Adventure

What those resort signs really mean.

Washington D.C. may get upwards of 28 inches of snow this weekend, with a massive storm nailing the Mid-Eastern Seaboard from Pennsylvania to Virgina. People are calling it a "snowpocalypse" and clearing the shelves at their grocery stores in preparation. The good news for skiers? There will be powder at Snowshoe, West Virginia. We spoke to Snowshoe's spokesperson for tips on getting there this weekend.

The FWT has already been to La Parva, Chile, and Revelstoke, BC. Now some of the best big-mountain athletes in the world are descending on Telluride, Colorado, for the third stop of the Freeskiing World Tour. Here's a video preview of this weekend's event.

Yes, there’s skiing in the southwest. Good skiing at that. And it's been dumping there lately. Here's everything you need to know about skiing in New Mexico.

You may go to Santa Fe for the green chile, the Georgia O'Keefe museum, or the turquoise jewelry, but while you're there, you might as well ski some untouched steeps at the Santa Fe Ski Basin. Here's everything you need to know to plan your trip. —Jake Davis

Tips on where to ski on a powder day, what not to eat for lunch, and where to find a cheap place to stay.

According to our powder forecaster, much anticipated storms might be heading toward the Sierra, the Wasatch, and the Rockies by this weekend.

The last column in writer Tim Neville's six-part series on living as an American in Switzerland. In this column, he returns home for a trip to Bend, Oregon, and nearly doesn't leave.

Chris Tatsuno, winner of the Powder Highway’s Ultimate Ski Bum Contest, sat down with us at last week in Denver to talk about his first day of free heli-skiing and visiting British Columbia’s best resorts. What does the world’s biggest ski bum forecast in his future? Tatsuno shares details about his Warren Miller segment, more heli-skiing, and his webisodes.

Whether you’re recovering from a late night of revelry or gearing up for a big day on the hill, here’s a guide to Whistler’s best breakfast spots. Check them out if you're heading to the Winter Olympic Games later this month.

Michelle Parker spoke to Jen Hudak, who won Friday night's Women's Superpipe Finals at the Winter X Games in Aspen, about how she gets ready for competition and what it's like riding a 22-foot pipe.

Get ready to hear the name Patrick Deneen a lot around the middle of February, because the Washington state-based mogul skier is gearing up to dominate at the Vancouver Olympics. Heather Hansman talked to him about heated rivalries, getting hated on by the judges, and his least favorite Olympic sport.

The last night of the Winter X Games featured the men's Superpipe Finals, with Frenchmen Kevin Rolland taking the top honors.

An inside look into the Oakley athlete mansion and a conversation with Tanner Hall.

Bobby Brown of Breckenridge, Colorado, won his second gold medal of this year's Winter X after finishing first in today's slopestyle comp.

Photographer TIm Dolen was on hand for Friday night's women's Superpipe final and the men's Big Air final.

Pro freeskier Michelle Parker talks to last year's X Games women's slopestyle winner Anna Segal—who's sitting out this weekend's competition in Aspen due to a knee injury—about teddy bears, after parties, and her picks for top three men and women in slope and pipe.

It's X Games time and our first post breaks down the Big Air competition.

K2 Athletes Pep Fujas and Andy Mahre travel to Gulmarg, India, to check out the terrain at Gulmarg Heli Ski.

K2 Athletes Pep Fujas and Andy Mahre go skiing in India.

A 17-year-old Utah skier tops out and manages to get some turns in on the way down.

It's one wicked-old ski race in New England.

This season, Quebec’s Mont Tremblant opened a $61 million casino, connected via gondola to the ski resort’s base area. Sure, gambling and skiing are fine on their own. But do these two great tastes taste great together?

This season, Quebec’s Mont Tremblant opened a $61 million casino, connected via gondola to the ski resort’s base area. Sure, gambling and skiing are fine on their own. But do these two great tastes taste great together?

The Stormchaser gives us good news: More snow is coming our way.

Any resort that boasts 5,620 vertical feet is noteworthy; it’s hardly necessary to talk about activities outside of skiing. But fortunately, Revelstoke, British Columbia’s surroundings are equally impressive. Here is the to-do list of other things to check out after you’re done skiing powder in Revelstoke. —Molly Baker

The Winter X Games are happening this week in Aspen, Colorado, so we asked former X Games competitor Michelle Parker (who’s out for the season with a knee injury) to speak to a couple of this year’s Winter X hopefuls—including Kaya Turski, interviewed here. Michelle spoke to Kaya about her pre-competition rituals, what's on her iPod, and her 53-hour roadtrip from Montreal to Mammoth.

On steep slopes, the risks are higher—if you fall, it’s harder to stop. But so are the rewards. Pitches tilted past 40 degrees can be thrilling if you overcome your fears and tackle the terrain confidently. Learn how to self arrest and more. —Hillary Procknow

On Shane McConkey, compost, and recovering from two knee injuries.

Storms in the Pacific Northwest hamper visibility. So get some depth perception in the rocky chutes and protected tree runs accessed by Crystal Mountain’s Northway lift. Before the resort installed the 1,870-vertical-foot fixed-grip lift in 2007, this zone was a backcountry stash for locals. Now the chair helps disperse skier traffic and has increased Crystal’s lift-served terrain by 62 percent.

With the Winter X Games taking place this week in Aspen, Colorado, we asked former X Games competitor Michelle Parker (who’s currently out with a knee injury) to speak to a couple of this year’s Winter X hopefuls—including Meg Olenick, interviewed here—about what goes through their heads the night before competing, who their podium picks are, and if they have their runs already dialed.

There's a good chance of bodily harm at La Grave, France’s Derby de la Meije.

Tucker is your typical golden retriever who likes to roll in the snow and chase balls. He and his owner, Pete York of the Squaw Valley Ski Patrol, also work together on avalanche rescue operations and will travel to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics to assist with security. By Olivia Dwyer

The Focus section of our magazine is where we showcase some of the best photographs of the year, and the stories behind how they were taken. Here is a collection of those images.

We spoke to pro skier and BASE-jumper Suzanne Graham yesterday at Alta, Utah, about BASE jumping, med school, and how to fight the powder-hungry masses on Alta's famous High Traverse (hint: it's all in your elbows).

We spoke to pro skier and BASE-jumper Suzanne Graham yesterday at Alta, Utah, about BASE jumping, med school, and how to fight the powder-hungry masses on Alta's famous High Traverse (hint: it's all in your elbows).

Taking your mom to the volcano is easier than it sounds. We've got a story—and video—of a backcountry tour (with my mom!) with Sierra Mountain Guides near Mammoth.

The already-huge big mountain paradise gracing Golden B.C. will be getting a hell of a lot more terrain and lifts.

So you’re heading to the Olympics in Whistler. Be prepared for deep snow (they’re already reporting one of the best seasons on record), world-class terrain, sporting, and revelry. Whether you’re celebrating an American victory or kicking up your boots after a day on the hill, Whistler’s watering holes elevate après to an Olympic level. Here’s a guide to the best après spots in Whistler.

The British Columbia-based athlete and star of TGR films rounds out a strong team.

Finally, winter is descending on Jackson Hole. It snowed 8 inches on Tuesday, another 3 the day after, a skiff on Thursday morning, and now the forecast calls for a foot by the weekend. In short, it's utterly, totally ON. And it's empty. According to a local patroller who asked not to be named, many Jackson locals were so impatient with the slow start that they've "given up." The mountain's marketing team is killing themselves to sell tickets and they're basically giving them away. Read on for more.

There's an unspoken rule in ski country. Most ski techs will work for beer.

At Arctic Man, skiers and snow-machiners unite for one of skiing's weirdest races. There are busted bones, burning couches, and hopes of seeing Todd Palin. Surviving the 4.5-mile race is the easy part. We have helmet cam footage and in-depth account from last spring's race in Alaska.

If Michael Jantzen’s vision is realized, the next all-in-one ski hotel will include solar panels, wind turbines, and a four-season slope that starts at the rooftop and brings skiers down to ground level. He shares the inspiration behind his concept North Slope Ski Hotel, a 95-room, eco-friendly luxury hotel. By Olivia Dwyer

Finally, winter is arriving in full force, with a massive storm blowing through California (dropping up to 10 feet by Friday) then sweeping east with predictions of up to 18 inches in Utah and 35 inches in southwest Colorado. Welcome to the white room.

We understand: The economy may be affecting your ski-travel budget this winter. But don't fret. We've put together a handy map of travel and resort deals—where to find discounts on lodging, lift tickets, and more, at your favorite resorts around the country, including links to our guides on how to ski those resorts once you're there. We'll be updating the map regularly—so bookmark this page and check back before you plan your next trip.

Pro skiers Ingrid Backstrom and Jessica Sobolowski share tips during their recent freeskiing camp at Squaw Valley to teach women how to tackle big-mountain skiing, from scouting lines to self-arrests. By Olivia Dwyer

We spoke to Glen Plake, a pioneer of extreme skiing and the spokesperson for January as “Learn a Snow Sports” month, as he was boarding a flight to Moscow, Russia, about Midwestern ski areas, high school ski racing, and why skiing isn’t a sport just for the filthy rich.

We chatted with pro skier and photographer Drew Stoecklein about his raft-assisted ski trip in Idaho last spring, consuming alcohol out of rubber booties, and what he'd do with a dead bear.

A helicopter dropped 27 U.S Freeskiing competitors on top of Mt. Mackenzie for the final day of the Canadian Freeskiing Championships at Revelstoke Mountain Resort on January 10, 2010. Using helmet cameras, Zack Giffin captures the crowd’s enthusiasm along with some powder skiing.

I thought I knew about going fast on ice. I’ve skied the east, after all. But when Audi invited me to go to Austria to drive their cars on ice, I realized I had a lot to learn. Here are some driving tips I picked up while spinning donuts on Austrian ice. —Niall Bouzon

January is "Learn a Snow Sports" month. So why not pick up Nordic jumping? As the 2010 Olympic athletes gear up for their trip to Vancouver in a few weeks, you can fine tune your own skills at Olympic events in Park City, the site of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. They've got introductory courses in nearly all Olympic disciplines, from bobsledding to curling to slalom skiing.

Only 28 days let until the 2010 Winter Olympics head to Whistler and Vancouver. This video podcast from Whistler Blackcomb looks at some local Whistler-area athletes, including ski cross athlete Julia Murray, daughter of famous Canadian downhill skier Dave Murray, Maelle Ricker, a snowboard cross athlete, and halfpipe snowboarder Justin Lamoureux, who reflects on his experiences at the last Winter Olympic Games in Torino and what it means for him to compete on home soil.

Meet our online columnist Tom Winter. He'll be covering everything from powder days to ski-town bars from Colorado to Austria. Check back here for regular updates from him throughout the winter.

Bear Valley Ski Resort, located in the Central Sierra Nevada Range in California, hopes to remain quaint despite plans for major renovations this spring, including village developments, a new lift, and the addition of 400 skiable acres.

Every local has their favorite watering hole and every ski town has some great ones. While we can’t guarantee that a visit to one of these bars will give you that warm fuzzy, “I’m home, mom” feeling, we can say that if you’re looking for a warm place with cold beer to end up when your day is finished, these fine establishments should be at the top of your list. And if your favorite isn’t here, don’t be shy, let us know by posting your recommendations in the “comments” section below. —Tom Winter

A five-step process to search for and recover an avalanche victim.

The Ski Area Citizens' Coalition, an organization that ranks ski resorts' environmental practices, calls Colorado's Silverton Mountain a "little ski area that rocks." The mountain has one lift—which services over 1,800 acres of expert-only terrain and accesses over 3,000 feet of vertical drop—no grooming, no snowmaking, no cut trails, and no beginner runs. We spoke to co-owner Aaron Brill while riding the chairlift about Silverton's reuse and recycle motto.

Red Bull's innovative backcountry freestyle competition, Linecatcher, is back for 2010. Frenchman Candide Thouvex, back in his first competition since breaking his back in 2007, took first place at the first stop in Vars, France. Check out his winning run.

A new thriller looks at what happens when ski trips go wrong.

Not that you needed any. But here are the six best things about booking a trip to CMH’s Cariboo Lodge in BC. By Kelley McMillan

For the third year in a row, photographer Jordan Manley has won Whistler's Deep Winter Photo Challenge, which ran through January 10. Paul Morrison earned second place and best-in-show photo, and Nicolas Teichrob, in his debut at the contest, placed third. Here are a few shots from Manley.

Whislter's Peak to Peak Gondola opened in December 2008. The largest construction project of its kind in North America, the gondola connects Whistler to Blackcomb so that if you want to take turns in Symphony Bowl and Seventh Heaven in the same hour, you can. The gondola spans 2.7 miles in 11 minutes—three times longer than the Golden Gate Bridge. With the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler just around the corner, here are some shots of the gondola being constructed.

Check out The Editors's author page.

Americans Arne Backstrom and Jessica McMillan take the top honors at this weekend's Canadian Freeskiing Championships at Revelstoke. We spoke to McMillan about the competition.

The Powderchaser doesn't have great news for us this week—not much snow in the forecast, sadly—but the long term forecast (the next seven to 14 days) is looking more promising for the intermountain West.

Whislter's Peak to Peak Gondola opened in December 2008. The largest construction project of its kind in North America, the gondola connects Whistler to Blackcomb so that if you want to take turns in Symphony Bowl and Seventh Heaven in the same hour, you can. The gondola spans 2.7 miles in 11 minutes—three times longer than the Golden Gate Bridge.

Check out The Editors's author page.

Lately some pro skiers have been using their influence to start nonprofits. We take a look at SheJumps, an organization co-founded by pro skier Lynsey Dyer, that aims to get girls into the outdoors. We also check out Alpine Initiatives, started by a group of skiers, that helps developing countries in need.

A new book tells the story of the deadliest avalanche in ski-resort history—which happened 28 years ago. We spoke to the book's author and the slide's lone survivor, a woman who spent five days buried in a building collapsed by the avalanche. By Megan Michelson.

This week, the first North American stop of the Freeskiing World Tour takes place in Revelstoke, BC. We'll be covering the event from a competitor's point of view. But before we get to the actual skiing, here's a look at the kickoff party that took place on December 26 at Green Street in Salt Lake City.

There are several legendary inbounds bootpacks in the Western U.S., places where the resort's toughest skiers hike for their turns. Take the Ridge at Bridger Bowl, Taos' Kachina Peak, Jackson Hole's Headwall, or Aspen's Highland Bowl. We spoke to ski patrol at Highlands to find out the best technique for carrying your skis up the bootpack.

Oregon's Wallowa Avalanche Center opened this fall as the Wallowa Mountains' first-ever avalanche forecaster. If only it'd been open one year ago, it could have saved one man's life.

If your New Year's resolution is to finally ski Jackson Hole, we are here to help. Check out our goals for 2010 (including carpooling to the ski hill and buying powder skis) then tell us what your ski-related New Year's resolution is and you can win a four-day trip for two to Jackson Hole, Wyoming (including airfare, lodging, and lift tickets!).

Ski racer Lindsey Vonn was just named Female Athlete of the Decade by NBC's Universal Sports. After months of waiting for an interview, we finally managed to get Vonn to answer some of our questions. But instead of asking her about the Vancouver Olympics coming up in February, we spoke to the two-time World Champion about what it's like being hounded by the press.

A report from a 10-inch day at Grand Targhee, and updates and predictions on where the snow is falling across the country.

Scott Markewitz is one of the best ski photographers in the business. And from February 4-7, he's teaching the inaugural Scott Markewitz Photography Workshop at Snowbird, Utah. It's a three-day instructional workshop for all levels of photographers who want to learn to take better action and scenic shots. Here is a gallery of Markewitz's work and more info on the workshop.

Just in time for 2010, California's Alpine Meadows Ski Area is getting hammered with snow and is debuting a high-tech snow cat turned mobile entertainment system with a 210-square-foot stage. The machine will be unveiled at noon on December 31.

Known for their ski porns, Teton Gravity Research has released an award-winning new film about climate change's impact on skiing. We spoke to producer Steve Jones about the simple things you can do to cut your carbon emissions and what TGR is doing to offset all that heli time.

A year and a half ago, American ski racer Caitlin Ciccone quit racing for good. Or so she thought. Now with the 2010 Vancouver Olympics around the corner, she’s trying to make the U.S. Women’s Ski Cross team. That is, if she can raise enough money to go to the Games.