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ResortsStorm Report: Alta, UT
Storm Report: Alta, UT
photographer Joe Johnson | skier Brad Marshall The morning of December 17, a powder hungry crowd gathered at the base of Alta Ski Area well before the wave of holiday vacationers arrived in Little Cottonwood Canyon. A mix of locals and Utah-based pro skiers buzzed as avalanche bombs echoed. On the mountain, 8-plus inches waited. This, stacked upon days of fresh snowfall, brought the storm total to nearly 40 inches. Eager to surf the latest storm cycle, I dropped my fattest boards in the Collins lift line. I was early, right in front, and placed them amongst the Alta…...
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ResortsBy Bootpack: Stevens Pass, WA
By Bootpack: Stevens Pass, WA
By Rachel Walker | Photograph by Garrett Grove | Skier Eric Balken The Mountain: Located 80 miles northeast of Seattle, Stevens Pass offers a maritime snowpack, plus a massive park, 10 lifts, and 1,125 acres with about 1,800 vertical feet. The Hike: Skyline off the 7th Heaven Chair is a steep 20-minute hike to rowdy Cowboy Ridge, where 30- to 45-degree chutes demand focus. “It feels like you’re on top of the world,” says Adam McKenney, owner of nearby Leavenworth Sports. If you’re not in a chuting mood, peel off to the right during the hike, where mellow slopes offer…...
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EnvironmentClear the Roads
Clear the Roads
What will it take for mountain communities to get ahead of the transportation problem? By Gordy Megroz | Photographs by Helen Richardson In November 2012, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon stood among a group of reporters at the Old Mill Golf Course in Salt Lake City and admitted that the famous ski areas that dot Utah’s canyons are facing a major problem. “Salt Lake Valley is going to double in population in the next 30 years,” he said, pointing out that both the number of permanent residents and the number of vacationers drawn to the area will grow. “But there…...
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ResortsStorm Watch: December 18, 2012
Storm Watch: December 18, 2012
At Crested Butte Mountain Resort, 35 inches of snow has fallen in the past week. There’s another 9 to 16 inches in the forecast. See more photos and videos of snow action around North America below. Photo by Trent Bona Our Early Winter cover line screamed Winter’s Back. This weekend, cold weather and deep snow finally arrived nationally in the high country, making our editor appear less idiotic. A quick look at the resorts stacking up on powder for the holidays: On the East Coast, Sunday River’s legendary snowmaking got a boost from Mother Nature with 11 inches of snow…...
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ResortsStorm Report: Squaw Valley, CA
Storm Report: Squaw Valley, CA
Headwall Express opened last weekend at Squaw Valley. Photo by Maren Kasselik Late last week, the sixth storm of the season hit Lake Tahoe, dumping nearly a foot at 8,200 feet. This time last year, we were still mountain biking with tears in our eyes. I trekked from the Bay Area last Friday with a crew of Squaw/Alpine weekenders. Saturday kicked off with a quick warm-up run on pristine corduroy off the Squaw Creek lift, followed by a lap through ungroomed Dog Leg off the Red Dog lift. Around 10 a.m. we ventured to Gold Coast via the Funitel—just…...
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ResortsField Report: Silver Star, BC
Field Report: Silver Star, BC
A look at the Silver Star goods. Photo courtesy of Silver Star Mountain Resort As I slide off the lift for my first run at Silver Star Mountain Resort, I leave shimmery clouds of snow crystals behind me at every turn down the Attridge Face. “We call it Okanagan champagne,” a lift operator tells me later. (Apparently he’s unaware that Colorado’s Steamboat has trademarked the term Champagne Powder, but he’s not speaking as a resort official.) “We’re famous for that light, dry snow.” It’s the first day of December and Silver Star offers a 39-inch base with more snow…...
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CultureSold: A Skier’s Eden
Sold: A Skier’s Eden
Night skiing (left) and sidecountry at Powder Mountain. Photos courtesy of Powder Mountain The access road to Powder Mountain Resort in Eden, Utah winds through 800 acres of sidecountry terrain. Skiers outfitted with avalanche safety gear can scout the avalanche controlled open bowls, chutes, and glades on the way up, then load either the Sundown or Hidden Lake lift, pick up traverse tracks, and navigate back to the road. The resort gets 500 inches of snow each year, so the odds of finding powder turns are in your favor. A free shuttle—an old school bus painted blue and white—ferries…...
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ResortsStorm Watch: Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Storm Watch: Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Colorado’s Loveland Ski Area picked up 11 inches this weekend. Photo by Olivia Dwyer In Colorado, Steamboat picked up eight inches overnight and Loveland reported four inches this morning. That builds on steady snowfall in the state this weekend, where resorts in Summit County reported a foot over 72 hours. Powder turns were also available at Crested Butte (7 inches) and Aspen/Snowmass (15 inches). Thanks to whitewashed social media feeds, we knew the West was skiing well even before final numbers trickled through. A crowd gathered in Jackson Hole on Saturday morning for the first tram laps…...
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ResortsStorm of the Week
Storm of the Week
Skiers make the most of 4 to 6 feet of fresh that fell at California’s Mammoth Mountain. Photo by Peter Morning/MMSA Winter storms eddied at the coasts of North America this weekend, marking the start of December with snowfall around North America. On Friday, a foot fell at Vermont’s Smugglers’ Notch, and snow reports plumped up in the next 48 hours. Over three feet fell in Tahoe, and farther south in California, Mammoth Mountain picked up four to six feet—enough fresh snow to open the resort’s entire 3,500 acres this Friday. The Pacific Northwest is getting whitewashed, too,…...
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CultureParty On for Avy Awareness
Party On for Avy Awareness
The CAIC gave away skis to raise money for avalanche education. Photo by Brandon DozaIn 2008, Breckenridge residents Joe Vandal and Aaron Carlson decided to host a party to benefit the Colorado Avalanche Information Center—not only to raise funds, but to increase awareness. “People don’t know the dangers of backcountry skiing,” says Vandal. “Colorado has the most dangerous snowpack and the most users.” The celebration became a fixture on the early season calendar. The fifth annual CAIC benefit bash kicked off Saturday, November 6 with a stage stacked with skis, packs, and down jackets to raffle off, tables stocked…...
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ResortsBrutus Storms Utah
Brutus Storms Utah
Sam Cohen slashes 50 inches at Alta on Monday, November 12. Photo by Lee Cohen See below for more images of Utah resorts after this weekend’s snowfall. When Snowbird VP of Operations Dave Fields rode his bike to work last Thursday, he noticed the mountain looked a little dry. By Friday, the first flakes fell. When the storm cleared on Sunday, 50 inches of snow buried Snowbird. The resort moved its opening day to Thursday, November 15. The Weather Channel dubbed the winter storm Brutus (stay tuned for more mythology lessons and winter storm alerts). And in its wake…...
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CultureVermont Resorts Raise Money for Sandy Relief
Vermont Resorts Raise Money for Sandy Relief
Hurricane Sandy makes landfall on the East Coast on October 29, 2012. Photo courtesy of NASAVermont is no stranger to superstorms. Just over a year ago, Irene devastated homes, businesses, and infrastructure in the state. Now, with New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut struggling to recover from Hurricane Sandy, Vermont’s ski resorts are raising money to help. The Operation Mountains of Love fundraiser brings private donors and Ski Vermont resorts together to help the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Individuals can contribute $10 at redcross.org or by texting “REDCROSS” to 90999. Yesterday, Sugarbush Resort announced it would match…...
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CultureWatch Ski Test 2012
Watch Ski Test 2012
Last March, a group of 17 ski testers and Mountain magazine staffers traveled to Snowbird Resort in Utah last March. Over three feet of snow fell during our three-day test, creating prime conditions to collect data on 2013’s crop of skis for powder, big mountain, all mountain, frontside, and women’s categories. Get a look at the goods, hear how the test works, and see what our ski buyer’s guide can do to help you pick a quiver. Then get a copy of Early Winter 2012 for test results. —Johnny Greenham Check out the ski buyer’s guide in the…...
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ResortsWinter’s Back
Winter’s Back
Click on the image below to see photos from resorts around North America. While Tuesday morning revealed the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Sandy along the Eastern seaboard, there was some good news in the high country: Nineteen inches of snow fell in 23 hours at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. With another foot expected before the storm passes, Snowshoe announced its opening date might move up from December 8. To the south, North Carolina’s Sugar Mountain starts the season on Wednesday, October 31—its earliest opening in 43 years—thanks to the severe weather shift. Low temps allowed snowmaking to start…...
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CultureThe Dog Days of Winter
The Dog Days of Winter
The Crystal Mountain avy dogs team, with Mount Rainier in the background. Click on the image below to launch a slide show of more images featuring avy dogs. Photo by Dane + Dane Studios Darwin’s nose works overtime as he stalks in circles. Then, suddenly, he pounces—the eight-month-old bowzer attacks a crisp autumn leaf. Darwin is an avalanche dog in training and this play is all part of his education. “These dogs live to be outside,” says Sara Cohen, the coordinator of Crystal Mountain Resort’s avalanche dog program. “As puppies, we encourage their natural instincts. Then they become adults, and…...
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EnvironmentGlobal Dusting
Global Dusting
A view from Colorado’s Silverton Mountain. A rust-colored layer of dust is changing how and when snow melts, impacting water supplies across the West. By Heather Hansman | Photo by Re Wikstrom Clean snow is the most reflective naturally occurring surface on earth. When snow covers high peaks like those in the Rocky Mountain West, 90 percent of the sun’s rays are mirrored back into the atmosphere. It’s one of the ways in which a healthy planet regulates its temperature—especially important in an age of global warming. But the Rocky Mountain snowpack is not as brilliant as it once was. A study…...
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Resorts
The Wonder Reels
The Wonder Reels
Anticipation for winter builds as more reports of snow at higher elevations trickle in. Get ready with a look at the trailer for “The Wonder Reels,” a season-long webisode series from Whistler Blackcomb that rediscovers the moments and places that inspire wonder around the resort. By Switchback Entertainment and Sherpas Cinema. Watch the first episode below, and stay tuned to wonder.whistlerblackcomb.com for more throughout the season. ...
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BikeRide Report: Plattekill, NY
Ride Report: Plattekill, NY
On trail at Plattekill in the Catskill Mountains. Photo by Ryan DunfeeIt’s mid-September, and I’m at Plattekill, a ski area in the Catskill Mountains three hours north of New York City that first opened for lift-served mountain biking in 1995. Our guide, Steve Van Orden, leads us from the Northface chair lift to the woods and the Westfall trail. I pass a sign reading “Easy.” The next one says “Cliff.” I follow Steve to the shale ledge. He wisely dips around the main drop. I follow, my bashguard just grazing the ledge as I plummet into a rock garden on…...
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