The wall of snow struck Loren Ennis on his heelside, punched his snowboard forward, and sent him sliding down the mountain on his back. The impact happened so suddenly that Ennis struggled to understand what was going on, even as his body began to sink into the churning debris.

鈥淚 thought that maybe somebody had run into me,鈥� Ennis, 32, said. 鈥淭he next thing I know I鈥檓 up to my neck and it鈥檚 like 鈥極h shit, this is an avalanche.鈥欌赌�

Ennis fought against the river of snow. He frantically tried to remember avalanche lessons he鈥檇 learned in a backcountry safety class he鈥檇 taken in 2018. Try to swim above it. Keep your lungs as full as possible. Make a passageway for air.

The thoughts pierced the joy that Ennis had felt just seconds before the violent impact. He and his longtime friend, Ben Erskin, had just dropped into G.S. Bowl, one of the experts-only zones at California鈥檚 Palisades Tahoe Resort. The steep bowl is often pockmarked with moguls, its 1,000-foot face bisected by a band of cliffs halfway down. They had been giddy to shred the six or so inches of untracked powder that had flitted down overnight and throughout the morning. Ski patrol had opened the KT-22 chairlift for the first time that season, and as the two rode it upward, they had seen skiers bobbing down the untracked slope. They were silent as they departed the lift and strapped into their boards. They knew that bottomless snow awaited.

Those first heavenly turns seemed like eons ago as Ennis felt the debris squeeze his chest and abdomen. A blanket of powder sloughed over his head, blotting out the sky. As Ennis sunk down deeper, a series of new thoughts came to his mind: I hope that dying this way doesn鈥檛 hurt. Will anyone find my body? Why didn鈥檛 I bring my gear?

鈥淚 remember being really disappointed with myself,鈥� Ennis said. 鈥淚 had an avalanche beacon and a shovel and a bag full of backcountry stuff in my truck in the parking lot. It never even occurred to me to bring it.鈥�

The steep terrain in G.S. Bowl leveled out as the slide passed over a track for snowcats. Ennis felt his snowboard strike firmer ground, and the force propelled his body up through the snow column. His head broke through the surface, and for 30 more seconds slid down the bowl, a passenger in a river of white. And then the avalanche slowed down, grinding to a halt just above the cliffs. By Ennis鈥� approximation, the ordeal had lasted 45 agonizing seconds. Ennis turned to his left. There was Erskine, buried up to his waist, but alive.

鈥淵ou OK dude?鈥� Ennis called out.

Erskine, 35, was shaken but unhurt. He dug his legs out of the snow and yanked open his snowboard bindings. He looked downhill and saw the familiar rocky dropoff midway down the bowl, 250 feet closer to him than when the slide had started. Going over that would have killed us, he thought.

Like Ennis, Erskine had replayed his own avalanche training as the slide carried him downhill. Now that he was free, memories of the backcountry safety class he had taken in 2017 flooded his brain. One bit of wisdom echoed loudest: See if other people are buried. They may only have a few minutes to live.

Erskine heard a shout from further up the slope. He trudged through the debris field toward the voice and saw goggles and a black helmet protruding from a lump of snow. It was a man, and he was screaming. 鈥淗e was begging for help,鈥� Erskine said. 鈥淗e was buried with his arms down at his side. He kept yelling 鈥業 can鈥檛 move! I need you to dig me out!鈥�

Ennis hiked up to Erskine, and the two men clawed at the snow with their hands. Another skier stopped to help them, and then another. Others arrived nearby and began digging in the snow. At one point Erskine looked up and saw a skier moving slowly through the debris holding an avalanche beacon. The man yelled to anyone who would listen to switch their beacons to 鈥渟earch鈥� mode to avoid confusion.

With every scoop of snow they could see more of the buried man鈥檚 blue two-tone jacket. After a few minutes of furious work, Erskine and Ennis pulled him free. 鈥淗e looked petrified,鈥� Erskine said. 鈥淭he first thing he said was, 鈥楾his is my first time skiing KT-22.鈥欌赌�

Much-Needed Snow Raises the Danger

The avalanche that roared down G.S. Bowl beneath KT-22 on Wednesday, January 10 etched a new chapter into the history of winter sports in Lake Tahoe. It happened at approximately 9:30 A.M., half an hour after the ski patrol had dropped the rope on the slope and much of the surrounding terrain for the first time during the 2023-24 season.

The slide broke free just below the upper terminal of KT-22, leaving a crooked crown etched across the face of G.S. Bowl. As the snow cascaded down, it engulfed trees, rocks, and bewildered skiers and snowboarders who had come for a powder day after a dry early season. Debris and people tumbled down the slope, across a snowcat track, and through the rocky band of cliffs. When the slide finally stopped, at least four people were fully buried. One man, 66-year-old Kenneth Kidd of nearby Truckee, California, did not survive.

Why the avalanche broke loose is the subject of an ongoing investigation by Palisades Tahoe. The resort declined to make any ski patrol officials available for an interview.

What we do know about the avalanche comes from two concise statements, one issued by the Placer County Sheriff鈥檚 Department, and another by the Sierra Avalanche Center. The storm had dumped fresh powder on the region鈥攖hree inches accumulated overnight, with more piling up that morning. The fresh powder covering older snow that had fallen weeks before. According to the Sierra Avalanche Center, the from 鈥渓ow鈥� to 鈥渃onsiderable.鈥� The avalanche itself measured 450 feet long by 150 feet wide, at a depth of 10 feet. More than 100 resort officials eventually participated in the rescue, alongside members of the local fire department and police. 鈥淥ur thoughts and prayers are with the family members at this time,鈥� the sheriff鈥檚 report said.

These statements, however, fail to capture the frenetic scenes that unfolded in the moments immediately after the slide. Before rescue personnel arrived onsite, several regular skiers and snowboarders were thrust into a harrowing situation. They had to try and locate and then save those who were entombed by the snow.

These resort patrons pulled survivors from the debris. They fashioned ad-hoc avalanche probes and organized probe lines, while others switched on their personal beacons to search for the buried. Others simply tore into snow piles with hands, skis, and whatever else, looking for signs of life.

鈥淚 was just digging and digging鈥擨 felt absolutely helpless,鈥� said Naomi Denayer, a pharmaceutical specialist from Vacaville, California, who arrived on the scene shortly after the slide. 鈥淭he mood was somber and we felt like we didn’t have enough resources or people to do any good but we just kept going.鈥�

Some, like Erskine and Ennis, had formal avalanche training. Others did not. As a whole, their efforts saved lives. And after resort personnel closed Palisades Tahoe for the day and sent everyone home, the patrons who had assisted with rescues were left to grapple with how to think about their own safety during a day at the slopes.

Resort Patrons Spring Into Action

Denayer was riding KT-22 when she heard multiple voices scream 鈥渁valanche!鈥� She swung around in the chair and saw waves of snow slough down G.S. Bowl. A longtime backcountry skier, Denayer completed a level 1 training course put on by the nonprofit American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. From her chairlift, she tried to spot people. Remember where they fall, she told herself. You might be able to find them later. She saw Erskin, Ennis, and two others sliding down the mountain. 鈥淚t looked like I was watching a movie,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 saw two guys trying to swim through it. Another guy was in the middle of it and I saw him get carried over the cliffs. It looked bad.鈥�

The skiers in the chairlift ahead of Denayer ran from the terminal to a nearby patrol house to alert safety personnel. Denayer, who has been skiing at Palisades Tahoe for 30 years, pulled out her phone and called a friend who was working a lift-operating shift at the base area. 鈥淚 said, 鈥楾here鈥檚 been an avalanche,鈥� Denayer said. 鈥溾€榊ou need to get people up here right now.鈥欌赌�

Other skiers and snowboarders hurriedly disembarked KT-22 and slid into G.S. Bowl to help. Some skied below the cliff band to where the avalanche debris field had created a deep pile. Others cut in above the cliffs to the area where Erskine, Ennis, and others were digging themselves out.

Darian Shirazi, 35, headed for the higher section of G.S. Bowl. A venture capitalist from San Francisco, Shirazi had taken avalanche training courses prior to heliskiing trips in Alaska and Canada. In 2012, while on a backcountry trip in Alaska, Shirazi was nearly trapped in an avalanche鈥攁fter that experience he vowed to only ski in-bounds. But he never thought his backcountry safety training would be useful at a resort.

鈥淚 thought, 鈥楴obody is going to know what to do,鈥欌€� Shirazi said. 鈥淚t was a full adrenaline rush. It just seemed obvious to go down there and try to help.鈥�

Thick cloud cover and falling snow meant that visibility was poor. But Shirazi could see multiple groups of people digging into the slope. The sheer size of the debris field was overwhelming鈥攊t was far too big for the few people on-site to scour by hand, he thought. Time is running out for anyone who is buried, he thought. 鈥淭here was an odd 鈥榳hat do we do?鈥� vibe,鈥� Shirazi said.

Shirazi looked at the slope鈥檚 edge and saw several dozen bamboo boundary poles that were marking obstacles. Those could work as probes, he thought. He yanked pole after pole from the snow and began shouting at others. 鈥淚 was like 鈥榚veryone, grab a stick!鈥欌€� Shirazi said. 鈥溾€榃e need to start a probe line!鈥� Everyone was like deer in the headlights.鈥�

Others joined him in probing the slope for survivors. There weren鈥檛 enough volunteers to stretch the line across the entire slope, so instead Shirazi asked eyewitnesses to point out areas where skiers had last been seen. A patrol member arrived approximately five minutes after Shirazi had begun probing, and within 15 minutes more safety personnel were on site, with shovels and probes. Shirazi stood aside and snapped a photo of the scene.

The first ski patrollers to arrive were met with an impossible scenario. 鈥淭he first one I saw was getting yelled at by so many people for help that he was having a hard time figuring out where to go,鈥� Erskine said. 鈥淚 have nothing but respect for the guy coming into something like that.鈥�

In some areas, patrollers tried to organize the resort patrons into ad-hoc rescue groups. Andy Hayes, 43, a professional skier from nearby Olympic Valley, saw this dynamic play out in the debris fields above and below the band of cliffs. Like Shirazi, Hayes had skied into the top of the bowl after seeing the slide鈥檚 aftermath from KT-22. He flipped his avalanche beacon into 鈥渟earch鈥� mode and skied into the debris field. He estimates he arrived on the scene ten or so minutes after the avalanche, and by then, ski patrol had organized approximately 50 skiers into a probe line.

鈥淭hey did a good job of bringing a bunch of just disparate people out of the scene and getting them into an actual organized search,鈥� said Hayes, who has also taken classes in backcountry avalanche safety. Hayes eventually skied down through the cliff band to help with rescue efforts further downhill. Below the cliffs, a dramatic scene was unfolding, as a group of skiers hurried to free three different people who had been pushed through the cliff band by the snow.

One was an Australian skier named Oliver Thompson, who had been skiing alongside his sister, Hannah Sugerman, and her partner, Callum Wishart. The slide had above the cliffs. But it had propelled Thompson over the rocks and down below, where he was buried. Ski patrol eventually freed him, but he suffered a badly broken leg.

When Hayes arrived, a group was digging Thompson out. 鈥淲hen I got down there was somebody who had been found,鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淗e was in a deep space but had the ability to yell, and the group was getting him out.鈥�

Hayes was probing through the snow in the area when another skier struck a body with his probe. Ski patrol and volunteers began digging. They found a ski, then another. 鈥淚t was the fatality,鈥� he said.

A short distance away, another group of probing rescuers had also struck something. It was Jason Parker, 52, a snowboarder from Reno, who had been buried beneath four feet of debris. Parker was alive. He had been on his second lap of G.S. Bowl that morning when the wall of snow caught him just above the cliffs. Somehow, Parker slid through the cliff band face first without slamming into the rocks.

Parker told his story to after the ordeal. As the snow pushed him downward, he yelled to two skiers nearby him to follow his location. 鈥淲atch me! Watch me!鈥� he screamed. He survived the cliffs, only to be buried by the debris at the bottom. He was entombed under four feet of snow, until a probe struck him in the back. On the surface, a group of skiers dug into the snow, eventually freeing him. Parker eventually credited his rescue to a snowboarder named Luke. 鈥淚t was locals,鈥� Parker told TV station . 鈥淧eople that know the area well and that saved me鈥擨 can鈥檛 thank them enough.鈥�

A skier named Jason Glickman, who had dropped into G.S. Bowl moments after the avalanche, was standing alongside the dramatic rescue, and filmed the moment when ski patrol pulled Parker from the slide. He checked his watch when Parker emerged from the snow. It read 9:40 A.M.

Gear Choices In-Bounds

Seventeen people died from inbounds avalanches at U.S. ski resorts between 2003 and 2023, according to a titled Characteristics of Inbounds Avalanche Fatalities at United States Ski Areas. The document, published last October by avalanche experts Paul Baugher, Scott Savage, and Karl W. Birkeland, lists the commonalities between 14 fatal inbounds slides that occurred during that period. Atop the report’s list is the bullet point: 鈥渢errain opened for the first time of the season with only a few hours of ski traffic.鈥� The Palisades Tahoe raised the total fatalities to 18.

The document was written as a set of guidelines for resorts, Baugher told me. But Baugher said he hopes the report educates skiers and snowboarders as well. 鈥淚f you think danger has been engineered out of skiing at a resort, you鈥檙e wrong,” he said.

Deaths by inbounds avalanches are less than 3 percent of all resort fatalities over the last two decades, according to data from the National Ski Areas Association. But these fatalities cast a different shadow than ones occurring from collisions or crashes. They erode the aura of invincibility that comes from skiing down a slope that鈥檚 been mitigated for avalanche danger.

The sources who spoke to me for this story echoed this sentiment. In the days following the slide, Shirazi canceled a ski vacation to Whistler Blackcomb. When he finally did return to a ski resort three weeks later, he wore his backcountry airbag. Denayer vowed to bring her avalanche beacon with her, no matter the conditions, and has done so for every inbounds ski day since. Erskine said he now assesses resort terrain the way he would a backcountry slope. 鈥淚 look back on it and realize there were so many red flags that day that I never thought about because we were at a resort,鈥� Erskine says. 鈥淭here is this veil of protection that鈥檚 gone.鈥�

Ennis and Erskine skied Palisades Tahoe a few days after the avalanche. As he bombed down the runs below KT-22, Ennis thought about his own relationship to snow safety. He and Erskine regularly skin up backcountry slopes near their home in Reno. At the onset of each ski season, they practice beacon rescues to refresh their skills. Both men regularly read snow reports issued by regional avalanche safety centers before choosing which backcountry slope to skin up. But neither man ever brought beacons or other avy gear inbounds. In fact, Ennis said he and Erskine often poked fun at those who did.

鈥淲e used to laugh and say 鈥業 wonder if he鈥檚 gonna wear that beacon to the restaurant tonight,鈥欌€� Ennis said. 鈥淣ow I know it鈥檚 a pretty good idea to have it on.鈥�

For years, skiers have discussed the merits of bringing backcountry safety gear鈥攁irbags, shovels, probes鈥攚ith them to resorts. The discussion regularly pops up after a deadly inbounds slide. Stories in 国产吃瓜黑料 and elsewhere have promoted the merits of bringing safety gear to resorts. Whether or not more skiers are doing so is tough to say. Anecdotal evidence would point to yes鈥攊f only because so few did so in the past.

Baugher, who operated ski patrol at Washington鈥檚 Crystal Mountain Resort from 1987 until 2016, likened the slow shift to the ski industry鈥檚 adoption of other trends.

鈥淭he hope is that the cool skiers will start doing it, and then others will follow,鈥� Baugher said. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 used to be cool to wear a helmet鈥攔emember?鈥�

Baugher said that high-profile inbounds slides like the one at Palisades show skiers that gear isn鈥檛 just for their own personal safety. Sure, skiers realize that a beacon or an airbag may help them get rescued. But after an avalanche, a collapsible probe or an inexpensive shovel can transform them into a lifesaver.

鈥淎 resort can do everything it can to keep an avalanche from happening,鈥� Baugher said. 鈥淏ut when it happens, who is in the best position to make a recovery? It鈥檚 usually someone who happens to be skiing the same run.鈥�

A Heart-Stopping Rescue

As Erskine tugged at the man鈥檚 blue jacket to pry him from the snow, Ennis scanned the rest of the slope. More skiers had arrived to help dig鈥擠enayer was among them. She recorded a video of the scene between digs.

Ennis looked across the slope and saw a speck of black protruding from the white. It was a glove, and it was waving side to side. He ran across the 150-foot center of the debris field, passing huge chunks of snow. After reaching the glove, Ennis began to dig. The glove was on an outstretched hand that disappeared into the snow. Ennis estimated where a head might be and dug straight down to create a passageway for air. He heard a voice murmur from the hole. It was from a woman.

鈥淚 remember yelling 鈥業 got you! I got you!鈥� Ennis says. 鈥淚 got her face uncovered and could hear her asking for help.鈥�

Ennis worried that the woman might still suffocate, so he told her to puff out her ribs. Talking or exhaling, he thought, may cause the weight of the snow to squeeze the air out of her lungs.

Ennis dug at her neck and chest, eventually clearing enough snow off of her back to pry her out. The woman, Janet He, had been skiing with her husband, Joseph Lu, when the slide had hit. Lu was able to stay upright, but the debris had buried He and pushed her 200 feet down the mountain.

He鈥檚 phone rang as Ennis pulled her free. It was Lu, and he was ecstatic to learn that she was OK. She thanked Ennis and hugged him. Then she lifted her phone, framed the two of them, and snapped the perfect selfie.

A woman who was buried under an avalanche at Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday was saved by a stranger and escaped with no injuries.

— CBS News (@CBSNews)

国产吃瓜黑料 digital editor Jake Stern contributed reporting.听

The post 45 Seconds of Terror at Palisades Tahoe appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Welcome to What You Missed,听our daily digest of breaking news and topical perspectives from across the outdoor world. You can also get this news delivered to your email inbox six days a week by for the What You Missed newsletter.听

The U.S. government has formally in its crosshairs.

On Friday, November 19, U.S. interior secretary Deb Haaland ordered the creation of a panel to review and remove offensive names from use on federal lands. The panel鈥檚 top priority is to find replacement names for sites that currently use the word听squaw, which Haaland and banned from use.

鈥淥ur nation鈥檚 lands and waters should be places to celebrate the outdoors and our shared cultural heritage鈥攏ot to perpetuate the legacies of oppression,鈥� Haaland said in a statement. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 actions will accelerate an important process to reconcile derogatory place names and mark a significant step in honoring the ancestors who have stewarded our lands since time immemorial.鈥�

The order could impact more than 650 place names that use the now banned word, according to a study from the Board of Geographic Names. In recent years regional and state governments in Oregon, Arizona, and Maine鈥攁mong other states鈥攈ave passed laws prohibiting its use in place names. And earlier this year, the California ski area formerly named Squaw Valley officially changed its name to Palisades Tahoe.

But a quick Google search of the word in 听brought up several dozen roads, geographic formations, and even designated communities that still bear the name. Among them is Squaw Valley, a designated community in Fresno County, where the has yet to gain traction.

Changing names often takes years to accomplish, but Haaland鈥檚 new effort adds more muscle to the process. The new task force, comprised of representatives from the Interior Department and other federal land-management agencies, will also consult tribal officials and seek public feedback before finalizing a name change.

Life Time Launches New Pro Cycling Series

On Monday the fitness chain Life Time the Life Time Grand Prix, a six-race series in 2022 for professional cyclists that awards a $250,000 prize purse.

The new series includes three mountain-bike and three gravel races already owned by the fitness brand, among them the Leadville Trail 100 MTB and Unbound Gravel events. Life Time will select 40 pro riders to compete 鈥�20 men and 20 women鈥攁nd each must commit to participate in all six events. The races cater to elite and age-group riders alike, and the pro cyclists participating in the series will race within the main field of competitors.

Life Time will award points for top finishes at each event, and the final prize purse will be distributed based on the top five finishes at the six races. The purse will pay out ten deep in both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 fields.

The series is the latest development in gravel cycling鈥檚 meteoric growth. These events send riders on long adventures along dirt backroads and operate like road marathons, where all participants start together and ride the same route. In 2020, a report by USA Cycling across the U.S. at 700. In 2021, the Belgian Waffle Ride鈥攁 popular gravel race in Southern California鈥�, with new events in Kansas, Utah, and North Carolina.

Improper Hydration

Last summer, Australian professional cyclist Lachlan Morton of the EF Education-Nippo pro cycling team rode the entire Tour de France route as a bikepacking adventure. In this video clip Morton shares his fueling strategy which includes sugar, caffeine, and yes, beer.

why is he the most relatable cyclist

— robyn (same name on bluesky ) (@robynjournalist)

Member Exclusive

鈥�The Gear That Got Me Through My First Bike Tour鈥� Contributor James Lynch on the items that helped him during a 370-mile ride across New York State. 国产吃瓜黑料

Around the 国产吃瓜黑料 Network

鈥�鈥� The newest and best cycling and running apparel for training indoors and out this winter. Triathlete

鈥�鈥� Director Emmett Malloy reflects on the 2001 snowboarding film and why it eventually found a following. Ski

鈥�鈥� Five men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 baggy riding shorts and liners, put to the test for fit, function, and comfort. Beta

鈥�鈥� Ready yourself for emergency situations caused by bad weather or a serious injury. Trail Runner

The post What You Missed: Deb Haaland Orders Removal of Offensive Names on Federal Land appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

You won鈥檛 find spring music festivals and the听typical end-of-season听festivities at ski resorts this year鈥攖he pandemic is still not over, as much as we want it to be鈥攂ut that doesn鈥檛 mean spring skiing has been canceled.听Conditions ranging from听powder to听slushy corn snow are on offer well into April in many states, and best of all, most of the midwinter crowds are now gone. Here are some of our favorite picks around the country for spring ski trips.

Breckenridge, Colorado

plans to stay听open through Memorial Day weekend, making it one of the longest operating ski resorts in the country. With a summit elevation of nearly 13,000 feet, snow at the top of the mountain stays cold here even as the weather starts to turn.听Breck鈥檚 big spring festivals,听like Breck Pride and the听concert-packed Spring Finale,听are on hold this year, but the ample sunshine and laid-back vibes are not.听 for skiing (day tickets from $179), so plan ahead. For a day off from the slopes, head to the听, which has听doubled its fat-bike rental fleet due to increased demand. And the 60-room (from $179), a five-minute walk from the Quicksilver Lift, has three snow cabanas serving homestyle shared plates from the hotel鈥檚 Cabin Juice restaurant. Finally,听be sure to check out the new 听in town for its eclectic tasting menu and music-inspired wine list, offered in one of two cozy six-person yurts in its front yard (from $115 per person, minimum of four people; 脿听la carte dishes are available inside).

Mount Hood Meadows, Oregon

Spring at听听usually means beer festivals, banked slalom races, and pond skimming. This year听some of that will still take place, but mostly听you鈥檒l come for the sunshine, a ski season that extends听into May, and the chance to听 at the base听(overnight parking permit from $4). The ski area currently sells a听 (from $239) that鈥檚 valid for the remainder of the season. For a fun听Pacific Northwest road trip, hit up听, also on Mount Hood,听known for its extra-long season, and听, less than three hours away in Bend, with听great spots to听 come this time of year.

Killington, Vermont

is known for having one of the longest seasons on the East Coast, typically staying open into May or even June. Show up on a sunny spring weekend and you can lap soft bumps under the Superstar quad, then tailgate in the parking lot with coolers and grills. The resort鈥檚听 (from $249) gets you unlimited access from now until the end of the season at both Killington and neighboring听; your pass will also score you听 at the 听(from $266).

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, California

Billed as the spring-skiing capital of the U.S.,听听frequently gets听ample amounts of snow through March and April, which means the two neighboring resorts can stay open well into May (they鈥檝e even been known to reopen for the Fourth of July). Typical spring skiing here includes music festivals like听 (on hold until听2022) and on-mountain revelry like the听 and the Cushing Crossing Pond Skim, also听both likely on hold this year. No matter: you can still ski perfect corn snow off Sherwood Chair at Alpine, then hang out in a lawn chair in the Subway parking lot while eating a bratwurst from the听. Ikon听pass holders can score up to 30 percent off lodging at the听 (from $598) through Memorial Day.

Mount Bohemia, Michigan

Spring skiing in Michigan brings mild temperatures, deep snow depths, and sweet late-season deals. Head to the Upper Peninsula鈥檚 , which averages over 270 inches of lake-effect snow annually听and has two main lifts and four shuttle busses that access 585 acres of rugged, ungroomed terrain. Mount Bohemia tends to stay open until the end of April,听and on spring weekends, you can ski until 5 P.M. Sleep in a 鈥攖he resort鈥檚 spring-break special includes lift tickets, meals, and lodging from $75 per person听per day.

Sugarloaf, Maine

usually hosts its popular Reggae Fest in mid-April. That won鈥檛 happen this season,听but spring at the Loaf is still a guaranteed good time, and the mountain usually stays open until the end of April. If you for next season, you can start using听it now to ski the rest of this month (from $569). The resort still听plans to host its popular East Coast Pondskimming Championships on April 17. Book a room at the听 (from $287), which has a brewery inside.听

Snowbird, Utah

Boasting Utah鈥檚 longest ski season,听 has been known to stay open until early July after听deep-snow winters. This year is looking promising, with more than 300 inches of snowfall already on the slopes. Plus, April and May can still bring big storms to Little Cottonwood Canyon. When it鈥檚 a bluebird day, there鈥檚 no better place to be than listening to live music on the Plaza Deck after a day听skiing laps off Snowbird鈥檚 legendary Cirque. From now until May 2, you can听 slopeside at Snowbird, including lift tickets, starting at $145.

The post Spring Skiing Is in Full Swing at These Resorts appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

An in-bounds avalanche occurred at , near Tahoe, California, on Friday morning.

It was one of those sunny, blue-sky powder days, with 25 inches of new snow. The avalanche occurred around 10:15 a.m. in a lower area off the resort鈥檚 Scott Chair. The slide had a听12-inch crown鈥攔elatively small by avalanche standards鈥攂ut it was enough to sweep听two people over treacherous, cliffy terrain and into a heavily treed zone.

Immediately after the slide, ski patrol shut down all back bowls and hike-to zones at Alpine, a mountain known for its far-reaching terrain that feels like the backcountry. Ski patrol and its team of avalanche dogs were on the scene shortly thereafter, conducting a thorough search of the area using beacons, RECCO technology, and probe searches.听Placer County Sheriff and Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue responded to the scene as well.听

According to a Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski patroller who asked not to be named, the victim who was killed,听Cole Comstock, 34, of Blairsden, California,听died of blunt force trauma. The injured person, who has not been named,听suffered lower-leg injuries as a result of a collision with a tree and was transported to a nearby hospital.听

By 12:50 p.m., the search was called off. Placer County Sheriff and the Squaw Valley confirmed there were no additional victims.听

This marks the 10th avalanche fatality of this season. In-bounds avalanches are rare but not unheard of. This incident comes on the heels of three fatalities in an in-bounds slide at Idaho鈥檚 Silver Mountain on January 7. Last winter, a slide killed two skiers off Taos Ski Valley鈥檚 in-bounds Kachina Peak.听

Although ski patrol conducts avalanche mitigation in-bounds at ski resorts, nothing is guaranteed. 鈥淪ki patrol does everything in their power to mitigate the hazard,鈥� said the ski patroller.听鈥淏ut there are always going to be small pockets and if you find those pockets in dangerous areas, that can lead to serious consequences.鈥�

Safety tips to keep in mind: 鈥淲ear a beacon, even in-bounds, on big powder days,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ki one at a time through steep, high-consequence areas, and evaluate your hazards鈥攊f the slope rips, what鈥檚 below you?鈥�

The post There Was Another Fatal In-Bounds Avalanche Today appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Hiring a guide is the first good decision you can听make while planning a big mountain objective. Not only will you听be led into the best zones and听safely escorted up and down the smartest routes, but you also won鈥檛 have to worry about the trip鈥檚听logistics: they鈥檒l often听handle听route planning, gear, and even meal prep. But not all guides are created equal. The best of the best are experienced, certified leaders听and just plain rad people鈥攆olks who know how to avoid an avalanche and听are great to听hang out with for a long haul. Here are听our picks for ten听mountain masters who are all verifiably awesome.听

Lel Tone

Judd Lake, Alaska

Tone鈥檚 resume speaks for itself: the guide, based in Tahoe City, California, has been a ski patroller at Squaw Valley since 1995, a longtime avalanche-safety instructor and forecaster, and听a heli-ski guide in Alaska. In other words, she knows her way around the backcountry and how to anticipate and respond to those worst-case scenarios. In 2015, Tone听was part of the winning team on听鈥淯ltimate Survival Alaska,鈥� a National Geographic Channel reality show where she had to make her way out of the bush with limited resources. When听she鈥檚 not fishing or听mountain biking, she鈥檚 guiding听heli-skiers at Alaska鈥檚 , a six-room, two-cabin hideaway on Judd Lake听that鈥檚 40 minutes by floatplane from Anchorage,听or leading trips with outfitter听听to mountains in Iceland and Norway.

Eli Simon

Bar Harbor, Maine

Owner of the听, this Maine native has rock-climbed and guided on every continent (except Antarctica), from听Yosemite鈥檚 El Capitan听to Patagonia鈥檚 Fitz Roy. Certified by the American Mountain Guides Association, he鈥檚听also a trained EMT and a sailboat captain. A few years ago, Simon听celebrated his 33rd birthday by hiking, swimming, and running across Maine鈥檚 108-square-mile Mount Desert Island in 14 hours. If you鈥檙e planning a rock-climbing trip to Acadia National Park, known for sea-cliff climbing routes like Otter Cliff, Simon is your guy. He also recently started leading winter听trips鈥攊ce climbing, mountaineering, and nordic skiing鈥攊n the area, too.听

Tal Galton听

Burnsville, North Carolina

There may be no better person than Galton to show you the secret waterfalls, unusual mushrooms, and rare Appalachian orchids of the Black Mountains, a small chain of six of the East Coast鈥檚听ten听highest peaks. A self-taught naturalist and reptile enthusiast, he leads information-packed hikes in the hills听outside Burnsville through his company, , as well as guided听trips in Cumberland Island, Georgia, and the Florida Everglades. Sign up for an overnight or a day hike, or show up in May for Galton鈥檚 popular nighttime blue ghost firefly听tours.听听

Angela Hawse

Ridgway, Colorado

Co-owner of ,听and a veteran rock- and ice-climbing and alpine guide, Angela Hawse is one of fewer than 100 certified guides within the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association听in the U.S. Currently president of the board for the American Mountain Guides Association, Hawse has led dozens of high-altitude expeditions up peaks like Ama Dablam, Mount Everest, and Aconcagua over the past 30 years. Women can join Hawse on Chicks Climbing and Skiing听trips throughout Colorado, Utah, and to international destinations like Chamonix, France. Or heli-ski听with her in Colorado with .听

Doug Workman

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Workman knows the Tetons intimately, having led hundreds of guests up听the Grand Teton (and for those brave enough, down it on skis) as a guide听with .听While he spends most of his year in Jackson, he鈥檚 found time to tick off a few bucket-list ski trips, from summiting Denali and听guiding ski-mountaineering trips听to the Antarctic Peninsula to听ski-touring in the Westfjords of Iceland by sailboat. Join Workman on a heli-skiing tour in Alaska with听 or with听the luxury travel company听 on trips to Iceland, Japan, and Colorado.听

Adrian Ballinger

Squaw Valley, California

Founder and lead guide of , Ballinger has racked up听a few impressive titles: he was the first person to ski Manaslu, in Nepal, and the first American to ski two 8,000-meter peaks. As a guide,听he鈥檚 made a name for himself by leading speed ascents of notable peaks like Everest and Aconcagua, but he also leads rock-climbing and backcountry ski trips closer to his home near Lake Tahoe. Ballinger was the one who got 听to open its gates to guided backcountry skiing a few years ago, so you can book a day with him at Alpenglow Expeditions for a private tour of the resort鈥檚 sidecountry and beyond.听听

Yve Bardwell and Maggie Carr

Choteau, Montana听

These two friends were working seasonal jobs at ranches and for the U.S. Forest Service in a rural corner of Montana when, in 2013, they bought an existing guiding company鈥檚 permits and launched , a stock-supported hiking and backpacking company that leads multi-day trips into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, near Glacier National Park. Expect to fly-fish, swim in remote alpine lakes, and trek to areas experiencing peak wildflower season听or fall foliage听while horses pack in your gear.听

Lee Johnston听

Nelson, British Columbia

Certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Johnston works at , where he leads heli-skiing in the Selkirks, and at Valhalla Mountain Touring, just outside Nelson, where you鈥檝e got to earn your turns. Johnston听is also a registered acute-care nurse at Kootenay Lake Hospital鈥攖rust us, it鈥檚 always nice to have folks with additional medical training when you鈥檙e far from civilization. When he鈥檚 not guiding, he鈥檚 wielding a chainsaw to build mountain-bike trails for new ski terrain. If you go through听, expect to find Johnston setting the skintrack for thousands of vertical feet of untouched powder a day.听

Will Elliott

Vail, Colorado

After Buck Elliott founded Vail鈥檚 Paragon Guides in 1978, he often took his young son, Will, on guiding trips throughout the Rockies. When Will grew up, he started guiding part-time in college and eventually joined his father to help run the family business. Today, Will leads daylong and multi-day backcountry ski trips in the winter and hut-to-hut backpacking and llama-supported hiking and fishing trips in the summer.听Climb a fourteener听or backcountry-ski to a 10th Mountain Division Hut with the younger Elliott as your guide when you take a trip with .听

The post The Mountain Guides to Call for Your Next Trip appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Roy Tuscany was 24 when, in 2006, he overshot a jump at in California and broke his T12 vertebra. The freestyle coach and aspiring professional skier was paralyzed from the waist down. Suddenly, the sport he鈥檇 built his life around was no longer an option.

The injury rattled Tuscany鈥檚 sense of self and threw his athletic future into question, but it also offered him a chance to see his hometown community near Lake Tahoe rally on his behalf. His ski team at Sugar Bowl raised $85,000 from about 500 people to help pay for his surgery, adaptive equipment, and therapy. After two years, he was able to ski again, with outriggers stabilizing him instead of ski poles, but the experience left him feeling empty. His friends contributed generously to get him back on skis, but his priorities had quietly shifted. He was still a coach at heart and realized that he felt driven to support other injured and disabled athletes.

Tuscany was painfully familiar with the emotional toll and logistical challenges of a major injury: fear, grief, and the frustration of navigating a complicated health care system and astronomical medical bills. So he decided to start a nonprofit whose purpose, he says, was 鈥渢o create the same opportunity people created for me.鈥�

In 2009, Tuscany walked into a bank with a $500 check and told the teller he was going to raise $1 million. Ten years later, has supported 237 athletes and others with life-changing injuries, disbursing $3.2 million for individuals in 32 states. The group operates a training facility in Truckee that provides grants for therapy, recovery, and training, and runs educational programs to promote helmet use and other safety practices.

That first year, High Fives supported a single athlete: , who was paralyzed after a bad fall at Squaw Valley. It contributed $18,750 to Wallace鈥檚 recovery through grassroots efforts鈥攍ike arranging for a local bar to donate a dollar for every Pabst Blue Ribbon sold over the course of a month. After his recovery, Wallace began volunteering regularly, and he now works full-time for the organization as its program director. These days the nonprofit isn鈥檛 skimming the top off of cheap beer: events like its annual Silver Tie Gala have raised more than $250,000 in one night.

Tuscany understands that capability, independence, and social inclusion are critical for injured athletes. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hosting adaptive camps to teach athletes skills and sports they can do on their own, so they can bust out and ski for two hours before work instead of having to wait until Saturday to be part of an adaptive program,鈥� he says.

鈥淎 lot of the work that Roy and High Fives does is about influencing self-perception,鈥� says Jim Harris, a High Fives athlete who was paralyzed in a kite-skiing accident in 2014. 鈥淚t primarily helps people with identity, community, and regaining a sense of meaning. Sports camps and monetary grants are just the vectors for that empowerment.鈥�

Tuscany鈥檚 long-term goal for High Fives athletes, and for himself, is to move on to a life that feels rich and fulfilling, albeit dramatically different. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not caretakers,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e stoke makers.鈥�

The post The Stoke Makers of the High Fives Foundation appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Imagine loading onto the chairlift with gold-medalist ski racer Tommy Moe or standing atop the terrain park next to Olympic snowboard champion Red Gerard. What if you could learn to bobsled or Nordic ski from someone who has competed among the very best in the world? Select ski resorts and outfitters are launching experiences that pair you with Winter Olympians for a day of high-level instruction, personal guiding, or some good old-fashioned fun.

Snowboard with Red Gerard or Jamie Anderson

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, California

Last year, launched an app with the goal of linking you up with top-notch pros in sports like skateboarding and snowboarding.听This winter, the company will host on-demand lessons with local experts (from $239 an hour), plus three to four weekend-long camps at听Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows with elite Winter Olympians, like 2018 snowboard slopestyle gold medalists Jamie Anderson and Red Gerard and ski racers Julia Mancuso and Daron Rahlves.听If that鈥檚 not your speed, join 1998 Olympic mogul champ Jonny Moseley, Squaw鈥檚 chief mountain host, during this year鈥檚 holiday season for free-of-charge of the mountain.

Bobsled with Valerie Fleming or Shauna Rohbock

Park City, Utah

There aren鈥檛 many places in the world where you can hop into a bobsled and rocket down a track at 70 miles per hour while pulling three Gs, but Park City, Utah, is one of them. Stay at the (from $538), and you can sign up to have Olympic bobsled silver medalists Valerie Fleming or Shauna Rohbock guide you down the track. If you鈥檇 rather ski, guests at the (from $409) can shred Park City Mountain Resort alongside Olympic mogul skier Nate Roberts.

Ski with Tommy Moe

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Ski-racing legend Tommy Moe won two Olympic medals at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. In Jackson Hole, Wyoming, you can skiing with the super-G and downhill specialist around his favorite spots on his home mountain, like the Hobacks or out-of-bounds runs like Four Pines and Pinedale. And while Moe skis fast, you don鈥檛 have to鈥攊ntermediate to advanced skiers are welcome (from $750).

Do a Biathlon with Glenn Jobe

Boreal Mountain, California

Biathlon, which combines Nordic skiing with shooting, isn鈥檛 a sport you want to pick up without some basic instruction and safety tips, so why not have your coach be a former Olympian? The two-hour at Auburn Ski Club Training Center on California鈥檚 Donner Summit costs only $85 and is taught by the club鈥檚 biathlon director, Glenn Jobe, who competed at the 1980 games in Lake Placid, New York.

Ski with Wendy Fisher

Crested Butte, Colorado

On select Wednesdays this winter at Crested Butte, Wendy Fisher will be teaching for intermediate and advanced skiers. Fisher raced at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, and later won two big-mountain freeskiing world titles. Her clinics are designed for groups of up to six people and cost听$135 per person, or you can book Fisher for a private lesson starting at $583.

The post 5 Places You Can Shred with Olympians This Winter appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

April is skiing鈥檚 most underrated month. There are warmer temperatures, no lift lines, and plenty of season-ending parties and pond skims. Right now听there are still , including many in the Northeast, where nor鈥檈asters blanketed the region throughout March. If you didn鈥檛 know, it鈥檚 also the best time to buy next season鈥檚 ski pass.

Don鈥檛 believe me? Look at听 ($899), which is good for unlimited skiing at 15 North American resorts听and limited skiing at 46 others in听eight countries. If you buy before April 15, you also get six transferable buddy tickets.听Until April 9, the , which includes skiing at 26 resorts, is offering $250 off a kids鈥� pass听(making it听$199)听when you also buy an adult pass ($899). Buy the Mountain Collective pass this spring, good for two days at resorts like Snowbird, Aspen, and Jackson Hole ($409),听and a child鈥檚 pass will cost you just $1.

Ski areas have long offered lower pricing tiers in spring and summer to help with cash flow and as a hedge against a potentially dry听upcoming season. But after the lackluster听snowfall this season in California and much of Colorado, resorts are stepping up the promos听in hopes of getting skiers to commit.

On the East Coast,听passes at many of New Hampshire鈥檚 resorts, including Waterville Valley and Loon, have better听. Pass prices at Maine鈥檚 Sunday River and Sugarloaf听will go up after April 30. At Wyoming鈥檚 Jackson Hole, they鈥檙e offering the before June for $180听cheaper than the August price (normally $1,579), and you听get five buddy passes (good for 50 percent off a lift ticket).

One offer with potential for added adventure听comes from听Montana鈥檚 Big Sky Resort. Purchase an for next season ($1,299) by April 8, and riders over 18听are entered into a drawing to win a heli-ski day on the resort after the season ends. The winner, two friends, and a guide and photographer will have the whole mountain to themselves, and a helicopter will drop everyone at the 11,166-foot summit of Lone Peak for as many runs as they can handle between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. 鈥淟ast year鈥檚 closing day, April 23, was a powder day, and we are getting snow right now, so the skiing should be great,鈥� says Big Sky听spokeswoman Chelsi Moy. There鈥檒l also be a champagne brunch听at the Lone Peak summit before the final run.

Lone Peak is best known for runs like the North Summit Snowfield听and the Big Couloir鈥攁 1,400-foot, sustained 50-degree slope so daunting that riders normally have to sign in with ski patrol and bring avalanche gear and a partner to be allowed in. Not ready to check Big Couloir off your bucket list yet? There are plenty of mellower runs off the south side of the peak, and the chopper will meet you wherever you end up. Either way, Moy says, 鈥渨ithout ski patrol鈥檚 ropes, moving chair lifts or ski tracks other than your own, it鈥檒l feel like a remote, wild mountain.鈥�

Still want to ski now? Sunday River and Sugarloaf will let you grab a few last turns on next year鈥檚 pass. Next-season鈥檚听Ikon pass will get you free skiing every day for the rest of this season at five resorts: Squaw Valley, Blue Mountain, Mammoth, and Winter Park. Squaw Valley鈥檚 famous Cushing Crossing pond skim is April 28, and .

All of which proves that, when it comes to buying a ski pass, it pays to be impatient.听

The post Why You Should Buy a Ski Pass Right Now appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On Wednesday morning, we got more information on the much-anticipated .听 The Ikon is seen as a competitor to Vail鈥檚 , which turned the industry on its ear when it debuted in 2008, offering unlimited access to a half-dozen world-class resorts for less than $600. It has since dominated the industry, buying up Park City and Whistler Blackcomb and prompting independent resorts to band together to offer passes through the . Last year, Aspen Skiing Company joined KSL Capital Partners to buy ten resorts, including Mammoth, and Steamboat. Since then, skiers have been anxiously waiting for the pass that would gain them access to the company's holdings.

We finally got those details. The Ikon pass grants access to 26 North American ski resorts. Pass holders will be able to access to 12 of them, including Mammoth, Steamboat, and Squaw Valley, without restrictions. They will also get a handful of days at another dozen including Aspen, Jackson Hole, and Killington. Revelstoke, Sugarbush, and Banff鈥檚 Lake Louise, Banff Sunshine, and Mt. Norquay trio鈥攁ll of which were part of the Mountain Collective鈥攁re also joining the pass.

The Ikon will sell for $899 for a full pass, and $599 for a pass with holiday blackout dates and two fewer days at key partners like Jackson Hole, Killington, and Big Sky. While Vail hasn鈥檛 announced Epic Pass pricing for next season, we expect it to be fairly similar to this year鈥檚 $849 pass. Which means we can finally compare the two mega passes boot-to-boot with (almost) all the pieces in place.

Which pass gets me the most access?

The Ikon includes unlimited skiing at a dozen resorts including Steamboat, Copper, and Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows (see the ), and seven days each at Deer Valley, Jackson Hole, Big Sky, Killington, Revelstoke, and Sugarbush. Then there are four groups of mountains鈥攖he four Aspen/Snowmass peaks; Alta and Snowbird; Banff, Lake Louise, and Mt. Norquay; and a grouping of Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Loon Mountain鈥攖hat also offer seven days per group. That鈥檚 a total of 26 resorts at 63,709 acres.

Telluride has jumped ship from the Mountain Collective to the Epic Pass, giving holders seven days at the resort. It joins unlimited skiing at 15 resorts, including Vail, Breckenridge, Park City, and Whistler Blackcomb, for a total of 46,000 acres. The Epic Pass also includes a handful of days apiece at 30 different European resorts in Italy, France, Switzerland, and Austria, some of which require booking lodging. That adds more than 100,000 acres to the mix, which throws the Epic pass far into the lead if you take a European ski vacation.

How many days will I have to ski to make the passes pay for themselves?

With lift tickets pushing $169 a day during holidays at both Aspen and Vail, you鈥檒l pay for either pass in six days of skiing at those resorts.

While most other resorts (hopefully) won鈥檛 hit those prices next season, you鈥檒l still easily pay for the pass in a five-day trip to the Rockies or British Columbia plus a couple of local New England or California weekends (where it鈥檚 easy enough to score an $80 ticket on Liftopia).

If you are lucky enough to live near a resort with unlimited skiing, the Ikon and Epic passes are a no-brainer. And if you take more than one ski trip in a year, it makes just as much sense. The only reason that serious skiers wouldn鈥檛 want one of these is if they live in Aspen, Jackson, or Telluride and don鈥檛 plan on traveling to ski. Then the resort pass (which fall in the $1,400-$2,000 range) is a better deal.

Who is happiest today?

Skiers who live in metropolitan areas in the Rockies.

Denver skiers can now pick from Ikon鈥檚 unlimited skiing at, in order of driving distance from the front range, Eldora, Winter Park, Steamboat, and Copper. Or they can buy the Epic and instead ski Keystone, A-Basin, Breck, Vail, Beaver Creek, or Telluride. It鈥檚 hard to lose.

Salt Lakers can pick between Park City鈥檚 unlimited Epic Pass, or go with the Ikon鈥檚 seven days at Alta/Snowbird and Deer Valley, with an easy drive to a week in Jackson Hole.

Who is not as happy?

Anybody living in Aspen. We suspect that many in the Roaring Fork valley assumed that they鈥檇 get all access to the local hill plus all the others, since the owners of Aspen (the Crown family) are also members of the group that runs the Ikon Pass.

Steamboat residents have to be a little torn. On the one hand, their season pass just dropped from $1,400 (or $1,200 for the early bird) to $899, now with skiing at a bunch of other resorts. On the other hand, here comes everyone.

What鈥檚 the better pass if I live east of the Mississippi River?

With full time access to Stratton, Tremblant, Blue, and Snowshoe鈥攁nd a week apiece at Killington, Sugarbush, and some combo of Sunday River, Sugarbush and Loon鈥攖he Ikon is the obvious choice for the Ice Coaster. (The Epic鈥檚 lone East Coast entry is Stowe.)

Midwesterners will probably want to go with the Epic, thanks to access to Afton Alps, Wilmot, and Mt. Brighton.

How about if I live in California?

Southern Californians are going to want the Ikon, with its access to Mammoth and Big Bear and the road-trippable Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows and June Mountain. For northern Californians, the choice is tougher. Tahoe resorts Northstar, Heavenly, and Kirkwood are part of the Epic Pass, and Vail also offered a last year for $549 with unrestricted riding at the California resorts and five days at the Rockies resorts.

Should I get one of the lower-priced passes?

The lower-tier Ikon Base pass ($599, if you鈥檝e forgotten) is pretty similar to the Epic Local Pass, which came in at $639 last year. Both restrict access in exchange for the lower price. The Ikon Base blacks out Presidents Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekends, as well as the week after Christmas (December 26 to 31). It also gives passholders five days apiece at the partner resorts instead of seven.

Vail鈥檚 Epic Local Pass, on the other hand, at all to Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin, and the Midwestern hills last year, though it did black out peak periods at Park City and the Tahoe resorts, and allotted just ten days total at Vail, Beaver Creek, Stowe, and Whistler Blackcomb, with blackouts during Thanksgiving, Christmas week, Presidents Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekends. The听Epic is probably a better pass if you want to do some skiing somewhere holiday times.

What pass is better for families with kids?

Ikon, hands down. The Ikon pass for kids under 12 is $199 if you also buy an adult Ikon pass. Last year, the Epic Pass for kids under 12 was $449. (Though it wouldn鈥檛 be entirely surprising if Vail lowers their rate to compete with the Ikon.)

Which pass has better skiing?

This is like comparing Ford to Chevy. The Epic has some, well, epic skiing at Whistler, A-Basin, and Vail; Ikon has Squaw Valley, Mammoth, and days at Snowbird, Jackson, and Aspen.

If there鈥檚 one thing that differentiates the passes, it鈥檚 their respective mountains鈥� proximity to populated areas. The Epic Pass鈥檚 mountains are clustered near major cities鈥擠enver, Salt Lake City, Vancouver, and the Bay Area鈥攚hile the Ikon has farther flung partners like Jackson Hole, Revelstoke, and Aspen. If you want ease of access, go with the Epic; if you want to avoid the heavier lift lines, you鈥檒l appreciate the Ikon.

Wait, what about Crested Butte, Sun Valley, and Taos?

As of today, each is un-aligned with either pass. Each are a part of the Mountain Collective, however, which will continue next season (with the subtraction of Telluride). After that, though, we鈥檇 expect all three to be fielding offers from both Ikon and Epic.

The post Battle of the Ski Passes: Ikon vs. Epic appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When Walmsley toes the starting听line of June鈥檚 Western States 100 in Squaw Valley, Califor颅nia, it will be听the culmination of a year鈥檚 worth听of 100-mile training weeks on the rugged terrain outside his home. In that time, the 27-year-old has also set course records at six of the seven races he鈥檚 run and shattered the fastest known time on the 42-mile rim-to-rim-to-rim route of the Grand Canyon (5:55:20). Yet,听in a sport plagued by career-ending injuries, somehow Walmsley hasn鈥檛 been hurt once during his phenomenal stretch of success.听

鈥�I drink a recovery beverage within 30 minutes after running鈥攁s soon as possible. I鈥檓 replenishing, rehydrating, and getting my sugars, salts, and protein back in. Usually, it鈥檚 a Clif recovery drink, but honestly a soda is better than nothing.鈥�
听
鈥�Sleep and water are my two biggest performance boosters.鈥�

鈥淎fter big races, I go straight into shuffle mode: two to four miles at a nine-to-颅thirteen-minute-mile pace鈥攐n flat roads in my squishiest Hokas. I give myself at least three days of shuffling, and then, if I鈥檓 still feeling like I need time off, I鈥檒l take it.鈥�
听
鈥淚 eat donuts, cookies, ice cream, and听pizza. You have to keep that furnace burning. Whole foods are your best friend, but if you鈥檙e craving fatty, starchy foods and you鈥檙e putting in the work, listen to those urges. It鈥檚 OK to carry a few extra pounds when you鈥檙e really training鈥攖hat鈥檚 fuel.鈥�

鈥淚f you have an injury, find something听you can do that will allow you to not take days off鈥攁 body in motion is more likely to stay healthy.鈥�
听
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a warm-up routine, but I听do dynamic stretches. I bounce, twist,听jump, and then head out the door.听Nothing too rigorous. But people make听fun of me for it.鈥�

鈥淚 change up my shoes all the time. I run in trail shoes, flats, road shoes, and Hokas. If I wear one pair too much, I get irritations, my Achilles gets overworked, my feet start hurting. Varying your shoes keeps your body adaptable.鈥澨�
听
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of luck to staying healthy. There鈥檚 no perfect approach. There鈥檚听no 100 percent or 鈥榓lways this.鈥� 鈥�

鈥�Your body is going to win eventually听if you keep pushing, pushing, pushing.鈥�

The post What Ultrarunner Jim Walmsley Can Teach Us appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.