Mt. Waterman Ski Area, CA, Can’t Open Because This Year’s Epic Snowfall Has Destroyed the Only Road to Get There You could single handily say that California just had the most historic winter season ever on record for much of the high terrain, and this even includes parts of southern California, which is saying a lot! This historic snowfall has caused increased pressure and demands on Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) to do their job and meet all areas needing […] Industry News Matthew Oliphant | April 6, 2023 0 Comments
Why Didn’t a Ski Lift/Tram Ever Get Built on Mt. Rainier, WA? Imagine taking a ski lift from Mt. Rainier’s Paradise station at 5,400 ft to the 10,000 ft Camp Muir level where you would have endless terrain to snowboard or ski. One could certainly see why this precise location would be so enticing and attractive to set up a permanent ski lift. You could easily argue that the south part of […] Brains Matthew Oliphant | March 21, 2023 0 Comments
The 2 Places Where The Most-Ever Snow Fell in 1 Season We know the Pacific Northwest is world-renowned for its exceptional snowfall amounts during the winter months. But, what If I told you there are two spectacular spots that reside in the same state and are within a five-hour drive of each other that have claimed this coveted title before or currently hold it to this day? These sites are Mt. […] Brains Matthew Oliphant | February 24, 2023 2 Comments
Exploring Vail, Colorado: Wining and Dining, Where to Stay, and More The state of Colorado is known for its many iconic mountain towns, and rightly so. How can you deny the Rocky Mountain state known for its legendary mountain status and endless miles of peaks over two miles high and beyond? There is one town in particular that sets itself apart from the rest. That town goes by the name of […] Brains Matthew Oliphant | February 9, 2023 0 Comments
Winter Play Options at Mt. Mazama, AKA Crater Lake National Park, OR When you think of winter recreation in the Oregon Cascades, your thoughts and imagination might immediately spring for Mt. Hood (Wy’East), Mt. Bachelor, Three Sisters Wilderness, Hoodoo, or the Willamette Pass area. While these areas are fantastic and hard-to-beat places for winter adventuring activities of all kinds, there is one legendary spot in Oregon that flies under the radar and […] Backcountry Matthew Oliphant | January 31, 2023 0 Comments
Which Cascade Peak in Oregon Hosts the Southernmost Active Glacier? Before we jump into the main topic of discussion, let’s first understand what specific characteristics you can expect to see with an active glacier. A vibrant and robust glacier will embody various components pertaining to the movement and flow of ice. Some of these iconic features and behaviors you can expect are icebergs, crevasses, ice falls, and ice caves. Any […] Brains Matthew Oliphant | January 11, 2023 0 Comments
Which Volcano Holds the Most Glacial Ice in the Pacific Northwest? Before we get into the core (pun intended) of this topic, let’s quickly dive into a little science 101 on what exactly a glacier is and how it forms. What is a glacier and how does it form? A glacier is a large body of densely compacted snow, ice, and ground deposits that accumulate over time under ideal conditions (consistent […] Brains Matthew Oliphant | December 21, 2022 12 Comments
Hometown Mountain Shoutout: Perfect North Slopes, Lawrenceburg, Indiana – ‘Swoosh, Swoosh, Splat!’ With a peak elevation of 800 ft lending a 400 ft vertical drop, an annual snowfall of 18 inches, and sporting a base snowpack of 3-4 ft, you would be hard-pressed to find a finer hill in the heart of the Midwest. Perfect North Slopes is a short day’s drive from major cities like Cincinnati, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana. This […] Matthew Oliphant | December 6, 2022 0 Comments
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