Art installations integrated into ski resorts aren’t a completely novel idea—last season, Winter Park and Vail turned its gondolas into —but Utah’s Powder Mountain might be the first to unveil works of art that skiers can actively experience. Starting this winter, Pow Mow, loved for its deep stashes of natural snow, old-school vibe, and expansive terrain, has teamed up with renowned artists to rethink how ski areas look, feel, .

The man behind it all is Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, who bought a controlling stake in Powder Mountain in September 2023. Within months the ski area started doing things differently—in some cases, dramatically.

It started with a December 2023 announcement that , where those who own on-mountain real estate and pay a hefty membership fee get access to a private portion of the mountain. They also announced plans to expand lift access into part of the mountain already owned by Powder and acquired an additional 2,390 acres in March 2024, bringing their terrain total to , some of which is served by a free snowcat operation.

The move made the largest ski area in North America even bigger. (For reference, Whistler Blackcomb, the second largest, has 8,171 skiable acres and Park City Mountain has 7,300.) However, most of those 12,850 acres will be private.

In addition to rethinking the traditional ski area model—and expanding dramatically—Powder announced that they’re completely rethinking the way ski areas could look and feel by asking artists to reimagine the concept of a ski resort altogether. A newly established nonprofit, , is teaming up with artists to create an on-mountain, open-air museum. The initiative will establish art all over the mountain, many of which will be skiable.

“Fusing art and development isn’t necessarily a new idea, but the way we’re doing it is,” said Alex Zhang, the chief creative officer at Powder Mountain, told SKI. “Integrating art into the landscape and infrastructure allows artists to react to the scale, site, and environment, and to also have a seat at the table of development and construction. Whether it’s new ski lifts, bridges, towers, tunnels—the idea of artists contributing to and manipulating infrastructure into objects is really interesting to us.”

Powder’s Sun Tunnel, which used to be a simple magic carpet inside a clear tube is reimagined by artists Gerard & Kelly. Their take on the surface lift included the addition of rainbow stripes on the tube so skiers are treated to a swirling colored light show as they ride up the carpet.

“Relay (Powder Mountain) is a site-specific installation in which the glass segments of the mountain’s surface lift are clad with a rainbow pattern of filters, creating a spiraling colored light that magically pulls the skier up the hill,” artists Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly shared with SKI. “The ride takes about 90 seconds and you have the experience of moving through a kaleidoscope with breaks at which you can look out through the glass and discover the landscape anew. The piece is constantly changing depending on the weather, the sunlight, the time of day.”

The magic carpet is one of the first skiable art installations on Powder, but there are many more to come. One piece that the resort is particularly excited about is artist EJ Hill’s reimagining of the Timberline replacement lift and the new Lightning Ridge lift, which are both on the public side of the resort and will be open this winter.

“We are working on using elements of reclaimed carousel horses and roller coaster cars to operate as a sculptural element on the lift system, with the lift becoming a kind of inverted pedestal for an alpine pegasus,” said artist EJ Hill in an interview with The New York Times. “Something to help elevate, quite literally, these bygone beings and vehicles. Give them a new life and renewed purpose.”

Visual-based interactive art installations are one thing, but artist Susan Philipsz’s “We’ll All Go Together takes things to another level. Using speakers mounted in the trees, this installation harnesses the power and intimacy of the raw human voice bellowing out into nature to create a sense of intimacy.

Additional artists who are collaborating with Powder to reimagine what a ski area could look, feel, and sound like include Calif.-based James Turrell, known for art installations that play with space and light, andÌę N.Y.-based Jenny Holzer, whose illuminated electronic displays have been seen in Times Square and the Guggenheim Museum.

Most, if not all, of the land art and sculptures will be on the public side of the resort. Many will be on view for the coming 2024-’25 ski season, with a grand opening of the open-air museum slated for 2026. You can also check out the sculptures by foot or by bike in the summer and fall. Read more about the artists and the overall plans here.

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It’s almost that time of year, boys and girls. Fall is on our minds, if not in the air quite yet. (and immediately dissected), , and daydreaming about opening day doesn’t feel so preposterous any more. Haven’t bought your pass yet? Epic Pass prices increase on Sept. 2, so get moving.

It’s tempting to sit at home Googling “La Niña” in an effort to mentally fast-forward to late November, but the real hardcore move is to get out there early: At some U.S. ski resorts, the lifts will start turning in mid-October 2024, which is less than two months from now.

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Last week, Vail Resorts announced of a handful of its resorts, including a mid-October opening of Keystone. And a mid-October opener for Keystone likely means the lifts will start turning at neighboring Arapahoe Basin a few days earlier (if the previous three seasons are any indication).

Wolf Creek and Winter Park tend to be right behind Keystone, along with a couple of early openers in Vermont and Nevada.

So for all of you eager beavers, here’s our rundown of the U.S. ski areas expected to open the earliest this year:

Arapahoe Basin, Colo.

• Expected Opening: October, slightly before Keystone

It’s always impressive how long the A-Basin season lasts. The mountain didn’t close until a couple of months ago (June 16, 2024) and their reopening is expected in less than two months. On the latter, the team at A-Basin has been quiet, but they’re typically the first Colorado resort to welcome back skiers (often a matter of days before Keystone).

Last year, A-Basin opened for the ski season on October 29, the year before that it was October 23, and in the 2021-’22 ski season the ski area opened on October 17. A-Basin’s earliest opening day of all time was October 9, 2007.

Keystone, Colo.

• Expected Opening: mid-October

Keystone is expected to be the first ski area in the Vail Resorts family to open this year, as it usually is. The recent stated that they’re planning for mid-October (pending early season conditions). That said, it’s worth noting that the lifts didn’t start turning at Keystone until last season.

Killington, Vt.

• Expected Opening: early November

Killington is an early opener by East Coast standards. The resort last year and November 17 the year in 2022. But back in 2015, 2016, and 2018, the Beast of the East pulled off a mid- to late-October opening. gave Killington a projected opening date of November 2, while a November 1 opener.

However, Killington hasn’t said anything about their 2024 opening date and is in the process of an ownership change—POWDR that they’re selling Killington to a group of local investors. The resort will keep its Ikon Pass access for the time being.

Winter Park, Colo.

• Expected Opening: early November

Winter Park doesn’t typically engage in the early season battle between Keystone and A-Basin, but they don’t open that much later. Last year, Winter Park opened on November 3, and the year prior, they opened on October 31, which was their earliest opening day on record.

OnTheSnow and SnowPak are at odds when it comes to Winter Park. The former is estimating an , while SnowPak thinks it will be .

Wolf Creek, Colo.

• Expected Opening: early November

Wolf Creek is the black sheep of the early-season game. They don’t have the snowmaking capability of A-Basin or Keystone, but they do get lots of natural snow (the most in the state).

Last year, Wolf Creek opened a little late, , but the year before, lifts were turning on November 4. Wolf Creek was the first Colorado ski area to open for the 2021-2022 season with an opening date of October 16. is predicting a November 1 opener for Wolf Creek, while is betting on November 8.

Breckenridge, Colo.

• Expected Opening: November 8

In the Aug. 14 press release, Vail Resorts listed Breckenridge with a planned opening date of November 8 (weather permitting, of course). Breck doesn’t get the early season attention or press that A-Basin and Keystone see, but when you look back at the resort’s opening dates, they’re wonderfully consistent—and fairly early. Last year they and the year before it was the 9th.

Mt. Rose, Nev.

• Expected opening: early to mid-November

Mt. Rose is rarely mentioned in regard to early-season skiing, which is surprising since it opened on November 9 last year and November 11 in 2022. The resort hasn’t announced a date, but is projecting a November 8 opening date.

Never been? Read “” to make the most of this Tahoe-area sleeper.

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Ski patrollers are living the life, right? After all, they get to ski for a living, dropping ropes on freshly covered slopes, snagging fresh powder turns, and soaking up the mountain vibes all season long.

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In reality, that’s only a fraction of what ski patrollers are tasked with during a typical day on the job. From ensuring the safety of the slopes to evacuating injured skiers, the patrollers who help make our ski resorts hum have big, often dangerous jobs that most of us know very little about.

We tapped a handful of patrollers from all over the country to ask what a day in their life is really like and what sort of things surprise them, both about the job itself and the everyday skiers they encounter on the slopes.

15 Things That Will Surprise You About Ski Patrolling

The Number of People Who Call For “Courtesy Transports”

You might imagine, as we did, that skiers only call ski patrol for help when they’re seriously injured. That’s not the case according to Jess Lyles, a seasoned patroller at Telluride Ski Resort, Colo.

“In Telluride we get called all the time for ‘courtesy transports.’ They’re not injured but they’re tired or ‘can’t ski any longer.’ It’s frustrating when we’re busy trying to open terrain or help people who are seriously injured. There’s a bit of a disconnect. You’re in the mountains and you need to be prepared to be in the mountains and get yourself down,” she says.

The Work It Takes to Get Someone Down the Mountain In a Toboggan

Knowing that people use ski patrol to expedite their route to afternoon lunch is even more frustrating when you consider the amount of skill that’s needed to get someone down the mountain in a toboggan.

“Nearly every day of a patroller’s first year is dedicated to toboggan training. Learning the technique and building the specific strength that it takes cannot be understated,” says Joseph Puetz, a patroller at Colo.’s Winter Park Resort. “The amount of skill it takes to take a toboggan down a black mogul run, and how many people it takes to get a person in a toboggan to our medical center, surprised me. The training that every patroller on our team endures to be able to bring an injured guest down a bump run in a toboggan is extensive.”

How Many People Get Cut By Skis

When it comes to safety, the focus tends to , but Lyles says that over the years she’s noticed an increase in the number of people who get cut by skis.

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“More people are getting cut by skis and we’ve seen some really bad lacerations either from a collision or from people falling on their own skis. We’ve seen some arterial bleeds, which are really dangerous, and we’re all required to carry tourniquets now. 
 It’s pretty crazy to see what a sharp ski edge can cut through,” she says.

Mother Nature Is Powerful, and We’re All at Her Whim

The wildness of the mountains and the power of Mother Nature were mentioned a lot by the patrollers we spoke with. After all, they’re the ones who have to deal with the ramifications of heavy snowfall (or adversely, not enough of it).

Drew Kneeland, who has been a patroller since 1994 and is currently the patrol director at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyo., remembers a storm cycle in February 2017 that left the entire valley helpless.

“Wind knocked over 17 power transmission towers along Highway 390, killing power to the ski area for several days, until a temporary line could be installed. All throughout that ordeal we received over 12 inches of water in the form of snow. 
 The power company had difficulties getting materials into the valley due to road closures, with avalanches impacting every transportation artery.”

The Hysterical Person Is Often in Better Shape Than the Quiet Person

In a collision, the person screaming and wailing is likely going to get all the attention, but Lyles says patrollers are taught to evaluate the symptoms of being “well or unwell,” and that often, the person who is quiet or confused after a collision is the real concern.

“In general I would say it’s the quiet, confused head-injury-patients that are more worrisome than those who are telling you what is happening,” says Lyles, remembering a collision between two brothers-in-law. She was called to help the younger of the two men who says he was injured, but the other man, who she says was “behaving strangely and was reluctant to go to the medical center” ended up dying from a brain bleed later on.

That People Want a Diagnosis—On the Slopes

Yes, ski patrollers are trained in first aid and CPR. And no, that doesn’t make them doctors.

“We’re not expected to diagnose anything, ever. Nor should we. We’re just expected to treat the patient the best we can and get them to higher care,” says Lyles, who says people often ask for a diagnosis on the slopes. “They want to know if they blew their ACL, but you have to have an MRI to know that.”

The Beauty of Helping Someone at Their Worst—Or Assisting Someone New to the Sport

If you’ve ever gotten injured on the mountain, you know how vulnerable it feels to be laying there waiting for help not knowing how bad your injury is or how you’ll get down the mountain.

“Helping someone on their worst day, and being able to change their lives,” is one of the most meaningful parts of the job to Marc Barlage, who is a patroller and the intermountain division director at Utah’s Brighton Resort.

Similarly, Winter Park’s Puetz loves being able to give guests, especially those who are new to the mountain or the sport, insider tips. “I look forward to helping a visitor navigate the mountain, give them a tip as to which runs are skiing the best that day, status of a specific lift line, when a rope is going to drop for the first time of the season, where the coldest beer is, etc,” says Puetz. “The annual ski trip out West with my family was the best week of my entire year growing up, and I hope to have a small part in helping everyone be the most stoked while they’re here.”

The Pressure Skiers Put on Patrollers to Open Terrain

If you’re reading this, and you love powder, you’ve probably peered down at a pristine, roped-off powder field, wondering what was taking ski patrol so long to drop the rope. According to Lyles, this sort of reaction is one of the most frustrating parts of the job.

“People are annoyed by terrain not opening when they think it should be, but they don’t know why it’s not,” she says. “You get a lot of pushback from people who want to be skiing and they don’t understand why it might not be safe. I think people are really unaware of the complications and challenges of opening terrain. 
 being aware of the wind, the weather, what kind of explosives were used, or need to be used in order to make sure that slope is safe.”

Deciding to open terrain always comes with risk, Lyles explains. They have to ask themselves: “Are we ready to put people without avalanche rescue gear on this terrain?”

What It Really Takes to Mitigate Avalanches

If you’re a backcountry skier, you likely have some idea of how many factors go into snowpack evaluation. Now, imagine you not only have to read the snowpack, but must strategically throw bombs to trigger avalanches before making the decision to allow thousands of skiers to tear up the slope.

“I grew up skiing in the Midwest, and all of my skiing was on machine-made snow (ice). I had little exposure to snow science and was completely ignorant to the intricacies of snowpack and how to mitigate avalanche hazard,” says Puetz. “I think guests at Winter Park would be surprised to learn how much work goes into mitigating hazards. We have a full-time snow safety team that literally works around the clock to ensure the safety of guests, when it’s safe to open avalanche terrain, and how to mitigate potential hazards.”

It Takes a Lot of Training to Become a Patroller

There’s a reason more and more to gain job security and higher wages: It’s a job that requires a lot of training and some very specific skills.

“Annually, all patrollers are required to go through OEC [Outdoor Emergency Care], CPR/AED, and OET [Outdoor Emergency Transportation] refreshers and, depending on mountain operations, may go through other training such as lift evacuation, snowmobile operation, incident investigation/risk management, avalanche mitigation, and low angle rescue,” explained Kristen Russo, a patroller and national women’s program advisor at Holiday Valley Resort in New York.

The longer you stay with patrol the more specific your training becomes. “We have team members that are experts in weather forecasting, avalanche forecasting, search and rescue with dog teams, explosives, and high-angle rescue to name a few,” says Puetz.

There’s More to It Than Skiing and Rescuing People

Most people tend to focus on the heroism and glamor of ski patrol—dropping from a helicopter for a high-angle rescue or getting first tracks on closed terrain—but a day in the life of a patroller includes plenty of thankless, behind-the-scenes work.

“We set up and check signs and fences, we shovel snow, we check equipment, assess avalanche risk, we take turns at top dispatch, we do training to maintain and improve our first aid and ski/toboggan skills,” explains Colleen Finch, a patroller at Showdown in Montana.

Alex Bash, who patrols at Winter Park Resort, notes that “What the public doesn’t see is the hours to days, if not weeks, of work we put into helping create a product. All of the two-stepping, ski packing, boundary ropes, avalanche mitigation, signs, chainsaw work, snowmobile work, lift evac training, rope rescue training, first aid training, and the list goes on and on.”

The Job Is More Than Just a Job

Almost every patroller we spoke to mentioned the tight-knit community they found when they started patrolling.

Kneeland, who has been a patroller for 30 years, says, “I would not have anticipated that I would have made a career of ski patrolling, or that it would be such a large part of my identity and life. I have made life-long friendships with my coworkers, and it continues to amaze me that the next generation of patrollers is still just as passionate about patrolling as I was when I started out.”

Lyles says that when she lacerated her spleen early on in her ski patrol career “people I had just met were offering to help pay for my medical bills and making sure I was taken care of. It really felt above and beyond.”

Patrolling Can Be a Year-Round Position

For many ski patrollers, the work is seasonal, but more and more patrollers are finding steady, year-round work on the bike parks that open once the snow melts.

“Like many patrollers, I have begun helping with ,” says Tom Byron, a ski and bike patroller at Massanutten Resort in Virginia. Similarly, Bash notes that, “I thought this job would be a temporary, seasonal job; oh, how I was wrong. Today, I work full-time, year-round as a professional ski and bike patroller.”

How Much Cool, Fun Stuff They Get to Do

Anyone who signs up for ski patrol is aware of the perks, but that’s just one of the many aspects of the job. Some patrollers, like Bash, note that, “I have a few extra duties that really make this job the best job in the world. I am a founding member of our avalanche rescue dog team. I’ve had the privilege of training at some of the nation’s best dog schools.”

Beyond heading up the pup patrol, Bash ventured into backcountry rescue. “I’ve flown in helicopters and assisted in multiple backcountry avalanche rescues. I’m also a full-time member of our avalanche control team. I get to go out every morning and throw bombs in our avalanche terrain.”

How Much They Love Being Out There, In the Stillness, In the Cold

Waking up before sunrise in below-zero temperatures to work outside and skiing down after dark is not something most people would call a perk, but several patrollers say that this is their favorite part of the job.

“I love to be the first one on the lift in the morning and the last one sweeping the mountain at the end of the day. Those are beautiful and quiet moments I value,” says Finch at Mont.’s Showdown.

Barlage at Brighton Resort concurs: “The quietness in the morning, fresh snow, breaking trail to get out, and setting up the explosives to mitigate avalanches. Being able to ski first tracks on the mountain before anyone gets there, as well as the last turns at night before closing when we make sure everyone is off the mountain.”

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When an avalanche , killing a 66-year-old local and trapping several others, the ski world was shocked. Avalanches in in-bounds, controlled ski resort terrain are rare—but sadly, the death it caused is not. A couple months later, a 58-year-old man died after crashing into a tree at Keystone Resort. The incident marked the third death at Colorado ski resorts in just two weeks.

It’s easy to forget that skiing is a dangerous sport. It’s marketed as approachable and luxurious, with happy toddlers pizza-ing down the bunny hill and fur-clad couples enjoying an on-mountain Champagne lunch. But the truth is that skiing can be hazardous, and sometimes, even deadly.

In an attempt to see exactly who is getting injured and killed out there—and how—we dug into stats provided by the , the trade group which represents over 300 alpine ski areas in the U.S. The results were both expected and surprising.

The NSAA compiles two fact sheets after each ski season. One reveals the number of on-mountain fatalities and the other the number of catastrophic injuries—defined as “life-altering injuries” such as paralysis. We’re still awaiting this past season’s data, but of the Ìęwho died at NSAA ski areas in the 2022-’23 season, 42 were male and 37 were on skis. Of the , 42 were male and 44 were skiers. The majority of both incidents occurred on intermediate terrain.

Here’s the twist: Most of the on-mountain fatalities during the 2022-’23 season occurred to people who were between the ages of 51 and 60. So while the stereotype is that the young guns hucking cliffs and skiing way too fast are paying the ultimate price, in reality, it’s the middle-aged guys.

We asked , a Certified Mental Performance Consultant and a sport and performance psychology professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology to walk us through how men process dangerous situations.

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“Men are more likely to take risks than women generally speaking” Aoyagi told SKI, and that the reason is anthropological. “You can imagine the evolutionary benefits of a subset of people that are willing to wander away from what is keeping us alive here to see what might be better elsewhere. The explorers tended to be men, though certainly not exclusively. So, this helps to explain and understand why more men are risk-takers.”

In today’s world, Aoyagi said he believes males are more likely to take unhealthy risks in extreme sports like skiing due to peer pressure and a lack of awareness of their own actual abilities. Social media isn’t helping. Watching videos of people launching off cliffs or straight-running a groomer — which Aoyagi says can come off as “crazy, stupid, or highly skilled,” depending on your perspective—also plays a role in risk taking.

OK, but why the 51- to 60-year-old demographic?

“I think the stereotype ‘risk-taker’ would be a 16-18 year old bombing down the hill or doing extreme things in a terrain park,” Aoyagi acknowledged, “
 but what it seems like we are missing is the risk of 51-60 year olds not recognizing the decline in their athletic ability generally, skiing/snowboarding ability specifically, and the decrease in resilience/survivability.”

“As a person close to entering my 50s, I think this is a great reminder that risk-taking means something very different,” Aoyagi said. “We might be radically underestimating the risk involved in skiing/riding on an intermediate run thinking that this was nothing for our 25 year old selves. So I think there is a needed recalibration of risk for this age group.”

While the most-impacted age range for on-mountain fatalities in 2022-’23 was surprising to Aoyagi, the data on catastrophic injuries was not. According to the report, people between the ages of 16 to 20 accounted for most of the 53 catastrophic injuries last ski season. Again, most of them male.

For this age group, Aoyagi said, risk can be very psychological. “The fact is that the CEO of your brain (the prefrontal cortex) isn’t fully developed until your mid to late 20s,” he explained. “Among other things, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is responsible for modeling the future and understanding consequences. So teenagers don’t just believe they are invincible, they literally can’t reason out how they could die.”

Most of these deadly or catastrophic incidents occurred on intermediate terrain. Only one of the fatalities happened in the terrain park, but 10 of the 53 catastrophic incidents occurred there.

So, if you’re a male skier, what can you do to mitigate your risk?

Understanding your limitations is a good place to start. Your 55-year-old self might not be able to ski what your 25-year-old self could, and that Instagram-famous big-mountain skier may be more qualified to drop that cliff than you are. To that end, being aware of peer pressure and avoiding situations where you feel pressured can go a long way to mitigating on-mountain risk.

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Similarly, Aoyagi said alcohol “dampens one’s ability to comprehend consequences and model the future,” while some drugs can increase impulsivity or dopamine levels, which can lead to more risk-taking.

That all said, risk-taking is not the enemy. In fact, Aoyagi says healthy risk-taking is essential.

“Simplistically, I would say you could categorize risks as ‘calculated’ and ‘naive.’ Calculated risks are based on a progression of skills and self-awareness where the person has a good understanding of what they can do in that space,” Aoyagi said. “This is the person who does a five-foot jump and then a 10-foot jump and gradually builds up to a 50 foot jump,” he said.

Alternatively, Aoyagi explained that a naive risk is when you see someone go off a 50-foot jump and you think, “they did it, so can I.”

Seeing as the era of Red Bull events, the Freeride World Tour comps, and social media stunts aren’t going away anytime soon, the best we can hope for is more education around the science of risk taking to get through to male skiers before they make poor decisions on the slopes.

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If you live in Denver or fly into Denver International Airport, you know the headache that is Colorado’s I-70 during the ski season. After all, most of the state’s ski areas are located off of this main East-West artery that crosses the Rockies and features several mountain passes.

The drive from Denver, which should only take an hour and some change to the closest resorts, including Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, and Keystone, can easily take double or even triple that during the winter months. You could be in for it if you’re driving on a Saturday or Sunday morning (or Friday after work). The same goes for driving back from the mountains on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Holiday weekends only extend the problem by another day.

 

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Then there’s the added complications of snowy roads, car accidents, road work, and perhaps most importantly, a growing number of people who want to ski. Last winter was the busiest ski season on record, with hitting the slopes, according to the National Ski Areas Association. Not surprisingly, almost half of those visits were in the Rocky Mountain region (27.9 million).

All that’s to say, there are a lot of people driving the I-70 corridor. The interstate was featured heavily in the state’s released in September 2022, and the most expensive project on the list, the , kicked off in June 2023.

What the Construction Will Affect

The I-70 Floyd Hill Project, which will encompass an eight-mile section of I-70 between Evergreen and Idaho Springs, will impact I-70 drivers until the end of 2028—the next six ski seasons. The main goal of the project is to eliminate the two-lane bottleneck by adding a third westbound lane, which will be a full-time, tolled Express Lane.

If you’re disappointed that the third lane will be an express lane, you’re not alone. Stacia Sellers, Colorado Department of Transportation’s strategic communications lead for major projects and operations, acknowledged that it’s not an ideal nor a particularly popular solution, and said CDOT is limited in what it could do given the constraints of the geography and other factors. “CDOT is at the point that we can’t build our way out of congestion,” she explained, “especially with Colorado’s population projected to increase by over 600,000 residents by 2030.”

In addition to the third, westbound Express Lane, the Floyd Hill Project will rebuild bridges with wear and tear, construct a missing two-mile section of frontage road, extend the on-ramp from US 6 to eastbound I-70, and generally improve traffic flow and safety. The project will also enhance wildlife connectivity and include the installation of two air-quality monitors.

What the New Express Lane Means for Ski Travelers

The project’s Floyd Hill Express Lane will feed into the existing Mountain Express Lane that runs from the Veterans Memorial Tunnels in Idaho Springs to the US-40 Empire interchange, which is the route to Winter Park over Berthoud Pass. The latter only operates on peak weekend and holiday travel days but will provide weekend skiers with a combined 16 miles of express toll lane.

It won’t come cheap, though. Toll lane pricing for the new Express Lane has not been set, but the is $8-$9 for cars with an ExpressToll pass and between $14.67 and $16.25 for drivers without a pass—each way.

If you’re not willing to pay upward of $30 to get to and from the ski area more efficiently, you’ll be stuck in the regular lanes. Kent Slaymaker, who lives in Idaho Springs,that he believes the project will only result in three lanes of bumper-to-bumper traffic instead of two.

However, according to a on the westbound Mountain Express Lane, “Corridor travel studies show that given the introduction of projects like this, drivers in all three lanes see travel time savings of anywhere between 20-50%.”

How I-70 Construction Will Impact Skiers

The project is being broken up into three sections—east, central, and west. This winter and spring, work will be done on all three sections at once.

 

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To avoid making I-70’s notorious traffic worse, Sellers says “Crews will not be doing work on mainline I-70 during the weekend. Work will also not be performed on weekdays during peak period hours (times when we start to see heavier traffic). The Project generally works within a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. timeframe Sundays to Thursdays.”

She encourages I-70 drivers to sign up for CDOT’s , which will tell drivers when work will be taking place.

Ways to Avoid I-70 and Construction Traffic Entirely

If you’re in the Denver area and want to avoid I-70 altogether, you can either ski , the only neighboring ski area that doesn’t require a drive on I-70, or book a ticket on the , an Amtrak train that runs between Union Station and Winter Park Resort on Fridays, Saturday, and Sundays between January 13 and March 26. As of writing, there are still $25 one-way fares available.

You can also head south to Crested Butte via I-25 and avoid I-70 altogether. It’s further away, over 200 miles from DIA vs. just under 100 miles to Copper Mountain, but rarely sees serious traffic delays.

The other option is to take the , a bus that transports skiers from downtown Denver to Copper Mountain, Arapahoe Basin, Loveland Ski Area, Steamboat Springs, and Breckenridge during the winter season. While you won’t be able to avoid the traffic, you can at least zone out or nap.

The Snowstang will be able to use the new Floyd Hill Express Lane when it is completed, but cannot use the existing Mountain Express Lane due to size constrictions. Snowstang rates for the 2023-’24 ski season have not been released, but last year, skiers could take the bus to and from Denver for .

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If you missed out on the big West Coast dumps, or just haven’t gotten your fill, you still have time. The plentiful snow that’s graced the western half of the country is leading to longer ski seasons and extended closing dates. Already, several Colorado resorts—including , Aspen, and Copper—have officially extended their ski season, as have several .

But the decision to stay open is more complicated than reviewing snowfall totals. According to Katherine Fuller, the senior communications manager at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Colorado, the decision to stay open is dependent on several factors.

Ìę Ìę Ìę It’s Season Pass Season:

“Season length also depends on temperatures. Our super-high elevation plus north-facing terrain are very helpful, and so snowfall is not the only factor. If it stays cold in the spring, that helps the snow stick around longer,” she said. “Our season length also has to do with our snowmaking efforts that help set a solid, lasting base.”

With so many elements to consider, it’s no wonder many resorts wait until the last minute to announce a season extension. These ski areas, however, are renowned for their late closures—and a few got so much snow this year, we have a hard time believing spring skiing won’t turn into early summer turns.

Ski Areas Where You Can Ski Into Late Spring and Beyond

Timberline, Ore.

Timberline is legendary among skiers who can’t fulfill their turn quota in the standard 6-month ski season. The ski area regularly stays open until early September thanks to its location high on Mt. Hood, a volcano that is also Oregon’s tallest peak at 11,245 feet.

Historically, most of the mountain closes in late May, which is when the Palmer Express quad starts turning, providing ski access from early June through early September. The result is an impressive 10-month ski season.

Unlike many Western ski areas, Timberline is their historical snowfall average, but even if the ski season doesn’t extend further into September this year, it still boasts the longest ski season in North America.

• Expected closing date: early September

Palisades Tahoe, Calif.

It’s been a snowy year at Palisades Tahoe, with their website reporting so far and more on the way. That number is particularly impressive when you consider the mountain typically averages around 400 inches, a number they passed back in February.

Right now, Palisades Tahoe has a confirmed May 29 closing date, on their website that they “will likely extend the season beyond May,” explaining that “Our plan is to go as long as conditions allow and if that means skiing and riding into June and potentially through the 4th of July, then we’re in.”

• Expected closing date: May 29 officially, but likely later

Arapahoe Basin, Colo.

This year, Arapahoe Basin will likely hold the distinction of being both the first Colorado ski area to open and the last to close. The lifts , long before most Colorado resorts, and are expected to continue through June.

According to Fuller at Arapahoe Basin, “We are aiming to stay open until June 4, at least, but we usually don’t know when we’re going to close until a couple of weeks out. As always, we keep the season going as long as possible. We will take winter all the way down to one lift and one run,” she said, making it clear that “this is not looking like a July 4 year.” There have been seven in A Basin’s history. “But a lot depends on the snowfall we get this month and next because it will still contribute significantly to our base.”

In 2021 and 2022, the ski area closed on June 6 and 5, respectively.

• Expected closing date: June 4

Whistler Blackcomb, B.C.Ìę

Historically, Whistler Blackcomb has one of the longest ski seasons in North America thanks to a northern coastal location that blesses the peaks with around 448 inches of snow a year. As of writing, they’re sitting pretty with 285 inches and are in the middle of what is historically a snowy month at Whistler Blackcomb.

Currently, Whistler Mountain is expected to close on April 16, while Blackcomb Mountain, which has a higher elevation and sits further east, is set to .

• Expected closing date: May 22

Mammoth Mountain, Calif.

It’s been a big year for Mammoth Mountain. At the time of writing, they have 634 inches of snow at Main Lodge and over 800 at the summit. And with each passing storm they’re inching closer to the 2010/2011 season snowfall record of 668 inches at the Main Lodge. No matter how this season pans out, they’ve had a banner year, easily surpassing their 400-inch annual average.

The ski area hasn’t released an official closing date, but it did announce today (March 21) that it plans to stay open through July. “We expect to be skiing and riding long into summer,” said Lauren Burke, the communications director for Mammoth Mountain. “We are sitting on a historic amount of snow right now—that, coupled with our high elevation, allows us to regularly stay open into summer.”

Burke said they hope to have a more concrete closing date in the next few weeks, but we’re expecting big things and some killer summer skiing from Mammoth.Ìę

• Expected closing date: At least through July

Other Resorts That Have Extended Their Seasons (as of March 21)

• Steamboat, Colo.: April 16
• Mt. Ashland, Ore.: April 23
• Alta, Utah: April 23
• Aspen Mountain: April 23
• Park City, Utah: April 23
• Kirkwood, Calif.: April 30
• Copper Mountain, Colo.: May 7
• Snowbird, Utah: Daily through May 14, weekends through May 29
• Solitude, Utah: Daily through May, weekends through May 21

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While President Joe Biden came just short of declaring an this week, anyone who’s not living under a rock knows that the Earth is getting hotter. The science is irrefutable. While the roughly two-degree Fahrenheit increase over the last century or so may seem small, the effect has been noticeable. And snow, which requires a perfect in order to form, appears to be one of climate change’s first targets.

As with dwindling snowfall and an increased reliance on artificial snowmaking, snow chasers everywhere are wondering: Where will we be able to ski in the next 20, 50, or 100 years?

Go Deeper:

To shed some light on the future of skiing, the reviews 61 ski resorts across the globe based on the quality and reliability of their winter conditions and their capacity to withstand climate change. In their ranking, the index reviews five metrics: snowfall, reliability, season length, altitude, and temperature to determine how the world’s resorts rank in the fight against climate change. This is the 16th year that the report has been issued.

Five North American ski areas made the list, which is dominated by ski destinations in the Alps. Zermatt, a high-altitude glacier-bound resort that provides skiers with plenty of snow, cold temperatures, and a long season, has topped the list for years. And while a North American resort came in at No. 2 (see below), it was followed by three ski destinations situated along the Swiss-Italian border: Tignes, Saas-Fee, and Breuil-Cervinia.

According to the Savills Ski Resilience Index, here’s how resorts in North America will fare as the planet continues to heat up.

5 Ski Resorts in North America Least Affected by Global Warming

1. Aspen Snowmass, Colo. (No. 2 Overall)

• Best Metrics: Altitude, Snowfall

According to the Savills research team, the metrics used to measure resort resilience do not vary a great deal year on year. In their they noted that “the same six resorts have topped the Resilience Index since 2017 and are in a league of their own.”

Related:

This is perhaps why Aspen’s move from No. 6 to No. 2 in the ’21-’22 report is of note. Thanks to low average temperatures and high snowfall, Aspen replaced Saas Fee, a high-elevation glacier resort in Switzerland that has long held the No. 2 spot, in the ranking. The shift made Aspen the most climate-resilient resort in North America and the second most climate-resilient ski area in the world. Looks like the resort’s aimed at combating global warming are starting to pay off.

2. Vail, Colo. (No. 6 Overall)

• Best Metrics: Altitude, Snowfall

Vail has long held the title as the most climate-resilient resort in North America, according to the report. But that changed this year as the Colorado megaresort moved from No. 3 in the world to No. 6 due to warmer temperatures and decreased snowfall. Vail now sits behind Aspen in the ranking.

3. Whistler Blackcomb, B.C. (No. 17 Overall)

• Best Metrics: Snowfall, Temperature

The highest-ranking Canadian resort on the ’21-’22 Savills Ski Resilience Index is a ski area with a reputation for reliably deep snow and expansive terrain (it’s considered the by many measures). Whistler Blackcomb ranked No. 17 in the most recent index, making a small jump from its previous position at No. 19 in the ’20-’21 report.

4. Mont-Tremblant, Que. (No. 28 overall)

• Best Metrics: Temperature, Reliability

There are certain metrics that never change—the most obvious being a resort’s elevation. Que.’s Mont Tremblant has a summit elevation of just 2,871 feet, lower than the elevations of all of the ski areas that top the list. The Eastern Canadian resort has long flip-flopped with Whistler Blackcomb as the most climate-resilient resort in Canada, but in this year’s report the resort dropped to No. 28 from its position at No. 12 in ’20-’21. Poor rankings in snowfall and season length, in addition to altitude, are to blame.

5. Heavenly, Calif. (No. 31 Overall)

• Best Metrics: Altitude, Snowfall

Heavenly boasts some of Tahoe’s best views, as well as the best snow reliability in the region. Photo: Rachid Dahnoun

Heavenly Mountain Resort on the California-Nevada border is the final North American resort to make the ranking. Coming in at No. 5 in North America, Heavenly slid to an overall ranking of No. 31 in the world from its position at No. 25 in the ’20-’21 report, citing poor temperature and reliability metrics despite a high . It’s worth noting that it was No. 10 in the world just two years ago, according to the ’.

The post Climate Change Will Impact Ski Areas—These 5 May Handle It Better than Most appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Russia’s military invasion has put the once-quiet country of Ukraine in the international spotlight. But even in the midst of upheaval, Ukrainians are finding hope for the future. Last week, a company in the western city of Lviv, near the country’s border with Poland, opened a that claims to be the largest of its kind.Ìę

The ski area, which is part of the —a soaring hotel, restaurant, and health getaway—is turning heads for its ability to operate 365 days a year—outside—with or without snow. The year-round operation is thanks to an artificial ski surface from , a German company that specializes in what it calls “dry slope technologies.” Their textured plastic mats, which are installed down the mountain slopes, mimic the feel of snow-covered trails.

Come winter, the low-elevation resort has snowmaking operations, and the mats are designed to hold both natural and manmade snow. The slopes are aimed toward beginners, with two 1,500-foot runs and an 800-foot-long, six-lane tubing track, all served by a chairlift. There’s also a ski school, rentals, and a ski-in/ski-out restaurant.Ìę

Related:

While there are over 50 dry-surface ski areas across Europe, only a few U.S. resorts offer dry-surface skiing in the summer. Among the short list of areas is , and . Buck Hill uses artificial Neveplast, known for its grippy texture that replicates groomed snow, while Liberty’s surface is made from SnowFlex, a multi-layer polymer composite. A Chicago-area developer j on a 94-acre property outside of the city.

The brand-new lakefront hotel has 166 rooms and an expansive spa and sauna with several swimming pools and beaches. The hotel is flanked by an amphitheater, a medical therapy center, a soccer academy, and a manmade island with a series of pools and outdoor spaces—including private fireside seating set in pods in the water.

While Ukraine may not be a skiing hotspot—yet—the ski scene does include some 50 ski areas, primarily small traditional resorts in the country’s Carpathian Mountains. The hope is that beginner-centric offerings like this one will help grow the sport in the future.

This story was originally published by .Ìę

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If you’ve spent any significant time overseas, you know that it’s not just getting lost in the backcountry that you have to worry about. Often the smaller, less extreme problems present the biggest challenges. Take it from someone who learned the hard way. I used to think emergency travel kits were a waste of luggage space. I’ve paid for my naivety with everything from traveler’s diarrhea in India to dengue in Indonesia. When you’re sick or injured, having a familiar solution within reach is crucial. Here are the emergency essentials I keep close.

Problem: Mosquitos

Solution: The mosquito net. Tuck it around your mattress or sleeping bag to provide some serious bug protection. An optional InsectShield repellent with permethrin built into the fabric of the net is worth the extra $10 and provides long-lasting, odorless protection.

Solution: odorless garlic pills. These provide an added (and natural) layer of defense when you’re traveling in an area with mosquito-borne illness. Start taking them a week before you travel, and go odorless if you want to avoid the unrelenting garlic stench.

Solution: . This anti-malarial drug is almost impossible to find in places you’ll need it, like India and Southeast Asia, because of concerns that the disease will develop a resistance to the drug. Play it safe and buy well in advance of your trip.

Problem: Fever

Solution: The digital thermometer. I bought this during a bout with dengue in Indonesia. Taking my temperature at home beat daily trips to the hospital, and I knew within 25 seconds if I should toughen up or see a doctor. If the thermometer readsÌę103 or higher, I headed for the nearest medical professional. This model is waterproof, super compact, and known for spot-on accuracy.Ìę

Problem: Blisters

Solution: . When hoofing it around unfamiliar cities and trails, the battle against blisters is a given. Hopefully you’ve got your hiking shoe size dialed, but if not, you’ll be better off placing a strip of this stuff on the heel and sides of your feet before heading out for the day.

Problem: Cuts, Scrapes, and Burns

Solution: antiseptic wipes. These kept me infection-free after I severely burned my leg on a motorcycle exhaust pipe. The single-use packets are easy to tote around, too.

Problem: Torn Tent, Dead Flashlight, Hangnail

Solution: The knife. I’ve used this to pull out splinters, cut my hair, and spread PB&J. This model can double as an LED flashlight and has all the basics without being too heavy.

Problem: You’re in a Foreign Country and Need Medical Help

Solution: The . This free app from Allianz Global Assistance allows you to search for hospitals, translate first-aid terms, and find the international name for medications. Biggest plus: because the app is downloaded locally, you don’t need a cell signal to use it.

Problem: Dirty Water

Solution: . If you’re visiting remote areas or find yourself with questionable drinking water, you’ll be glad you packed these along. The magic ingrediant is tetraglycine hydroperiodide. When dropped in water, it releases iodine, killing most water-borne pathogens in 30 minutes.

Problem: Wet Clothes, Expanding Luggage, Broken Gear—Everything, Really

Solution: . It can be used to fix or rig almost anything. I’ve used it to string up my mosquito net, and it makes a great makeshift clothesline. Plus, it’s only $3.

Problem: Ear Infection

Solution: antibiotic eardrops. Some of the best waves are in the dirtiest water. When I got swimmer’s ear from surfing in Bali, these drops were my go-to.

Problem: Traveler’s Diarrhea

Solution: . This over-the-counter medication stems the frequency of diarrhea. When you’re about to board a flight and have no control over your bodily fluids, it’s essential.

Solution: oral rehydration salts. When I got food poisoning in Delhi and spent three days on the toilet, these salts were my lifeline. The mix of electrolytes and sugar optimizes the body’s ability to absorb water, helping you rehydrate faster.

Solution: Cipro. You’ll need a prescription for these pills, which contain ciprofloxacin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic that fights bacterial infections. I used it to beat off a bad case of the runs, but it also works for respiratory infections.

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