Yesterday was ski day #144 of my season and ski day #447 in the past […]

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Miles Clark | May 19, 2024
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Mammoth Mountain, CA, Report: Hangmans Chute, Wipe Out, The Chair 3 Wiggle

Report from May 16, 2024 Today we got out at Mammoth Mountain, CA, at about 10am. The mountain experienced a solid freeze last night, making the skiing phenomenal today. We started out skiing Wipe Out laps off Chair 23. Splashy good fun. We then bumped over to the gondola and hit Hangmans Chute a few times. The winning lap was […]

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Miles Clark | May 16, 2024
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Trip Report: 11,161′ Mt. Scowden’s “Dog Leg Chute” | Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

Report from May 15, 2024 Yesterday we went back to Lundy Lake in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California hoping to find more corn as we did in that zone 2 days prior. We chose one of the north-facing couloirs off Scowden but it looked beat up with old wet slides. We then bumped over to the “Dog Leg […]

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Miles Clark | May 16, 2024
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Trip Report: 2,300-Vertical-Foot Gilcrest Peak, CA, North Chutes in Corn Snow

Report from May 13, 2024 Yesterday we were in search of corn. Recently, our hit rate was 1:4 in finding corn up high so odds have not been in our favor as of late. The Lamarck Basin had corn before the big May-storm, while the Kindergarten Chute zone didn’t have corn, the North Couloir of Mount Gibbs was powder and ice, […]

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Miles Clark | May 14, 2024
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Trip Report: 13,996′ Mt. Humphreys “East Couloirs” | Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

Report from May 11, 2024 Yesterday we went for a classic. 13,996′ Mt. Humphreys in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. This is one of 4 mountains on my wedding ring and I’d never skied it… 13,996′ Mt. Humphreys “East Couloirs” Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA Summit (actually a ridgeline):  13,400 feet Car:  8,900 feet Vertical From Car:  4,500 feet  Vertical […]

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Miles Clark | May 12, 2024
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Trip Report: 12,600′ “Preschool Couloir” + “Wahoo Gullies” | Eastern Sierra Mountains, CA

Report from May 9, 2024 Yesterday we went for a classic or classics. Our goal was to ski “Kindergarten Chute” or “Checkered Demon” then bounce down to “Wahoo Gullies” and ski one of those. But things got kinda weird out there, as they always do. 12,600-foot “Preschool Couloir” “Wahoo Gullies” Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA Summit (actually a ridgeline):  12,600 feet Car:  […]

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Miles Clark | May 10, 2024
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Trip Report: 12,779′ Mt. Gibbs “North Face” | Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

Report from May 7, 2024 Yesterday, we went for a line I’ve been drooling over for years. The North Face of Mt. Gibbs, California. The only problem is that when we went to drive up to the Horse Meadows Trailhead, the road was closed… “North Face” 12,779′ Mt. Gibbs Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA Summit (actually a ridgeline):  12,200 feet Car:  7,300 […]

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Miles Clark | May 8, 2024
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Mammoth Mountain, CA, Report: 12″ Powder Day on Cinco De Mayo | Superb Fresh Tracks Down Chairs 3, 5, 23 (Philippe’s)

Report from May 5, 2024 Last night, a storm hit Mammoth Lakes, CA, which was ridiculous for May… The mountain harvested 12″ of fresh snow overnight, and it was windy as hell (up to 85mph on the summit). Today was freezing cold (5ºF at the summit in the morning) with superb snow plastered on everything. We started the day waiting […]

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Miles Clark | May 5, 2024
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Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: A Nasty, Precision Landing in “The Tube Alternate” & a 580-Miles Drive to Park City, UT

Report from April 1, 2024 Yesterday was a long, fun day. The day started at 9am with rumors of “The Chimney” being open up on “The Palisades.” I jammed up to the top of Siberia and the sign said Chimney closed. The east wind was howling… For the first two laps, I tucked straight down the Siberia groomer in the […]

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Miles Clark | April 2, 2024
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