Latest posts on skiing, snowboarding, and snow science
A is for Albedo
Albedo is a measure of the fraction of solar energy that is reflected from a surface.
Balaclava: essential winter gear since the Crimean War
The balaclava face mask is essential gear if you ski or snowboard and the origin of the word has nothing to do with a Greek dessert.
No friends on a powder day
Forget the posse and ditch your bros: if it’s nuking and you want first tracks, you better remember there are no friends on powder days.
Alpenglow: fire on the mountain
Learn the origin, meaning, and cause of alpenglow, a rosy hue seen on mountains around sunrise and sunset.
Snow cornice: beautiful but potentially deadly
A mass of overhanging ice or snow, typically found on a ridgetop or edge of a cirque.
Sick day, as in ski sickness (aka Häusler’s disease)
Ski sickness is a form of motion sickness that can strike skiers when visibility is poor in fog, whiteout, blizzards, and flat light conditions.
