Latest posts on skiing, snowboarding, and snow science
Shred the gnar: meaning and origin of the saying
You won’t spend much time on the slopes without hearing the quintessential slang phrase.
Why I’m launching snow.news
snow.news is a free multimedia newsletter for people who love snow and want to know what’s happening with the American West’s snowpack.
A is for Albedo
Albedo is a measure of the fraction of solar energy that is reflected from a surface.
What is a powder day clause and why do you need one?
A powder day clause is an element of one’s work arrangement in which the party can blow off their job and go skiing/riding when there’s fresh pow.
Face shot: powder nirvana and a staple of ski porn
What is a face shot? A face shot occurs when snow sprays a skier or snowboarder’s face on a powder day. The snow must be deep and light enough (e.g., blower, Champagne Powder®) and the rider must have sufficient speed to elevate the snow to face level. I took the shot above with a GoPro camera attached to the end of my ski pole. I was skiing the Mine Dump trail at Copper Mountain and found the tops of the moguls to be
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.
