Podcast appearances and mentions of Crystal Mountain

The Bowhunter Chronicles Podcast - Episode 406: Wood Chuck Taco's and Death Metal Eddie Discover the raw truths behind the ultimate deer camp experience — no cameras, no scripts, just genuine stories and unexpected adventures. When the microphones are off, the real moments happen — from surprise signs at the airport to wild tales of woodchuck tacos and wind-battered shots at 122 yards. If you're craving authentic camaraderie, unfiltered stories, and the chaos that makes hunting trips unforgettable, this episode is your front-row seat.Join Nate and Adam as they dive into the behind-the-scenes of Tack, capturing the essence of deer camp that's less about the hunt and more about the brotherhood. They discuss the irreplaceable vibe of campfire conversations, the unpredictable weather, and the challenge of balancing serious shooting with spontaneous fun. You'll discover how the group navigates long-range shots, equipment mishaps, and the infamous “crown of dicks” tradition — all while sharing hilarious stories about Bowhunter Chronicles' extended family.We break down: The temperature, wind, and muddy courses that challenged shooters at Crystal Mountain — and how weather impacted the weekend. Surprising long-distance attempts, wind-battling tricks, and the chaos of shooting twelve guys at once. A  glimpse into the famous "Woodchuck Taco" feast that had everyone talking. The gear talk, from limb-driven rests to the latest in bow tech — and why some old-school trad bows stole the show. How environment, music, and camaraderie influence performance — with a special focus on why louder tunes seem to boost some shooters' spirits. Why does this matter? Because real relationships, messy adventures, and unexpected moments forge the best memories in the outdoors. This episode is perfect for anyone craving authentic connections in hunting, archery, or just life in general. If you've ever wondered what truly happens when the cameras are off, hit play — and prepare to laugh, learn, and feel inspired.Plus, hear stories of new faces at camp, the importance of humility, and the future of the Total Archery Challenge community. Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just love the chaos of deer camp, this episode delivers a genuine slice of the outdoors, unpolished and unforgettable.Get ready for behind-the-scenes stories that will make you appreciate the real spirit of hunting — when the cameras are off, the stories become legendary. Essential listening if you love camaraderie, chaos, and the true essence of outdoor adventure. https://huntworthgear.com     https://www.yellowstone.ai/  - CHRONICLES for 15% off  https://www.paintedarrow.com - BHC15 for 15% off https://www.spartanforge.ai (https://www.spartanforge.ai/)  - save 25% with code bowhunter   https://www.latitudeoutdoors.com (https://www.latitudeoutdoors.com/) https://www.zingerfletches.com (https://www.zingerfletches.com/) https://www.lucky-buck.com (https://www.lucky-buck.com/) https://www.bigshottargets.com (https://www.bigshottargets.com/)   https://genesis3dprinting.com (https://genesis3dprinting.com/) https://vitalizeseed.com (https://vitalizeseed.com/) http://bit.ly/BHCPatreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're broadcasting from the Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. Throughout the show we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so we could hear about all of the fun and exciting things they have to offer. We were also joined by some of our great insiders to talk about the Detroit Pistons, Detroit Lions, PGA Championship, and more. We kicked off the show talking with John Maakaron from the Detroit Sports Podcast. He and Huge talked about the Pistons game tonight, gave their thoughts on the Detroit Lions schedule, and more. We wrapped up the hour talking with Cathy Cooper from Meijer about the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. She told us what we can expect, talked about some of the new things coming this year, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by Mark Fenech from Crystal Mountain and Mark Wilson who is a PGA Rules Official. They talked about the PGA Championship, gave their thoughts on the Leaderboard, talked about who they think could win it, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In our final hour, we were joined by Mitch Lyons from Mitch Lyons Wealth. He and Huge talked about how the Tigers have been playing, talked about all of the injuries on the team, talked about the Detroit Lions schedule, talked about the Pistons game tonight and more. We were then joined by Eric Vincent from Clutch Points and Top Title Detroit on Youtube. He and Huge talked about a big game for the Pistons tonight, talked about what they would like to see out of the Pistons tonight, and more. We were then joined by Mark Fenech from Crystal Mountain and Mark Wilson who is a PGA Rules Official. They talked about the PGA Championship, gave their thoughts on the Leaderboard, talked about who they think could win it, and more. We wrapped up the show with a Moving Ferris Forward Interview as Huge spoke with Mark Doren who is the Head Tennis Coach at Ferris State. He and Huge talked about the Tennis team heading to the NCAA DII Sweet Sixteen, talked about the team, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we're broadcasting from the Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. Throughout the show we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so we could hear about all of the fun and exciting things they have to offer. We were also joined by some of our great insiders to talk about the Detroit Pistons, Detroit Lions, PGA Championship, and more. In our first hour, we were joined by former Michigan Basketball Head Coach John Beilein and Josh Garvey from Doeren Mayhew for a special edition of our "Talking Hoops" segment. Huge, John, and Josh talked about the Detroit Pistons and how they played in last nights game against Cleveland, gave their thoughts on how tomorrow's game goes, and what improvements they would like to see moving forward, and more. We were then joined by Scoop Jackson from ESPN Chicago. He and Huge talked about how the Pistons looked in that loss last night, gave their thoughts on where Duren's head is at, and more. At the end of the hour, we were joined by John Melcher, who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain, and Brittany Primeau who is their Director of Marketing at Crystal Mountain. They joined us to tell us about their upcoming beer and brat festival on Memorial Day weekend, told us about some of the great food and beverages you'll be able to find there, and more. Go to crystalmountain.com/beerfest to get your tickets now! We talked more about the Pistons in our second hour as we were joined by Logan Quinn who is an Assistant Coach for the Grand Rapids Gold. He gave us his thoughts on how the Pistons looked in the loss to the Cavs on last night, talked about what he'd like to see from the Pistons tomorrow night, talked about what he would like to see from Duren, and more. We were then joined by former Detroit Piston Grant Long. He gave us his opinion on where things have been off with the Pistons, talked about what he'd like to see from the Pistons tomorrow night, and more. We wrapped up the hour talking with Mark Fenech, who is the Director of Golf at Crystal Mountain. He and Huge talked about round one of the PGA Championship, John told us about the Golf learning center and their Golf school, and more. In our final hour, we were joined by MSU Head Basketball Coach Tom Izzo. He joined us to update us on Spartan Hoops and the off-season, he and Huge talked about the Pistons/Cavs series and gave their thoughts on the next game, talked about the retention side of College Basketball, and more. We were then joined by PGA Rules Official Mark Wilson. He and Huge talked about the PGA Championship, gave their thoughts on the leaderboard, talked about the LIV situation, and more. We wrapped up the show talking with Brittany Primeau again, as well as Karen Thorr who is the CFO at Crystal Mountain. They talked with Huge about the Beer & Brat Festival, talked about some of the other fun and exciting things to do at Crystal Mountain, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we're broadcasting from the Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. Throughout the show we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so we could hear about all of the fun and exciting things they have to offer. We were also joined by some of our great insiders to talk about the Detroit Pistons, Detroit Lions, PGA Championship, and more. We kicked off the show talking with John Maakaron from the Detroit Sports Podcast. He and Huge talked about the Pistons game tonight, gave their thoughts on the Detroit Lions schedule, and more. We wrapped up the hour talking with Cathy Cooper from Meijer about the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. She told us what we can expect, talked about some of the new things coming this year, and more. We started the second hour with Tom Izzo and John Beilein's thoughts on tonight's Pistons game. We were then joined by Alex Urban from the Eat em Up: Detroit Tigers Podcast. He and Huge talked about the slump that the Tigers have found themselves in, talked about Skubal and if they think he'll pitch again this year, and more. We were then joined by Jeremy Reisman from Pride of Detroit. He and Huge talked about the Lions schedule, gave their win/loss total, and more. We were then joined by Greg Heeres to get his thoughts on the Tigers, the Lions schedule, and more. In our final hour, we were joined by Mitch Lyons from Mitch Lyons Wealth. He and Huge talked about how the Tigers have been playing, talked about all of the injuries on the team, talked about the Detroit Lions schedule, talked about the Pistons game tonight and more. We were then joined by Eric Vincent from Clutch Points and Top Title Detroit on Youtube. He and Huge talked about a big game for the Pistons tonight, talked about what they would like to see out of the Pistons tonight, and more. We were then joined by Mark Fenech from Crystal Mountain and Mark Wilson who is a PGA Rules Official. They talked about the PGA Championship, gave their thoughts on the Leaderboard, talked about who they think could win it, and more. We wrapped up the show with a Moving Ferris Forward Interview as Huge spoke with Mark Doren who is the Head Tennis Coach at Ferris State. He and Huge talked about the Tennis team heading to the NCAA DII Sweet Sixteen, talked about the team, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We talked more about the Pistons in our second hour as we were joined by Logan Quinn who is an Assistant Coach for the Grand Rapids Gold. He gave us his thoughts on how the Pistons looked in the loss to the Cavs on last night, talked about what he'd like to see from the Pistons tomorrow night, talked about what he would like to see from Duren, and more. We were then joined by former Detroit Piston Grant Long. He gave us his opinion on where things have been off with the Pistons, talked about what he'd like to see from the Pistons tomorrow night, and more. We wrapped up the hour talking with Mark Fenech, who is the Director of Golf at Crystal Mountain. He and Huge talked about round one of the PGA Championship, John told us about the Golf learning center and their Golf school, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by Mark Fenech, who is the Director of Golf at Crystal Mountain. He and Huge talked about round one of the PGA Championship, John told us about the Golf Learning Center and their Golf School, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In our final hour, we were joined by MSU Head Basketball Coach Tom Izzo. He joined us to update us on Spartan Hoops and the off-season, he and Huge talked about the Pistons/Cavs series and gave their thoughts on the next game, talked about the retention side of College Basketball, and more. We were then joined by PGA Rules Official Mark Wilson. He and Huge talked about the PGA Championship, gave their thoughts on the leaderboard, talked about the LIV situation, and more. We wrapped up the show talking with Brittany Primeau again, as well as Karen Thorr who is the CFO at Crystal Mountain. They talked with Huge about the Beer & Brat Festival, talked about some of the other fun and exciting things to do at Crystal Mountain, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by Brittany Primeau again, as well as Karen Thorr who is the CFO at Crystal Mountain. They talked with Huge about the Beer & Brat Festival, talked about some of the other fun and exciting things to do at Crystal Mountain, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by John Melcher, who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain, and Brittany Primeau who is their Director of Marketing at Crystal Mountain. They joined us to tell us about their upcoming beer and brat festival on Memorial Day weekend, told us about some of the great food and beverages you'll be able to find there, and more. Go to crystalmountain.com/beerfest to get your tickets now! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we're broadcasting from the Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. Throughout the show we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so we could hear about all of the fun and exciting things they have to offer. We were also joined by some of our great insiders to talk about the Detroit Pistons, Detroit Lions, PGA Championship, and more. In our first hour, we were joined by former Michigan Basketball Head Coach John Beilein and Josh Garvey from Doeren Mayhew for a special edition of our "Talking Hoops" segment. Huge, John, and Josh talked about the Detroit Pistons and how they played in last nights game against Cleveland, gave their thoughts on how tomorrow's game goes, and what improvements they would like to see moving forward, and more. We were then joined by Scoop Jackson from ESPN Chicago. He and Huge talked about how the Pistons looked in that loss last night, gave their thoughts on where Duren's head is at, and more. At the end of the hour, we were joined by John Melcher, who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain, and Brittany Primeau who is their Director of Marketing at Crystal Mountain. They joined us to tell us about their upcoming beer and brat festival on Memorial Day weekend, told us about some of the great food and beverages you'll be able to find there, and more. Go to crystalmountain.com/beerfest to get your tickets now! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us Fan MailThe Ski Moms celebrate Crystal Mountain's 70th anniversary with Karen Thor (COO, 32 years at the resort) and Brittany Primeau (Director of Communications and new mom). They explore Crystal's evolution from Buck Hills community ski area to today's master-planned four-season resort village with 1,500 acres. Karen and Brittany share their ski origin stories and discuss the family-owned Petritz legacy that created a destination where families can park once and access everything on foot or by shuttle, from ski-in/ski-out accommodations to the LEED-certified spa. The conversation covers practical planning tips including getting fitted for rentals the night before, booking lessons for ages 3 to "retired, not tired," and using the Nanny McSki program for full-day childcare on the slopes. Crystal features terrain for all levels with magic carpets, a backyard teaching area, and night skiing Tuesday through Saturday. Beyond winter, they highlight year-round activities including two championship golf courses (home to the Michigan Women's Open for 20+ years), the Crystal Coaster Alpine Slide (Michigan's only alpine slide), Michigan Legacy Art Park, and the resort's role as a base camp for exploring Northern Michigan attractions like Sleeping Bear Dunes and Traverse City.Resources:Website: www.crystalmountain.comLocation: Thompsonville, Benzie County, Northern MichigaSki Haus makes it easy with custom boot fitting that actually changes how you ski and how you feel at the end of the day.  Located in Woburn & Framingham, MA and Tax-Free Salem, NH. Head to skihaus.com for store hours and directions.SPECIAL IN-STORE OFFERS*Purchase a boot with a custom boot fit > get a free Smartwool sock  *Come in for a boot fit on your boots > get Smartwool sock for ½ price It's time to upgrade how you travel to the mountains with Ski Butlers. Ski moms can save 20% off their reservations here https://www.skibutlers.com/portal/momtrends If your child lives for trail time and is constantly pushing limits on two wheels, we've found the summer experience that checks every box. Woodward PA's Mountain Bike Camp is redefining what an action sports camp can be — blending epic adventure with professional coaching and a whole lot of fresh air.Ski Moms can save $150 off summer camp. Use code skimoms www.woodwardpa.com/summer-camps/moun Find your perfect family-friendly mountain stay—or list your own! 

We recently got to stop by and visit with our friends at Crystal Mountain, during a snowy and blustry winter day when the lifts were picking up happy skiers on their way to sashaying down the mountain. We learned it's never too early to get a jump on the upcoming golf season, no matter the weather, if you find yourself at Crystal. They've recently installed a new virtual golf simulator, and we got to give it whirl.We got the scoop from Brittany Butti Primeau, Communications Director at Crystal Mountain and Doug Hand, Golf Operations Manager. Doug even lets Amy famously whiff live on the air, so tune in for that. If you are interested in trying the Track Man simulator, which is loaded with over 400 virtual courses, you can give it a try, whether it's just to play for fun or to take a lesson. A great way to work on your swing in the off season, loosen up those winter muscles, or just enjoy a round of golf during these winter months. The simulator runs $65 an hour and is available daily beginning November 24, 2025 through April 5, 2026 from 9am - 9pm. To reserve your spot, please call 844-464-0949 or book online.

Ski area leaders juggle two demanding roles: developing people and delivering projects. This session with the Class of 2025-26 Summit Series cohort dives into how mentors strike that balance — keeping teams motivated while hitting deadlines, shaping culture while driving results, and navigating the constant pull between personalities and priorities.  Mentors: John Melcher, CEO, Crystal Mountain, Mich. Jean Mikulas, President and GM, Red Lodge Mountain, Mont. Lori Phillips, GM, Ski Big Bear, Pa. Hugh Reynolds, Partner and CMO, SNOW Partners, N.J. Ryan Schramm, GM, Powderhorn Mountain Resort, Colo. Mentees:  Chris Adams, VP of Mountain Experience, Boyne Mountain Resort, Mich.  Beck Badger, Lead Marketing Coordinator, Gunstock Mountain Resort, N.H Drew Brewer, Director of Mountain Experience, Alyeska Resort, Alaska Sam Burns, Snowmaking Supervisor, Arizona Snowbowl, Ariz.  Julie Bush, Marketing Specialist, Wisp Resort, Md.  Teagan Knudson, Front Desk & Guest Services and Ski Patrol Manager, Snowriver Mountain Resort, Mich. Ryan Leclerc, Location Manager, Adult & Private Lesson Programs, Beaver Creek, Colo. Rebecca Repp, Director of Food & Beverage, Brundage Mountain Resort, Idaho Shayna Silverman, Communications Manager, Arapahoe Basin, Colo. Gabriel Sudermann, Manager of Mountain Operations, Camp Fortune, Que.  Leadership Coach: Lex Curtis, Founder, Field of Play Consulting Thank you to our sponsor, MountainGuard, for their support of this program. 

Today we're broadcasting from the Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. Throughout the show we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so we could hear about all of the fun and exciting things they have to offer. We also talked all about the Detroit Tigers and Justin Verlander, the Detroit Pistons fight last night, and more. We kicked off the show talking with former Major Leaguer John Vander Wal. He and Huge talked about Justin Verlander coming back home to the Detroit Tigers with a 1-year deal. They gave their thought's on the impact he'll make, talked about the rest of the line-up, and more. Keith Langlois from DetroitPistons.com then joined us. He and Huge talked about what happened during the Pistons game last night, talked about possible suspensions, and more. We wrapped up the hour talking with Jason Spaulding, who is the Snow Sports Director at Crystal Mountain. He told us about the snowboarding and skiing instructions they have to offer to all ages, told us how you can get signed up, talked about what makes Crystal Mountain unique, and more. In our second hour, we were joined by Scoop Jackson from ESPN Chicago. He and Huge talked about what happened during the Pistons game last night, gave his thought's on what's going to happen, Scoop also gave us his thought's on Verlander, and much more. We were then joined by Alex Urban from the "Eat 'em Up: Detroit Tigers Podcast." He gave us his thought's on Verlander coming back to Detroit, talked about where they see him going in the rotation, and more. We were then joined by Mitch Lyons from Mitch Lyons Wealth. He gave us his thought's on the Tigers signing Verlander to a 1-year deal, and more. In our final hour, we were joined by former Michigan Basketball Head Coach John Beilein and Josh Garvey from Doeren Mayhew for our weekly "Talking Hoops" segment. Huge, John, and Josh talked about that fight during the Pistons/Hornets game last night, talked about how Michigan and Michigan State have been playing, and more. We were then joined by Omari Sankofa from the Detroit Free Press so he could give us a quick update on the Detroit Pistons following last nights situation. We were then joined by Brandon Day from "Bless You Boys" so we could get his thoughts' on Verlander coming back to Detroit, and more. We wrapped up the show talking with Mark Fenech, who is the Director of Golf at Crystal Mountain. He told us about Mountain Ridge being named the #1 Golf Course in Michigan last year, talked about setting up your Golf package for this year, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we're broadcasting from the Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. Throughout the show we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so we could hear about all of the fun and exciting things they have to offer. We also talked all about the Detroit Tigers and Justin Verlander, the Detroit Pistons fight last night, and more. We kicked off the show talking with former Major Leaguer John Vander Wal. He and Huge talked about Justin Verlander coming back home to the Detroit Tigers with a 1-year deal. They gave their thought's on the impact he'll make, talked about the rest of the line-up, and more. Keith Langlois from DetroitPistons.com then joined us. He and Huge talked about what happened during the Pistons game last night, talked about possible suspensions, and more. We wrapped up the hour talking with Jason Spaulding, who is the Snow Sports Director at Crystal Mountain. He told us about the snowboarding and skiing instructions they have to offer to all ages, told us how you can get signed up, talked about what makes Crystal Mountain unique, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by Jason Spaulding, who is the Snow Sports Director at Crystal Mountain. He told us about the snowboarding and skiing instructions they have to offer to all ages, told us how you can get signed up, talked about what makes Crystal Mountain unique, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by Mark Fenech, who is the Director of Golf at Crystal Mountain. He told us about Mountain Ridge being named the #1 Golf Course in Michigan last year, talked about setting up your Golf package for this year, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In our final hour, we were joined by former Michigan Basketball Head Coach John Beilein and Josh Garvey from Doeren Mayhew for our weekly "Talking Hoops" segment. Huge, John, and Josh talked about that fight during the Pistons/Hornets game last night, talked about how Michigan and Michigan State have been playing, and more. We were then joined by Omari Sankofa from the Detroit Free Press so he could give us a quick update on the Detroit Pistons following last nights situation. We were then joined by Brandon Day from "Bless You Boys" so we could get his thoughts' on Verlander coming back to Detroit, and more. We wrapped up the show talking with Mark Fenech, who is the Director of Golf at Crystal Mountain. He told us about Mountain Ridge being named the #1 Golf Course in Michigan last year, talked about setting up your Golf package for this year, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we're broadcasting from the Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. Throughout the show we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so we could hear about all of the fun and exciting things they have to offer. We also talked about the Super Bowl, Detroit Lions, Michigan and Michigan State Basketball and more, as we were joined by some of our great guests. We kicked off the show talking with Jeff Risdon from the Detroit Lions Podcast. He and Huge gave their thought's on the Super Bowl, talked about the Lions in the off-season, and much more. Chris Balas from theWolverine.com then joined us. He and Huge talked about how good Michigan Basketball has been playing, and more. We were then joined by John Melcher who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain and Karyn Thorr, who is the Chief Operating Officer at Crystal Mountain. They talked about the great skiing you can find at Crystal Mountain, talked about DII MHSAA Skiing Regionals currently happening, talked about some other upcoming events, and more. In our second hour, we were joined by Tim Staudt from Staudt on Sports in Lansing. He gave us his thought's on the Super Bowl, talked about Michigan State's win over Illinois, talked about expectations for the rest of the season, and more. We were then joined by John Maakaron from the Detroit Sports Podcast and Sports Illustrated. He gave us his thought's on the Super Bowl, talked about the Detroit Lions in the off-season, and more. We wrapped up the hour talking with Brittany Primeau who is their Director of Marketing at Crystal Mountain, as well as Sophia Hogarth who is in charge of reservations. They told us about some of the great golf or ski packages you can get at Crystal Mountain, talked about some of the accommodations they have to offer, and more. In our final hour, Clayton Sayfie from theWolverine.com joined us to talk about Michigan Basketball. He and Huge gave their thought's on Michigan being the best team in College Basketball, talked about Michigan's win over OSU, gave their thought's on the run they can make when March Madness gets going, and more. We were then joined by Graham Couch from the Lansing State Journal. He and Huge talked about Michigan State's win over Illinois, gave their thought's on Jeremy Fears, talked about expectations moving forward, and more. We wrapped up the show talking with Brittany Primeau from Crystal Mountain again. She told us about their spa being ranked #1 in Michigan, told us about "March at the Mountain" happening next month, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we're broadcasting from the Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. Throughout the show we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so we could hear about all of the fun and exciting things they have to offer. We also talked about the Super Bowl, Detroit Lions, Michigan and Michigan State Basketball and more, as we were joined by some of our great guests. We kicked off the show talking with Jeff Risdon from the Detroit Lions Podcast. He and Huge gave their thought's on the Super Bowl, talked about the Lions in the off-season, and much more. Chris Balas from theWolverine.com then joined us. He and Huge talked about how good Michigan Basketball has been playing, and more. We were then joined by John Melcher who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain and Karyn Thorr, who is the Chief Operating Officer at Crystal Mountain. They talked about the great skiing you can find at Crystal Mountain, talked about DII MHSAA Skiing Regionals currently happening, talked about some other upcoming events, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by Brittany Primeau from Crystal Mountain. She told us about their spa being ranked #1 in Michigan, told us about "March at the Mountain" happening next month, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In our final hour, Clayton Sayfie from theWolverine.com joined us to talk about Michigan Basketball. He and Huge gave their thought's on Michigan being the best team in College Basketball, talked about Michigan's win over OSU, gave their thought's on the run they can make when March Madness gets going, and more. We were then joined by Graham Couch from the Lansing State Journal. He and Huge talked about Michigan State's win over Illinois, gave their thought's on Jeremy Fears, talked about expectations moving forward, and more. We wrapped up the show talking with Brittany Primeau from Crystal Mountain again. She told us about their spa being ranked #1 in Michigan, told us about "March at the Mountain" happening next month, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by Brittany Primeau who is their Director of Marketing at Crystal Mountain, as well as Sophia Hogarth who is in charge of reservations. They told us about some of the great golf or ski packages you can get at Crystal Mountain, talked about some of the accommodations they have to offer, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In our second hour, we were joined by Tim Staudt from Staudt on Sports in Lansing. He gave us his thought's on the Super Bowl, talked about Michigan State's win over Illinois, talked about expectations for the rest of the season, and more. We were then joined by John Maakaron from the Detroit Sports Podcast and Sports Illustrated. He gave us his thought's on the Super Bowl, talked about the Detroit Lions in the off-season, and more. We wrapped up the hour talking with Brittany Primeau who is their Director of Marketing at Crystal Mountain, as well as Sophia Hogarth who is in charge of reservations. They told us about some of the great golf or ski packages you can get at Crystal Mountain, talked about some of the accommodations they have to offer, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by John Melcher who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain and Karyn Thorr, who is the Chief Operating Officer at Crystal Mountain. They talked about the great skiing you can find at Crystal Mountain, talked about DII MHSAA Skiing Regionals currently happening, talked about some other upcoming events, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode Zack sits down with TJ, one of the owners of the Northwest Mountain Challenge, live from the Washington Sportsman's show to talk in depth about what the Northwest Mountain Challenge is and what people can expect in 2026. We will be at the Crystal Mountain, and it will be our first time at one of these big 3D archery shoots! We are stoked to get up there and hope to see a lot of folks over the 3 days at Crystal Mountain July 24, 25, and 26!   LINKS: KUIU GEAR - https://kuiu.sjv.io/GK1o7m EXO MOUNTAIN GEAR - https://exomtngear.com?ref=4 VORTEX OPTICS - https://alnk.to/cSJYlok MARSUPIAL GEAR - https://alnk.to/5FcU7YA ZOLEO - https://tinyurl.com/428ydbua PNWILD - https://www.pnwild.com/store-snytH DEVOS OUTDOOR LIGHTING - https://rstr.co/devosoutdoor/15643 COUPON CODES: GOHUNT STORE & MAPS & INSIDER - PNW OLLIN DIGISCOPE - PNWILD CANYON COOLERS - PNWILD10 VORTEX CLOTHING - PNW20 ZOLEO SATELLITE - PNWILD VELOTRIC E-BIKES - PNWildN2X01 PNWILD - YOUTUBE If you want to learn more about PNWild visit https://pnwild.com/ INSTAGRAM: @pnwild_ https://www.instagram.com/pnwild_/?hl=en FACEBOOK: / pnwild TIKTOK: @pnwild_ / pnwild_ Got questions? Send us an email! Email: contact@pnwild.com Find all our Partners, Coupon Codes, and product links at the link below: https://linktr.ee/pnwild

Starlight Reunion Thursdays | Ep. 301: Tootsie We are thrilled to host a beautiful mix from Tootsie (Great Falls, MT) for our 301st Starlight Thursdays episode! Since stepping behind the decks four years ago, Tootsie has become a staple of the Montana scene, bringing a signature sound to iconic local gatherings like Crystal Mountain and Forest Creatures. Inspired by the Montana DJs she now shares the booth with, Tootsie excels at reading the room and building a genuine, real-time connection with the dancefloor. A few words from the artist: "This mix was such a blast to put together; the flow felt effortless thanks to an incredible selection of well-produced tracks. You'll hear a blend of Deep-Techno, Progressive, and Trance featuring artists like Mabel, Daisy Moon, and DJ Teeth. It's all about that emotive, driving energy—btw, my three cats say hello!" - Tootsie Follow Tootsie SoundCloud: tootsie_pop69

In this episode of Behind the Mitten, hosts John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman celebrate a decade of exploring Michigan's attractions, focusing on winter activities and local events.They highlight the importance of supporting local restaurants during the winter season and discuss the diverse winter experiences available in Gaylord, Crystal Mountain, and Grand Traverse Resort. The episode emphasizes the joy of embracing winter, from cross-country skiing to festive markets, encouraging listeners to explore and enjoy Michigan's winter wonders.Learn about My Winter Trails and Learn to Ski Day (Jan. 10) at mywintertrails.org.Learn more about Gaylord at gaylordmichigan.net.Learn more about Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville at crystalmountain.com.Learn more about Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City at grandtraverseresort.com. 

After a month of being ridged with displeasure and no snow, a series of atmospheric rivers dumps buckets of rain before changing to snow, finally delivering major dumpage to Tahoe just in time for Christmas. In the final episode of Mind the Track's third season, in Episode 77 the boys recap a month of inversions, brown pow and Tule Fog, contemplate chasing snow up into Canada, shout out the core lords for their 10th Shredmandment recommendations and DOPE or DERP making sound effects when riding your bike or filling uncomfortable silences. Pow Bot gives a gray wolf update, SKI BORG makes an appearance and the boys ask listeners to send in their questions for an upcoming interview with the CEO of Sugar Bowl resort. 2:10 – SKI BORG vs POW BOT5:00 – No snow in Lake Tahoe with a huge storm a-coming just in time for Christmas chaos.8:50 – On an airplane - window shade open or window shade closed?11:00 – Trail Whisperer still hasn't bought a ski pass for the season. 13:55 – All the different taglines describing the snow dry spell in Tahoe. 15:20 – Gnarly Tule Fog in the Central Valley of California for the last month. 16:10 – Washington State flooding – Stevens Pass, Crystal Mountain and Mount Baker roads blown out.18:14 – Vail Resorts discounting ski lift tickets and medium range lodge bookings are way down.22:50 – Pow Bot is finally maturing – he isn't frothed out on chasing pow.25:35 – DOPE or DERP – Do you chase the pow north to Canada right now?27:15 – Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series Opener – Truckee Dirt Union raises $120,000!30:40 – Spotify year-end wrap-up statistics for Mind the Track podcast.32:20 – Shout out to Core Lord listener Stavros on Mount Hough in Quincy!35:20 – HOT TIP: If you have poison oak, don't scratch it, use the hottest water you can tolerate to flush the histamines.38:10 – DOPE or DERP – Humming or whistling to fill an uncomfortable silence.42:00 – DOPE or DERP – Making sound effects when you ride your bike.46:10 – Listener Feedback – Finders Keepers stories.49:25 – Atlanta, Georgia is the most surveilled city in the World.50:45 – Pow Bot uses his Garmin watch to find his lost smartphone.56:20 – Listener Feedback – Grocery gear baskets.57:30 – Kurt Refsnider mountain bikes the whole Orogenesis Route – 4,275 miles in 135 days. 59:25 – Sugar Bowl asks if Mind the Track would like to interview the CEO of the ski resort.1:01:40 – Listener Feedback on the 10th Shredmandment. Steve says respect the trailhead.1:05:16 – Liz and Cam – Always be learning and avalanche education.1:06:45 – Stu – Be a capable backcountry skiing partner.1:09:30 – Tony from Lee Vining – Observe, consider and decide. 1:12:30 – Alex – Keep your gear tight. Know how to use a first aid kit.1:13:00 – @patagonia_snow Instagram shouts out Mind the Track and the Butt Vest.1:15:55 – Wolf pulls a crab pot out of water with the buoy and rope to eat the bait.1:20:30 – Gray Wolf is de-listed by the Endangered Species Act.1:25:00 – Cam says Snack Man is DOPE. 1:26:30 – Telluride Ski Patrol is threatening strike, could shut the whole season down.1:33:00 – The unsustainable game of buying a season's pass at a ski resort.

Today we're broadcasting from the Crystal Moutain Resort in Thompsonville, as it's officially ski season. Throughout the show we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so we could hear about all of the fun and exciting things they have to offer. We also kept everyone up to speed on the Sherrone Moore situation as we were joined by our great Michigan insiders. We kicked off the show talking with David Gregory who is a Lawyer and NFLPA Certified Sports Agent for Bullrush Sports. He and Huge talked about Sherrone Moore's arraignment earlier today, talked about what will happen to him legally, and more. Anthony Broome from theWolverine.com then joined us to give his thought's on what's happened in the last 24 hours, talked about Warde Manuel, gave his opinion on things needing to get cleaned up, and more. Chris Balas from theWolverine.com then joined us. He gave his thought's on Moore's earlier arraignment, talked about the future of Warde Manuel, talked about what Michigan does next, and more. We wrapped up the hour talking with John Melcher who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain and Brittany Primeu who is their Director of Marketing. They talked about Wintertime at Crystal, filled us in on some of their upcoming events, and more. Clayton Sayfie from theWolverine.com joined us in our second hour to talk more about Sherrone Moore. He gave us his thought's on the arraignment earlier today, talked about names that have come up to be the next Head Coach, and more. We were then joined by Jake Butt from the Big Ten Network. He gave us his thought's on everything that's happened with Sherrone Moore in the last 48 hours, talked about where Michigan goes from here, and much more. We were then joined by Brittany Primeau again so she could tell us about more of what's happening up at Crystal Mountain during the Holiday season. Mark Fenech, who is the Director of Golf also joined us to tell us about Crystal Mountain's new Golf simulators, told us how you can get lessons, and much more. Doug Skene from theWolverine.com joined us in our final hour so we could talk more about Sherrone Moore. He told us what he's been thinking about the situation that's happened over the past 24 hours, talked about Michigan needing to get back to a place of integrity, and much more. We were then joined by Jeremy Reisman from Pride of Detroit. He and Huge previewed Sunday's Lions/Rams match-up, gave their thought's on what the Lions need to do to get a win, and much more. We were then joined by Greg Heeres so we could get his thought's and prediction on Sunday's Lions/Rams game. We wrapped up the broadcast talking with Karyn Thorr, who is the Chief Operating Officer at Crystal Mountain as well as Brittany Primeau again. She told us what goes into getting the slopes up and running, talked about the great staff behind everything, talked about the Holiday season, and much more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by Karyn Thorr, who is the Chief Operating Officer at Crystal Mountain as well as Brittany Primeau again. She told us what goes into getting the slopes up and running, talked about the great staff behind everything, talked about the Holiday season, and much more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Doug Skene from theWolverine.com joined us in our final hour so we could talk more about Sherrone Moore. He told us what he's been thinking about the situation that's happened over the past 24 hours, talked about Michigan needing to get back to a place of integrity, and much more. We were then joined by Jeremy Reisman from Pride of Detroit. He and Huge previewed Sunday's Lions/Rams match-up, gave their thought's on what the Lions need to do to get a win, and much more. We were then joined by Greg Heeres so we could get his thought's and prediction on Sunday's Lions/Rams game. We wrapped up the broadcast talking with Karyn Thorr, who is the Chief Operating Officer at Crystal Mountain as well as Brittany Primeau again. She told us what goes into getting the slopes up and running, talked about the great staff behind everything, talked about the Holiday season, and much more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by Brittany Primeau again so she could tell us about more of what's happening up at Crystal Mountain during the Holiday season. Mark Fenech, who is the Director of Golf also joined us to tell us about Crystal Mountain's new Golf simulators, told us how you can get lessons, and much more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Clayton Sayfie from theWolverine.com joined us in our second hour to talk more about Sherrone Moore. He gave us his thought's on the arraignment earlier today, talked about names that have come up to be the next Head Coach, and more. We were then joined by Jake Butt from the Big Ten Network. He gave us his thought's on everything that's happened with Sherrone Moore in the last 48 hours, talked about where Michigan goes from here, and much more. We were then joined by Brittany Primeau again so she could tell us about more of what's happening up at Crystal Mountain during the Holiday season. Mark Fenech, who is the Director of Golf also joined us to tell us about Crystal Mountain's new Golf simulators, told us how you can get lessons, and much more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by John Melcher who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain and Brittany Primeu who is their Director of Marketing. They talked about Wintertime at Crystal, filled us in on some of their upcoming events, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we're broadcasting from the Crystal Moutain Resort in Thompsonville, as it's officially ski season. Throughout the show we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so we could hear about all of the fun and exciting things they have to offer. We also kept everyone up to speed on the Sherrone Moore situation as we were joined by our great Michigan insiders. We kicked off the show talking with David Gregory who is a Lawyer and NFLPA Certified Sports Agent for Bullrush Sports. He and Huge talked about Sherrone Moore's arraignment earlier today, talked about what will happen to him legally, and more. Anthony Broome from theWolverine.com then joined us to give his thought's on what's happened in the last 24 hours, talked about Warde Manuel, gave his opinion on things needing to get cleaned up, and more. Chris Balas from theWolverine.com then joined us. He gave his thought's on Moore's earlier arraignment, talked about the future of Warde Manuel, talked about what Michigan does next, and more. We wrapped up the hour talking with John Melcher who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain and Brittany Primeu who is their Director of Marketing. They talked about Wintertime at Crystal, filled us in on some of their upcoming events, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Take 20% off an annual Storm subscription through 10/22/2025 to receive 100% of the newsletter's content. Thank you for your support of independent ski journalism.WhoPhill Gross, owner, and Mike Solimano, CEO of Killington and Pico, VermontRecorded onJuly 10, 2025About KillingtonClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Phill Gross and teamLocated in: Killington, VermontYear founded: 1958Pass affiliations: Ikon Pass: 5 or 7 combined days with PicoReciprocal partners: Pico access is included on all Killington passesClosest neighboring ski areas: Pico (:12), Saskadena Six (:39), Okemo (:40), Quechee (:44), Ascutney (:55), Storrs (:59), Harrington Hill (:59), Magic (1:00), Whaleback (1:02), Sugarbush (1:04), Bromley (1:04), Middlebury Snowbowl (1:08), Arrowhead (1:10), Mad River Glen (1:11)Base elevation: 1,165 feet at Skyeship BaseSummit elevation: 4,142 feet at top of K-1 gondola (hike-to summit of Killington Peak at 4,241 feet)Vertical drop: 2,977 feet lift-served, 3,076 hike-toSkiable Acres: 1,509Average annual snowfall: 250 inchesTrail count: 155 (43% advanced/expert, 40% intermediate, 17% beginner)Lift count: 20 (2 gondolas, 2 six-packs, 4 high-speed quads, 5 fixed-grip quads, 2 triples, 1 double, 1 platter, 3 carpets - view Lift Blog's inventory of Killington's lift fleet; Killington plans to replace the Snowdon triple with a fixed-grip quad for the 2026-27 ski season)History: from New England Ski HistoryAbout PicoClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Phill Gross and teamLocated in: Mendon, VermontYear founded: 1934Pass affiliations: Ikon Pass: 5 or 7 combined days with KillingtonReciprocal partners: Pico access is included on all Killington passes; four days Killington access included on Pico K.A. PassClosest neighboring ski areas: Killington (:12), Saskadena Six (:38), Okemo (:38), Quechee (:42), Ascutney (:53), Storrs (:57), Harrington Hill (:55), Magic (:58), Whaleback (1:00), Sugarbush (1:01), Bromley (1:00), Middlebury Snowbowl (1:01), Mad River Glen (1:07), Arrowhead (1:09)Base elevation: 2,000 feetSummit elevation: 3,967 feetVertical drop: 1,967 feetSkiable Acres: 468Average annual snowfall: 250 inchesTrail count: 58 (36% advanced/expert, 46% intermediate, 18% beginner)Lift count: 7 (2 high-speed quads, 2 triples, 1 doubles, 2 carpets - view Lift Blog's inventory of Pico's lift fleet)History: from New England Ski HistoryWhy I interviewed themThe longest-tenured non-government ski area operator in America, as far as I know, is the Seeholzer family, owner-operators of Beaver Mountain, Utah since 1939. Third-generation owner Travis Seeholzer came on the pod a few years back to trace the eight-decade arc from this dude flexing 10-foot-long kamikaze boards to the present:Just about every ski area in America was hacked out of the wilderness by Some Guy Who Looked Like That. Dave McCoy at Mammoth or Ernie Blake at Taos or Everett Kircher at Boyne Mountain, swarthy, willful fellows who flew airplanes and erected rudimentary chairlifts in impossible places and hammered together their own baselodges. Over decades they chiseled these mountains into their personal Rushmores, a life's work, a human soul knotted to nature in a built place that would endure for generations.It's possible that they all imagined their family name governing those generations. In the remarkable case of Boyne, they still do. But the Kirchers and the Seeholzers are ski-world exceptions. Successive generations are often uninterested in the chore of legacy building. Or they try and say wow this is expensive. Or bad weather leads to bad financial choices by our cigar-smoking, backhoe-driving, machete-wielding founder and his sons and daughters never get their chance. The ski area's deed shuffles into the portfolio of a Colorado Skico and McCoy fades a little each year and at some point Mammoth is just another ski area owned by Alterra Mountain Company.It's tempting to sentimentalize the past, to lament skiing's macro-transition from gritty network of founder-kingpin fifes to set of corporate brands, to conclude that “this generation” just doesn't have the tenacity of a Blake or a McCoy. But the America where a fellow could turn up with a dump truck and a chainsaw and flatten raw forest into a for-profit business with minimal protest is gone. Every part of the ski ecosystem is more regulated, complicated, and expensive than it's ever been. The appeal of running such a machine - and the skillset necessary to do so - is entirely different from that of sculpting your own personal snow Narnia from scratch. We will always have family-owned ski areas (we still have hundreds), and an occasional modern founder-disruptor like Mount Bohemia's Lonie Glieberman will materialize like a new X-man. But ski conglomerates have probably always been inevitable, and are probably largely the industry's future. They are best suited, in most cases, to manage, finance, and maintain the vast machinery of our largest ski centers (and also to create a ski landscape in which not all ski area operators are Some Guy Who Looked Like That).Killington demonstrates this arc from rambunctious founder to corporate vassal as well as any mountain in the country. Founded in 1958 by the wily and wild Pres Smith, the ski area's parent company, Sherburne Corp., bought Sunday River, Maine in 1973 and Mount Snow, Vermont in 1977. The two Vermont mountains became S-K-I in 1984, bought five more ski areas, and merged with four-resort LBO in 1996 to become the titanic American Skiing Company. Unfortunately ASC turned out to be skiing's Titanic, and one of the company's last acts before dissolution was to sell Killington and Pico to Utah-based Powdr in 2007.The Beast had been tamed, at least on paper. Corporate ownership of some sort felt as stapled to the mountain as Killington's 3,000 snowguns. And mostly, well, it didn't matter. Other than Powdr's disastrous attempts to shorten the resort's famously long seasons, Killington never lost its feisty edge. Over the decades the ski area modernized, masterplanned, and shed skier volume while increasing its viability as a business. Modern Killington wasn't the kingdom of a charismatic and ever-present founder, but it was a pretty good ski area.And then, suddenly, shockingly, Powdr sold both Killington and Pico last August. And they didn't sell the ski areas to Vail or Alterra or Boyne or to anyone who owned any ski areas at all. Instead, a group of local investors - led by Phill Gross and Michael Ferri, longtime Killington homeowners who ran a variety of non-ski-related businesses - bought the mountains. After 51 years as part of a multi-mountain ownership group, Killington (its relationship to neighboring Pico notwithstanding), was once again independent.It was all so improbable. Out-of-state operators had purchased five of Vermont's large ski areas in recent years: Colorado-based Vail Resorts bought Stowe in 2017, Okemo in 2018, and Mount Snow in 2019; Denver-based Alterra claimed Sugarbush in 2019; and Utah-based Pacific Group Resorts added Jay Peak to their small portfolio in 2022. Very few ski areas have ever entered the corporate matrix and re-emerged as independents. Grand Targhee, Wyoming; Waterville Valley, New Hampshire; and Mountain Creek, New Jersey (technically owned by multimountain operator Snow Partners) are exceptions spun off from larger companies. But mostly, once a larger entity absorbed a ski area, it stays locked in the multimountain universe forever.So what would this mean? For the largest and busiest mountain in the eastern United States to be independent? Did this, along with Powdr's intentions to sell Mount Bachelor (since rescinded), Eldora (sale in process), and Silver Star (no update), mark a reversal in the consolidation trend that had gathered 30 percent of America's ski areas under the umbrella of a multi-mountain operator? Did Killington's group of wealthy-but-not-Bezos-wealthy investors set an alternate blueprint for large-mountain ownership, especially when considered alongside the sale of Jackson Hole to a similar group the year before? Had the Ikon Pass – that harbinger of mass-market pass domination that had forced the we-better-join-them sales of Crystal Mountain, Washington and Sugarbush – inadvertently become a reliable revenue pipeline that made independence more viable? And would Killington, well-managed and constantly improving, backslide under cowboy owners who want to Q-Burke the place in their image?We're a year in now, and we have some clarity on these questions, along with two new chairlifts (Superstar this year, Snowdon next), 1,000 new snowguns, a revitalized Skyeship Gondola, and progressing plans on the East's first true ski village. Locals seem happy, management seems happy, the owners seem happy. Easy enough, Gross points out in our interview, when winter hits deep like the last one did. But can we keep the party going indefinitely? It was time for a check-in.What we talked aboutA strong first winter under independent ownership; what spring skiing off Canyon lift told us about the importance of Superstar; “it's an incredibly complex operation”; letting the smart people do their jobs; Killington's surprise spin-off from a multi-mountain operator; “our job is to keep the honeymoon going”; Superstar's six-pack upgrade; why six-packs are probably Killington's lift-upgrade future; why Pico is demolishing the Bonanza lift for a covered carpet; why Superstar won't have bubbles; where bubbles might make sense in a future lift; why ski areas can no longer run snowmaking under newly constructed chairlifts; why Superstar is a Doppelmayr machine after Killington installed a brand-new Leitner-Poma six at Snowdon in 2018; long- and short-term Superstar impacts to Killington's long season; long-term thoughts around early-season walkway access to North Ridge; Skyeship Gondola upgrades, including $5 million in new cabins; what 1,000 new snowguns means in practice; why Killington sold the Wobbly Barn; considering Killington as a business and investment; how Killington is a different financial beast from other Vermont ski areas; how close Killington was to going unlimited on Ikon Pass; Phill's journey to buying Killington; Devil's Fiddle and why sometimes things that don't make sense financially make sense anyway; “we want to own this for generations to come”; a village layout and timeline update – “we want to make sure that this is something that's additive to the ski experience” even if you don't own within it; “Great Gulf wants this [village] to be competitive for the western resorts”; “we don't want to change what Pico is”; how piping water over from Killington has reinvigorated and stabilized Pico; why Killington and Pico remained on Ikon Pass post-sale and probably will for the foreseeable future; is Ikon helping big ski areas stay independent?; Killington's steady rise in lift ticket prices; future lift upgrades and why the Snowdon Triple is next up for a replacement.What I got wrong* File “opinionation” under LOL I'm Dumb Talking Is Hard* I said that former Killington owner Powdr had “just sold” Eldora, but that's not accurate: in July, the town of Nederland, Colorado, announced their intent to purchase the ski area. The sales process is ongoing.Podcast NotesOn previous Killington podsOn Gross' purchase of Killington and PicoOn ANSI chairlift standardsWe get a bit in the weeds with a reference to “ANSI standards” for chairlifts. ANSI is the American National Standards Institute, a nonprofit organization that sets voluntary but widely adopted standards for everything from office furniture to electrical systems to safety signage in the United States. The ANSI standard for lifts, according to a blog post describing the code's 2022 update, is “developed by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), [and] establishes standard requirements for the design, manufacture, construction, operation, and maintenance of passenger ropeways.” On Killington's long seasonsKillington often opens in October (though it has not done so since 2018), and closes in June (three straight years before a deliberately truncated 2024-25 season to begin demolition of the Superstar chair). List of Killington open and close dates since 1987-88.On Win Smith and Killington and SugarbushOn Killington's villageThe East needs more of this:On Killington's peak lift ticket pricesPer New England Ski History:The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year round. Join us. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Today we're broadcasting from the beautiful Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa in Thompsonville. Throughout the show, we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so they could tell us about everything they have to offer you. We were also joined by some of our other guests to talk about the Ryder Cup, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, and more. Throughout the entire show, we were joined by Mark Fenech who is the Director of Golf at Crystal Mountain. During that time, he and Huge talked all about the Ryder Cup, gave their thought's on how everyone on both sides have been playing, and much more. In our first hour, we were also joined by Dan Hasty who is the voice of the West Michigan Whitecaps. He and Huge talked about the Tigers winning last night, gave their opinions on if they'll get to the Playoffs, and more. We were then joined by Bill Hobson from Michigan Golf Live so we could get his thought's on day one of the Ryder Cup. We wrapped up the hour talking with Andrea Argy who runs the Crystal Spa, and Brittany Primeau, who is their Director of Marketing. They told us about some of the great things you can experience at the Spa, filled us in on their upcoming "Fall Spa Days," and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We wrapped up the hour talking with Andrea Argy who runs the Crystal Spa, and Brittany Primeau, who is their Director of Marketing. They told us about some of the great things you can experience at the Spa, filled us in on their upcoming "Fall Spa Days," and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're broadcasting from the beautiful Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa in Thompsonville. Throughout the show, we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so they could tell us about everything they have to offer you. We were also joined by some of our other guests to talk about the Ryder Cup, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, and more. Throughout the entire show, we were joined by Mark Fenech who is the Director of Golf at Crystal Mountain. During that time, he and Huge talked all about the Ryder Cup, gave their thought's on how everyone on both sides have been playing, and much more. In our second hour, we were joined by PGA Rules Official Mark Wilson so we could get his thought's on day one of the Ryder Cup. We were then joined by John Maakaron from Sports Illustrated and the Detroit Sports Podcast. He and Huge previewed Sunday's game against Browns. We were then joined by Julie Oatman who is in charge of Group Sales at Crystal Mountain. She told us about the Holiday parties and special events you can host at Crystal Mountain. Brittany Primeau then joined us again to fill us in on some of the upcoming cool events they're having at Crystal Mountain, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We were joined by Julie Oatman who is in charge of Group Sales at Crystal Mountain. She told us about the Holiday parties and special events you can host at Crystal Mountain. Brittany Primeau then joined us again to fill us in on some of the upcoming cool events they're having at Crystal Mountain, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're broadcasting from the beautiful Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa in Thompsonville. Throughout the show, we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so they could tell us about everything they have to offer you. We were also joined by some of our other guests to talk about the Ryder Cup, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, and more. Throughout the entire show, we were joined by Mark Fenech who is the Director of Golf at Crystal Mountain. During that time, he and Huge talked all about the Ryder Cup, gave their thought's on how everyone on both sides have been playing, and much more. In our second hour, we were joined by PGA Rules Official Mark Wilson so we could get his thought's on day one of the Ryder Cup. We were then joined by John Maakaron from Sports Illustrated and the Detroit Sports Podcast. He and Huge previewed Sunday's game against Browns. We were then joined by Julie Oatman who is in charge of Group Sales at Crystal Mountain. She told us about the Holiday parties and special events you can host at Crystal Mountain. Brittany Primeau then joined us again to fill us in on some of the upcoming cool events they're having at Crystal Mountain, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We were joined by John Melcher who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain. He and Huge talked about some of the great things you can experience at Crystal Mountain, talked about the Ski season being just around the corner, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're broadcasting from the beautiful Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa in Thompsonville. Throughout the show, we were joined by some of the great folks from Crystal Mountain so they could tell us about everything they have to offer you. We were also joined by some of our other guests to talk about the Ryder Cup, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, and more. Throughout the entire show, we were joined by Mark Fenech who is the Director of Golf at Crystal Mountain. During that time, he and Huge talked all about the Ryder Cup, gave their thought's on how everyone on both sides have been playing, and much more. In our first hour, we were also joined by Dan Hasty who is the voice of the West Michigan Whitecaps. He and Huge talked about the Tigers winning last night, gave their opinions on if they'll get to the Playoffs, and more. We were then joined by Bill Hobson from Michigan Golf Live so we could get his thought's on day one of the Ryder Cup. We wrapped up the hour talking with Andrea Argy who runs the Crystal Spa, and Brittany Primeau, who is their Director of Marketing. They told us about some of the great things you can experience at the Spa, filled us in on their upcoming "Fall Spa Days," and more. In our second hour, we were joined by PGA Rules Official Mark Wilson so we could get his thought's on day one of the Ryder Cup. We were then joined by John Maakaron from Sports Illustrated and the Detroit Sports Podcast. He and Huge previewed Sunday's game against Browns. We were then joined by Julie Oatman who is in charge of Group Sales at Crystal Mountain. She told us about the Holiday parties and special events you can host at Crystal Mountain. Brittany Primeau then joined us again to fill us in on some of the upcoming cool events they're having at Crystal Mountain, and more. In our final hour, we were joined by PGA Professional Jimmy Wisinski so we could get his thought's on day one of the Ryder Cup. We were then joined by our Baseball Insider Greg Heeres so we could get his thought's on the path moving forward for the Detroit Tigers, as well as the Lions/Browns on Sunday. We wrapped up the show talking with John Melcher who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain. He and Huge talked about some of the great things you can experience at Crystal Mountain, talked about the Ski season being just around the corner, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textWhat happens when tracking apps meant to keep your children safe become tools for insurance companies to monitor driving habits? This episode kicks off with a startling revelation about Life360 that parents of teen drivers won't want to miss, complete with a crucial tip on disabling the insurance reporting feature while preserving the app's family tracking capabilities.Adam takes us behind the scenes of his recent transit conference at Crystal Mountain, where professional development seamlessly blended with charity golf tournaments and networking. Between playful accusations of tournament cheating and serious discussions about the state of public transit funding, the conversation reveals how industry gatherings balance work and play—a perfect metaphor for the podcast itself.The heart of this episode centers around the upcoming Bourbon Country Burn event in Kentucky, where cycling meets bourbon appreciation in a festival atmosphere. Adam and Michael enthusiastically detail their plans for VIP bourbon tastings with legendary figures like Freddie Johnson of Buffalo Trace, while revealing fascinating insights about international bourbon distribution. The Japanese version of Blanton's, with its distinctive red box and unique horse stopper, serves as a gateway to understanding how American spirits travel globally before sometimes returning through secondary markets.Perhaps the most charming segment features Michael's deep dive into 1920s slang terminology that connects to the podcast's vintage-inspired logos. From "bee's knees" and "cat's pajamas" to prohibition-era terms like "giggle water" and "juice joint," these linguistic time capsules provide both entertainment and cultural context. The hosts particularly champion bringing back "moxie" as a descriptor for the determination and spirit that characterizes both their cycling adventures and approach to life.Whether you're a bourbon enthusiast, cycling advocate, or simply enjoy conversational podcasts that blend humor with unexpected knowledge, this episode delivers a perfect blend of practical information and entertaining banter. Listen in, and you might just find yourself using "You're on the trolley now!" in your next conversation. Support Jersey StoreSupport the showAdam and Michael's friendship has grown through years of shared miles, challenges, and laughter on the bike. Their passion for cycling has carried them through life's twists and turns, creating a bond full of stories, jokes, and unforgettable rides. In their podcast, they bring that same spirit to the mic—sharing adventures, trading banter, and welcoming listeners into their cycling community. Whether tackling steep climbs or cruising open roads, their conversations capture the fun, friendship, and freedom that cycling brings. Tune in for stories that celebrate the ride and the camaraderie that makes it unforgettable. and Remember,It's a Great Day for a Bike Ride!https://www.facebook.com/cyclingmenofleisurehttps://cyclingmenofleisure.com/https://www.cyclingmenofleisurepodcast.com

In our final hour, we played Bill's earlier conversation with George Blaha in regards to the start of the Michigan State Football season. We were then joined by Michigan Tech's Head Football Coach Dan Mettlach. He talked about the guys he wants to recruit for his team, talked about the season ahead, and more. We were then joined by Alma College's Head Football Coach Jason Couch so we could hear about his team. Northwood University's Head Football Coach Dustin Beurer then joined us to fill us in on his team before the season starts. We were then joined by John Melcher who is the CEO at Crystal Mountain. He and Huge talked about some of the great things you can experience at Crystal Mountain, talked about the Ski season being just around the corner, and more. We wrapped up the show talking with the one and only Lomas Brown. He and Huge talked about our Detroit Lions and the start of the season next weekend, talked about the teams strengths and weaknesses, discussed expectations for the season, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the Michigan Golf Live Radio July 26th edition featuring Crystal Mountain Resort - A Northern Michigan Beauty Join us for an up close look at Crystal Mountain golf, fun, and life enjoyed by guests and residents from all across America...and listen in for your chance to win a 4-some on the Betsie Valley course! ---------------- MGL 24/7 Listener Hotline - (989) 272-2383 - we want to hear from you! Subscribe to the MGL/FGN Podcast Watch our videos on YouTube  

The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast is a reader-supported publication (and my full-time job). To receive new posts and to support independent ski journalism, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.WhoChris Cushing, Principal of Mountain Planning at SE GroupRecorded onApril 3, 2025About SE GroupFrom the company's website:WE AREMountain planners, landscape architects, environmental analysts, and community and recreation planners. From master planning to conceptual design and permitting, we are your trusted partner in creating exceptional experiences and places.WE BELIEVEThat human and ecological wellbeing forms the foundation for thriving communities.WE EXISTTo enrich people's lives through the power of outdoor recreation.If that doesn't mean anything to you, then this will:Why I interviewed himNature versus nurture: God throws together the recipe, we bake the casserole. A way to explain humans. Sure he's six foot nine, but his mom dropped him into the intensive knitting program at Montessori school 232, so he can't play basketball for s**t. Or identical twins, separated at birth. One grows up as Sir Rutherford Ignacious Beaumont XIV and invents time travel. The other grows up as Buford and is the number seven at Okey-Doke's Quick Oil Change & Cannabis Emporium. The guts matter a lot, but so does the food.This is true of ski areas as well. An earthquake here, a glacier there, maybe a volcanic eruption, and, presto: a non-flat part of the earth on which we may potentially ski. The rest is up to us.It helps if nature was thoughtful enough to add slopes of varying but consistent pitch, a suitable rise from top to bottom, a consistent supply of snow, a flat area at the base, and some sort of natural conduit through which to move people and vehicles. But none of that is strictly necessary. Us humans (nurture), can punch green trails across solid-black fall lines (Jackson Hole), bulldoze a bigger hill (Caberfae), create snow where the clouds decline to (Wintergreen, 2022-23), plant the resort base at the summit (Blue Knob), or send skiers by boat (Eaglecrest).Someone makes all that happen. In North America, that someone is often SE Group, or their competitor, Ecosign. SE Group helps ski areas evolve into even better ski areas. That means helping to plan terrain expansions, lift replacements, snowmaking upgrades, transit connections, parking enhancements, and whatever built environment is under the ski area's control. SE Group is often the machine behind those Forest Service ski area master development plans that I so often spotlight. For example, Vail Mountain:When I talk about Alta consolidating seven slow lifts into four fast lifts; or Little Switzerland carving their mini-kingdom into beginner, parkbrah, and racer domains; or Mount Bachelor boosting its power supply to run more efficiently, this is the sort of thing that SE plots out (I'm not certain if they were involved in any or all of those projects).Analyzing this deliberate crafting of a natural bump into a human playground is the core of what The Storm is. I love, skiing, sure, but specifically lift-served skiing. I'm sure it's great to commune with the raccoons or whatever it is you people do when you discuss “skinning” and “AT setups.” But nature left a few things out. Such as: ski patrol, evacuation sleds, avalanche control, toilet paper, water fountains, firepits, and a place to charge my phone. Oh and chairlifts. And directional signs with trail ratings. And a snack bar.Skiing is torn between competing and contradictory narratives: the misanthropic, which hates crowds and most skiers not deemed sufficiently hardcore; the naturalistic, which mistakes ski resorts with the bucolic experience that is only possible in the backcountry; the preservationist, with its museum-ish aspirations to glasswall the obsolete; the hyperactive, insisting on all fast lifts and groomed runs; the fatalists, who assume inevitable death-of-concept in a warming world.None of these quite gets it. Ski areas are centers of joy and memory and bonhomie and possibility. But they are also (mostly), businesses. They are also parks, designed to appeal to as many skiers as possible. They are centers of organized risk, softened to minimize catastrophic outcomes. They must enlist machine aid to complement natural snowfall and move skiers up those meddlesome but necessary hills. Ski areas are nature, softened and smoothed and labelled by their civilized stewards, until the land is not exactly a representation of either man or God, but a strange and wonderful hybrid of both.What we talked aboutOld-school Cottonwoods vibe; “the Ikon Pass has just changed the industry so dramatically”; how to become a mountain planner for a living; what the mountain-planning vocation looked like in the mid-1980s; the detachable lift arrives; how to consolidate lifts without sacrificing skier experience; when is a lift not OK?; a surface lift resurgence?; how sanctioned glades changed ski areas; the evolution of terrain parks away from mega-features; the importance of terrain parks to small ski areas; reworking trails to reduce skier collisions; the curse of the traverse; making Jackson more approachable; on terrain balance; how megapasses are redistributing skier visits; how to expand a ski area without making traffic worse; ski areas that could evolve into major destinations; and ski area as public park or piece of art.What I got wrong* I blanked on the name of the famous double chair at A-Basin. It is Pallavicini.* I called Crystal Mountain's two-seater served terrain “North Country or whatever” – it is actually called “Northway.”* I said that Deer Valley would become the fourth- or fifth-largest ski resort in the nation once its expansion was finished. It will become the sixth-largest, at 4,926 acres, when the next expansion phase opens for winter 2025-26, and will become the fourth-largest, at 5,726 acres, at full build out.* I estimated Kendall Mountain's current lift-served ski footprint at 200 vertical feet; it is 240 feet.Why now was a good time for this interviewWe have a tendency, particularly in outdoor circles, to lionize the natural and shame the human. Development policy in the United States leans heavily toward “don't,” even in areas already designated for intensive recreation. We mustn't, plea activists: expand the Palisades Tahoe base village; build a gondola up Little Cottonwood Canyon; expand ski terrain contiguous with already-existing ski terrain at Grand Targhee.I understand these impulses, but I believe they are misguided. Intensive but thoughtful, human-scaled development directly within and adjacent to already-disturbed lands is the best way to limit the larger-scale, long-term manmade footprint that chews up vast natural tracts. That is: build 1,000 beds in what is now a bleak parking lot at Palisades Tahoe, and you limit the need for homes to be carved out of surrounding forests, and for hundreds of cars to daytrip into the ski area. Done right, you even create a walkable community of the sort that America conspicuously lacks.To push back against, and gradually change, the Culture of No fueling America's mountain town livability crises, we need exhibits of these sorts of projects actually working. More Whistlers (built from scratch in the 1980s to balance tourism and community) and fewer Aspens (grandfathered into ski town status with a classic street and building grid, but compromised by profiteers before we knew any better). This is the sort of work SE is doing: how do we build a better interface between civilization and nature, so that the former complements, rather than spoils, the latter?All of which is a little tangential to this particular podcast conversation, which focuses mostly on the ski areas themselves. But America's ski centers, established largely in the middle of the last century, are aging with the towns around them. Just about everything, from lifts to lodges to roads to pipes, has reached replacement age. Replacement is a burden, but also an opportunity to create a better version of something. Our ski areas will not only have faster lifts and newer snowguns – they will have fewer lifts and fewer guns that carry more people and make more snow, just as our built footprint, thoughtfully designed, can provide more homes for more people on less space and deliver more skiers with fewer vehicles.In a way, this podcast is almost a canonical Storm conversation. It should, perhaps, have been episode one, as every conversation since has dealt with some version of this question: how do humans sculpt a little piece of nature into a snowy park that we visit for fun? That is not an easy or obvious question to answer, which is why SE Group exists. Much as I admire our rough-and-tumble Dave McCoy-type founders, that improvisational style is trickier to execute in our highly regulated, activist present.And so we rely on artist-architects of the SE sort, who inject the natural with the human without draining what is essential from either. Done well, this crafted experience feels wild. Done poorly – as so much of our legacy built environment has been – and you generate resistance to future development, even if that future development is better. But no one falls in love with a blueprint. Experiencing a ski area as whatever it is you think a ski area should be is something you have to feel. And though there is a sort of magic animating places like Alta and Taos and Mammoth and Mad River Glen and Mount Bohemia, some ineffable thing that bleeds from the earth, these ski areas are also outcomes of a human-driven process, a determination to craft the best version of skiing that could exist for mass human consumption on that shred of the planet.Podcast NotesOn MittersillMittersill, now part of Cannon Mountain, was once a separate ski area. It petered out in the mid-‘80s, then became a sort of Cannon backcountry zone circa 2009. The Mittersill double arrived in 2010, followed by a T-bar in 2016.On chairlift consolidationI mention several ski areas that replaced a bunch of lifts with fewer lifts:The HighlandsIn 2023, Boyne-owned The Highlands wiped out three ancient Riblet triples and replaced them with this glorious bubble six-pack:Here's a before-and-after:Vernon Valley-Great Gorge/Mountain CreekI've called Intrawest's transformation of Vernon Valley-Great Gorge into Mountain Creek “perhaps the largest single-season overhaul of a ski area in the history of lift-served skiing.” Maybe someone can prove me wrong, but just look at this place circa 1989:It looked substantively the same in 1998, when, in a single summer, Intrawest tore out 18 lifts – 15 double chairs, two platters, and a T-bar, plus God knows how many ropetows – and replaced them with two high-speed quads, two fixed-grip quads, and a bucket-style Cabriolet lift that every normal ski area uses as a parking lot transit machine:I discussed this incredible transformation with current Hermitage Club GM Bill Benneyan, who worked at Mountain Creek in 1998, back in 2020:I misspoke on the podcast, saying that Intrawest had pulled out “something like a dozen lifts” and replaced them with “three or four” in 1998.KimberleyBack in the time before social media, Kimberley, British Columbia ran four frontside chairlifts: a high-speed quad, a triple, a double, and a T-bar:Beginning in 2001, the ski area slowly removed everything except the quad. Which was fine until an arsonist set fire to Kimberley's North Star Express in 2021, meaning skiers had no lift-served option to the backside terrain:I discussed this whole strange sequence of events with Andy Cohen, longtime GM of sister resort Fernie, on the podcast last year:On Revelstoke's original masterplanIt is astonishing that Revelstoke serves 3,121 acres with just five lifts: a gondola, two high-speed quads, a fixed quad, and a carpet. Most Midwest ski areas spin three times more lifts for three percent of the terrain.On Priest Creek and Sundown at SteamboatSteamboat, like many ski areas, once ran two parallel fixed-grip lifts on substantively the same line, with the Priest Creek double and the Sundown triple. The Sundown Express quad arrived in 1992, but Steamboat left Priest Creek standing for occasional overflow until 2021. Here's Steamboat circa 1990:Priest Creek is gone, but that entire 1990 lift footprint is nearly unrecognizable. Huge as Steamboat is, every arriving skier squeezes in through a single portal. One of Alterra's first priorities was to completely re-imagine the base area: sliding the existing gondola looker's right; installing an additional 10-person, two-stage gondola right beside it; and moving the carpets and learning center to mid-mountain:On upgrades at A-BasinWe discuss several upgrades at A-Basin, including Lenawee, Beavers, and Pallavicini. Here's the trailmap for context:On moguls on Kachina Peak at TaosYeah I'd say this lift draws some traffic:On the T-bar at Waterville ValleyWaterville Valley opened in 1966. Fifty-two years later, mountain officials finally acknowledged that chairlifts do not work on the mountain's top 400 vertical feet. All it took was a forced 1,585-foot shortening of the resort's base-to-summit high-speed quad just eight years after its 1988 installation and the legacy double chair's continued challenges in wind to say, “yeah maybe we'll just spend 90 percent less to install a lift that's actually appropriate for this terrain.” That was the High Country T-bar, which arrived in 2018. It is insane to look at ‘90s maps of Waterville pre- and post-chop job:On Hyland Hills, MinnesotaWhat an insanely amazing place this is:On Sunrise ParkFrom 1983 to 2017, Sunrise Park, Arizona was home to the most amazing triple chair, a 7,982-foot-long Yan with 352 carriers. Cyclone, as it was known, fell apart at some point and the resort neglected to fix or replace it. A couple of years ago, they re-opened the terrain to lift-served skiing with a low-cost alternative: stringing a ropetow from a green run off the Geronimo lift to where Cyclone used to land.On Woodward Park City and BorealPowdr has really differentiated itself with its Woodward terrain parks, which exist at amazing scale at Copper and Bachelor. The company has essentially turned two of its smaller ski areas – Boreal and Woodward Park City – entirely over to terrain parks.On Killington's tunnelsYou have to zoom in, but you can see them on the looker's right side of the trailmap: Bunny Buster at Great Northern, Great Bear at Great Northern, and Chute at Great Northern.On Jackson Hole traversesJackson is steep. Engineers hacked it so kids like mine could ride there:On expansions at Beaver Creek, Keystone, AspenRecent Colorado expansions have tended to create vast zones tailored to certain levels of skiers:Beaver Creek's McCoy Park is an incredible top-of-the-mountain green zone:Keystone's Bergman Bowl planted a high-speed six-pack to serve 550 acres of high-altitude intermediate terrain:And Aspen – already one of the most challenging mountains in the country – added Hero's – a fierce black-diamond zone off the summit:On Wilbere at SnowbirdWilbere is an example of a chairlift that kept the same name, even as Snowbird upgraded it from a double to a quad and significantly moved the load station and line:On ski terrain growth in AmericaYes, a bunch of ski areas have disappeared since the 1980s, but the raw amount of ski terrain has been increasing steadily over the decades:On White Pine, WyomingCushing referred to White Pine as a “dinky little ski area” with lots of potential. Here's a look at the thousand-footer, which billionaire Joe Ricketts purchased last year:On Deer Valley's expansionYeah, Deer Valley is blowing up:On Schweitzer's growthSchweitzer's transformation has been dramatic: in 1988, the Idaho panhandle resort occupied a large footprint that was served mostly by double chairs:Today: a modern ski area, with four detach quads, a sixer, and two newer triples – only one old chairlift remains:On BC transformationsA number of British Columbia ski areas have transformed from nubbins to majors over the past 30 years:Sun Peaks, then known as Tod Mountain, in 1993Sun Peaks today:Fernie in 1996, pre-upward expansion:Fernie today:Revelstoke, then known as Mount Mackenzie, in 1996:Modern Revy:Kicking Horse, then known as “Whitetooth” in 1994:Kicking Horse today:On Tamarack's expansion potentialTamarack sits mostly on Idaho state land, and would like to expand onto adjacent U.S. Forest Service land. Resort President Scott Turlington discussed these plans in depth with me on the pod a few years back:The mountain's plans have changed since, with a smaller lift footprint:On Central Park as a manmade placeNew York City's fabulous Central Park is another chunk of earth that may strike a visitor as natural, but is in fact a manmade work of art crafted from the wilderness. Per the Central Park Conservancy, which, via a public-private partnership with the city, provides the majority of funds, labor, and logistical support to maintain the sprawling complex:A popular misconception about Central Park is that its 843 acres are the last remaining natural land in Manhattan. While it is a green sanctuary inside a dense, hectic metropolis, this urban park is entirely human-made. It may look like it's naturally occurring, but the flora, landforms, water, and other features of Central Park have not always existed.Every acre of the Park was meticulously designed and built as part of a larger composition—one that its designers conceived as a "single work of art." Together, they created the Park through the practice that would come to be known as "landscape architecture."The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe