Tag: snowbrains.com

Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side is being ruined by urine. | Photo: Holidify A new study has put a number on something Everest climbers rarely talk about: the heat from their urine. The research, co-authored by Nepal’s Chief Survey Officer Khim Lal Gautam and published in Regional Environmental Change in July, estimates that…

Grand Targhee, WY, in 2015. Photo: Grand Targhee With the arrival of October, we’ve reached the purgatory stage of the “waiting for winter” season. It’s not quite summer. It’s not even autumn for most people yet. The days go by. We relentlessly fret about this year’s El Niño. We try to live in the present…

Switzerland’s glaciers are nearing a record-breaking melt season, though they have not yet surpassed 2022. | Photo: Outside Online Switzerland’s glaciers have accelerated their retreat in the most recent data from September 21, 2026, according to the latest figures from the Glacier Monitoring Switzerland network, or GLAMOS. It appears that only 2022 was a worse…

Stowe Mountain Resort, Vermont, has officially tested its snow guns. | Credit: Stowe Mountain Resort Facebook It’s nearly that time at Vermont’s Stowe Mountain Resort.  To go along with the arrival of the fall colors, crews at Stowe have officially begun testing snow guns across the resort. With fall in full swing, winter is officially…

Opening day, $1 lift tickets, and the first snow of the season are just a few of the exciting things happening at Arizona Snowbowl. Credit: Arizona Snowbowl Arizona SnowBowl, Arizona, has announced its opening date and is bringing back $1 lift tickets for eight days this winter, letting skiers hit the slopes for less than…

Mountains have designated trail ratings as well as slow zones, but should there be speed limits? Credit: New Generation Should ski resorts impose speed limits on the slopes? It sounds simple, but the question sparked a surprisingly heated debate among SnowBrains readers. While a small group supported speed limits on beginner and crowded terrain, the…

Skiers at Vail Mountain. | Photo: Vail Resorts Vail Resorts launched Epic Ascent on Tuesday, a program that turns private ski and snowboard lessons into guided experiences with concierge support. The company said the service is open for reservations at Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek for the 2026-27 season. Related: Vail Resorts Launches New Marketing…

Arizona Snowbowl saw a nice early dusting of snow on September 29. | Image: Arizona Snowbowl Arizona Snowbowl received an early taste of winter this week, picking up 2 inches of snow overnight on September 29. The Flagstaff ski area shared video and photos of the fresh snow Tuesday morning, showing a wintry scene at…

September snow at Mammoth Mountain ahead of November 13 opening day. | Image: Webcam screenshot Mammoth Mountain, California, received its first snow of the 2026-27 season on Monday, September 28, when a dusting fell at McCoy Station. Mammoth Mountain opening day is still planned for Friday, November 13. Related: Despite the Rough Season for the…

Loveland Ski Area begins snowmaking test. | Photo: Loveland Ski Area Loveland snowmaking crews tested snowguns on September 29, a sign that winter is getting closer in Colorado. The Trail Maintenance and Snowmaking teams, led by manager Bobby Babeon, ran water through the snowmaking system, serviced the guns, and checked equipment so everything is ready…