According to 5280, Berge told Bill Rounds, a landowner who gave him a job building a lumber yard, that the area should have a ski mountain. Alongside fellow Norwegian skier and childhood friend of Berge’s, Sigurd Rockne, the two went on to found Breckenridge Ski Resort. First called the Peak 8 Ski Area, it opened in December 1961. 

Berge and Rockne devised all the original ski trails and dreamt up Ullr Dag, the still-running winter party at Breckenridge now known as Ullr Fest. Berge also served as the resort’s first ski school director.

Berge was more than an accomplished and influential skier, though.

“To many who knew him, he was a trusted companion, mentor, and friend,” his obituary reads. “He formed lasting friendships across generations whether on chairlifts, in lodges, or around kitchen tables earning a reputation of kindness, warmth, and an easy smile that made people feel welcome.”

Berge is survived by his children, Truls, Rondi, Jan, and Trygve, and his grandchildren, Hana, Konur, Hailey, and Chloe.

His family, Berge’s obituary added, was “the quiet center of his life and his greatest personal joy.”

Related: Photo Gallery: Exploring British Columbia's Ski Areas "Lost In Time"

Edelmann is from Kaikōura, New Zealand, where, growing up, he was a member of the New Zealand Junior Surf Team.

His career started at Alpine Meadows, California, in the competitions and events department. He went on to help oversee resorts like Boreal Mountain Resort, Soda Springs Mountain Resort, and Woodward Tahoe. Before joining Heavenly, he served as the vice president of mountain operations at Park City Mountain, Utah, working to plan and permit lift and snowmaking upgrades at the resort, the release said.

Edelmann said he was honored to start working at Vail Mountain.

“I’m excited to work alongside this talented team to continue pushing what’s possible,” he said in the release. “I am committed to building on Vail’s legacy while embracing new ideas, innovation, and opportunities that will keep Vail Mountain leading the industry for years to come.”

Currently, Edelmann is on the board of several Tahoe area organizations, like the Tahoe Fund, the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, and the Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council. He’s also part of the executive committee of Ski California. The release said Edelmann will bring this same “community-mindedness” to his role in Vail.

Vail Mountain, like other ski resorts in Colorado, has had a challenging and often snowless season. It closes for the season on Wednesday, April 8.

Related: What I Learned Testing 15 Pairs of Skis in 5 Days

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The spring skiing push follows the news that Camelback, if conditions cooperate, will remain open into May. 

“Offering spring skiing in May is not only huge for Pennsylvania, but it also gives New Yorkers and Mid-Atlantic skiers an incredible and closer alternative to the long drive north to Vermont,”  vice president and general manager Jason Bays said in a news release shared earlier this year.

Can’t argue with that.

The resort’s already on the cusp of staying open later than ever before. Previously, the latest Camelback stayed open was April 9, 2009.

The May campaign could put Camelback in a similar class of lower-elevation resorts, like Killington, Vermont, and Boyne Mountain, Michigan, that use snowmaking to far outlast Western destinations that see more natural snowfall.

As you might expect, we’re into it. Spring is for the diehards. That includes visitors and the resorts, like Camelback this year, who don’t want to quit.

Camelback plans to stay open daily through April 12, 2026. Then it’ll shift to a Friday-to-Sunday schedule, with the goal of keeping the season alive as long as possible. 

As of now, that means Pennsylvania skiers don’t need to mourn the end of winter quite yet.

Related: What I Learned Testing 15 Pairs of Skis in 5 Days

Ski Portillo logged consecutive above-average snowfall seasons in 2024 and 2025. Deep snowfall isn't guaranteed this season, but the chance of having a good time at Portillo in June, July, August, or September is.

POWDER sent Amie Engerbretson and Todd Ligare to Ski Portillo during the 2024 season to film a week-in-the-life style video. Watch below for a glimpse into what skiing at Ski Portillo is like. Spoiler, it's awesome.

The 2026 POWDER Photo Annual is here! Look for a print copy on a newsstand near you, or click here to have a copy shipped directly to your front door.

Looks like a good time, right? If you're considering your first trip to Ski Portillo this summer, here's what you need to know:

• "Rates for Ski Portillo signature 7-day Ski Weeks begin at US$3,250 for a Valley View room (per person based on double occupancy), US$2,200 for the Octagon Lodge (based on quad occupancy), and US$1,650 for the hostel-style Inca Lodge. Other accommodations include Hotel Portillo Suites, family rooms, and the Chalets. Rates for ski weeks include accommodations, four meals daily (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner in the Hotel dining room - or the Cafeteria for Inca Lodge guests), eight-days of lift tickets, and all the amenities of the resort."
• "Wine Week (July 25 - Aug 1) and Wine Fest (Aug. 22 - 29) celebrate Chile’s world-renowned wines. Guests may enjoy complimentary après-ski wine tastings from Chile’s finest vineyards, attend special wine pairing dinners, and learn more about Chile’s rich wine landscape."
• Families, singles, couples, groups of friends—as well as many national ski teams—all love Portillo for its beauty, wide-open slopes, and ample snowfall. Accommodating a maximum of 450 guests a week, Portillo affords guests the sensation of skiing at their own, private Andean resort.

Related: What I Learned Testing 15 Pairs of Skis in 5 Days

Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe’s announcement comes after a surge of wintry weather that helped improve conditions. Twenty-one inches of snow fell. The ski resort also made a late-season snowmaking push, firing the snow guns for three days straight. Per Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe’s webcams, snow coverage is spring-like, but solid. Closing day is still TBD.

“The snow conditions are really fun right now, and there’s no time like the present to take advantage of it and get in some great skiing and riding,” said Mike Pierce, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe marketing director, in a press release.

Only a few other Lake Tahoe ski resorts remain open, including Palisades Tahoe and Kirkwood.

As this weekend approaches, more snow might arrive. Freezing levels look finicky—that’s no surprise—but plenty of powder could fall, too.

“The two-week snowfall forecast map on OpenSnow, for the West, looks like the map we were hoping for in March, but we are getting it in April,” wrote Palisades Tahoe’s forecaster, Bryan Allegretto, in a recent update. “We will see rain showers for the lower elevations at times, including this week, but the upper mountain should be able to hold onto snow fairly well by April standards.”

How much snow are we talking about? 

“For mid-mountain, around 17-23 inches are possible by Sunday, and 22-28 inches up top,” wrote Allegretto.

Don’t get too excited. At the same time, it would be wise to keep your wide skis tuned up. A rainproof ski jacket might also be a good choice.

Related: A Glimpse Inside Mammoth Gay Ski Week

1. Sleep in, first chair is overrated

Waking up to go skiing is exciting, I get it. On a powder day, I can't sleep past 5 a.m. due to my level of excitement, but on a spring day, the skiers who sleep come out on top.

Here's why: freeze/thaw cycles. Temperatures can reach the 50s or 60s during the daytime, which softens the snow to that perfect slushy, corn consistency, but then they plummet overnight. Snow surfaces freeze overnight, and it can take hours of morning daylight for them to soften up again.

With this in mind, don't feel like you need to rush to the resort first thing in the morning. I typically roll into the parking lot around 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. at my local resort on a spring day. The extra time to make breakfast and drink coffee is much appreciated.

2. Follow the sun, or a local

As mentioned in Tip #1, the freeze/thaw cycles of spring can make conditions challenging. An easy way to combat this is to simply follow the sun.

Has the sun been beaming directly on a couloir for two hours? Odds are the snow has softened up quite nicely. Did you finish skiing a bullet-proof trail first thing in the morning? Come back in a few hours, and it will most likely be softer.

Another option is to befriend a local. Don't ask them for their secrets, but they may just lead you directly into the best-skiing snow on the mountain. Life is all about who you know, right?

3. Wax on, wax off

Spring snow can get so warm and sticky that wax won't matter, but for the majority of spring days, a fresh wax can make or break your entire experience on the hill.

I recommend going to your local ski shop and purchasing a wax that is rated for temperatures in the 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit range. Many of these waxes are yellow, but different brands use different formulas. Regardless, a warm-weather wax will perform better in slushy snow than a cold-weather wax.

As a bonus insurance, consider purchasing a rub-on wax stick or similar product to stash in your jacket during the day. I've whipped out mine on multiple occasions where I needed extra glide on a flat section of trail, in the terrain park, and even to descend the Palisades at Palisades Tahoe.

Don't listen to your jaded ski buddy. Wax makes a difference, especially in the spring.

4. Sunscreen is your friend

A fifth-grade classmate of mine once told me it was "impossible" to get sunburned while skiing. In hindsight, the statement was quite comical, considering I was sporting a fresh goggles tan/burn in the middle of February after a trip to Colorado.

It turns out that your skin can, and will, burn under the duress of the sun's UV rays reflecting off the snow. Hard to believe, I know.

I personally carry a small SPF 50 stick of sunscreen in my bibs pocket on spring days. I tend to sweat a lot, so I reapply to my face, nose, and neck every couple of hours.

Goggles tans are cool. Goggles burns, and skin cancer aren't. Wear sunscreen.

5. Leave the shorts and t-shirts at home; lightweight layers are the way to go

Similar to Tip #4, spring skiers must respect the sun! Exposing your forearms, legs, and other body parts that haven't seen the sun in months will undoubtedly result in lobster-red burns.

I get it, it's hot outside, but covering your skin with a thin, performance-material shirt or similar material is the best way to protect yourself.

There's also the risk of snow "burns" on bare skin when you crash or fall. Snow is soft, but refrozen ice crystals, rocks, and other debris can leave their marks.

With that said, skiing in a t-shirt and shorts on a 70-degree day in May was one of the most liberating experiences I've ever had on skis. I took the risk and got burned and scraped, but it was fun. Just saying.

6. Sunglasses, not goggles, are ideal

Managing your body heat is essential during spring skiing days. Many skiers have no issues with rocking goggles in 50+ degree temperatures, but as a heavy sweater, I can't stand it.

Instead, I opt for a pair of XL-frame sunglasses with lenses that wrap slightly around my eyes. They don't offer the same wind protection as goggles, but I find the extra breeze to be quite nice on the warmest days.

If you don't have fancy ski-specific sunglasses, just rock whatever you have in your car. Spring skiing is about having fun, not looking cool.

7. Aprés ski translates to "after skiing" not "while skiing"

There's nothing like the taste of a cold beer or cocktail in the spring sun, but I beg of you to wait until after you're done skiing to imbibe.

I can't tell you how many drunk-as-a-skunk skiers I've seen pin-balling their way down the mountain during the spring. It seems, at least from a distance, that the good weather, soft snow, and jovial vibe of a spring day can lead some folks to consume copious amounts of alcohol, against their better judgment.

Skiing sober is actually quite a lot of fun, and the enjoyment of "tying one on" at the après spot is better when you haven't been drinking all day.

Stay safe out there, friends. Save the drinks for après.

8. Have fun and don't fret about the conditions

The most confounding thing, at least in my book, is when I hear a skier say on a spring day, "This sucks. I wish it were winter and the snow was cold."

It's a fair sentiment, but it always stings when I hear it uttered on a chairlift or at the bar. I, too, wish that the snow were blower-pow and the temperatures were frigidly cold 365 days out of the year, but that's not the way this whole Earth thing works.

Instead of yearning for conditions that haven't been seen in months, I wish that these skiers could take a moment to appreciate the conditions in front of them.

Sure, the snow is a bit sticky, but would you rather be doing anything else? You're skiing. You're literally sliding down a snowy slope on pieces of wood and metal after a flying couch whisked you thousands of feet uphill in just a few minutes. Isn't that incredible?

I won't shame anybody for wishing it were winter, but spring skiing is awesome. Let's live in the present and make the most of it. How does that sound?

Related: What I Learned Testing 15 Pairs of Skis in 5 Days

Skis Can Change Your Perspective (and Style)

Somewhere along your skiing journey, you’ve probably heard a refrain that sounds like this: “There are no bad skis, just bad skiers.” If you’re really good, you can make any pair of skis sing, the curmudgeonly thinking goes. 

All the floofy specifics of ski design, then, are just that: fodder for over thinkers (I would know) or people looking for excuses (ditto). The shape, length, and width don’t have that much bearing on the skiing you actually do.

I can’t totally dismantle this premise. There are people out there, probably, who could backflip Corbet’s Couloir on a pair of sticks made for ski jumping. For a more realistic perspective, consider that decades ago, people were hucking cliffs and helicopters on straight planks.

At the same time, over the past week, I found a counterpoint: the Armada Whitewalker 108. Earlier, I heard from another tester that they reminded him of rollerblades or ice skates. That piqued my interest—I have a soft spot for weird stuff—so I took the skis out for a few laps.

They didn’t, of course, make me a better skier, but the Whitewalkers did change how I ski. They were nimble and stiff yet couldn’t hold an edge very well. After fumbling around for a bit, I tried a different approach than usual. I tossed my usual “dad turns” and leaned back, emphasizing looseness rather than rigidity.

The Whitewalkers came alive. They turned sideways at the slightest twitch of my ankles. In the air, they felt weightless. Back on the snow, they had enough of a backbone to get me out of a pinch. Rather than “skiing” in the traditional sense, I rolled down the mountain like water.

It was eye-opening and, to me, proof that spending an afternoon on a distinct pair of skis can be transformative. My advice? If you ever have the opportunity to try skis you’d usually skip (demo days are your friend), you should. It might alter the way you look at the mountains.

Skis Are More Approachable Than Ever

As much as I loved the Whitewalkers, I wouldn’t recommend them to every skier. That isn’t the case for many of the other skis I tried, though.

From Dynastar to Salomon, skis with “autopilot” are everywhere. Here’s what I mean: skis that are so approachable that they almost ski for you, regardless of the conditions. 

And somehow, thanks to some kind of ski construction wizardry, this trait doesn’t come with many drawbacks. The Salomon QST 106, a ski I liked a lot, was a plush off-piste ride that could still lay down a pretty mean carve.

This is fantastic news for ski buyers. Through years of technological evolution, we’ve finally arrived at the lofty “quiver killer” ideal adored by marketers and copywriters alike (okay, we probably got there a decade ago, but still). Expansive gear closets are great, but you really can get by with one or two pairs if you want, no fussing around required.

Skis Are Rorschach Tests

I’m not a large man. On at least one occasion, a tester who was bigger than me assured me that the skis I was about to try, despite nearing 190 centimeters, “turned really easily.”

Dear reader, for me, they did not turn really easily. I felt grateful that I didn't end up in a tree well.

On the flip side, another skier, who was smaller than I, said that one pair required strong technique. I had the opposite experience. At my height and weight, those 180-centimeter skis were loose, bouncy, and playful.

Those incongruencies, probably, can be explained by basic physics: a ski’s length relative to the size of its pilot can completely change how it behaves. 

I suspect more was at play, though. None of us meets a new ski in a vacuum. Our preferences, style, and skill level collide with these lifeless assemblages, and a relationship forms. Sometimes it goes well. Sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes a fling becomes a long-term affair.

There’s no way to perfect this equation. In advance, you can’t know with certainty whether love or hate will emerge, even with those “quiver killers.” That can make buying skis frustrating, but I also think it’s part of the fun, both as a skier and observer. Clicking into a pair of skis that feel like they were made for you is magic, especially when it’s unexpected. There’s a slot-machine-like thrill to the unknown.

I felt that myself last week. I also saw it happen to other people. On one pair, they were struggling. Then, on the next lap, they’d rip down to the group, a grin stitched to their face. “Oh,” I’d say. “You liked that one.” But I didn’t really need to say it. You could tell by the way they were skiing that they’d found a new best friend.

This Is the Year of Brand-Defying (or Defining?) Skis

Two new lines provoked much of the curiosity at our ski test: Blizzard’s Canvas and Armada’s Antimatter. 

As a quick primer, Blizzard, in recent history, has mostly been about burly all-mountain chargers. Armada leans in the opposite direction, with a reputation for pliable jib sticks.

For these brands, the Canvas and the Antimatter are, in some ways, a 180.

The Canvas skis are soft, energetic, and light, bouncing out of turns and encouraging tail presses and nosebutters. The Antimatters, meanwhile, have the surfy shape and vibe of an Armada, but are absolute steamrollers when they need to be.

While the Canvas is fresh for Blizzard, they echo the past. For one, they are reminiscent—at least somewhat—of a now-shelved Blizzard model, the Gunsmoke. They also recall all the other softer, less buttoned-up twin-tips I grew up on. Personally, taking a spin with the 118s provided a much-needed nostalgia trip. 

On the other hand, the Antimatter 114s gave me an identity crisis, but not in a bad way. It was fun to be trucking along on some weighty skis, only to glance down, catch Armada’s distinctive top sheets, and huck them into a slash. A year or two ago, if you told me that some of the stoutest skis I would try at a test would be Armadas, I would’ve laughed. 

That novelty is exciting. It also helps that the Canvas and Antimatter lines are a great time for the right skier.

Stay tuned for more POWDER week content.

Related: The World's Best Freestyle Skiers Are Headed to Japan: Swatch Nines Preview

Almost a Quarter Century In

Elevation has grown tenfold since, bringing about 2,500 people to the slopes of Mammoth for the five-day celebration featuring 17 parties and events. Although the demographic is still mostly gay men, Elevation’s contingent of gay women, trans, and a broader queer demographic has grown every year.

For the first time, the 2026 event featured a “lady’s happy hour” at the Limelight Mammoth, the resort’s newest hotel, which has deep ties in the queer community, its properties in Aspen and Snowmass serving as major hubs of Aspen’s Gay Ski Week, the world’s longest-running gay ski event, started in 1977.

“We didn’t want to be left out,” says Evan Thomas, General Manager of Limelight Mammoth, which also hosted Elevation’s Onesie Aprés Party as well as its “Brolesque” performance. “It was exciting to have some of the biggest parties here and be able to showcase our space. It’s definitely the best event of the year.”

Everyone On Board

Elevation’s parties and events take place in venues throughout Mammoth Lakes and Village, a few of which have been on board since the beginning. 

“I started Elevation a year before the Village actually opened,” Whitman says. “I met with every major venue and asked, would you be excited to host a queer event? The answer was either, ‘absolutely,’ or ‘girl!’ [gay man speak for ‘hell, yes’]. Lakanuki was one of the first venues. Stu, the owner, is a straight guy. He said, ‘absolutely’ and is still the best supporter.”

When Whitman approached venues in Park City to host Utah Gay Ski Week’s events, he was unsure of what the reception would be.  

“Mammoth Lakes has always been super welcoming; I didn’t know what Park City would be like. It’s in a red state, surrounded by a conservative landscape. When I first started scouting, going to stakeholders to ask, are you comfortable? Do you want a queer event here? If the answer is anything other than a resounding ‘absolutely,’ we are not going into a space that doesn’t want us there. In Park City on our 16th anniversary, rainbow flags were everywhere. We’ve entrenched ourselves as a member of the community.”

Why Gay Ski Weeks Matter

Whitman believes that expanding and opening minds is especially worthwhile in resort communities. 

“Most resorts are in small towns, so there’s automatically a layer of importance in bringing queer people to a place where they don’t see gay people all the time,” he says. “It’s super valuable to be visible in all the places. We deserve to be welcomed in mountain towns, rural towns, as well as big cities. In the ski community, sure, there’s a bit of a bro-y culture with the guys, but in my experience, it’s not bro-y in a homophobic way. You see that when a queer event takes over the town, it’s so welcoming. Locals all look forward to it, gay and straight.”

More than welcoming, Elevation has been pivotal and even self-actualizing for some attendees. For Bishop, Calif., resident Kristen Pfeiler, it instilled a sense of belonging. 

“I came out in Jan 2021 and didn’t have an avenue to really live that in the world until the Elevation party in 2022,” she says, recalling one of Mammoth Elevation’s parties, which she attended with her straight best friend and the friend’s father. “My ‘gay’ experiences had consisted of watching Ru Paul's Drag Race and trail running with the only other queer person I knew in Bishop at the time. This was my first queer event as a freshly self-discovered queer person. As we walked into the venue, I remember thinking that I had never seen that many men, only men, in one place before. There was laughter and friendship everywhere. Everyone was so friendly and took every opportunity to strike up conversations — in line at the bar, on the dance floor, in the stalls of the bathroom.”

Pfeiler eventually spotted a few other women. Everyone introduced themselves, and the small group bonded quickly.  

“This phenomenon of women being so stoked to stumble upon other women, followed by the same introductory exchange, happened a couple more times over the night,” she says. “It felt so freeing to be in a queer space where I didn't know anyone except my best friend and her dad. This is a rare experience to come by, living in a small town. She was my wingman as I found people to dance with, and he took me under his wing, knowing that not everyone's biological family comes out to celebrate them in this very foundational, almost primal way. I felt so much love. I'm so grateful that there was, in a way, this perfect event at the perfect time for me. It almost felt like the sheer overwhelm of men immediately bonded all the women in that venue, which made it feel easy to connect. I was so full of life as we descended the gondola.”

Creating a Welcoming Space for Everyone

Now Bishop is home to its own queer nonprofit organization, Eastern Sierra Pride, which also hosts events at Mammoth Mountain and aims to integrate with Elevation, providing experiences like Pfeiler’s to more individuals.

“It highlights even more how important local organizations like Eastern Sierra Pride are to the human experience of a queer person, especially in rural towns,” says Eastern Sierra Pride chairperson and brand designer Erika Vanderveer. “A person may experience the queer community for the first time at a large, organized event like Elevation, but having a local entity be visible during that celebration offers that person a continuum and safe space to continue to explore and grow. Elevation week at Mammoth is important because it creates a space for folks to be their truest selves in a safe and supportive environment. Hopefully, Eastern Sierra Pride can help broaden that demographic.”

More ski resorts, especially in the U.S., are jumping on the queer event bandwagon. To name a few, Sugarbush, Vermont, recently wrapped up its fourth annual Pride celebration, Stevens Pass, Washington, its third, and Keystone, Colorado, is hosting its third annual Pride Festival at the end of March. 

“We believe the mountains are for everyone, and creating a welcoming, respectful environment is central to that mission. We are dedicated to ensuring that members of the Pride community feel safe, welcomed, and inspired to enjoy the outdoors while experiencing the same sense of belonging as all our guests,” says Mammoth Resorts Communications Manager Emily Van Greuning. “Ski resorts play an important role in championing acceptance, so every individual can enjoy outdoor recreation without concern for how they look, who they love, or how they identify.”

The 25th annual Elevation Gay Ski Week, bound to be the biggest yet, is landing at Mammoth the third week of March 2027.

Related: A Skier's Note To the Satellites

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This winter, that divide is even more dramatic. By now, as most skiers know, much of the West is knee-deep in a concerning snow drought.

The snowpack for the region is mostly red per an oft-cited snow water equivalent map, indicating that most basins have far less coverage than usual. That’s stymied operations at some ski areas. It also raises concerns about water supplies and wildfires for the coming summer.

Jay Peak, on the other hand, started the 2025-26 season with a bang, opening early after feet of snow fell.

More recently, late-season snow helped the resort hit 400 inches. As of Tuesday, April 7, between 16 and 40 inches of snow are on the ground—a solid base given the time of year. More snow—and maybe some mixed precipitation—is expected at Jay Peak the rest of this week, according to OpenSnow. 

The question you’re probably wondering is this: with 400 inches of snow, how big a lead does Jay Peak have over the usual suspects? And are any other mountains beating it?

Let’s break it down with a comparison to some traditionally snowy spots out West—alongside the resorts that have fared better than the pack this winter. All totals were pulled directly from ski resort snow reports. Where upper-mountain totals were available, they were used. 

Finally, remember that total seasonal snow doesn’t always translate to the deepest snowpack. While Snowbird, Utah, is reporting less overall snowfall than Jay Peak, its current base depth is twice that of Jay Peak’s.

Jay Peak 25/26 Snowfall vs. Western Ski Resorts

• Revelstoke, British Columbia: 448 inches
• Jay Peak, Vermont: 400 inches
• Banff Sunshine Village, Alberta: 373 inches
• Lake Louise, Alberta: 359 inches
• Alyeska, Alaska: 356 inches
• Jackson Hole, Wyoming: 346 inches
• Grand Targhee, Wyoming: 309 inches
• Palisades Tahoe, California: 305 inches
• Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia: 299 inches
• Alta Ski Area, Utah: 289 inches
• Snowbird, Utah: 277 inches
• Mammoth Mountain, California: 253 inches

Related: Thundersnow, Rain, and Strong Winds Forecasted for Lake Tahoe

The Newcomers

Hannah Baldwin

In the Challengers, Hannah Baldwin proved consistent, notching a first and second place. Don’t just take it from us, though—here’s Baldwin, a former Junior World Champion, doing her thing.

Delila Quinn

Delila Quinn fared similarly well across the Challengers, with two podiums under her belt. At the second event, she took first, lacing an aggressive line with a well-calculated, lofty backflip. Unsurprisingly, she throws down outside of competitions, too.

Kai Morgan

Kai Morgan’s big win came at the first Challenger event in Whitewater, British Columbia. He opted for a classic freeride approach, hucking huge cliffs and stomping them like nobody’s business. Doubles are also part of the Morgan program.

Nate Pruzan

Nate Pruzan, like the rest of the crew, stood out in the Challengers. You might be more likely to remember him, though, for his 360 off the second platform of Whistler’s Air Jordan—the famed double stager visible from the base of the Peak Express. With stunts like that in his back pocket, he’ll be right at home on the Freeride World Tour.

Tyler Curle

Last but not least is Tyler Curle, the Lake Tahoe local, real ripper, and employee of Moment Skis. Here’s Curle throwing down at Kicking Horse, British Columbia.

The Full 2027 FWT U.S. Roster

In 2027, the newly qualified skiers will join the pros who, thanks to strong performances on the Freeride World Tour, already had their invitations on lock. Among their ranks are Toby Rafford and Ross Tester, who placed second and third, respectively. 

Now, for the entire cast of Americans.

Ski Women

• Wynter McBride
• Hannah Baldwin
• Delila Quinn

Ski Men

• Toby Rafford

• Ross Tester

• Joey Leonardo

• Kai Morgan

• Nate Pruzan

• Tyler Curle

Related: The World's Best Freestyle Skiers Are Headed to Japan: Swatch Nines Preview

First off, a caveat: Gleich chose to use footage from 2023. 

That winter, Utah saw record snowfall. Deer Valley, where her videos were filmed, hit 606 inches of snow on April 20, 2023 (this year, the resort received 144 inches).

In Little Cottonwood Canyon—Utah’s powder hotspot—Alta Ski Area saw a staggering 903 inches. 

You don’t need to be a scientist to know that 900-plus inches isn’t normal. Even if this season were average, it wouldn’t have compared to the absurd powder bonanza of the 2022-23 winter.

Gleich also pointed out in the caption to her post that “One bad year doesn’t prove anything.”

Still, she continued, “the records keep falling: highest ever, lowest ever, warmest winter in 150 years, and they keep falling faster. That’s not a coincidence.”

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To her point, look at the heat wave that baked mountain snowpacks across the West in March, expediting the end of the 2025-26 season at some resorts.

World Weather Attribution, an organization that studies the role climate change plays in extreme weather patterns, said those record-shattering temperatures would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change.

The Scientific American also recently reported that while snowiest winters remain as snowy as they were in the past, “the lean [snow] years are both more frequent and more lean than they used to be.”

None of that’s particularly great news for skiers.

But this month, there are still some opportunities to hit the slopes. In Utah, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird, Brian Head, Brighton, and Solitude remain open. Our advice? Go find some sun and slush. The summer could be long and hot.

Related: A Skier's Note To the Satellites

Many popular Tahoe ski resorts, such as Northstar, Heavenly, and Sugar Bowl, have closed for the season due to warm temperatures, but the resorts still hanging on should benefit from the storm, at least up high.

For Palisades Tahoe, expect lots of rain on the lower mountain, but hold out hope for snow on chairlifts like Siberia, Gold Coast, and Shirley Lake. If it's anything like last week's storm, the terrain above 8,000 feet could ski quite nicely after a foot-plus of heavy snowfall.

Palisades Tahoe is expected to host the return of the Rahlves Bonzai ski race and the Cushing Classic pond skim this weekend. Stay tuned for cancellations or rescheduling, depending on how the storm plays out.

Mammoth and Kirkwood might be the best bet for avoiding rain this weekend. Both resorts are expected to receive less rain and, ideally, more snow due to their higher elevations.

At the time of publication, OpenSnow is forecasting 6 inches on Saturday, 14 inches on Sunday, and another 4 inches on Monday for Kirkwood.

Check back in with us later this week for an in-depth forecast from our weather partner, Powderchasers. Their forecast will include powder-chasing recommendations and specific forecasts for each resort.

Happy spring! Who's ready for a little snow?

Related: The 9 Best Ski Resorts Still Open In North America

1. Lake Louise, Alberta

• Planned closing date: May 3, 2026
• Base depth: 8 feet (upper mountain)

The weather works in mysterious ways. And this season, that mystery had a resounding message for Americans: it was, probably, a good time to brush up on your Canadian lingo. Just look at Lake Louise. 

As of this week, you could go there and pretend that all the heat and rain that battered the Western U.S. never happened, all while sucking down double-doubles. More than ten lifts are spinning at Lake Louise, and the season’s expected to last until early May with multiple feet of snow still on the ground.

2. Banff Sunshine Village, Alberta

• Planned closing date: May 18, 2026

• Base depth: 9 feet (upper mountain)

If you’re going to mention Lake Louise, you may as well throw Sunshine Village in the mix. The ski resort, another Banff-area classic, saw its snowiest season in more than a decade. Plenty of that snow is sticking around. Those planning a trip up north can grab tickets that are good at Sunshine Village and Lake Louise, sweetening the deal. Mixing it up never hurts.

3. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia

• Planned closing dates:April 19 (Whistler Mountain) and May 18 (Blackcomb Mountain), 2026

• Base depth: 7 feet

With a big vertical drop of around 5,000 feet, Whistler Blackcomb has its ski boots in two worlds at once. Where the base might look springy, the upper areas can still be clinging to plenty of snow. That’s one of the resort’s signature tricks. Don’t be fooled by the dry pavement on the Sea to Sky Highway—somewhere, a few thousand feet above you, winter has it going on.

As of now, Whistler Blackcomb plans to push ahead for more than a month. While the Whistler side of its slopes closes in April, Blackcomb is set to live on as a spring skiing hotspot into May.

4. Mammoth Mountain, California

• Closing date: Memorial Day or later
• Base depth: Up to 9 feet

Mammoth Mountain has a reputation for prolonged ski seasons—sometimes, they’re absurdly prolonged, lasting well into the warmer months. This go around, locals probably won’t be skiing until July or August, unless something truly freaky happens in the atmosphere. 

Still, Mammoth Mountain is aiming to make it to Memorial Day or beyond, sticking to its guns even during a challenging season. And, as POWDER can attest, the possibility of fresh snow exists in April or even May at Mammoth. We probably don’t need to tell you that skiing pow in May might rewire your brain.

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5. Snowbird, Utah

• Closing date: TBD

• Base depth: 7 feet

Snowbird’s been through a lot and has come out on the other side in pretty good shape. While hot March weather took down nearby Utah resorts, Snowbird, thanks to its altitude, has plenty of coverage. A tasty storm last week gave locals another shot of winter after the warm temperatures, too. 

6. Alta Ski Area, Utah

• Closing date: April 26, 2026

• Base depth: 7 feet

Alta Ski Area tends to close before its neighbor, Snowbird, but for the next few weeks, you can take advantage of its solid coverage. Obviously, for both Little Cottonwood Canyon ski areas, this has been a rocky season. Now that we’re into the final leg, though, we advise soaking up the sun and slush at one of North America's best-known mountains while it lasts. It’s probably going to be a long, hot summer.

7. Grand Targhee, Wyoming

• Closing date: April 19, 2026

• Base depth: 8 feet

On the quieter side of Teton Pass, Grand Targhee is fresh off a storm that produced plenty of April powder. Closing day is coming up quickly, but for the next few weeks, it’ll be a great spot to visit, carve some groomers, and, if you’re lucky, find some leftover snow up high. In a winter like this, 309 inches of seasonal snow doesn’t sound bad at all.

8. Killington, Vermont

• Closing date: TBD
• Base depth: N/A

Killington takes its spring skiing very seriously. Its closing date of May 11 last winter was, by Killington standards, somewhat early. Oftentimes, the ski area stays open into early June, far outlasting resorts out West.

The weather, ultimately, will have the final say on when Killington throws in the towel. For now, though, you can safely bet on the ski area doing everything it can to make sure the season lasts as long as possible. 

9. Jay Peak, Vermont

• Closing date: TBD
• Base depth: Up to 4 feet

In a sleepy little corner of Vermont near the Canadian border, Jay Peak has spent this winter consistently racking up snow. At the time of writing this, the ski was nearing the 400-inch mark—a stat made more impressive when you consider that traditional powder whales, like Snowbird and Alta Ski Area, have yet to crest 300 inches.

All that means that at Jay Peak, there should be some winter yet to go. While the ski area hasn’t confirmed a closing date, it lasted until May last season.

Related: It's "Wiggle" Season: How Spring Skiing's Best Feature Is Made

Ascending the ski area in the fatherly fashion I do; partly for dutiful exercise, maybe a teensy bit for fun (type II, that is), and hours before the sun rises so I can be home before my children awake, all mark a rare and reflective moment to myself.

But over time, I have been subject to forced companionship on these early morning sojourns.

It’s in the sky; that beautiful planetarium of stars, planets, and dust that seems clearest in the darkness before dawn, especially on a quiet, shuttered ski area climbed with skin and ski.

In that wonderful setting, I am bombarded more than ever by satellites; the constant shimmer of artificial bodies as they glide across the otherwise cold and crystalline sky. One after another, these unwelcome hangers-on not only distract from the stars themselves, they stand as reminders of SpaceX’s hegemony, or the inflated egos of space age CEO’s, intruding on my most meaningful solitude. It’s little help that Dave Matthews’ "Satellite," an anthem of my 1990’s childhood, remains one of my favorite DMB live treats. In their physical form, these sentinels are cumbersome and unwelcome, especially in such numbers.

But I can still see the stars, or the waxing and waning of our one moon as it dances close to the ecliptic, all before the brilliance of sunrise.

But an even more burdensome brightness may yet take even the stars away from our night, and shine out the celestial bodies that for eons have left our ancestors and us in awe.

That’s because Reflect Orbital, a tech start-up out of the banal and light-polluted Hawthorne, CA, is seeking FCC approval to launch upwards of 50,000 solar mirrors into orbit in order to beam sunlight to Earth-based solar farms during the night, in essence creating an on-demand, 24-hour ability to tap into the power of the sun.

All, potentially, to the demise of our dark skies.

Reflect Orbital could launch a test satellite as early as this summer if it gets clearance from the FCC, which, according to a New York Times article on the topic, is mostly burdened with how these machines communicate. Otherwise, “the agency’s stance is that activities in space — which, by definition, are not on Earth — are not subject to environmental review,” a technicality that may damn our stars to the machinations of a cold, unconcerned bureaucracy. 

Once launched into orbit, the test satellite would deploy a 60-foot mirror designed to reflect enough light to appear as bright as the full moon.

The rub is that more test satellites could quickly follow. And by 2030, if the project were fully approved, larger mirrors would also be launched, culminating in an array of 50,000 satellites by 2035, some reflecting as much light as 100 full moons.

While Reflect Orbital claims the light would be visible only in the solar fields the satellites would be aimed at, scientists have raised questions, noting that light is naturally scattered in the Earth’s atmosphere, potentially subjecting far larger areas–and the humans, animals, and flora that live there–to eternal day.

But as us backpackers, night runners, dawn skiers, and 2 a.m. homeward bound stumblers know, there’s something inexplicable about the night sky, however we come to view it. While a few darting satellites can prove annoying, they don’t blot out entire swaths of the heavens. 

Otherwise, the stars are all of ours.

From seafaring voyagers to nomadic wanderers, scientists searching for answers, to skiing dads looking for a few good turns under a beautifully clear sky, the stars have always charted our path. They are our innate compass; their clarity is a litmus for where the march of industry has thankfully only gone so far. In all granting a backdrop for the purest of dreams that reflect the clarity of the night sky. Without our stars, who then are we?

Undeniably worse off, no matter the march of progress.

My predawn adventure proves to be an undeniably bad ski. On ascent, my skins are unable to find purchase several times, causing me to slide backward for an instant on the firm, groomed snow before I plunge my poles in and brace to a stop. The descent is similarly challenging. The refrozen spring snow is so firm my teeth chatter, and my ears ring as I make loud, scratchy turns down the fall line under the light of my headlamp.

But no matter the challenging ski, I still bask in the reason I came here in the first place, the same simple reason so many of us step outside in the dark: a clear sky full of stars. And we’ll take a little less on-demand power for that any day.

About The Last Chair Column

This article was written by POWDER writer Jack O’Brien for his bi-weekly ‘Last Chair’ column. Click below to read the previous column, ‘On (Inadvertently) Chasing Mountain Lions.'

Related: More From The Last Chair With Jack O'Brien

Swatch Nines describes itself as “a friendly antagonist to the world of competitive sports.”

In most competitions, skiers are fighting for points. That can impact the tricks they choose. If you want to win, you’re more inclined to stick to what you know, avoiding moves that you’re less familiar with. 

Swatch Nines takes a different angle, instead asking athletes to show up, get creative, and progress their skills without the pressure associated with the World Cup or Olympics.

For years, that approach has made Swatch Nines an incubator for freestyle’s bleeding edge. Some, like Andri Ragettli, have used the playground to try the most technical tricks possible. Others push the sport in less conventional directions, doing whatever seems fun or unique.

“Swatch Nines is one of the few events where everything feels possible—you can go big and get creative all in one place,” said Momo Maheux, one of the invited snowboarders, in a press release.

Skiers and snowboarders are already getting to work.

Swatch Nines recently shared a clip of Sämi Ortlieb and others testing a rail feature that looks like a traditional Japanese bridge. Tap or click below to watch.

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That’s just a small tease of the action to come. This year’s Swatch Nines lasts until April 11, 2026. Between now and then, expect the internet to be inundated with tricks that bend the rules of physics.

And, if you happen to be in Niseko, you can stop by the Tokyu Grand HIRAFU on April 11 for general public viewing. Yes, Instagram reels are cool, but watching the best skiers on the planet do their thing live is much, much better.

Notable Swatch Nines 2026 skiers include: Jay Rawe, Jesper Tjäder, Elena Gaskell, Luca Harrington, Megan Oldham, Matej Svancer, Max Moffat, Avery Krumme, and more!

Related: This Is How To Ski Alaska: Watch Ross Tester's Incredible POV

For fans (and the athletes, too, presumably), the FWT’s long-awaited return to Alaska produced a collective sigh of relief.

In the run-up to the competition, warm weather and unstable snow beset FWT organizers, canceling a slew of events on the other side of the pond. That set a high bar for the Alaskan revival: the people wanted some freeride highlights.

And they got them. Good snow mixed with an ever-increasing level of talent on the FWT produced some of the best runs the circuit has ever seen. 

Tester, obviously, threw down. So did his challengers on the podium. Toby Rafford, the winner, narrowly dodged rocks after launching a huge 360. Ugo Troubat, who came in third, also laced a memorable line. 

Sybille Blanjean won the women’s field with a fast and strong run, demonstrating mastery over the imposing Alaskan venue. Lou Barin and Zoe Delzoppo joined her on the podium.

All told, the outing was everything freeride is supposed to be. Mind-blowing—but calculated—skiing took center stage, pushing the sport's evolution just a bit further.

It was, maybe, a watershed moment for competitive freeride. The discipline’s grown and changed in recent years, as has the kind of skiing it takes to come home with a medal. The Alaska Haines Pro hammered that point home.

As for us? We’re just glad to be along for the ride.

Related: How a Webcam Turned North America's Most Famous Ski Run Into a Global Spectator Sport

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The video above shows a new wiggle slowly being carved out by dozens of skiers from Kirkwood's freeride team. In just a few laps, a noticeable track in the snow starts to take shape. By the end of the day, a full-blown wiggle with overhead walls has been created.

Wiggles are more common at Western ski resorts for a variety of reasons. For one, you can't create a wiggle on a regularly groomed snow surface. A large, wide-open bowl or face is preferred.

There's also the matter of snowpack. As mentioned, a wiggle continues to get deeper as skiers and riders descend it. A wiggle created on a thin snowpack won't last long, which is why many are created on North-facing aspects that tend to hold snow longer.

Palisades Tahoe, for example, is home to multiple wiggles on Shirley Bowl, a North-facing aspect located near the resort's highest elevation. Even with poor snowfall this season, at least three wiggles have popped up.

I skied the Shirley Bowl wiggles countless times last season thanks to cool spring temperatures and a healthy snowpack. See below for a POV recorded on Memorial Day Weekend last year.

Video: Wiggle Skiing POV, Palisades Tahoe, California (2025)

This year's wiggle season was short for many western ski resorts due to warm temperatures and poor snowfall, but skiers at places like Alta, Mammoth, Palisades Tahoe, and Kirkwood will be lapping wiggles until the lifts close.

If your resort doesn't have a wiggle, gather some friends and make one yourself! It doesn't take long for a track to take shape.

Happy wiggle skiing, friends. Let's make the most of it.

Related: Vail Resorts Launches South Lake Tahoe Shuttle to Kirkwood, Locals Celebrate Silver Lining of Warm Season

For Lee Canyon, the lift’s installation follows a period of consistent growth. 

In 2019, the ski area debuted the new Hillside Lodge. The lift accessing the West Bowl will be Lee Canyon’s fourth new lift in three years. The ski area also recently introduced a downhill mountain bike park.

This summer, other improvements are coming to ski areas owned by Mountain Capital Partners, the resort group with a sizable footprint in the American Southwest, including Lee Canyon. 

Construction is set to move ahead on the Gelande lift at Purgatory, Colorado. A snowmaking project that will allow for consistent daily operations is coming to Pajarito, New Mexico, MCP said in a release. And more than $17.5 million in upgrades will debut at MCP’s South American ski resorts, Valle Nevado and La Parva, Chile, during the 2026 Southern Hemisphere season, including lift improvements and new lodging.

Lee Canyon finished the 2025-26 season on Sunday, March 22, as record heat baked mountains and cities across the West. Last season, its lifts spun until April 13.

MCP’s multi-pass, which includes Lee Canyon—the Power Pass—is now on sale for adults at $749. The company said in a release that the price hasn’t increased in four years. Early bird pricing lasts through April 24.

Related: How a Webcam Turned North America's Most Famous Ski Run Into a Global Spectator Sport

Kirkwood has recorded 282 inches of snow this season to date, nearly 80% of its annual average of 354 inches, but the resort's high elevation and north-facing slopes are holding snow well (all things considered).

As of Monday, April 6, Kirkwood has seven of 13 lifts and more than 50% of its named trails open for skiing and riding. That's a stark comparison to other resorts in the region that are barely hanging on, or have already closed for the season.

Check out the current snow coverage on Kirkwood's webcam below.

Temperatures are expected to remain warm through the end of this week before a small wintry system hits this weekend. According to OpenSnow, as much as 11 inches of snow could fall at Kirkwood in the next 10 days.

If you have an Epic Pass, go make the most of it at Kirkwood through closing day, April 19, 2026, and hop on the free shuttle if you're coming from South Lake.

The snow will be soft, the sun will most likely be shining, and the lifts will be running. What more can you ask for?

Related: Why Can’t Pro Freeskiers Get Paid? Inside Shaun White's New Multi-Million Dollar Snow League Solution

Costain is catering to internet engagement with the subtitle, "THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SKI EDIT ON EARTH," but after watching, it's hard to argue with the claim.

There's nowhere on Earth quite like Alaska, and Costain used every ounce of his big mountain prowess to make it look better than most.

My favorite moment comes at the 1:15 mark of the edit. Just when I thought Costain laced a perfect line down the daunting Alaskan face, he throws one of the cleanest shifty 360s I've ever seen in such consequential terrain. The landing is effortless. The pole drag to regain speed control is flawless. The following right turn is sexy as hell.

Costain continues to prove he's one of the best skiers on the planet, and with "Vol. 1" included in the title, we can only hope that Volumes 2, 3, 4, etc. are soon to follow.

Tap or click below to read Izzy Lidsky's story with Parkin Costain on his December 2025 edit, 'Flipbook', and vote in our poll, "Is Parkin Costain's CADENCE Vol. 1. The Most Beautiful Ski Edit Ever?"

Related: "I 100% Could Have Died": A Look Into Parkin Costain's New Film, 'Flipbook'

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California

• Palisades Tahoe: 27 inches
• Sugar Bowl: 25 inches
• Mammoth Mountain: 9 to 15 inches

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Oregon

• Timberline Lodge: 18 inches

• Mt. Bachelor: 18 inches

• Mt. Hood Meadows: 11 inches

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Wyoming

• Jackson Hole: 29 inches

• Grand Targhee: 25 inches

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Utah

• Snowbird: 38 inches

• Alta: 28.5 inches

• Brighton: 29 inches

Colorado

• Crested Butte: 22 inches

• Wolf Creek: 19 inches

• Vail Mountain: 18 inches

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Montana

• Big Sky: 24 inches

• Red Lodge: 19 inches

• Montana Snowbowl: 17 inches

Related: Ikon Pass Adds SilverStar Mountain, Expands Reach Into Canada

Powder Mountain recently announced plans to construct a fixed-grip triple chairlift on an area known as DMI (Don't Mention It) for public access next season. The expansion will add 1,000 acres of advanced terrain.

The ski resort also announced that a new competitive freeride program will start next season under the Powder Ski & Ride Team.

"The program extends the resort’s existing multi-week ski school offering with a competition track, giving serious junior skiers and riders structured coaching, team development, and a pathway into freeride competition," writes Powder Mountain. "Registration for teams opens May 1st."

Related: How a Webcam Turned North America's Most Famous Ski Run Into a Global Spectator Sport

Bend, Oregon-bred freeskier Hunter Hess has spent his winters traveling and competing on the FIS World Cup halfpipe circuit, at the X Games, and this year, representing Team USA in the Olympics. Hess receives support with things like travel costs from the U.S. Ski & Snowboard team, which he’s been on since 2017, and sponsorship dollars from endemic ski brands like Volkl, Dalbello, and Peak Performance.

However, not all skiers on the FIS circuit have the same support. Freeskiing, which includes halfpipe, big air, and slopestyle, also has fewer World Cup events per season than alpine skiing, and the prize purses are a fraction of the size. Without financial support from sponsors or a national team, competing in World Cup events isn’t financially viable for many freeski athletes.

“Skiing is a gigantic industry. So you're kind of asking, where's this money going? Why am I representing such a big demographic of skiers and not getting paid for it?” said Hess. “I know freeskiing is more of a niche, but it is a situation where we're still making money for these brands. There's a lot of companies dumping a lot of money into it. We’re an Olympic sport, we have the X Games, a lot of us have large social media followings. Those are all things that people get paid for, and we're almost seeing none of that money.” 

Today, the skiers who make the most are rarely doing so exclusively from endemic brand deals and competition money. Athletes like Eileen Gu, who has a muilti-million dollar net worth, has partnerships with luxury brands like Porsche and Louis Vuitton, or Hess’ teammate on the U.S. Ski Team and close friend, Alex Hall, who is sponsored by pasta & soup brand, Rao’s Homemade, and luxury fashion brand, Moncler, are perfect examples.

Fellow halfpipe skier Gus Kenworthy had a similar take to Hess.

Kenworthy, who was born and raised in Telluride, Colorado, found success in freeskiing after posting a ski clip online that went viral. His first sponsorship and first freeski competitions followed, blossoming into a super successful career as a slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe skier. Already well-known in skiing, Kenworthy gained worldwide recognition in 2015 when he came out as the first openly gay skier on the cover of ESPN.

Following the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Kenworthy announced his retirement. As a result of two concussions leading up to Beijing, he hadn’t felt good about his training or skiing at the Games, and in combination with residual symptoms from his injuries, it was easy for Kenworthy to walk away.

However, the symptoms of his concussions had mostly subsided about six months after the Games, and the thought of returning to skiing crossed his mind. Still, he didn’t, and over the next three years, Kenworthy went through the ups and downs of ending a relationship, a loss of identity as a skier, and the pursuit of another lifelong love: acting. As the 2026 Olympic Games drew closer, Kenworthy found himself following along with his friends on the World Cup circuit from afar and thinking, “I should be there.”

Returning to skiing wasn’t simple, though. Kenworthy had gained fame, but he no longer had ski sponsors, aside from Monster Energy, who had stuck with him in retirement. To return to skiing and have a shot at competing in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, Kenworthy would have to fund it himself.

Historically, skiing’s ‘core’ has rejected the permeation of luxury brands. For a brand like Balenciaga to release a pair of skis (which cost a cool $6,290, more than 6x your average pair of skis) is laughable. Those who wear certain brands or styles of outerwear, amongst other faux pas, are associated with a population that can afford the ever-rising costs of skiing but don’t meet some standard of athletic performance.

In other words, those who can afford brands like Balenciaga or Moncler aren’t seen as ‘getting after it’ enough to be welcomed by those willing to bum it in search of powder. The irony of this standard is, of course, that brands that are considered core are still wildly expensive, although the point is made in the price difference between a $900 Arc’teryx shell and a $3,300 Moncler jacket.

While the core might reject this, Hess and Kenworthy both pointed out the unignorable fact that everyone, even skiers, need to make a living. Luxury brands aside, athletes often partner with brands outside skiing, but even in that lineup, it’s still far more acceptable to have a beer sponsor than a corny ad for contact lenses or cereal. After all, aren’t freeskiers supposed to be the ‘chill’ ones?

“It's about bringing enough eyeballs over to encourage those non-endemic brands to actually jump in and put some marketing budget towards it,” said Hess.

Kenworthy recalled hearing about skiers who had turned down deals because they were worried about being perceived as selling out. “I know of people that have not wanted to do things in the past, like Olympic deals, and it's like, dude, this is your job.
It's not cringe. It’s actually sick. You get to do this random Olympic commercial or whatever it is, because you're one of the best in the world at your sport. Enjoy that. Don't be ashamed of it,” he said.

Unlike skiing, snowboarding has never had a more rigid older sibling in competition. While competitive snowboarding’s roots may have started out in racing in the very earliest days, freestyle disciplines quickly took over and became the gold standard of competition. As a result, snowboarders gained fame on par with alpine skiers, such as Shaun White, who brought the sport’s core culture to the public, becoming household names.

In an effort to give back, White wanted to create an opportunity that would pay athletes and bring more eyes to their stories and to freestyle snowsports as a whole. So, in 2024, White created the Snow League, a halfpipe event series for freeskiers and snowboarders that would elevate athletes and create media that would allow the public to learn about, relate to, and idolize them, as White had experienced in his career.

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Rather than mimic the other halfpipe competitions like FIS World Cup events and the X Games, he wanted to shake it up a bit. Out of the gate, or rather, from its first drop-in, the Snow League adopted a unique format, both in competition and funding. With White at the helm, it was hard to argue that the event was anything other than ‘core.’

While there are marginal differences in format between the Snow League’s freeski and snowboard events, an equal field of invited male and female athletes compete in a series of head-to-head style halfpipe competitions throughout the winter season. Athletes are awarded points based on performance that are tallied up both during individual events, and throughout the season, contributing to an overall standing in the Snow League.

The top athletes at each event are awarded impressive prize purses (male & female first-place freeskiers are awarded $25,000 each, first-place male & female snowboarders are awarded $50,000 each, for reference), and the athletes with the most points overall at the end of the season are also awarded large cash bonuses. Additionally, each athlete receives a $5,000 appearance fee for each event.

Despite White being synonymous with the sport of snowboarding, he chose to include skiers in the Snow League as well. For Hess, who grew up skiing at Mt. Bachelor, which is known as “a snowboarder's mountain,” and was coached in his local program at the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Fund (which, at the time, was also run by a snowboarder), competing in a ski event started by White was a no-brainer.

“I think a lot of skiers idolize snowboarders in some capacity,” said Hess, “I grew up looking up to and riding with snowboarders like the Fergusons.” Professional snowboarders Ben and Gabe Ferguson both grew up at Mt. Bachelor and have gone on to compete at the X Games, World Cups, the Olympics, Natural Selection, and more.

To Hess, events like the Snow League exemplify how, without the aforementioned ‘older brother’ of a race discipline, snowboarding has been allotted resources that it’s then able to give back to freeskiing. Furthermore, without an endemic presenting sponsor, but rather funding from VC investors and brands like Adobe and Google, the Snow League has allowed White to invent something that elevated the entire spectacle of freestyle winter sports. 

“The more money you bring into the sport as a whole, the more people can eat, and the more money people can get, and hopefully the longer the sport can go, and you can keep those really unique figures around for longer,” said Hess. 

The conversation around paying athletes has more facets than just earning potential as a career. Professional athletes in all sports, not just skiing, put their bodies and health on the line constantly. When it comes to the training they put in and the risks they take, financial compensation plays a big role for many.

“We should be getting paid to show up, and we should be getting paid to ride the way we ride,” said Hess. “If you're putting your body on the line, every single event, and you're not expecting compensation, I think it really dilutes the sport and changes people's mindsets a lot to then not go and try to get fair pay anywhere else.”

Hess, who broke his wrist and suffered a massive hematoma on his hip at the Olympics, was back in the halfpipe to compete in the Snow League just weeks later. He went head-to-head with David Wise for the final podium spot and crashed in his second run, landing on the same hip and hand again. Yet, Hess still went back up to the top of the pipe for a final run, which he laced, landing him in third place at the World Championship event and third place in overall Snow League season standings, earning him a total of roughly $20,000 from the Snow League.

For Kenworthy, funding his return to the sport without sponsors meant more than just spending money; it meant truly investing in and believing in himself. It also meant that he was more willing to put it all on the line.

“I was at training camps in the fall and would think ‘I'm not really feeling it today,’ and then I'd do a quick calculation in my head — between my flight and my coach's flight, and how much I'm paying him, and this training camp costs five grand, and I'm paying for my coach’s lift tickets, and so on. I’d be like, actually, today's costing me $1,200, so I’m actually gonna do the fucking trick,” said Kenworthy.

White and The Snow League have gone above and beyond to collaborate with and support athletes in both disciplines to create an event that’s truly athlete-centered. It doesn’t leave the viewers out either. The event format is a head-to-head bracket-style battle, with minute differences between ski and snowboard. In both fields, athletes must drop in from both sides of the pipe for at least two out of their three runs per heat. Many athletes are accustomed to one side of the pipe over the other, which created a brand-new challenge for many at the start of the season.

Additionally, the head-to-head style format creates an element of strategy against one’s opponent that isn’t present in a traditional halfpipe contest. Natural Selection Ski employed the same bracket format last spring, which, in natural, choose-your-own-line terrain, makes the most sense for scoring, but also made for a great show. However, in halfpipe, it can dictate how hard a skier will go in a run versus how much gas they’ll leave in the tank, not to mention which side they drop in on.

If a skier makes it to the final round, they’ve potentially done nine runs in the halfpipe. Canadian skier Brendan Mackay, who won the first stop of the season in China and came in second at the World Championships in LAAX, called it an “endurance fest,” which is rarely a term you hear in park and pipe. The men’s freeski finals in LAAX saw the second all-out battle of the season between Mackay and the Snow League’s youngest competitor, Luke Harrold, which kept spectators on the edge of their seats late into the night. 

The women’s field was equally exciting as Eileen Gu and Zoe Atkin, two of the most accomplished and talented freeskiers around, went head-to-head. Gu is known for her flawless execution and deep back of tricks, as is Atkin. However, Atkin has amplitude in the halfpipe that tops the women’s field, and rivals many of the men as well. Atkin came in third place behind Gu and Canadian Amy Fraser.

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“I feel like what really makes us ski well is that joy and passion that we have for the sport. To be able to compete in an event that shares that ethos makes us all really stoked to be here,” said Atkin. “I feel like that's when you see the best riding from everyone.” 

Even this early on, it's abundantly clear that White has created something special. Having just wrapped up its first season, The Snow League is still very much in its infancy, but it’s managed to pull some of the biggest names in skiing to compete just weeks after the Olympics (and in some cases, skip the Oscars to do so, we’re looking at you, Eileen Gu).

The sentiment at LAAX was clear amongst the sixteen freeskiers in the field: given the chance, they will be back for season two of the Snow League, and more so, they were excited to see the cultural shifts a snowboarder was about to create in skiing.

With initiatives like the Snow League, names like Hunter Hess, Gus Kenworthy, Zoe Atkin, and more will hopefully one day be as recognizable as Shiffrin or Vonn and garner support from eyes far beyond the core of freeskiing.

More importantly, perhaps by the next Winter Olympics, The Snow League will have created a model that allows freeskiers for generations to make a living from the sport and the thing they love most.

Related: How a Webcam Turned North America's Most Famous Ski Run Into a Global Spectator Sport

The Ikon Pass's biggest rival, the Epic Pass, has also expanded its reach into British Columbia in recent years. Whistler Blackcomb, the largest ski resort in North America, is an Epic Pass resort, and popular haunts like Kicking Horse, Kimberley, and Fernie are included as partner resorts.

The additions in British Columbia come as more American skiers flee North in search of colder temperatures and deeper snow, and as the popularity of the mega-passes spreads among Canadians.

The Ikon Pass also announced that Giants Ridge, Minnesota, will join as a Bonus Mountain for the winter 26/27 season.

Ikon Passes for next season are currently starting at $1,349 ($1,819 CAD), and Ikon Base passes start at $924 ($1,249 CAD). Keep reading for more on SilverStar Mountain.

SilverStar Mountain Stats/Info

• Vertical: 2,493 ft. (760m)
• Skiable Terrain: 3,304 ac. (1,337 ha)
• Average Snowfall: 275 in. (700 cm)
• Lifts: 7
• Trails: 133
• Snowmaking: NO
• Night Skiing: YES
• Pass: Ikon

Related: How a Webcam Turned North America's Most Famous Ski Run Into a Global Spectator Sport

If all goes according to plan, Mount Bohemia could beat its closing date last year of April 27 by several weeks.

It could also have a shot at outlasting Boyne Mountain. The two ski resorts have a friendly rivalry over staying open longer than the other. Last season, Boyne Mountain took the title when it closed in mid-May, keeping a strip of snow called the Victor Glacier alive as long as it could. 

In a nod to its rival, Boyne Mountain hosted the Boho Bash, giving Mount Bohemia passholders a free day of skiing. Maybe Mount Bohemia will have the chance to host a Boyne Bash next month.

In the near future, at least, Mount Bohemia might have the edge. According to OpenSnow, the resort is set to see 18 inches of snow over the next five days. Boyne Mountain, on the other hand, has mixed precipitation and rain in the forecast this week.

Only time will tell which ski area comes out on top. In the meantime, though, there’s skiing to be had.

Since March ended, Mount Bohemia has pivoted to a spring schedule, only running its lifts on weekends. After April 5, Boyne Mountain moves to weekend-only hours. 

Other Midwest ski areas, like Lutsen Mountains, Minnesota, remain open, too.

Related: Photo Gallery: Exploring British Columbia's Ski Areas "Lost In Time"

Colorado Ski Resort Snowfall Totals: March 31-April 4, 2026

• Copper Mountain: 6-8 inches
• Winter Park: 6-8 inches
• Arapahoe Basin: 7-10 inches
• Loveland: 7-10 inches
• Vail: 9-13 inches
• Crested Butte: 11-15 inches
• Telluride: 13-18 inches
• Steamboat: 12-19 inches
• Aspen Snowmass: 13-19 inches
• Wolf Creek: 22-29 inches

Storm Timing and Discussion

The guidance converges well on the first push of snow breaking out across the San Juans late Tuesday, spreading into the Elk Mountains and central corridor overnight, then reaching Steamboat around daybreak Wednesday. Timing agreement is solid, but intensity still spreads out farther south, with Wolf Creek and Telluride carrying the widest range of outcomes.

Snow levels also show good agreement on a high start, generally 8500 to 10500 feet, so Wednesday morning snow is dense to heavy before colder air gradually improves quality. Wolf Creek is the clear leader with 22-29 inches by Friday, while Telluride is in line for 13-18 inches, and Snowmass is in line for 13-19 inches.

The second wave is smaller but colder, and the guidance lines up better on a Thursday night into Friday refresh for Steamboat, Vail, and the northern half of the I-70 corridor. There is stronger convergence on falling snow levels, with most solutions dropping them into roughly the 3000 to 7000 foot range, and that supports drier snow quality by Friday. Intensity spreads out more on the southern edge of the storm, so the San Juans look more like a top-up than a second major cycle, while Steamboat stands out for 12-19 inches in the full Tuesday night through Friday period, and Vail lands in the 9-13 inch range. Winds stay breezy with gusts often reaching 30 to 40 mph on exposed ridges, so sheltered terrain should ski best, and Monarch and Beaver Creek are off the chase board because they are closed.

Daily Chase Recommendations

Each day's snowfall range combines the previous night (4 p.m.-8 a.m.) and that day (8 a.m.-4 p.m.).

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Wolf Creek is the Wednesday volume play with 18-23 inches, but expect dense to heavy snow and some wind on exposed terrain.

Telluride gets 8-11 inches on Wednesday, with heavy snow early and better quality later, though sheltered terrain should ski best.

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Wolf Creek picks up another 3-5 inches on Thursday atop Wednesday's deep reset, and the snow turns lighter even if gusty ridgelines keep quality short of perfect.

Snowmass adds 2-3 inches on Thursday, and the moderate-density top-up, combined with lighter winds, should help keep soft snow better preserved than many other options.

Friday, April 3, 2026

Steamboat is the top Friday chase with 8-12 inches of fluffier snow, though exposed ridges will still feel gusty.

Snowmass brings 5-8 inches on Friday with drier snow than Wednesday and enough carryover base to keep conditions soft across the mountain.

Extended Outlook

From Saturday through Monday, Colorado trends quieter and warmer under weak ridging, which should slow the storm cycle and push snow levels back up. The broader pattern still leans warmer than normal into next week, but there are hints that moisture may try to return after that, especially for southern Colorado. Any later refresh looks less organized and less certain than the two waves from Tuesday night through Friday.

Related: We're Heading To Grand Targhee This Week To Test 44 of Next Year's Skis

The bumbling, crummy-skiing industry wonk is an image that drips with hilarity. It elicits the hapless tennis pro Milos from Seinfeld’s classic episode “The Comeback,” a character who pressures Jerry into buying a new, expensive tennis racket only to be a horrible tennis player himself. But in the cool-or-die ski industry, one that elevates not only poise but bravado, a secretly bad-skiing brand leader also seems mildly scandalous. A ski executive, who can barely ski? What would people think? Who would buy gear from them?

But as humorous as the subject may be, and as much as it seems a bad skier would hardly fit into the business of skiing—a sport that holds ideals like genuineness and progression close—much of the modern discourse on snow sports has forgone overwrought seriousness, even proficiency, as hallmarks of the true skier.

“Skiing has always intrigued me because of its inherent fun factor,” modern ski-for-smiles standard bearer and prolific outdoor writer Paddy O’Connell wrote in SKI in March of 2022. Speaking to the one-upsmanship and macho attitude endemic to the sport, O’Connell noted that he eventually took to pushing the limits of his own skiing, “but I didn’t do that for me and my giggles. I did that so other people would think me cool, [and] allow me into the upper levels of the ski town pecking order.” 

O’Connell’s take is emblematic of a modern ski movement ever grappling with the push-pull of seriousness, even proficiency, versus mellow fun, something that has come with a certain preachy bent. “After I realized that living in someone else’s head is a sour reality, and after I got north of 30-years-old and started popping ibuprofen like Tic-Tacs, skiing mediocrity has been my goal,” O’Connell noted. “Yours should be, too.”

O’Connell’s take also illustrates how nonchalance has long underpinned the debate on what role skiing well plays, and speaks to the subculture’s aversion to seriousness. In its lifestyle form, the sport has always been framed by that casual air, where the standard antagonist in ski films of the 80s was the overly solemn, rigid ski patroller; a character juxtaposed by the carefree, shredding heroes. In that vein, a modern-day appeal to mellow out has permeated a ski culture ever grappling with how seriously to take the sport.

Calls to return to a less grave view on skiing have even come from leading publishers in the outdoor space, including Mountain Gazette owner and senior editor Mike Rogge. Speaking to Miles Clark on the Snowbrains Podcast last October, Rogge elicited Shane McConkey’s Saucer Boy persona—the legendary, whiskey-swilling snowblader caricature created by the eminent, late skiing polymath.

"I really do feel like the reason why there should be a Saucer Boy statue at Palisades Tahoe in the village is that I feel, and I’m worried, that we are coming back to this phase where people are taking skiing and snowboarding a little too seriously,” Rogge said.

Though McConkey was an almost mythical skier, taking to the rugged slopes of Crested Butte and Alaska on long, narrow skis in extreme competitions before turning his attention onward, a path that eventually led to his combining of skiing and BASE jumping, he may be best remembered for his fun antics.

Legendarily, after being disqualified from a pro mogul tour event at Vail in the early 90s, McConkey poached the run naked. And his Saucer Boy persona was perhaps the holotype of the freeskiing movement’s rebuttal to over-seriousness, a caricature that has had a lasting impact on modern skiing.

McConkey’s creation has become inseparable from the modern skiing mythos; a symbol of Gaper Day-fun, a meld of cool nonchalance and absurd humor. And to many a salve against an uptight approach to skiing.

But while McConkey’s persona was unavoidably a harbinger of the current era’s aversion to taking skiing too seriously, it remains that McConkey’s off-center approach was legitimized by the fact that he was also one of his generation’s most important and proficient skiers.

He even played an outsized role in the progression of ski equipment, pioneering the use of reverse camber and wide skis, both revolutionary and now ubiquitous. At a certain point, McConkey undoubtedly took skiing seriously.

Still, a carefree, even flippant approach seems core to the current skiing zeitgeist, where sources countering these notions—that skiing should be taken seriously—are essentially nonexistent. Perhaps more sourceable is the canon of serious ski approaches and the response to them. From barroom eyerolls aimed at the Professional Ski Instructors of America curriculum to the ever-present razzing of skimo racing, skiing nonchalance has found its modern foils. And where other topics like avalanche safety and backcountry decision making have rightly become integral to the wider skiing discourse, taking oneself too seriously as a skier often remains the realm of the annoying try-hard.

But does skiing lose a balanced ethos by leaning too much into nonchalance? Is the thought that skiers should be less serious its own heavy-handed mandate? And at what point should we expect ourselves and our sport’s leaders to be good skiers and to take it seriously?

A subculture built around an activity will inevitably place a value on proficiency. It frames the entire pursuit. A skier who can’t make a good turn on icy snow, or who wears the wares but can’t hit a jump, will forever be labeled a poseur. At a certain point, a skier simply has to be able to ski.

But in our modern world, internet-bound and subject to content-bombardment, where social media has distorted our expectations about what others are up to and what we apparently should be doing, a backlash—in many ways meaningful—has ensued.

In that whiplash, a defense of ordinary skiing has found a footing; a justification not only for being a regular skier, but maybe even a mediocre one.  

But the shedding of expectations comes with a certain myopia.

It surely doesn’t matter if any individual person skis well. In a universal sense, it matters little if one excels or not at any leisure activity.  

But from execs to everyday skiers—and a revolutionary ski BASE athlete with a legendarily goofy bent—skiing needs strong skiers. Even serious ones. Because no excellent skier hasn’t in some way taken the craft to heart. 

Those skiers—taking the sport to the limit in sketchy descents on steep faces, barely holding snow and swagger-dripping but innovative park laps—bring an aspirational quality to skiing that has been integral not just as fodder for inspiring others to ski, but it has undoubtedly impacted the marketing and manufacturing arms of the sport.

And skiers of that level, no matter their outward persona, unavoidably take skiing seriously. It’s integral that they do. If no one skied well, the sport would have little measure of progression, leaving manufacturers with little reason to continue innovating. And perhaps leaving us skiers without the push to make the most of our chosen pastime.

Still, skiing remains framed by nonchalance, an aversion to sternness it has long held, and perhaps for the better. From Warren Miller’s post-war escape to Sun Valley, where he taught the sport and lived in a trailer years before his lighthearted films changed skiing, to the staying power of Shane McConkey’s absurd, if refreshing, Saucer Boy, a rebuttal to seriousness, is perhaps endemic in skiing.

No matter how our subculture celebrates progression, strong skiing, and big lines, it seems fundamental to skiing’s fabric to do so also with cool indifference.

Because it does matter if you ski well.

From the ironic razzing of the out-of-touch novice that is Gaper Day to the ever-present allure of freeskiing, the sport remains framed by being both a nonchalant skier and a strong one.

It’s simply mandated, for better or worse, that there’s a limit to how seriously you can appear to take it. No matter how important it is that some skiers out there do.

About The Brave New World of Skiing Column

This article was written by POWDER writer Jack O’Brien for his bi-weekly ‘Brave New World of Skiing’ column. Click below to read the previous column, 'Aspen Has Its Allure, but This Is An Ode to Carbondale, Colorado'.

Related: More From The Brave New World of Skiing

Jackson Hole installed a webcam trained on Corbet’s earlier this season. It documents the bails and victories the Couloir produces, transforming the geographic formation into a global spectator sport.

So, before he went for it, Cash FaceTimed his dad, who was already a fan of the cam, telling him to tune in. Then came the epic fall. “My dad actually took the video off of the camera and gave it to me because he wanted to save that for later, because he just thought it was so funny,” said Cash.

Later, Cash uploaded that clip to Instagram, where it went viral, tallying almost one million views. 

His fall was far from the only eye-grabbing moment captured by the cam. At least two Instagram pages have also cropped up, chronicling the action, “slams,” and “carnage.” Each of their videos has drawn a few thousand eyeballs apiece. One content creator made a compilation, adding text blurbs to each skier’s and snowboarder’s journey downhill. 

Ask anyone with a ski-heavy algorithm: if it wasn’t already, Corbet’s is everywhere.

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A Worldwide Show

Professional skier or not, Corbet’s Couloir will probably give you butterflies. From the top, you’re given a few choices. The most common option, a steep, curved entrance called the goat path, ranges from smooth to sketchy, depending on the conditions. From there, the ante climbs higher, encompassing everything from straight lines to sheer cliff drops. Either way, you’re liable to go head over heels.

In a land of jagged peaks like Jackson Hole, the line may not be the ultimate test piece. But it is well-trafficked, highly visible, and the host of the high-flying Kings & Queens of Corbet’s competition. Duly, skiers around the world wonder if they could add the Corbet's feather to their beanie. Few runs have the same mythos.

With the webcam, Jackson Hole wanted to provide a real-time window into that raw power, said the resort’s brand director, Henrik Lampert. This applies to Jackson locals or someone sitting at a desk in New York or San Francisco, he continued, explaining that it’s a way “to keep the sense of possibility and adventure alive with people wherever they are.”

The idea proved successful. Lampert said he’s heard stories of people keeping the livestream open in the corner of their computers all day. Around the town of Jackson, the stream appears in restaurants and bars, offering a reprieve for idle eyes. Web traffic to the livestream page on Jackson Hole’s website jumped.

“From all the feedback that we've had, people are really feeling positive about the addition of the camera,” said Lampert.

Plenty of that buzz involves laugh-inducing bails—skiers, you know, love a good tumble. Lampert noted that Jackson Hole doesn’t celebrate the crashes, though. He said, instead, that the cam is “about showcasing the reality of the mountain—the skill really—the preparation and the respect that it requires.” 

To Lampert’s point, take one stormy day in early January, archived on YouTube. Yes, plenty of people go for a ride. At the same time, the nearly eight-hour stream shows skiers flawlessly sliding downhill. It’s not all rag dolls into the abyss. In Jackson Hole, the reality is that a solid chunk of the skiing population rips. Hard.

Thanks to the cam, “I've seen a couple backflips into Corbet’s, just from random people that you probably never would have seen,” said Veronica Paulsen, a local professional skier.

Beaming those moments around the world could add some pressure, though, even for Paulsen. She’s competed in, won, and announced for Kings & Queens. She’s also the first woman to land a backflip into Corbet’s. Given her accolades, she wonders if viewers might expect a big run if they spot her on the cam, even though she sometimes takes a more casual approach. Then, there’s the whole crashing thing.

“If I fall on it, I don't want that to go viral, and people to be like, ‘Oh look, the Queen of Corbet’s fell down Corbet’s,’” she laughed, also joking about donning an all-black kit to go incognito. “It definitely puts me more on my A game.”

The cam might even birth a new superstition. A few skiers, Paulsen said, waved to the livestream, dropped in, and wiped out this winter. The superstition, if it solidifies, is obvious: get in, get your business done, and get out—the waves can wait for after you’re down in one piece.

Lampert conceded that the cam may have an intimidation factor. But he also thinks that for a lot of people, it’s motivation. Corbet’s has long been a place to prove what you’re made of, whether that’s to yourself, the people standing on the cornice alongside you, or onlookers aboard the Aerial Tram.

Now, the potential audience is even bigger.

“It adds this element of showing your friends back home what you did,” said Paulsen of the cam. “On the other side, you get to laugh at it a bit if you biff it, which is all in good fun. You know, we've all fallen down Corbet’s before.”

New Cam Who This

In snow sports, webcams are nothing new, but for the most part, they’re informational rather than entertaining, providing skiers a broad look at the snow conditions.

The Corbet’s cam shakes up that status quo and opens the possibility of similar livestreams. There is a certain thrill in watching regular people—not only pros—tackle headlining runs. 

For now, though, Lampert couldn’t say whether Jackson Hole planned to install another line-specific cam, even as the resort's team is having conversations about how to ensure Jackson Hole stays top of mind.

Cash, the skier with the viral video, thought there was promise to the idea beyond Wyoming. He suggested a livestream covering Park City’s terrain park jump line, where, on an average day, everyone from groms to local stars throw down.

“I think if every resort did something like this, it could grow skiing more and get more people interested, and it might be a reason for somebody to go to the resort,” Cash said.

Following his big splash online, he made a point to share another video. Instead of a crash, it showed Cash making his way into Corbet’s—without losing his skis, that is. 

The adventure was a long time coming. Cash said he’s consistently visited Jackson Hole for the past ten years, but always found the iconic line closed. Finally, this season, he successfully took the plunge, working his way through the rutted-out entrance.

“I did it. I've done it, I've eaten it, and I think it's great,” said Cash. “I thought it was so much fun.”

For him, Corbet’s Couloir lived up to its stature, delivering highs and lows in equal measure. And somewhere, hundreds of miles away, perhaps an office worker was following along as they procrastinated, determining if they had the guts to try it too.

Related: 2+ Feet of Snow Will Hit Utah, Wyoming, and Montana This Week

Raide EX55L Specs:

• Volume: 55 L, expandable to 75L
• Weight: 1250g
• Material: Challenge Ultra 200TX/800TX, 210d Nylon with UHMWPE ripstop
• Features: dual ice tool carry, A-frame and diagonal ski carry

Why would you ever want to backcountry ski with a 55-liter pack? In a technical ski mountaineering setting, 30- and 40-liter packs often don't really cut it. Heading up Rainier or Denali? This would be a great choice. Spending a few nights on a ski traverse in Canada like the Wapta, Spearhead, or Bugs to Rogers? I'd take this. Better yet, heading into a zone where you'll be basecamping and skiing daily objectives? The huge volume means you get to cary your stuff in comfortably, but the compressibility means you don't have a huge thing dangling off your back everytime you want to go skiing.

View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article

Raide chose to update some details on the new EX55L, like adding extra foam padding on the shoulder straps for carrying heavier loads and reinforced lashing points for attaching extra gear or towing loads in a sled.

Surveying the current free-heel gear landscape,one in quiet if protracted renaissance, it’s clear this is not for your father’s telemark scene. Borne on a bevy of homebrewed innovations, and after a slow march lasting decades, the lunging turn’s equipment has moved away from its previous iteration–softer flexing but heavy and behind the touring-times–and inched ever toward the AT world in performance and weight parity. 

Binding innovations long known only in the DIY world have finally been brought to market, including telemark options that are on par with AT counterparts in touring ability and skiing prowess. Throw in the modern, rigid, and perhaps paradigm shifting new telemark boots from Scarpa (2024’s TX Pro and this season’s TX Comp) and we have arrived at a new age in telemark gear. And Voile’s ACE series of skis–in particular the mid-fat Vector ACE–is perhaps its own aisle-crossing, hard-skiing exemplar of this new free-heel order.

Voile Vector ACE Specs

• Size Skied: 171cm
• Lengths Available: 171cm, 177cm, 184cm
• Sidecuts:
  127mm – 94mm – 111mm (@171cm) 130mm – 96mm – 114mm (@177cm) 133mm – 98mm – 116mm (@184cm)
• Radii: 18.5m, 19.5m, 20m, respectively
• Profile: Early rise tip, standard camber underfoot, flat, tapered tail
• Weight: 1400g @171cm

Shape, Flex, and Construction

Voile’s ACE series, first released in 2023 with the wider Charger ACE, employs a novel construction that aims to achieve a light-weight touring platform that skis like a classically designed ski. To accomplish this, the series incorporates a hybrid sidewall design using Voile’s typical sandwich construction near the topsheet and a standard sidewall nearer the edge, adding an aggressive edging pop to a typically lighter construction, not unlike the Blizzard Zero G’s partial sidewall build. 

Beyond that, the ACE series pairs a paulownia wood core with a stronger mounting zone using layers of maple, chop strand, and epoxy, that notably can take a telemark binding, something not always feasible in an ultralight touring ski. And all ACE models borrow the shape and profile of their name mates (many of Voile’s skis now come in three different builds; their lighter-weight, paulownia-only core “Hyper” variety, their standard construction using poplar cores, and now the ACE line).

But while the Vector ACE and the rest of the ACE series are not telemark-specific skis (and would undoubtedly be a great choice for fixed-heel skiing), from a free-heel perspective, the model in many ways feels like a de facto telemark model. Tele legend Westen Deutschlander hosts Voile’s product videos for the ACE line, and while the only free-heel specific note he makes of the Vector ACE is that the ski can indeed take a telemark mount, the footage of him skiing the model is all lunging turns.

Long a cornerstone of the telemark world with their definitive free-heel bindings, Voile’s ski offerings have also been a go-to for the tele crowd for the better part of two and a half generations. But Voile followed the ultralight zeitgeist as touring skis began incorporating balsa-esque woods that were uberlight for the ascent, but couldn’t be depended on to withstand the forces a telemark binding could inflict on a ski. Voile’s Hyper series–themselves employing a paulownia wood core, and released beginning in 2018–were designed strictly for AT use. Since then, Voile has purposefully come to market with touring-oriented skis that can be paired with a telemark binding, such as the ACE series and its line-mate predecessor in the Endeavor.

But where the Endeavor is a more traditionally constructed ski with a poplar core and narrower underfoot width, the Vector ACE brings to the fold a big objective backcountry model for the telemark crowd that is all new age in design and application. And it’s a strong skiing model.

On-Snow Performance

Paired with InWild’s new and likely little-known SIMPLL TTS binding, a beta-version tech toe model with perhaps modern telemark’s most free-flexing skiing sensation, the Vector ACE tours as one would expect: with ease. The ski’s low swing weight, light feel, and mid-fat width grants a natural touring ability that was unremarkable at first; on initial tours I was so focused on what the binding was doing (an item I’ll be reviewing in a few weeks) that the ski faded into the background, and in a good way. It was ski touring in the simple fashion that you would expect and want.  

The 171cm length I skied has a list weight of 2816g per pair. Comparable models, like Atomic’s Backland 95 (2650g at the 169cm length) and the aforementioned Zero G 95 from Blizzard (2460g at 171cm) are notably lighter than the Vector ACE, but it’s intentional telemark-compatible design gives some ease of mind for free-heelers skiing a paulownia core ski. Regardless, the ski’s weight is spot-on for touring. And the design and its added heft undoubtedly serves a telemark turn–ever better on a damper ski–well.

Similar to many other models from the brand, the Vector ACE sets a solid turn with quick ski-to-ski initiation, bringing it on the uphill as well as the down. The model also holds an edge well on firm snow in a telemark turn, inspiring confidence on frozen late-season resort tours. Like most any paulownia/carbon ski, I presumed the Vector ACE would have a propensity to get tossed around a little in junky snow, but the 96mm width underfoot alleviates that somewhat. And while the model skis great in good conditions, it also plowed through frozen slush and firm piste with ease.

Paired with the InWild SIMPLL binding, the Vector ACE skis with prowess while still granting enough flex and feel for a smooth telemark sensation. It is not your classically damp telemark ski, something that Voile’s heavier V6 or skinner and poplar-cored Endeavor would more align with. But as a light touring ski with a little width, the Vector ACE is a melder of worlds, something perhaps skiing–and especially telemark–may occasionally focus too strongly on, where deep strength in any one attribute is eschewed for versatility. Still, the Vector ACE does it all well. 

Taking the Vector ACE out for a few laps at Steamboat. Photo credit Tiedz.

Each of the ACE models run $995 retail, a price point on the slightly more expensive side of the paulownia/carbon ski cost continuum. Still, the skis are high quality, made in Utah, and continue the brand’s streak of innovation, especially in regards to telemark skiing.

What type of skier is the Voile Vector ACE best for?

Where AT skiers are now often pairing lighter tech bindings with slightly beefier skis to make for more skiable big-objective setups–a blend of freeride and skimo ethea known as “freemo”–and where width can at times mitigate the lower prowess these uberlight skis naturally have, telemark skiers who take to higher peaks and their variable conditions engage in a slightly different calculus. The telemark turn naturally takes to a damper, often stouter ski, but the lunging turn’s bindings and boots offer fewer options for cobbling together a viable freemo setup. And telemark’s softer boots and lead change–the free-heel method’s uniquely vulnerable transition–complicates skiing in tricky conditions in a way alpine and its equipment need not consider. Again, something more supple gear, including skis, often mitigates.

But with the release of lighter, rigid boots, and with tech-employing free-heel bindings now more widely available, telemark’s modern gear landscape now affords a compliment of equipment that may not directly mirror what the alpine freemo scene offers, but nonetheless grants the free-heel tourer gear that blends aggressive skiing and touring specs. And that is perhaps the Vector ACE’s chief role; a fully modern, big-objective touring ski that helps complete the modern renaissance in telemark touring equipment.

Related: Why The Rocky Mountains Had a Bad Ski Season

Ski Resort Snowfall Totals: Tuesday, March 31-Friday, April 3, 2026

• Schweitzer, ID: 7-11 inches
• Jackson Hole, WY: 12-18 inches
• Big Sky, MT: 12-20 inches
• Brundage, ID: 13-20 inches
• Grand Targhee, WY: 17-26 inches
• Solitude, UT: 17-26 inches
• Brighton, UT: 19-29 inches
• Snowbird, UT: 21-32 inches
• Alta Ski Area, UT: 22-34 inches

Storm Timing and Discussion

The first push arrives Tuesday evening and runs through Wednesday in Utah. The guidance is fairly well aligned on timing, and it is also aligned with this being the warmer part of the cycle, with snow levels mostly around 7,500-8,500 feet and heavier snow outside the highest terrain.

Amounts still spread wider than ideal, but the common signal is strong enough to lean into the Cottonwoods and Brighton, where Alta can reach 11-16 inches by Wednesday evening, Snowbird 11-15 inches, and Brighton 9-13 inches. The Northern Rockies get a lesser version of that first wave, with Big Sky around 5-8 inches and Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole closer to 3-5 inches.

A short lull follows, then the colder, stronger wave builds Wednesday night and remains active through Friday. Here, the guidance is converging well on the timing and on a meaningful drop in snow levels, from roughly 6,000-8,000 feet early Thursday to near the valley floors by late Thursday night into Friday. The bigger question is intensity, not whether it snows, and Utah still looks productive with another 11-18 inches at Alta, 11-17 inches at Snowbird, and 10-16 inches at Brighton and Solitude. The catch is the wind: exposed terrain in Utah will see gusts of 40-55 mph on Thursday before conditions improve and the snow turns lighter Thursday night.

The late-period edge shifts north. The guidance is more compelling from central Idaho into western Wyoming and southwest Montana from Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning, with Brundage around 11-16 inches in the colder phase, Big Sky 13-22 inches, Grand Targhee 13-21 inches, and Jackson Hole 8-13 inches. Timing agreement is solid, snow levels trend steadily lower, and wind impacts look more manageable than in Utah, so the best overall skiing should move into the Northern Rockies late Thursday and especially Friday.

Daily Chase Recommendations

Each day's snowfall range combines the previous night (4 p.m.-8 a.m.) and that day (8 a.m.-4 p.m.).

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Alta and Snowbird are the clear Wednesday call with 10-15 inches of heavy to moderate snow, and the best turns will be higher on the mountain where the warm storm does the least damage.

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Brundage stands out on Thursday with 9-15 inches of moderate snow, cooler snow levels, and less wind damage than most of the field.

Alta and Snowbird still work well on Thursday with 6-10 inches on top of Wednesday's snow, but expect exposed terrain to ski rougher in strong wind before conditions improve late.

Friday, April 3, 2026

Big Sky is the top Friday target with 10-16 inches of fluffy snow and the deepest two-day stack in the forecast.

Grand Targhee is close behind Friday with 7-12 inches of fluffy snow and a strong storm total that should keep soft snow spread across the mountain.

Extended Outlook

After Friday, the pattern relaxes quickly. The weekend trends much drier and warmer across Utah and most of the Northern Rockies, with only a few lingering mountain snow showers early Saturday before coverage fades. Beyond that, the broader signal still leans warmer than normal with limited precipitation, although there is a lower-confidence chance for a minor Northern Rockies refresh around April 9-11 while Utah looks mostly dry.

Related: We're Heading To Grand Targhee This Week To Test 44 of Next Year's Skis

One of the biggest gripes I hear about people's ski boots is that they wish they were stiffer. In fact, in our season-long boot preference poll, 18 percent of respondents said that's the most important thing they would change about their ski footwear.

Boot stiffness is characterized by a "flex index," which typically runs from about 65 to 130. The thing is, that flex index isn't based on a standardized set of measurements. Even within a single brand's boot portfolio, a 130 flex will feel different between models. If you're looking for the absolute stiffest boot from a brand, you're going to want to look at their fixed-cuff race or race-style boots made from heavy polyurethane plastic. Skip the walk mode, and skip anything billed as lightweight. When it comes to stiffness, more material is key.

However, what if you're happy with the fit of your current boot, and want to add a little extra stiffness? The good news is that it's definitely possible. The bad news? It might cost you some cash in the form of a new liner, or some serious garage time tinkering with some aftermarket mods. If you're looking for some quick fixes, or are ready to dive into some serious boot surgery, read on below.

1. Add a Booster Strap

This might be the quickest and easiest way to add some additional performance to your boot. It works well for everything from lightweight touring boots to full-power race boots–and it's the dirty little secret most pro athletes use to improve their boots' power. Booster straps are elastic straps designed to close the top of your boot cuff tighter around your shin. They replace the stock velcro or buckle-style power straps that come with your boots. By closing the cuff of your boot closer around your leg, it removes some of the free play (some call it "slop") from your boot's flex. The elasticity also adds some additional rebound and damping to the boot, further adding power.

Booster Straps come in a few different stiffnesses, so choose wisely. If you're looking to max out the stiffness, I'd recommend going straight for the World Cup strap. Booster Straps are available at most ski shops, or online.

2. Add A Bolt Into The Spine

This modification isn't possible on all boots, but can add some serious rigidity to those where it does. Many traditional high performance 4-buckle overlap race-style boots (especially those listed as having a 130 or higher flex) have two holes on the rear spine of the boot to connect the upper cuff to the lower part of the shell (called the "clog" or "scafo"). That's the most important part of the boot for power transmission and stiffness–and is where the stiffness can be adjusted easiest.

Boots like the Atomic Remedy 130 actually come out of the box with just one bolt installed, with the option to install a second one. Drill out the second hole, install the second T-nut and bolt, and get ready for an instant power upgrade.

NOTE: On boots that come stock with two bolts, this is actually an easy way to soften your boot up. Simply take out the top one (and save the hardware) to give yourself a little more forgiving of a flex–it's kind of nice on those blisteringly cold days, or when your shins and legs need a break midway through the season.

3. Add Extra Plastic

Perhaps the most involved mod on this list, it's possible to add stiffness to your boot by simply adding more material. Of course, this will take quite a bit of MacGyvering, but the basic principle is more plastic=stiffer boot. I've seen all kinds of strange things to come from this method, but perhaps the most refined comes from K2 and Salomon's highest-performing boots. On the K2 Recon 140 freeride boot, the boot engineers added a thin plastic "PowerPlate" piece under the top buckles that makes the cuff taller and stiffer. Salomon does something very similar to their newly-updated Shift Alpha BOA 130 boot, adding a piece of plastic over the instep for added power.

If you're going to try this at home, I'd recommend finding an old pair of boots that you can cut up and harvest plastic from. Traditional injection-molded polyurethane (PU) plastic is what you want here–it's dense and stiff, but still retains better energy absorption qualities than lighter-weight Pebax or Grilamid. Using a Dremel or hot knife, cut a piece off the old boot wherever makes the most sense, and either epoxy or bolt to the front of the cuff of your new boots. Please wear a respirator...plastic fumes and dust are NASTY. This will definitely take some trial and error, but it's possible.

4. Upgrade The Liner

In general, I've never been a fan of stock liners in ski boots. They might be comfortable out of the box, but for the most part, they don't retain performance for more than a few days. Of course, there are a few exceptions here, but most pro bootfitters will agree on this point.

A quick way to add more stiffness to your boot is by swapping that crappy stock liner with either an Intuition PowerWrap (or DH Wrap) liner or a lace-up style liner from ZipFit. These have a ton of natural stiffness on their own, and both the wrap and lacing systems will help keep your foot locked into your boot much better than a stock liner ever could. Intuition liners in particular tend to add some height to your boot, which, while adding stiffness, also makes them flex more naturally because there's smoother leverage along your leg.

An added bonus is that these are designed to be custom-fit, so you'll get some extra comfort on top of the performance boost.

Ski Resort Snowfall Totals (Mar 31-Apr 2, 2026)

• Mammoth: 5-7 inches
• Palisades Tahoe: 6-10 inches
• Sugar Bowl: 7-12 inches
• Kirkwood: 10-18 inches

Storm Timing and Discussion

The first push arrives Tuesday. Guidance is fairly well aligned on timing and on a ramp-up in ridge wind, with snow breaking out first over the highest terrain before spreading across more of Tahoe later in the day. Guidance is less aligned on intensity, but it converges on a warm start, with snow levels mostly around 7000-8500 feet and the best early turns limited to higher elevations. That keeps Tuesday's snow dense to heavy, with Mammoth and Kirkwood favored first while lower Tahoe bases stay marginal.

The bulk of the cycle runs from Tuesday night through Thursday evening. Guidance converges on colder air, broader coverage, and a clear drop in snow levels toward 4500-6500 feet by Thursday. Guidance still diverges on exact totals, especially at Kirkwood and along the Tahoe crest, but it agrees on strong wind impacts, with ridge gusts around 50-70 mph and locally over 80 mph near the east side.

Kirkwood should finish around 10-18 inches by Thursday evening, with Sugar Bowl in the 7-12 inch range, Palisades Tahoe in the 6-10 inch range, and Mammoth in the 5-7 inch range. Mt. Rose and Heavenly stay much lighter and take more of a wind hit, so the best skiing should center on the western and southern Sierra resorts.

Daily Chase Recommendations

Each day's snowfall range combines the previous night (4 p.m.-8 a.m.) and that day (8 a.m.-4 p.m.).

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Kirkwood is the top call for Wednesday with 4-9 inches of heavy snow, the best overall stack, and less wind trouble than the more exposed east-side hills.

Mammoth is a solid secondary play for Wednesday with 3-4 inches of heavy snow, colder temperatures, and lighter wind than Tahoe.

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Kirkwood stays in front Thursday with 5-8 inches of heavy snow, but strong ridge gusts will keep the upper mountain rough.

Sugar Bowl is the backup Thursday with 5-8 inches of heavy snow and a better shot at softer trees than the windier east-side terrain.

Extended Outlook

Snow shuts down quickly after Thursday night, and Friday through the weekend trends warmer, drier, and quieter with lighter winds after an early ridge-top breeze. Early next week still leans mostly dry, with only a weak and low-confidence signal for light snow around Tuesday. The bigger pattern beyond that favors above-normal warmth and below-normal precipitation across California, so this midweek cycle looks like the best powder window for a while.

Related: We're Heading To Grand Targhee This Week To Test 44 of Next Year's Skis

Instead of deep powder and reliable mid-season conditions, the Rockies experienced what felt like an endless early season. Warm, dry weather dominated, leaving many ski runs with exposed dirt and rock, while some trails remained closed for the entire season. With spring arriving early, the already limited snowpack is melting quickly, bringing a disappointing close to an underwhelming ski season and raising concerns for both skiers and the ski industry.

So what caused such a poor ski season in the Rockies? The primary culprit was a persistent high-pressure system that frequently parked over the region, creating what meteorologists call an Omega block. This atmospheric pattern effectively diverted Pacific storm systems away from the Rockies—pushing them north into Canada and sometimes east toward the U.S. East Coast—resulting in far fewer snow-producing storms reaching key ski areas.

This dominant high-pressure pattern also led to warmer-than-average temperatures, particularly in November and December, which ranked among the warmest on record. Without sustained cold air, snowfall was limited and existing snowpack melted more quickly. In addition, drier air reduced overall moisture availability, further decreasing the chances of significant snowfall throughout the ski season.

A weak La Niña pattern may have also contributed by favoring a more northerly storm track, though this season appears to be an outlier driven by a rare combination of unfavorable conditions for snowfall in the Rockies.

Looking ahead, there is cautious optimism for skiers and resort operators. Climate models indicate a potential shift toward El Niño next winter—a pattern that historically brings increased snowfall to parts of the Rocky Mountains. If that transition materializes, the next ski season could offer a return to more typical—and hopefully much better—conditions across the region.

Related: What's the Best Weather for Skiing? We Polled Skiers to Find Out

How POWDER Week ski testing works:

In case you haven't been following POWDER's Gear Locker reviews, we take ski testing very seriously here. Throughout the year, myself and a team of testers is getting extensive time on various skis, boots, bindings, apparel, and accessories–but POWDER Week is where the real magic happens. This is our chance to assemble a team of ski testers (dream gig? yes!) from across the country and gather in one place (thanks, Targhee!) and dive deep into on-snow comparisons, get extra time on gear we might want to learn more about, and shoot all of our gear video and photo content for our Annual Gear Guide.

For 2026, we've got 44 ski models from 12 manufacturers on deck. These are broken into 3 categories: all-mountain, freeride, and powder. We've also got a special highlight category of all women's-specific gear within those. For the first few days, each tester will be assigned a smattering of skis, ensuring they get several hours of ski time per model before swapping out. Later in the week, testers will get a chance to spend more time on models of their choice.

We're looking forward to 6 days on snow together, and are very grateful to be able to take advantage of everything Targhee has to offer: 2600 skiable acres, 500+ inches of snow, a 2270-foot vertical drop, a very high base elevation (7850 feet), and epic advanced and expert terrain.

What skis will be at POWDER Week 2026?

We've got 44 skis committed to being tested at POWDER Week. You'll have to wait until the fall to see the exact models, but we can let you know what brands will be there. See below:

• Salomon
• Atomic
• K2
• Völkl
• Nordica
• Armada
• Dynastar
• Rossignol
• Stöckli
• Ellis
• Elan
• Blizzard

POWDER Weekly Poll Results

Poll Highlights

• Total Votes: 1,157
• Most Popular Choice: 1-10 Days (548 votes, 47% of voters)
• Least Popular Choice: 0 Days (207 votes, 18% of voters)

Poll Observations

• As established in other polls, we think our questions generally reach the diehard crowd. That makes these responses interesting: among people who live and breathe skiing, the largest group is only planning to make it out between one and ten more times. Part of that could, of course, be geographic. Depending on where you live, your available stock of ski resorts may be dwindling. But we thought the “as much as possible” group would’ve been larger, hinting at people planning to keep the season going in the backcountry. If anything, this poll serves as a reminder that, for most, interest in skiing wanes quickly after March. That’s particularly true when Old Man Winter takes a leave of absence.
• We’d be interested to ask this question a few weeks from now. The heat over the past few weeks has been highly unusual. March is often cold and choked with snow-dense storms. April (and occasionally May) can see powder days, too. While we’re not weather people, there seems to us the possibility—however distant—that winter makes a comeback. Last season, for instance, the Alta Guard Station saw nearly three feet of snow in April. If the cold returns, would people be stoked on skiing again? Anyways, enough wishful thinking.

What We Could’ve Done Better 

• God, we don’t know. Maybe invented a weather machine? Handing out free flights to the Alps—which look awesome right now, by the way—would make us feel good, too. What a season out West this has been.

About the POWDER Weekly Poll 

We launch our weekly polls at 3 p.m. Eastern Time every Monday. They remain open until 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time the following Friday, with the results dropping on Sunday at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. You can participate and see the results right here on our website or by visiting our Instagram page.

While you’re at it, drop us a line or leave an Instagram comment if there’s a poll you’d like to see next. Skiers have plenty of opinions and preferences, and we want to know which ones might land on top of the heap.

10. Jackson Hole, WY: 317”

Projected Closing Date: April 12, 2026.

Jackson Hole's snow reporting has been called into question in the past, but according to the resort's website, a solid amount of snowfall has fallen in Rendezvous Bowl. 317" is significantly below the resort's reported average of 458", but local skiers are happy that JHMR will make it to its scheduled closing day on April 12.

9. Whitewater, BC: 329” (838 cm)

Projected Closing Day: April 5, 2026

Whitewater is the first B.C. ski resort, but certainly not the last, to appear on this list of snowiest ski resorts. While the resort averages 472" per season, there have been plenty of cold powder days to keep skiers happy.

8. Stevens Pass, WA: 332”

Projected Closing Date: April 12, 2026

What a wild season it's been for Stevens Pass. The resort was rocked by a devastating rainstorm that washed out the access road at the beginning of the season, and several multiple-foot storms have dumped snow and rain since.

The resort is more than 100 inches below its reported average of 460 inches per year.

7. Mount Bohemia, MI: 345”

Projected Closing Day: TBD

Mount Bohemia, the Midwest's powder skiing mecca, has lived up to its name this season. Thanks to plentiful lake effect snow, the humble ski area of yurts and glades has received more snowfall than Alta, Utah; Palisades Tahoe, California; and countless other big-name western ski resorts.

Mount Bohemia is the first ski area on this list to best its reported annual average. The ski area typically received 273 inches of snow per season.

6. Lake Louise, AB: 351”

Projected Closing Date: May 3, 2026

Lake Louise is known for its stunning alpine peaks, expansive bowls, and long ski season. The resort, typically, however, doesn't sport deep snowfall totals. That's not been the case this season.

The popular ski resort averages 179 inches of snow per season, but according to its website, over 350 inches have fallen on the upper mountain. Translation: there have been more powder days this season than usual. That's a win in our book.

5. Kicking Horse, BC: 353” (899 cm)

Projected Closing Date: April 12, 2026

While some skiers are urging the world to "stop kicking horses", Kicking Horse has been kicking to the tune of more than 350 inches of snowfall. That's more than 70 inches above average for those keeping score at home.

4. Alyeska, AK: 353”

Projected Closing Date: April 26, 2026

Alyeska has enough snow to crack the top five of this list, but it has recorded just over 50% of its average. Last season, for context, the top of Alyeska's GBX lift recorded more than 700 inches of total snowfall.

3. Jay Peak, VT: 395”

Projected Closing Date: TBD

Everything is coming up Jay Peak. Vermont's snowiest ski resort has logged consecutive above-average snow years, and more snow should fall in the month of April. The mountain averages 347" of snow, but is knocking on 400". Not too shabby, not too shabby at all.

2. Mt. Baker Ski Area, WA: 416”

Projected Closing Date: April 19, 2026

"Rain, rain, go away, that's what all my haters say." Mt. Baker has had no shortage of clear, liquid snow this season, but the white stuff has stacked up as well.

As America's snowiest ski resort, it's below its average of 668 inches, but more than 400 inches of snow seems like enough to do the trick. The ski area is open and rocking with a respectable 150-inch base at Heather Meadows.

1. Revelstoke, BC: 440” (1,120 cm)

Projected Closing Date: April 12, 2026

Gnorm the Powder Gnome, Revy's unofficial powder mascot, has been buried countless times this season on the snowstake webcam. Known for sporting the longest vertical in North America, the resort is reveling in its above-average snowfall year. Typically, 413 inches falls on Revelstoke per season.

Related: Season's First Snow Blankets Australian Ski Resorts, but Opening Day Is Months Away

1. Powder King, British Columbia

Top T-Bar: 171 inches

Day Lodge: 91 inches

A sneaky ski area tucked away in northern British Columbia, Powder King has a reputation for, well, powder. The place stacks up 492 inches of the good stuff on average, making it one of the continent’s snowiest ski resorts.

2. Mt. Baker Ski Area, Washington

Pan Dome: 154 inches

Heather Meadows: 103 inches

Surprise, surprise. Even as Washington has, generally, had a bumpy ski season, Mt. Baker has still attracted plenty of flakes. That makes some sense. The ski area holds the world record for the most snow in a single season. During the winter of 1998 and 1999, a whopping 1,140 inches fell there.

3. Revelstoke, British Columbia

Total: 125 inches

Now, we’re back in Canada. Just beyond the border, as Americans were wondering if something was wrong with their thermostat, many of British Columbia’s resorts were doing just fine. With over 440 inches of snow so far, Revelstoke’s already into above-average territory. That snow’s coalesced to a depth of about 125 inches. 

4. Mammoth Mountain, California

The Summit: 114 inches

Main Lodge: 44 inches

After being on the receiving end of a few absurd storms this season, Mammoth Mountain is in solid shape. The resort, as of now, is aiming to stay open until at least Memorial Day. As we can attest, Mammoth is the spot to be in May.

5. Banff Sunshine, Alberta

Upper Mountain: 110 inches

Mid Mountain: 93 inches

With a name like Sunshine, you might expect only sunshine. But in Banff, the sun goes away sometimes, too, setting the stage for powerful storms. This season, they’ve consistently battered Banff Sunshine, establishing a solid base at the resort for the season’s final stretch.

6. Eaglecrest, Alaska

Summit: 106 inches

Base: 70 inches

Every town should have a local ski hill. For Juneau, it’s Eaglecrest, a little gem that flies under the radar and, as this winter’s shown, sees nice snow totals. 

7. Alyeska, Alaska

Top: 105 inches

Base: 22 inches

Another stalwart in the Last Frontier, Alyeska fills Alaska’s “destination resort” niche. The resort’s one of the mountains where conditions can vary wildly with elevation, helping explain the disparity between the top and base totals.

8. Fernie, British Columbia

Total: 99 inches

If you need further evidence of British Columbia’s more-than-decent ski season, look to Fernie. Like Revelstoke, it’s a pitstop on the Powder Highway, a circuit that, this winter, is living up to its lofty name.

9. Kicking Horse, British Columbia

Total: 98 inches

Venture north, and you’ll hit Kicking Horse. Home to one of the most unique lift layouts around—it can feel more like a lift-accessed backcountry zone than a resort—this mountain boasts terrain worthy of a Freeride World Tour invite. And, of course, snow. Kicking Horse recently cruised past its all-time snowfall record for the month of December, tallying a dizzying 11 feet.

10. Lake Louise, Alberta

Upper Mountain: 97 inches

Mid Mountain: 78 inches

Finally, there’s Lake Louise. Not to be outshone by its neighbor, Sunshine Village (sorry, had to), Lake Louise is a fine place to shack up as winter dwindles. While you’re at it, give the lake a peek, too.

Related: The Best 10 Days of Skiing Sun Valley Has Ever Seen

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Smugglers’ Notch has been kicking around since the 1950s, when local entrepreneurs put two Poma Lifts up Sterling Mountain. Since then, as ski resorts often do, Smugglers’ Notch has grown, now spanning eight lifts, three peaks, and plenty of gladed goodness.

Burke Mountain is around a two-hour drive away. It captures the same, local, and homey feeling as Smugglers’ Notch, operating on a humble chunk of 178 skiable acres.

Together, the two ski areas recently joined Berkshire East and Catamount, Massachusetts, in the miniature Bear Den fiefdom. 

For now, here’s what that means. Berkshire East and Catamount are on the same pass. Smugglers’ Notch and Burke Mountain are on the same pass. However, all four aren’t on the same pass with unlimited access.

But the Smugglers’ Notch and Burke Mountain pass is good for two days each at the Massachusetts mountains (and vice versa), making for something like a mega pass lite. 

And on Catamount’s web page describing the joint Berkshire East pass, there’s this tease: “Additional mountain access and partner benefits will be revealed later this summer.”

At Smugglers’ Notch and Burke Mountain, there’s still some skiing to take advantage of this season. Smugglers’ Notch has a projected closing date of April 12, according to Ski Vermont. Burke Mountain made it until April 6 last winter.

As always, you’ll find the latest closing day information on each ski area’s website or Instagram page.

Related: Photo Gallery: Exploring British Columbia's Ski Areas "Lost In Time"

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As anyone living in the Beehive State can tell you, it’s been a challenging ski season. Park City averages 355 inches of snow each year. This season, only 158 inches have fallen. That’s not to mention the warm temperatures plaguing the West this March, dampening the winter fun from California to Montana. 

In Utah, Park City Mountain isn’t alone in rejiggering—or entirely cancelling—springtime operations. Snowbasin, Eagle Point, Cherry Peak, and Nordic Valley have already closed. Beaver Mountain is throwing in the towel today, March 27. 

A weather system next week may provide a reprieve from the heat and, if Utah skiers are lucky, some snow. Although, depending on the freezing level, rain may fall, too. 

In short, now’s the time to hedge your bets. Go skiing where you can, rather than waiting for an elusive April powder day. 

Also, while you’re at it, give a big thank you to anyone from the mountain operations team you bump into. We can’t predict the weather, but we can choose how we react. Everyone, from the snowcat operators to the ski patrollers, is doing the best they can with a bad hand. 

Utah Ski Resort Closing Dates

These dates were accurate as of Friday, March 27. Check the social media or web page of your local resort for the latest updates.

• Alta: April 26
• Beaver Mountain: March 27
• Brian Head: May 10
• Brighton: TBA
• Cherry Peak: Closed 
• Deer Valley Resort: March 29
• Eagle Point: Closed 
• Nordic Valley: Closed
• Park City Mountain: Mountain Village closes March 29. Canyons Village will remain open, closing date TBA. 
• Powder Mountain: March 29
• Snowbasin: Closed 
• Snowbird: TBA
• Solitude: May 17
• Sundance: March 28
• Woodward Park City: TBA

Related: Mikaela Shiffrin Thinks This Past Season Was Her "Greatest" Yet

El Niño Basics

El Niño is one end of the three-point El Niño/Southern Oscillation spectrum, closely watched by skiers and forecasters. 

Alongside La Niña, its counterpart, El Niño, can impact how a given winter shakes out. In the middle, there is ENSO neutral, a period when neither La Niña nor El Niño is in effect.

An El Niño happens when the water surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean warms. That tends to make the jet stream travel south. The opposite is true when La Niña comes to town.

Speaking generally, a southern jet means—you guessed it—more snow and moisture for the southern half of the U.S., including mountain ranges like California’s Sierra Nevada, and parts of states like Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. Much of the Northeast leans towards below-average snowfall during El Niño.

Meanwhile, the northern half of the U.S.—think Washington, Idaho, and Montana—also sees less snow when the pattern pans out.

Guaranteed Powder Days?

Whatever you do, don’t get ahead of your skis.

“El Niño nudges the odds in favor of certain climate outcomes, but never ensures them,” wrote Michelle L’Heureux, in a blog post for NOAA. 

Here, the strength of El Niño matters. The stronger they are, the higher the chances of the expected pattern occurring—in this case, that southern snow band (and lack of snow up north). By strength, we mean how much warmer those sea surface temperatures get.

Here’s what the CPC has to say about the strength of the possible El Niño.

“If El Niño forms, the potential strength remains very uncertain, with a 1-in-3 chance that it would be ‘strong’ during October-December 2026,” the agency wrote.

Another wrinkle: we’re now in a period forecasters call the “spring predictability barrier,” making it harder to tell ENSO’s future. 

As the World Meteorological Organization put it in a press release earlier this month, "Predictions issued at this time of year are typically less reliable due to the so-called boreal spring predictability barrier, a well-known limitation affecting ENSO outlook skill."

All of this ENSO business also takes place against the backdrop of climate change.

Across most of the U.S. and North America, snowfall has trended downward over the decades. There are exceptions, though. Alaska and some other northern latitudes have seen an increase. 

With warmer weather, the atmosphere can hold more moisture. And if it stays cold enough, that extra moisture can fall as snow. But in areas where the freezing level is an issue, moisture can instead arrive as rain, cutting back on snow totals.

Stay tuned for more updates about the impending El Niño.

Related: Mikaela Shiffrin Thinks This Past Season Was Her "Greatest" Yet

Under Hastings, Powder Mountain carved a new, unique path. Soon after taking an ownership stake, he announced, in a letter to locals, that part of the ski resort’s piste would be reserved for homeowners in the Powder Haven community. 

The move, Hastings wrote, would help fund lifts and lodges for everyone while keeping Powder Mountain uncrowded. When Hastings bought it, the ski area wasn’t making money. 

“Sadly, Powder has been struggling financially,” he wrote, adding that, “in order to pay our bills, we need to sell more real estate.”

Cordoning off some of the slopes has proven, at times, controversial—many in the ski community remain unreceptive to the idea of private skiing. Near Lake Tahoe, the idea of Homewood Mountain Resort transforming into a private ski area recently saw fierce pushback.

Hastings has, so far, made good on the idea that public skiing would expand alongside Powder Haven. Several public lifts have been upgraded, and next winter, a new chair accessing the Don’t Mention It, or DMI, area is set to open.

In the interview, Bensinger said that some articles suggested Hastings’ approach could be used to change the ski industry. He wanted to know what Hastings’ goals with Powder Mountain were.

“I think there will be more private skiing, paralleling—kind of—private golf courses,” said Hastings. “But the bulk of golf courses, about 20,000, are public. And the bulk of ski areas are public.”

As for Powder Mountain, he said, “It’s one sector of the market that I think will grow. And in that way, it’s a model for sharing, kind of, one set of infrastructure, and bringing costs down for both sides.”

Related: Mikaela Shiffrin Thinks This Past Season Was Her "Greatest" Yet

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Thredbo wasn’t alone. Flakes arrived at other resorts, like Mount Hotham and Perisher, too.

The accumulation hasn’t been large.

Still, the slopes at both resorts were covered in a thin layer of white on Thursday (or Friday, if you're checking in from Australia) afternoon, providing a little tease of the season to come.

Ahead of the chilly blast, a local news outlet reported that it would be Australia’s first “real cold snap” of the year. Forecasters expected temperatures to drop well below normal in the country’s southeast corner, with thunderstorms, to boot. 

In true Australian fashion, the weather even prompted the Bureau of Meteorology to issue a warning for sheep graziers. “There is a risk of losses of lambs and sheep exposed to these conditions,” the warning read.

For Mount Hotham, the snow comes well ahead of winter’s peak, which, on average, arrives sometime in July or August. Those are the snowiest months of the year, per data on snow-forecast.com.

The latest round of snow should be short-lived. Forecasters expect sunny and above-freezing temperatures to arrive over the weekend at Australia’s ski resorts.

Official opening dates are still a ways away, too. 

Mount Hotham is targeting June 7. Thredbo plans to open a day earlier, as does Perisher.

In the southern hemisphere, meteorological winter starts on June 1.

For those of us cooking in the March heat, though, it’s just nice to see some snow right now, even if it's thousands of miles away.

Related: Locals Approve First Ski Resort In Nevada's "Swiss Alps", but There's a Private Catch

Those weapons of war are part of Operation PALACI, a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) program that assigns artillery members to Rogers Pass. Their objective? Use the guns to trigger smaller avalanches before larger, natural ones occur. 

Artillery members work with Parks Canada scientists, who identify when and where avalanches might occur. Then, they pass that information off to the gunners.

The guns’ firing range spans from three to five kilometers, capping out at just over three miles. While they’re at work, the highway and rail line, unsurprisingly, are closed.

Operation PALACI is vital for two reasons.

One, the Trans-Canada Highway is a major link in Canada’s broader commercial network. Parks Canada, according to CTV News, estimated as of 2024 that keeping it closed costs $3 million CAD an hour. 

Two, Rogers Pass gets a lot of snow, averaging around 39 feet each season. Combined with the more than 130 avalanche paths that run over the Trans Canada Highway, the road there has the highest avalanche rating of any major road in North America, according to Parks Canada.

As for the latest round of explosions, Parks Canada estimated that, without Operation PALACI, Rogers Pass would’ve been closed for 294 hours. You can do the math.

“The efficiency, effectiveness, and reliability of the artillery-based avalanche control program played a key role in managing hazard during this storm,” the agency wrote.

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While a feat like this is still pretty darn superhuman, Gaffney isn't above saying that he was scared to flip Goodwill's. The audio from his POV cam lets viewers hear not just the nerves he had, but the pep talk he gave himself before his first try.

It's not very often that we get to hear athletes talk about fear when doing things like this, so to hear it firsthand from Noah is pretty cool.

It took Noah three tries to stomp the double, but all things considered, that might make it even more impressive. When he finally lands it on the third attempt, you can see he's just inches to the left of his original bomb hole, exactly what he said he needed to do. In other words, the execution is f*cking flawless.

Natural Selection Ski's Super Sessions just went down in the same zone, which ultimately sent Jonah Williams, Elisabeth Gerritzen, and Hannah Epsteyn to Alaska to compete in NST Ski. It's safe to say, the Granite Chief sees a lot of cool stuff go down, but Gaffney's hit is no doubt one that will stand out for years to come.

Related: Video Captures Big Avalanche Ripping Down Aspen's Iconic Highland Bowl

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The difficult weather came as Deer Valley launched a sprawling new expansion.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team. In just a few short months, the team opened and operated nearly 100 new runs and eight new lifts—while navigating the lowest snowfall in Utah history,” said the resort’s president and COO, Todd Bennett, in a news release. “We have accomplished something that’s never been done before in the history of skiing.” 

At Deer Valley, the final day of lift ticket skiing is Friday, March 27. The next two days are reserved for a “Season Pass Holder Appreciation Weekend” that allows midweek, Utah Limited, and Select Passes.

To celebrate the end of the season, the resort is hosting three days of parties at Chute Eleven under the apt “Beats and Bubbles” banner.

Skiing, for now, is set to continue elsewhere, if you don’t mind swapping your ski jacket out for a t-shirt.

Alta Ski Area’s closing day is scheduled for April 26. Solitude put May 17 on the calendar. Others, according to Ski Utah, have yet to confirm closing dates, like Brighton.

Related: Lindsey Vonn Featured on Cover of Vanity Fair, Speaks About Olympic Injury

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Vonn spent the subsequent days and weeks recovering, taking a medevac back to her home in Colorado, and undergoing a fifth surgery at the Steadman Clinic. She posted to her Instagram, updating the world on where she was and how she was doing.

Now, nearly a month since her last surgery, Vonn has appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair to give all the details of her harrowing accident.

The piece is well worth a read and, through interviews with Vonn herself, gives a firsthand account of the frankly traumatic experience in Italy. As if shattering her leg and ankle, as well as dealing with the damaged ACL, wasn't enough, every aspect of Vonn's accident, medical care, and recovery has been somewhat impacted by the public.

Fans and paparazzi swarmed her as she was tended to by medics on course, once she arrived at the clinic, and even as she was transferred by helicopter to a hospital in Treviso, Italy. Perhaps the greatest takeaway, though, is that Vonn, rightfully so, fears that this crash will be what people remember of the ending of her career, more than the success she'd found before it.

Of course, for all the criticism she received, Vonn also received an outpouring of support from far and wide. Vanity Fair posted a reel to accompany the cover story, featuring Vonn reading some of the messages she received.

It seems just about everyone from Wayne Gretzky and Prince William to Cristiano Ronaldo and Diane Swayer reached out. The full video is below.

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While there's no doubt Vonn's crash will not be forgotten soon, I think it's safe to say neither will her accomplishments as a skier. Eventually, her massive stack of gold medals and Crystal Globes will shine through the shadow of her injury again.

Related: Mikaela Shiffrin Thinks This Past Season Was Her "Greatest" Yet

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Beyond the boundaries of Aspen Highlands in the backcountry, where there aren’t ski patrollers to control avalanches when needed, forecasters called for “considerable” danger that day amid the hot March temperatures that have arrived in the West, breaking records.

“Smaller Loose Wet avalanches are punching out larger wet slabs as they tickle down start zones, creating some impressive slides,” the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) wrote, describing the mountains around Aspen’s ski resorts.

While avalanches are often associated with big winter storms, hot temperatures can also thaw and destabilize the snow. 

These avalanches, called “wet avalanches,” usually travel slower than their drier counterparts. But they “can move very quickly in steep and constrained terrain and they produce very dense and destructive debris,” according to avalanche.org. 

The avalanche danger in the area remained “considerable” on Thursday, with the CAIC cautioning that “you are likely to encounter cohesionless, wet snow on most steep slopes.” The organization added, though, that falling temperatures Thursday night could start to firm up the snowpack.

Aspen Highlands is slated to close for the season on April 12, according to the resort’s website. As of Thursday, three lifts were spinning, with 31 trails open.

Some of Colorado’s ski resorts have already closed, including Ski Cooper, Powderhorn, and Sunlight.

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110th Slalom Win Almost Clinched Globe

The Colorado ski racer virtually locked up the overall title on Tuesday, charging to a slalom victory for a record ninth time this season by a staggering 1.32 seconds. It was textbook Shiffrin, executing turns quickly, smoothly, and precisely, in tricky, soft snow conditions. 

Her sheer dominance in the discipline is clearly evident as she has won races by more than 1.2 seconds seven times in her favorite discipline. But the young and determined Aicher hung tough, finishing third, 1.36 seconds behind Shiffrin, to keep her title chances alive, albeit barely.

But, like intrepid Norwegians out at sea on a salmon fishing boat, Shiffrin got the job done. She admitted there were nerves, but she was navigating familiar waters. Mikaela concludes the 2025-26 season with 1,410 World Cup points, 87 more than Aicher.

For Shiffrin, it was her record-extending 110th World Cup victory and 73rd in slalom.

She also hoisted her ninth slalom small Crystal Globe, breaking her own record, having already clinched the title at Spindleruv Mlyn, Czechia, on January 25, prior to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

With six overall World Cup titles, nine slalom titles, two in giant slalom, and one super-G, Shiffrin has now amassed 18 titles spanning an illustrious 15-year career on the U.S. Ski Team. 

The two latest titles are an exclamation point on Shiffrin’s stellar season — rebounding from a crash and abdominal puncture wound at Killington, Vermont, in late November 2024, sidelining her, while abruptly ending her overall titles chances — highlighted by her second Olympic slalom gold medal in Cortina d’Ampezzo, just over one month ago.

“Over these last two seasons, considering the injuries, Regan (Dewhirst), my physical therapist, made it possible for me to get my body strong again so that I even had a shot at this,” Shiffrin said.

A Battle at World Cup Finals

Entering the four-race World Cup Finals in Norway, Shiffrin held a 140-point advantage over Aicher, but didn’t compete in the opening women’s downhill in Kvitfjell. Aicher finished fifth, closing the gap in the two-contender battle.

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team racer took to the Olympiabakken course in super-G, attempting to counter Aicher’s charge, but had a mistake-filled run down the 1994 Olympic course and could manage no better than 22nd, failing to earn any points. Aicher crossed the line in fourth, applying additional pressure on Shiffrin, headed into the two technical events at the Hafjell venue.

“I had a pretty good idea of what the numbers are and what would happen if in this scenario today, if I didn't finish,” Shiffrin said, after winning Tuesday’s slalom. “I felt it was possible that Emma could take the lead in the standings after Kvitfjell, so I was prepared to, not panic, but to stick with my skiing.” 

Shiffrin didn’t need to panic, and her second run on Wednesday was plenty good enough to solidify the coveted season title.

How to Improve Next Season?

Now, at age 31, with her recent birthday on March 13 and having accomplished nearly everything attainable in her sport, one may wonder whether there is still room for Shiffrin to raise her game.

“I have a lot of curiosity about how I can continue to improve in GS and Super-G, and just trying to bring back my feeling in Super-G, but also in GS. It started to click at the end of the season,” she said.

“I still have a lot of motivation and curiosity around those events, and to be honest and solemn, I think this season was the greatest level I ever skied. From a personal level, I don't think I can do better than that, which is maybe the first time in my career that I’ve said that. 

“Maybe this was my limit, but we'll see as time goes on. I tend to find a way, there’s always something.”

U.S. Ladies Win Nations Cup For the First Time in 44 Years

Led by Shiffrin’s dominant performances and nonstop achievements, in addition to Paula Moltzan’s best season ever, finishing sixth in the overall standings, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team ladies won the Nations Title Trophy. It is annually awarded to the country that accumulates the most points over an entire World Cup season.

It marked the first time since 1982 that the U.S. Women’s Alpine Ski Team achieved the honor. In a season filled with memorable races and moments, there were 11 victories (Shiffrin 9, Vonn 2), 27 podiums, and 16 women in total scored World Cup points.

“To be part of a team that’s so strong and so dominant across four events is something to really be proud of,” Moltzan said. “And to have contributed a significant amount of points, I feel good about that too.”

Nina O’Brien added: “Huge credit to Mikaela for everything she did, but then you’ve also got Paula, Breezy (Johnson), Jackie (Wiles) laying down podiums. I feel like we have good depth growing and when you see success, it hopefully encourages everyone that they’re not too far behind also.”

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