What a day it was in Whistler - As if the much-hyped opening of Whistler’s record breaking PEAK2PEAK gondola wasn’t enough, it was a solid 10cm day on the mountains- and as of 5pm, it’s still snowing in Whistler Village. Read our full recap of the day’s events below, check out our flickr photostream of the event, and stay tuned right here for video of the opening and more images of the views from peak2peak as clearing skies are expected for tomorrow. Read More…

We’re live all week from Whistler Blackcomb for what is sure to be the skiing & riding event of the year - the opening of the Peak2Peak Gondola. Stay tuned to The Access Road for live updates from the launch event and our multi-part series on visiting this most special town. There will be more PEAK2PEAK launch photos than you can shake a stick at! Read More…

Each year in late November, I make sure not to miss the Boston Ski & Snowboard Expo. It’s just one of many such events in larger cities scattered across the country where resorts come together with a handful of event sponsors, equipment manufacturers and retailers to show what they’ve got for the upcoming season. There’s usually thousands of participants, hundreds of resorts, a handful of “celebrity” appearances, and it’s generally a good time - this year was no exception.

Something I’ve noticed each year at this event is the heavy competition between destinations. Who opened new facilities or terrain over the summer months? Who averaged more snowfall last season? And most importantly, who is already open? And every year, it seems that there’s one resort that really pushes the envelope, opening weeks before everyone else. In New England, that resort is Jay Peak. Read More…

I‘m often happy to use skiing and a lack of cell coverage as an excuse to disconnect for the day. “Sorry, but I’ll be skiing all day - and you know how bad the cell coverage is up at mount ______!”

When surrounded by peaks, it doesn’t surprise me that cell service is poor or nonexistent. You can’t expect cell carriers to put a tower within sight of every remote bowl and trail walled in by cliffs, I know. But what surprises me is that it’s often still difficult to get a signal within miles and miles of many resorts on regular highways and secondary roads. Sure, it’s rural, but people live and work in these places, and it seems as though carriers just haven’t gone that last mile where many mountains are located.

Well, not so fast - it seems as though Verizon Wireless, for one, is seeking to cater to the snowsports audience. Read More…

I’ll admit it – every now and then when I’m waiting in a lift line, gazing aimlessly at the people around me, I’ll start to play a little game. You see, when a person’s eyes are obscured by goggles and just about every other square inch is covered with clothing, it’s difficult to get an idea of who is beneath. So I hazard a guess based on their jacket. Here are my findings - just remember, it’s all in good fun. Read More…

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While GPS technology has put a tremendous amount of information and power into the hands of outdoor enthusiasts, skiers and riders have for the most part been left out. Sure, top-end models like Garmin’s Colorado and Oregon handhelds come with detailed pre-loaded topo maps, but they offer no information about your location relative to lifts, trails, lodges, or other features you may find at a ski resort.

Until now. A company called Mountain Dynamics has been quietly expanding their line of GPS uploadable resort maps for four years now, and has a pretty impressive list of detailed maps that are easily integrated with many popular handheld GPS devices. The maps, sold under the SnowRanger brand name, are sold in regional sets for $29.95. Read More…

Before I’d seen this video, the worst possible chairlift scenario I could imagine was the chairs detatching and falling to the ground. It turns out that falling off the cable would be the easy way out - Watch this thing turn into a meat grinder right before your eyes. Read More…

Last year was a banner year to say the least. The snow came early and often, even throwing in a few last minute surprises that had resorts in New England scrambling to fire up the lifts weeks after their scheduled closings. No wonder it was a record breaking year, with resorts racking up over 60 million skier visits.

This year is off to a slightly more uneven start. While things may be shaping up quite well north of the border (Whistler managed to open a day early this past wednesday), conditions in the western United States have been warm and dry, pushing back opening dates by a couple of weeks in many places. In the northeast, on the other hand, the last 72 hours have helped many resorts turn the corner to opening day, as 12-18 inches of snow fell from Vermont to Maine. Read More…

Since this is our first week and all, we thought it would be a good idea to give you a heads up on what’s in store. In the next few days, you’ll start to see consistent posts on news and events as they happen. In addition to these short posts, featured posts will be pushed out on a weekly basis. These articles will be longer and more detailed pieces from a variety of writers covering important events, in-depth product reviews, and other items of interest. Read More…