Podcasts about smugglers

Ned is back from a wet run, intent on inflicting his earworm on you all.Get BIKMO covered!Get NSF Merch and support the pod! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we'll be talking about a whole bunch of smugglers getting nabbed, the relaxation of alcohol rules due to safety concerns, and a little later drama unfolding in South Korea thanks to Kanye West.

The Disney+ series Andor has arrived and is being hailed by many as the most compelling Star Wars content since the original trilogy. In this episode of the Smugglers' Galaxy Podcast, we look at the characters of Andor, and breakdown their place in the show. We also shine a spotlight on the brilliant writing of Tony Gilroy and his team, discussing how the individual character arcs and plotlines expertly weave together to lay the foundation for the Rebel Alliance.Beyond our extensive Andor discussion, we'll also touch on "Rogue Fun II: Fun and Villainy," share our latest Star Wars pickups, and much more from across the galaxy far, far away!

This week on the Smugglers' Galaxy Podcast, Glen and Jason dive into their May the 4th celebrations! Jason recounts his recent mission to the heart of the Star Wars festivities: Disney's Hollywood Studios. Hear about meeting fellow collectors, navigating the park on one of its busiest days, hitting the rides, grabbing exclusive merch, and soaking up the May the 4th spirit. Plus, the guys share their early thoughts on Andor, the acclaimed Disney+ series that's taking the Star Wars universe to new heights! All this, plus a Rogue Fun 2 announcement!

In 1999, Ali Jafari fled the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and was resettled as a refugee in Australia. But then, while visiting Pakistan, his permanent residency was suddenly cancelled. Now, 12 years later, he’s still stranded – separated from his family and fighting ASIO’s allegations that he is a people smuggler. In court, Jafari’s family and legal team are up against it. They have discovered that the evidence behind his adverse security assessment is deemed confidential and will only be presented in a closed hearing – without their presence. It’s an example of how the national security apparatus is increasingly being used to pursue suspected people smugglers, often at the expense of foundational principles of justice. Today, journalist and contributor to The Saturday Paper Mark Isaacs on the Jafari family’s search for answers and why ASIO refuses to provide them. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Journalist and contributor to The Saturday Paper, Mark Isaacs. Photo: AFP Photo / BasarnasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mothers “My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” — Mark Twain What mother cannot relate to that??? Happy Mother's Day to all. Illegals State Rep. Terri Leo Wilson (R-Galveston), in a press release, explained that she is seeking to prevent adults trafficking children at the border when they fraudulently claim to be their parents. As Wilson says, she has witnessed firsthand how the cartels use America's humanitarian policies to their advantage. Smugglers will use children as pawns, taking advantage of America's system that is designed to protect families. She pointed to...Article Link

A.M. Edition for May 5. Warren Buffett marks the calendar for his departure from Berkshire Hathaway, announcing his handpicked successor will take the reins next year. Plus, the ‘Trump factor' propels another left-leaning leader to a surprise election victory, this time in Australia. And WSJ South America bureau chief Juan Forero explains how production advances and long-distance smuggling vessels are transforming the global cocaine trade. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The debriefs continue with J7 and the Smugglers 3 of Season 2 of Andor. This week we jump to BBY3 and cover episodes 4-6

Today we'll be talking about a brutal murder and arrest in Pattaya, the new digital arrival cards being launched for travelers coming to Thailand, and a little later 9 people who have been sentenced to death for drug smuggling in Vietnam.

Steve Gruber discusses news and headlines 

Dumbline heads to 1980s Australia, where drugs are everywhere and everyone wants a piece of the action. Our main guy? A bright, jovial smuggler, a real-life Han Solo type. Unfortunately, he surrounds himself with some of the biggest dummies within 12 parsecs of the Kessel system. His terrible team-building skills eventually come back to bite him in the ass, but not before years of wild, chaotic stories. Don't miss the end of the episode for everyone's favorite segment, Get to Know Maria! Catch new episodes bi-weekly on Wednesdays. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Follow @DumblinePodcast on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook for even more great content. Show Notes

What happens when two Star Wars podcasts collide? Find out in this special crossover episode as The Force Of Course (Ted, Lauren, and Andrew) joins the crew of Smugglers' Galaxy! Get ready for a lively discussion on everything from the mysterious Starfighter movie with Ryan Gosling to the excitement surrounding Ahsoka Season 2, Visions, and the first look at the Mandalorian & Grogu movie. But the big question remains: which of the announced Star Wars films will actually make it to theaters? We're breaking down the probabilities! Download and listen!

RobChrisRob unified their collective power to talk about murder prediction, crosswalk buttons that mock musk, the closing of the last Radio Shack, the first fantastic four trailer to show reed stretch, the belgians busted for smuggling ants, Homestar Runner's 25th anniversary and the the Flash era, a rack mounted beer fridge, sperm racing, the price of being polite to the AI, and the total lack of doge accountability. Join our discord to talk along or the Subreddit where you will find all the links https://discord.gg/YZMTgpyhB https://www.reddit.com/r/TacoZone/

In Part 2, Dickie Lynn and Ricou DeShaw's smuggling operation grows more ambitious and more dangerous. As one partner walks away, the other goes all in, leading to prison time, an escape, and a years-long fight for freedom. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our newsletter, Gone South with Jed Lipinski. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Glen and Jason on the Smugglers' Galaxy Podcast as they preview Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025! In this episode, they review the show floor map, offering a preview of the various stages and vendor hall. Get an look at what to expect from this major Star Wars event! Plus, they shift gears to discuss the highly anticipated new Tron movie, Tron: Ares, coming this fall. Journey back with the hosts as they explore the history of Tron, its impact and personal connection to the groundbreaking franchise. All this plus the latest news, collectible pickups, and geeky discussions you won't want to miss! Download and listen now for your dose of Star Wars, Tron, and more!

Dickie Lynne and Ricou DeShaw are best friends, spending their youth navigating the labyrinthine creeks and waterways of the Florida Keys. But as both men struggle to find their way in life, the opportunity to smuggle drugs becomes irresistible. ***Gone South has been nominated for a Webby Award, but we need your VOTE! It takes 10 seconds, all you have to do is click HERE. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our newsletter, Gone South with Jed Lipinski. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Los Nine Ton Peanut Smugglers son un grupo de filibusteros británicos capitaneados por el temible Sir Bald Diddley, el hombre de las mil bandas. Su nueva entrega, “Pieces of eight” (Liquidator) es una divertida y bailable andanada de rhythm and blues y ska empapada en grog.Playlist;(sintonía) NINE TON PEANUT SMUGGLERS “Skaramanga” (Pieces of eight)NINE TON PEANUT SMUGGLERS “Sitting in a river” (Pieces of eight)NINE TON PEANUT SMUGGLERS “Rule the roost” (Pieces of eight)KEITH and TEX “One more dance” (Gun life)BANDITS “Per qué te’n vas”Versión y Original; JEANETTE “Porque te vas” (1974)HAMBURG SPINNERS “Der bremer” (Im Schwarzwald)THE MIGHTY MOCAMBOS “Open The Gate”BUDOS BAND “Overlander” (VII)JD McPHERSON feat BLOODSHOT BILL “I can’t go anywhere with you” (Nite owls)BLOODSHOT BILL and GERARD VAN HERK “She said no” (Shoot of blood EP)DEJA VOODOO “Monsters in my garage” (1982)LOS STRAITJACKETS “Rampage” (The utterly fantastic and totally unbelievable sound of...)THE SATAN’S PILGRIMS “Badge of honor” (Satan’s Pilgrims)I. JEZIAK and THE SURFERS “The breeze”THE LOVED ONES “Baby got something”Escuchar audio

Emotional Support TIGERS; Idiots in PA township and Speeding in Dayton; Smugglers on the boarder; Florida Man and lemonade stand mayhem; NCAA Bracket gamblers; Hawk targets bald guys; I'm getting old.

Tales from the Tarmac: Travel Mishaps and Airport AdventuresIn this lively podcast episode, Monique, Lara, and Tyler discuss a variety of entertaining and surprising travel experiences. The trio recounts humorous and challenging situations such as dealing with extreme temperatures on the plane, innovative tactics to speed up boarding, and the challenges of international travel with limited airline benefits. They delve into forgetfulness, including a United pilot's infamous loss of a passport mid-flight, and share personal anecdotes about the minor and major mishaps that can occur during travel. The hosts also explore the humorous side of airline employees' daily routines and the intriguing, sometimes risky behaviors of non-revenue passengers. The episode is rounded out with a captivating exploration of drug smuggling at airports, highlighting the startling similarities between non-revenue passengers' behaviors and those of smugglers. Overall, this episode captures the unpredictable and often amusing world of air travel from an insider's perspective.00:00 Introduction and Welcome01:01 Podcast Announcement and Hawaii Setting01:29 Weather and Work Conditions02:11 Boarding and Airplane Experiences04:54 Travel Stories and Challenges22:40 Flight Attendant Games and Fun29:04 Unexpected Confiscation at the Airport30:57 Battery Regulations and Travel Challenges35:01 Packing Mishaps and Overpacking37:38 Forgotten Passports and Travel Nightmares46:16 Fraudulent Travel and Security Concerns51:53 Drug Smuggling and Airline Security56:41 Bizarre Airport Incidents57:27 Conclusion and FarewellStaffTraveler Is offering a 10% code for any of our listeners who buy their eSIM.Use the Promo code ST10NONREVLOUNGE  https://share.stafftraveler.com/nrl-esim✈StaffTraveler is a great app that can assist your non-rev travels! Use it to find the loads for your non-rev travel! Use this to sign up:https://stafftraveler.com/nonrevlounge

Narrator: Chloe De Burgh

For a limited time, upgrade to ‘The Storm's' paid tier for $5 per month or $55 per year. You'll also receive a free year of Slopes Premium, a $29.99 value - valid for annual subscriptions only. Monthly subscriptions do not qualify for free Slopes promotion. Valid for new subscriptions only.WhoIain Martin, Host of The Ski PodcastRecorded onJanuary 30, 2025About The Ski PodcastFrom the show's website:Want to [know] more about the world of skiing? The Ski Podcast is a UK-based podcast hosted by Iain Martin.With different guests every episode, we cover all aspects of skiing and snowboarding from resorts to racing, Ski Sunday to slush.In 2021, we were voted ‘Best Wintersports Podcast‘ in the Sports Podcast Awards. In 2023, we were shortlisted as ‘Best Broadcast Programme' in the Travel Media Awards.Why I interviewed himWe did a swap. Iain hosted me on his show in January (I also hosted Iain in January, but since The Storm sometimes moves at the pace of mammal gestation, here we are at the end of March; Martin published our episode the day after we recorded it).But that's OK (according to me), because our conversation is evergreen. Martin is embedded in EuroSki the same way that I cycle around U.S. AmeriSki. That we wander from similarly improbable non-ski outposts – Brighton, England and NYC – is a funny coincidence. But what interested me most about a potential podcast conversation is the Encyclopedia EuroSkiTannica stored in Martin's brain.I don't understand skiing in Europe. It is too big, too rambling, too interconnected, too above-treeline, too transit-oriented, too affordable, too absent the Brobot ‘tude that poisons so much of the American ski experience. The fact that some French idiot is facing potential jail time for launching a snowball into a random grandfather's skull (filming the act and posting it on TikTok, of course) only underscores my point: in America, we would cancel the grandfather for not respecting the struggle so obvious in the boy's act of disobedience. In a weird twist for a ski writer, I am much more familiar with summer Europe than winter Europe. I've skied the continent a couple of times, but warm-weather cross-continental EuroTreks by train and by car have occupied months of my life. When I try to understand EuroSki, my brain short-circuits. I tease the Euros because each European ski area seems to contain between two and 27 distinct ski areas, because the trail markings are the wrong color, because they speak in the strange code of the “km” and “cm” - but I'm really making fun of myself for Not Getting It. Martin gets it. And he good-naturedly walks me through a series of questions that follow this same basic pattern: “In America, we charge $109 for a hamburger that tastes like it's been pulled out of a shipping container that went overboard in 1944. But I hear you have good and cheap food in Europe – true?” I don't mind sounding like a d*****s if the result is good information for all of us, and thankfully I achieved both of those things on this podcast.What we talked aboutThe European winter so far; how a UK-based skier moves back and forth to the Alps; easy car-free travel from the U.S. directly to Alps ski areas; is ski traffic a thing in Europe?; EuroSki 101; what does “ski area” mean in Europe; Euro snow pockets; climate change realities versus media narratives in Europe; what to make of ski areas closing around the Alps; snowmaking in Europe; comparing the Euro stereotype of the leisurely skier to reality; an aging skier population; Euro liftline queuing etiquette and how it mirrors a nation's driving culture; “the idea that you wouldn't bring the bar down is completely alien to me; I mean everybody brings the bar down on the chairlift”; why an Epic or Ikon Pass may not be your best option to ski in Europe; why lift ticket prices are so much cheaper in Europe than in the U.S.; Most consumers “are not even aware” that Vail has started purchasing Swiss resorts; ownership structure at Euro resorts; Vail to buy Verbier?; multimountain pass options in Europe; are Euros buying Epic and Ikon to ski locally or to travel to North America?; must-ski European ski areas; Euro ski-guide culture; and quirky ski areas.What I got wrongWe discussed Epic Pass' lodging requirement for Verbier, which is in effect for this winter, but which Vail removed for the 2025-26 ski season.Why now was a good time for this interviewI present to you, again, the EuroSki Chart – a list of all 26 European ski areas that have aligned themselves with a U.S.-based multi-mountain pass:The large majority of these have joined Ski NATO (a joke, not a political take Brah), in the past five years. And while purchasing a U.S. megapass is not necessary to access EuroHills in the same way it is to ski the Rockies – doing so may, in fact, be counterproductive – just the notion of having access to these Connecticut-sized ski areas via a pass that you're buying anyway is enough to get people considering a flight east for their turns.And you know what? They should. At this point, a mass abandonment of the Mountain West by the tourists that sustain it is the only thing that may drive the region to seriously reconsider the robbery-by-you-showed-up-here-all-stupid lift ticket prices, car-centric transit infrastructure, and sclerotic building policies that are making American mountain towns impossibly expensive and inconvenient to live in or to visit. In many cases, a EuroSkiTrip costs far less than an AmeriSki trip - especially if you're not the sort to buy a ski pass in March 2025 so that you can ski in February 2026. And though the flights will generally cost more, the logistics of airport-to-ski-resort-and-back generally make more sense. In Europe they have trains. In Europe those trains stop in villages where you can walk to your hotel and then walk to the lifts the next morning. In Europe you can walk up to the ticket window and trade a block of cheese for a lift ticket. In Europe they put the bar down. In Europe a sandwich, brownie, and a Coke doesn't cost $152. And while you can spend $152 on a EuroLunch, it probably means that you drank seven liters of wine and will need a sled evac to the village.“Oh so why don't you just go live there then if it's so perfect?”Shut up, Reductive Argument Bro. Everyplace is great and also sucks in its own special way. I'm just throwing around contrasts.There are plenty of things I don't like about EuroSki: the emphasis on pistes, the emphasis on trams, the often curt and indifferent employees, the “injury insurance” that would require a special session of the European Union to pay out a claim. And the lack of trees. Especially the lack of trees. But more families are opting for a week in Europe over the $25,000 Experience of a Lifetime in the American West, and I totally understand why.A quote often attributed to Winston Churchill reads, “You can always trust the Americans to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all the alternatives.” Unfortunately, it appears to be apocryphal. But I wish it wasn't. Because it's true. And I do think we'll eventually figure out that there is a continent-wide case study in how to retrofit our mountain towns for a more cost- and transit-accessible version of lift-served skiing. But it's gonna take a while.Podcast NotesOn U.S. ski areas opening this winter that haven't done so “in a long time”A strong snow year has allowed at least 11 U.S. ski areas to open after missing one or several winters, including:* Cloudmont, Alabama (yes I'm serious)* Pinnacle, Maine* Covington and Sault Seal, ropetows outfit in Michigan's Upper Peninsula* Norway Mountain, Michigan – resurrected by new owner after multi-year closure* Tower Mountain, a ropetow bump in Michigan's Lower Peninsula* Bear Paw, Montana* Hatley Pointe, North Carolina opened under new ownership, who took last year off to gut-renovate the hill* Warner Canyon, Oregon, an all-natural-snow, volunteer-run outfit, opened in December after a poor 2023-24 snow year.* Bellows Falls ski tow, a molehill run by the Rockingham Recreation in Vermont, opened for the first time in five years after a series of snowy weeks across New England* Lyndon Outing Club, another volunteer-run ropetow operation in Vermont, sat out last winter with low snow but opened this yearOn the “subway map” of transit-accessible Euro skiingI mean this is just incredible:The map lives on Martin's Ski Flight Free site, which encourages skiers to reduce their carbon footprints. I am not good at doing this, largely because such a notion is a fantasy in America as presently constructed.But just imagine a similar system in America. The nation is huge, of course, and we're not building a functional transcontinental passenger railroad overnight (or maybe ever). But there are several areas of regional density where such networks could, at a minimum, connect airports or city centers with destination ski areas, including:* Reno Airport (from the east), and the San Francisco Bay area (to the west) to the ring of more than a dozen Tahoe resorts (or at least stops at lake- or interstate-adjacent Sugar Bowl, Palisades, Homewood, Northstar, Mt. Rose, Diamond Peak, and Heavenly)* Denver Union Station and Denver airport to Loveland, Keystone, Breck, Copper, Vail, Beaver Creek, and - a stretch - Aspen and Steamboat, with bus connections to A-Basin, Ski Cooper, and Sunlight* SLC airport east to Snowbird, Alta, Solitude, Brighton, Park City, and Deer Valley, and north to Snowbasin and Powder Mountain* Penn Station in Manhattan up along Vermont's Green Mountain Spine: Mount Snow, Stratton, Bromley, Killington, Pico, Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Bolton Valley, Stowe, Smugglers' Notch, Jay Peak, with bus connections to Magic and Middlebury Snowbowl* Boston up the I-93 corridor: Tenney, Waterville Valley, Loon, Cannon, and Bretton Woods, with a spur to Conway and Cranmore, Attitash, Wildcat, and Sunday River; bus connections to Black New Hampshire, Sunapee, Gunstock, Ragged, and Mount AbramYes, there's the train from Denver to Winter Park (and ambitions to extend the line to Steamboat), which is terrific, but placing that itsy-bitsy spur next to the EuroSystem and saying “look at our neato train” is like a toddler flexing his toy jet to the pilots as he boards a 757. And they smile and say, “Whoa there, Shooter! Now have a seat while we burn off 4,000 gallons of jet fuel accelerating this f****r to 500 miles per hour.”On the number of ski areas in EuropeI've detailed how difficult it is to itemize the 500-ish active ski areas in America, but the task is nearly incomprehensible in Europe, which has as many as eight times the number of ski areas. Here are a few estimates:* Skiresort.info counts 3,949 ski areas (as of today; the number changes daily) in Europe: list | map* Wikipedia doesn't provide a number, but it does have a very long list* Statista counts a bit more than 2,200, but their list excludes most of Eastern EuropeOn Euro non-ski media and climate change catastropheOf these countless European ski areas, a few shutter or threaten to each year. The resulting media cycle is predictable and dumb. In The Snow concisely summarizes how this pattern unfolds by analyzing coverage of the recent near loss of L'Alpe du Grand Serre, France (emphasis mine):A ski resort that few people outside its local vicinity had ever heard of was the latest to make headlines around the world a month ago as it announced it was going to cease ski operations.‘French ski resort in Alps shuts due to shortage of snow' reported The Independent, ‘Another European ski resort is closing due to lack of snow' said Time Out, The Mirror went for ”Devastation” as another European ski resort closes due to vanishing snow‘ whilst The Guardian did a deeper dive with, ‘Fears for future of ski tourism as resorts adapt to thawing snow season.' The story also appeared in dozens more publications around the world.The only problem is that the ski area in question, L'Alpe du Grand Serre, has decided it isn't closing its ski area after all, at least not this winter.Instead, after the news of the closure threat was publicised, the French government announced financial support, as did the local municipality of La Morte, and a number of major players in the ski industry. In addition, a public crowdfunding campaign raised almost €200,000, prompting the officials who made the original closure decision to reconsider. Things will now be reassessed in a year's time.There has not been the same global media coverage of the news that L'Alpe du Grand Serre isn't closing after all.It's not the first resort where money has been found to keep slopes open after widespread publicity of a closure threat. La Chapelle d'Abondance was apparently on the rocks in 2020 but will be fully open this winter and similarly Austria's Heiligenblut which was said to be at risk of permanently closure in the summer will be open as normal.Of course, ski areas do permanently close, just like any business, and climate change is making the multiple challenges that smaller, lower ski areas face, even more difficult. But in the near-term bigger problems are often things like justifying spends on essential equipment upgrades, rapidly increasing power costs and changing consumer habits that are the bigger problems right now. The latter apparently exacerbated by media stories implying that ski holidays are under severe threat by climate change.These increasingly frequent stories always have the same structure of focusing on one small ski area that's in trouble, taken from the many thousands in the Alps that few regular skiers have heard of. The stories imply (by ensuring that no context is provided), that this is a major resort and typical of many others. Last year some reports implied, again by avoiding giving any context, that a ski area in trouble that is actually close to Rome, was in the Alps.This is, of course, not to pretend that climate change does not pose an existential threat to ski holidays, but just to say that ski resorts have been closing for many decades for multiple reasons and that most of these reports do not give all the facts or paint the full picture.On no cars in ZermattIf the Little Cottonwood activists really cared about the environment in their precious canyon, they wouldn't be advocating for alternate rubber-wheeled transit up to Alta and Snowbird – they'd be demanding that the road be closed and replaced by a train or gondola or both, and that the ski resorts become a pedestrian-only enclave dotted with only as many electric vehicles as it took to manage the essential business of the towns and the ski resorts.If this sounds improbable, just look to Zermatt, which has banned gas cars for decades. Skiers arrive by train. Nearly 6,000 people live there year-round. It is amazing what humans can build when the car is considered as an accessory to life, rather than its central organizing principle.On driving in EuropeDriving in Europe is… something else. I've driven in, let's see: Iceland, Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro. That last one is the scariest but they're all a little scary. Drivers' speeds seem to be limited by nothing other than physics, passing on blind curves is common even on mountain switchbacks, roads outside of major arterials often collapse into one lane, and Euros for some reason don't believe in placing signs at intersections to indicate street names. Thank God for GPS. I'll admit that it's all a little thrilling once the disorientation wears off, and there are things to love about driving in Europe: roundabouts are used in place of traffic lights wherever possible, the density of cars tends to be less (likely due to the high cost of gas and plentiful mass transit options), sprawl tends to be more contained, the limited-access highways are extremely well-kept, and the drivers on those limited-access highways actually understand what the lanes are for (slow, right; fast, left).It may seem contradictory that I am at once a transit advocate and an enthusiastic road-tripper. But I've lived in New York City, home of the United States' best mass-transit system, for 23 years, and have owned a car for 19 of them. There is a logic here: in general, I use the subway or my bicycle to move around the city, and the car to get out of it (this is the only way to get to most ski areas in the region, at least midweek). I appreciate the options, and I wish more parts of America offered a better mix.On chairs without barsIt's a strange anachronism that the United States is still home to hundreds of chairlifts that lack safety bars. ANSI standards now require them on new lift builds (as far as I can tell), but many chairlifts built without bars from the 1990s and earlier appear to have been grandfathered into our contemporary system. This is not the case in the Eastern U.S. where, as far as I'm aware, every chairlift with the exception of a handful in Pennsylvania have safety bars – New York and many New England states require them by law (and require riders to use them). Things get dicey in the Midwest, which has, as a region, been far slower to upgrade its lift fleets than bigger mountains in the East and West. Many ski areas, however, have retrofit their old lifts with bars – I was surprised to find them on the lifts at Sundown, Iowa; Chestnut, Illinois; and Mont du Lac, Wisconsin, for example. Vail and Alterra appear to retrofit all chairlifts with safety bars once they purchase a ski area. But many ski areas across the Mountain West still spin old chairs, including, surprisingly, dozens of mountains in California, Oregon, and Washington, states that tends to have more East Coast-ish outlooks on safety and regulation.On Compagnie des AlpesAccording to Martin, the closest thing Europe has to a Vail- or Alterra-style conglomerate is Compagnie des Alpes, which operates (but does not appear to own) 10 ski areas in the French Alps, and holds ownership stakes in five more. It's kind of an amazing list:Here's the company's acquisition timeline, which includes the ski areas, along with a bunch of amusement parks and hotels:Clearly the path of least resistance to a EuroVail conflagration would be to shovel this pile of coal into the furnace. Martin referenced Tignes' forthcoming exit from the group, to join forces with ski resort Sainte-Foy on June 1, 2026 – teasing a smaller potential EuroVail acquisition. Tignes, however, would not be the first resort to exit CdA's umbrella – Les 2 Alpes left in 2020.On EuroSkiPassesThe EuroMegaPass market is, like EuroSkiing itself, unintelligible to Americans (at least to this American). There are, however, options. Martin offers the Swiss-centric Magic Pass as perhaps the most prominent. It offers access to 92 ski areas (map). You are probably expecting me to make a chart. I will not be making a chart.S**t I need to publish this article before I cave to my irrepressible urge to make a chart.OK this podcast is already 51 days old do not make a chart you moron.I think we're good here.I hope.I will also not be making a chart to track the 12 ski resorts accessible on Austria's Ski Plus City Pass Stubai Innsbruck Unlimited Freedom Pass.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

It was bound to happen. People are smuggling in eggs from Mexico.Steve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, Laci is joined by stand-up comedian Abby Govindan to dive into the wildest and most ridiculous ways people have been caught smuggling drugs. A recent toupee smuggle struggle led them to the discovery of many more fails that led many folks to jail. You won't believe how many everyday items can be made from cocaine! Laci and Abby rate their favorite smuggle fails, from dinnerware and high heels to Jesus. Stay schemin'! CON-gregation, catch Laci's new TV Show Scam Goddess, now on Freeform and Hulu! Follow on Instagram:Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspod  Laci Mosley: @divalaciAbby Govindan: @abbygovindan Research by Kathryn Doyle  SOURCEShttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/cocaine-toupee-narco-wig/https://www.npr.org/2019/07/17/742768864/drug-in-a-rug-is-that-a-bag-of-cocaine-under-your-toupeehttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/16/man-held-in-spain-over-attempt-to-smuggle-cocaine-under-his-wighttps://english.elpais.com/elpais/2019/07/16/inenglish/1563277743_245169.htmlhttps://www.thelocal.es/20140103/women-smuggled-drugs-under-wigshttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/cocaine-under-wigs-smuggling-brazil-spain_n_4536776https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/15/woman-cocaine-breast-implants-arrested-madridhttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20705742https://www.immigroup.com/topics/top-11-most-creative-drug-smuggling-attempts/https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/2008/06/05/religion-news-police-confiscate-jesus/48553415007/https://www.chron.com/lifestyle/houston-belief/article/cocaine-jesus-statue-seized-by-agents-in-laredo-1777599.phphttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43005948https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/aug/11/91-year-old-sydney-man-charged-over-importing-5kg-of-cocaine-in-soap-barshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/4948988/Cocaine-cast-man-arrested-at-Spanish-airport.htmlhttps://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/woman-fly-chile-spain-suitcases-made-cocaine-article-1.372793https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/manolo-blahnik-shoes-made-of-cocaine-northern-spainhttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35082219https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1163468/Spanish-police-seize-42-piece-dinner-set--entirely-cocaine.htmlhttps://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8998-gangs-turn-cocaine-into-clear-plastic-products/ Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

This week, I talk with Nick Kolakowski about his mystery-thriller Where the Bones Lie! We dive into the inspiration for the story, his closeness to one of the characters, and how he subverted the noir genre.Where the Bones Lie SynopsisFor Dash Fuller, Hollywood's underbelly is home. He's spent years making the film industry's worst secrets disappear, and it's left him a cynical burnout with a taste for bourbon and self-loathing.But when a young woman comes to him with a peculiar quest, Dash sees a chance at redemption. Madeline Ironwood is the daughter of Ken Ironwood, a notorious smuggler and murderer who disappeared 20 years ago. Ken's skeleton has just been discovered in a barrel at the bottom of a dried-up lake, and Madeline wants to know who killed him.Dash agrees to help, and as this desperate daughter and jaded cynic claw their way through a world of sun-bleached secrets, crooked cops, and Hollywood thugs, they soon uncover a conspiracy involving some of LA's most powerful people.Learn more about Nick Kolakowski here Check out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on Instagram

Human smugglers are oftentimes hired by migrants to help them through inhospitable and dangerous routes on their way to the United States. But how do human smugglers, also known as coyotes or polleros, get into the business in the first place? Are they more hurtful than helpful? What is fueling their industry?Renowned anthropologist and author Jason De León tries to answer these questions in his latest book “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope on the World of Human Smuggling.”Jason sits down with Maria Hinojosa on this episode of Latino USA to discuss the links between the booming business of human smuggling and U.S. immigration policies and much more.Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter by going to the top of our homepage. 

On the bonus ep: Smugglers tales, doughnuts, sister things, and being asked to pay $500 for bridesmaid hair and makeup?Remember, if you want to get involved you can:Email us at vogueandamberpod@gmail.com OR find us on socials @voguewilliams @ambrerosolero and the new @vogueandamberListen and subscribe to Vogue & Amber on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.Please review Global's Privacy Policy: https://global.com/legal/privacy-policy/

The UK's National Crime Agency has been intensifying its campaign to crack down on people smugglers operating in the Iraqi Kurdish region. Thousands of Iraqi Kurds make the risky journey each year trying to reach Europe and the UK. Many are smuggled there on crowded, ill-equipped boats across dangerous seas in search of a better life. A months-long investigation by The National traced direct links between some of the most notorious smuggler gangs operating from Kurdish towns in Iraq, and in France and the UK. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to the reporting team about what they uncovered: a teenage girl stuck in a northern French town, struggling to cross the English Channel; an infamous ringleader who has gone into hiding; and a sham car wash in Wales that pulls the strings from behind the scenes. Sunniva Rose, Aveen Karim and Tariq Tahir recount the details of their investigation and talk about the impact of recent police raids on both smugglers and migrants.

Is Kathleen Kennedy Stepping Down from Lucasfilm? How does the latest retro figures look in person?What is it like to attend Toy Fair? On this episode of the Smugglers' Galaxy podcast, we discuss all these questions and more! Jason analyses the latest interview Kathleen Kennedy gave to Deadline and reads between the lines. He was also in attendance at Toy Fair, a trade-only event attended by retailers, distributors, importers, wholesalers, sales representatives, and trade guests who are all seeking to find the latest and greatest in the toy, game, and youth entertainment world. He tells us what its like to be there and all of the products he saw. Also at Toy Fair, Hasbro unveiled the latest addition to the Retro Collection, a line of figures reminiscent in style to the vintage Kenner line. Jason tells us about these reveals and the thought that went into them. They also discuss the latest reveals from Hasbro's The Vintage Collection and The Black Series lines.

What was once a “well-oiled migrant smuggling machine” into the United States has collapsed thanks to President Trump's border enforcement and promise to deport every illegal alien in the country. So, to make money now, many of these same smugglers are taking self-deportees back to Venezuela.Naturally, the far-left Associated Press reports on this as though it's a bad thing…“They once braved the jungles of the Darien Gap, trekking days along the perilous migrant passage dividing Colombia and Panama with a simple goal: seek asylum in the U.S.,” reports the AP. “Now, boat-by-boat, those migrants … have given up after President Donald Trump's crackdown on asylum, and are returning to the countries they once sought to escape.”Hey, all Trump did was enforce the law. If people want asylum, there is a legal way to ask for asylum at a point of entry. These folks didn't do that. Former President Joe Biden tried to aid and abet their lawlessness with an app that would grant them an asylum hearing, but that's now how it works, that is not the law, and Trump killed the app.

Big D&D news as WotC announces a Lorwyn Shadowmoor 5e setting book, another 3rd party release hits D&D Beyond, and the Monster Manual 2025 gets a second patch, and we all geek out about video games!Check out the new D&D Beyond Drakkenheim adventure: https://ghostfiregaming.com/GGYT_NILE_2025_2_178Email your questions to podcast@ghostfiregaming.comBen: @TheBenByrneJames: @jamesjhaeckMonty: @montycmartinKelly: @kaiinreallifeDungeon Dudes:  @DungeonDudes  Editor:  @ZsDante  Topics:00:00 - Intro01:18 - Video game influences11:08 - A new D&D video game?15:00 - In Search of Smugglers' Secrets25:47 - Lorwyn book announced32:50 - Dragon Delves cover art36:02 - Kobold Press' cosy RPG43:28 - D&D Beyond monster errata49:51 - Escape Room game design

Oof, Star Wars took a hit in Hasbro's recent earnings! Glen and Jason break down the numbers on the Smugglers' Galaxy Podcast, trying to figure out what went wrong and what's next for the franchise. Is it time to panic, or is there still hope? Tune in to find out!

Today's Headlines: Hamas returned the bodies of three Israeli hostages but paraded them on stage before a cheering crowd. They claimed to have returned another, but the remains were not a hostage. The U.S. labeled eight drug cartels as terrorist organizations, prompting Mexico's president to propose stricter gun trafficking rules. Trump plans to fire USPS leadership and place it under Commerce Department control. DHS revoked TPS for Haitians, affecting half a million people. A judge ruled Trump is defying a court order on foreign aid, while another allowed federal layoffs to proceed. Governor Hochul will impose sanctions on NYC Mayor Adams instead of removing him. Kash Patel was narrowly confirmed as FBI director. Mitch McConnell announced he won't seek reelection, and CPAC began with Elon Musk wielding a chainsaw gifted by Argentina's president. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: Telegraph: IDF says body handed over by Hamas is not Shiri Bibas Axios: Mexico targets American gun smugglers in response to naming cartels terrorists  WA Post: Trump expected to take control of USPS, fire postal board, officials say  AP News: Trump administration throws out protections from deportation for roughly half a million Haitians  AP News: Trump administration is flouting an order to temporarily lift a freeze on foreign aid, judge says NBC News: Judge rules against union bid to block mass federal layoffs by Trump NBC News: Gov. Kathy Hochul won't remove embattled NYC Mayor Eric Adams — for now  AP News: Trump loyalist Kash Patel is confirmed as FBI director by the Senate despite deep Democratic doubts Axios: Mitch McConnell, 83, won't seek reelection in 2026 PBS: WATCH: Elon Musk wields ‘chainsaw for bureaucracy' on stage before speaking at CPAC Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawmakers wouldn't truly change current federal fentanyl policy with the HALT Fentanyl Act; they'd simply continue a framework that has failed over the past seven years to stop sellers of illicit fentanyl from meeting market demand. Jeff Singer explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textYou matter and you have value. Live like it today.Ephesians 2:10For we are [God's] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.Support the show

We learned a lot about the upcoming Conquest this week and it looks like it’s actually… kind of chill? We talk about the associated feats as well as the new Datacron set. Smugglers, and droids, and mercs–oh my! Moonborn & Egnards present: Conquest Guide Vol. 18 Presented by Radio Free Tatooine (https://www.radiofreetatooine.com) We love hearing […] The post Galactic War Report – Episode 419: Finally, a Chill Conquest appeared first on RADIO FREE TATOOINE.

For more of my work visit me on instagram at http://www.instagram.com/davidminiatures or my website https://www.davidminiatures.com   Special thanks to my guest on this episode Brian Thompson from The Smugglers Room   Check him out here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmugglersRoom https://www.instagram.com/thesmugglersroom/ patreon.com/thesmugglersroom www.thesmugglersroom.com   Big thank you to the Podcast Sponsor Nine Steps Industries Use code DM10 for 10% off any purchase, and a DM20 for 20% min spend $75 These links automatically apply the code at checkout: https://ninestepsind.com/discount/DM10 https://ninestepsind.com/discount/DM20   Shout out to Joe Gaudet for the Voice over for the logo sting! https://direct.me/joegaudet

As it is a day that ends in Y, the Sussexes are being criticized.  Meghan's latest rebrand is being called that of a “giggly wife.”  Body expert Judi James said “She looked like a cross between a woman on a date night and a mum going to her son's school open day.”The Mail quoted an Invictus Games Insider as saying “They have become a distraction, overshadowing the veterans who should be at the centre of it all.Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app which seays UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!  You also get 20+ other shows on the network ad-free!    Subscribe to Deep Crown's free newsletter at https://deepcrown.substack.com

On this episode of the Smugglers' Galaxy podcast, Glen is back from New Orleans, where he participated in Chewbaccus, a sci-fi theme parade! He tells us his experience at this annual tradition of his. Plus, they talk the latest news and pickups, and a miss they had on the 2025 Bingo card!

In this episode, Doug gives a recap on the smugglers. Doug, talks about the violations and fines that they received and what amount was paid. Should it have been more? Did they get off with a slap on the wrist? Plus, fishing off the bank can it be rewarding?  A caller explaines his experience to Doug and proves a lot of other fisherman wrong. Doug, also talks about the new technology and how its becoming the new normal. Yes, we're talking about forward facing sonar. Predators, what can we do to create the perfect balance in nature? Listen to what Doug has to say to a caller who brought up this important question.

Smugglers, smugglers everywhere... but wait... what in the karking sithspit is a smuggler?!? Well Han Solo and Chewbacca were smugglers... although we never actually see Han smuggle anything successfully.Join the WOTS crew as John, Garrett, and Brian discuss that fine line between the guys working behind the scenes to make crime happen and the run-of-the-mill criminals peddling death sticks on the mean streets of Coruscant. Also, in celebration of Star Wars Podcast Day, dive into the galaxy far, far away with us and explore the lesser-known corners of the Star Wars universe.May the Force be with you as you enjoy this special episode on this momentous day!

Dale Earnhardt Jr has called it “one of the most fascinating stories in all of Motorsports,” as he sat down with Legendary racer Gary Balough to discuss his life on the track and behind bars.  They uncover stories of smuggling marijuana, evading the Feds, getting busted, and how it cost him his career and family.  On track, Balough was a driver who pissed off Richard Petty, got spit on by fans, and was not intimidated by Dale Earnhardt.  Off track, his dangerous lifestyle added to the Legend of “Hot Shoe” Gary Balough.

In this episode we delve into the murky world of wool smuggling! We meet some interesting characters and discover just some of the tales and legends they created. It is amazing to think of wool as such a valuable commodity that its trade was protected and limited, and contraband wool bales clandestinely shipped to other countries! (You can also watch the video version of this episode on the Fiberygoodness YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/-gRgl48AqAk   )If you are interested in following up these stories with some more reading, here are some great links to get you started:Rattenbury wrote a complete dairy which became his memoirs (published 1837) can be read here: https://archive.org/details/memoirsasmuggle00rattgoog/page/n2/mode/1upWadhurst History Society — Wadhurst History Society | The History of Smuggling in Sussex and Kent wadhursthistorysociety.orgMysterious Britain — Brede Place – Mysterious Britain & Ireland mysteriousbritain.co.ukClare Flynn — Smugglers of Sussex | Clare Flynnclareflynn.co.uk

Ready for a wild ride through some of the most absurd crimes and criminals? In this laugh-out-loud episode of Terror Talk Podcast, we dive into: Serial Poopers: When public spaces become private bathrooms, and the law has to step in. Aggressive Street Flirting: A closer look at men whose bizarre attempts at romance cross into criminal territory. Snake Smuggling Shenanigans: How one man's peculiar obsession led him to stash live snakes in his pants during a flight. Our What the Hell? episodes are all about unfiltered fun, and this one is no exception. Join us as we explore these wacky tales and discuss the lengths people will go to for attention, thrills, or just plain trouble. We want to hear from you! Share your favorite ridiculous crime stories or tell us what you'd do if faced with a snake smuggler on your flight. Leave your thoughts on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube! Follow Us: Instagram: @terrortalkpodcast YouTube: TerrorTalk Podcast Facebook: Halloween All Year Long TikTok: @dark.psychology.girls Music by Mannequin Uprising #TerrorTalkPodcast #RidiculousCrimes #FunnyCriminalStories #SerialPoopers #SnakeSmuggler #TrueCrimeHumor #LightheartedTrueCrime Bizarre crime stories Funny criminals Unusual true crime tales Absurd criminal behavior --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/terrortalk/support

What awaits us for our one hundredth episode? Oh, the normal things: Smugglers being manipulated. Dark Jedi making power moves, and regular jedi offering therapy services. Clever tactical maneuvers using cloaked asteroids. Oh, and of course, a collection of trees that are not to be trusted. Support the show by going to Patreon.com/civilized! Next Time: We finish the Thrawn Trilogy Follow us on Bluesky   Hosted by Rob Zacny (@RobZacny) Featuring Alicia Acampora (@ali_west), Austin Walker (@austin_walker), and Natalie Watson (@nataliewatson) Produced by Ricardo Contreras (@a_cado_appears) Music by Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal) Cover art by Xeecee (@xeeceevevo)  

More Christmasy stuff, Sick New World gets axed, more Cosmopolitan burger joint details and plenty of other Vegasy fun The post FHBM #943: Plumb Smugglers first appeared on Five Hundy By Midnight.

Retired Australian Police Officer, Mark Tregellas, returns to TPS to tell some more stories from his time policing the Austraiian bush!  Mark's Book - Backup Is Three Hours Away https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Backup-is-Three-Hours-Away/Mark-Tregellas/9781923144286   Contact Steve - steve@thingspolicesee.com Support the show by joining the Patreon community today! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=27353055           -AD free early release of podcast episodes           -bonus episodes           -Vinyl TPS logo sticker           -Patron Shoutout            -Exclusive posts and direct messaging to Steve   Please rate and review on iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/things-police-see-first-hand-accounts/id1384355891?mt=2 Shop Merch / Subscribe / be a guest / Contact  www.thingspolicesee.com Join the FB community!  https://www.facebook.com/thingspolicesee/ Background consultation - Ken@policebackground.net

P.M. Edition for Nov. 15. WSJ Latin America deputy editor Santiago Pérez explains how smuggler warnings about President-elect Donald Trump could trigger a migration surge at the U.S. border. And U.S. stocks fall after a Federal Reserve official indicates a December interest rate cut wasn't a “done deal.” Plus, Heard on the Street columnist David Wainer on how Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s health and human services secretary nomination is raising alarms among U.S. and European pharmaceutical companies. Tracie Hunte hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HUMP DAAAAYYY!!!!! They Don't Make Movies For EVERY Holiday, Drunken Antics Of Public Servants, Smugglers, The Toy Hall Of Fame, FIB News, Something Was In Corbin's Yogurt,  & WHAT?!?!?!?!?

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Oct. 31. It dropped for free subscribers on Nov. 7. To receive future episodes as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below:WhoGeordie Gillett, Managing Director and General Manager of Grand Targhee, WyomingRecorded onSeptember 30, 2024About Grand TargheeClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: The Gillett FamilyLocated in: Alta, WyomingYear founded: 1969Pass affiliations: Mountain Collective: 2 days, no blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Jackson Hole (1:11), Snow King (1:22), Kelly Canyon (1:34) – travel times vary considerably given time of day, time of year, and weather conditions.Base elevation: 7,650 feet (bottom of Sacajawea Lift)Summit elevation: 9,862 feet at top of Fred's Mountain; hike to 9,920 feet on Mary's NippleVertical drop: 2,212 feet (lift-served); 2,270 feet (hike-to)Skiable Acres: 2,602 acresAverage annual snowfall: 500 inchesTrail count: 95 (10% beginner, 70% intermediate, 15% advanced, 5% expert)Lift count: 6 (1 six-pack, 2 high-speed quads, 2 fixed-grip quads, 1 carpet – view Lift Blog's inventory of Grand Targhee's lift fleet)Why I interviewed himHere are some true facts about Grand Targhee:* Targhee is the 19th-largest ski area in the United States, with 2,602 lift-served acres.* That makes Targhee larger than Jackson Hole, Snowbird, Copper, or Sun Valley.* Targhee is the third-largest U.S. ski area (behind Whitefish and Powder Mountain) that is not a member of the Epic or Ikon passes.* Targhee is the fourth-largest independently owned and operated ski area in America, behind Whitefish, Powder Mountain, and Alta.* Targhee is the fifth-largest U.S. ski area outside of Colorado, California, and Utah (following Big Sky, Bachelor, Whitefish, and Schweitzer).And yet. Who do you know who has skied Grand Targhee who has not skied everywhere? Targhee is not exactly unknown, but it's a little lost in skiing's Bermuda Triangle of Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, and Big Sky, a sunken ship loaded with treasure for whoever's willing to dive a little deeper.Most ski resort rankings will plant Alta-Snowbird or Whistler or Aspen or Vail at the top. Understandably so – these are all great ski areas. But I appreciate this take on Targhee from skibum.net, a site that hasn't been updated in a couple of years, but is nonetheless an excellent encyclopedia of U.S. skiing (boldface added by me for emphasis):You can start easy, then get as wild and remote as you dare. Roughly 20% of the lift-served terrain (Fred's Mountain) is groomed. The snowcat area (Peaked Mountain) is completely ungroomed, completely powder, totally incredible [Peaked is lift-served as of 2022]. Comparisons to Jackson Hole are inevitable, as GT & JH share the same mountain range. Targhee is on the west side, and receives oodles more snow…and therefore more weather. Not all of it good; a local nickname is Grand Foggy. The locals ski Targhee 9 days out of 10, then shift to Jackson Hole when the forecast is less than promising. (Jackson Hole, on the east side, receives less snow and virtually none of the fog). On days when the weather is good, Targhee beats Jackson for snow quality and shorter liftlines. Some claim Targhee wins on scenery as well. It's just a much different, less crowded, less commercialized resort, with outstanding skiing. Some will argue the quality of Utah powder…and they're right, but there are fewer skiers at Targhee, so it stays longer. Some of the runs at Targhee are steep, but not as steep as the couloirs at Jackson Hole. Much more of an intermediate mountain; has a very “open” feel on virtually all of the trails. And when the powder is good, there is none better than Grand Targhee. #1 ski area in the USA when the weather is right. Hotshots, golfcondoskiers and young skiers looking for “action” (I'm over 40, so I don't remember exactly what that entails) are just about the only people who won't call Grand Targhee their all-time favorite. For the pure skier, this resort is number one.Which may lead you to ask: OK Tough Guy then why did it take you five years to talk about this mountain on your podcast? Well I get that question about once a month, and I don't really have a good answer other than that there are a lot of ski areas and I can only talk about one at a time. But here you go. And from the way this one went, I don't think it will be my last conversation with the good folks at Grand old Targhee.What we talked aboutContinued refinement of the Colter lift and Peaked Mountain expansion; upgrading cats; “we do put skiing first here”; there's a reason that finance people “aren't the only ones in the room making decisions for ski areas”; how the Peaked expansion changed Targhee; the Teton Pass highway collapse; building, and then dismantling, Booth Creek; how ignoring an answering machine message led to the purchase of Targhee; first impressions of Targhee: “How is this not the most popular ski resort in America?”; imagining Booth Creek in an Epkonic alt reality; Targhee's commitment to independence; could Targhee ever acquire another mountain?; the insane price that the Gilletts paid for Targhee; the first time you see the Rockies; massive expansion potential; corn; fixed-grip versus detach; Targhee's high percentage of intermediate terrain and whether that matters; being next-door neighbors with “the most aspirational brand in skiing”; the hardest part of expanding a ski area; potential infill lifts; the ski run Gillett would like to eliminate and why; why we're unlikely to see a lift to the true summit; and why Targhee joined Mountain Collective but hasn't joined the Ikon Pass (and whether the mountain ever would).Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewA few things make Targhee extra relevant to our current ski moment:* Targhee is the only U.S. ski area aside from Sugar Bowl to join the Mountain Collective pass while staying off of Ikon.* In 2022, Targhee (sort of) quietly opened one of the largest lift-served North American ski expansions in the past decade, the 600-acre Peaked Mountain pod, served by the six-pack Colter lift.* The majority of large U.S. ski areas positioned on Forest Service land are bashful about their masterplans, which are publicly available documents that most resort officials wish we didn't know about. That's because these plans outline potential future expansions and upgrades that resorts would rather not prematurely acknowledge, lest they piss off the Chipmunk Police. So often when I'm like “Hey tell us about this 500-acre bowl-skiing expansion off the backside,” I get an answer that's something like, “well we look forward to working with our partners at the Forest Service to maybe consider doing that around the year 3000 after we complete our long-term study of mayfly migration routes.” But Geordie is just like, “Hell yes we want to blow the resort out in every direction like yesterday” (not an exact quote). And I freaking love the energy there.* Most large Western ski areas fall into one of two categories: big, modern, and busy (Vail, Big Sky, Palisades, Snowbird), or big, somewhat antiquated, and unknown (Discovery, Lost Trail, Silver). But Targhee has split the difference, being big, modern, and lesser-known, that rare oasis that gives you modern infrastructure (like fast lifts), without modern crowds (most of the time). It's kind of strange and kind of glorious, and probably too awesome to stay true forever, so I wanted to get there before the Brobot Bus unloaded.* Even 500-inches-in-an-average-winter Targhee has a small snowmaking system. Isn't that interesting?What I got wrong* I said that $20 million “might buy you a couple houses on the slopes at Jackson Hole.” It kind of depends on how you define “on the slopes,” and whether or not you can live without enough acreage for your private hippo zoo. If not, $24.5 million will get you this (I'm not positive that this one is zoned for immediate hippo occupation).* I said that 70 percent of Targhee's terrain was intermediate; Geordie indicated that that statistic had likely changed with the addition of the Peaked Mountain expansion. I'm working with Targhee to get updated numbers.Why you should ski Grand TargheeThe disconnect between people who write about skiing and what most people actually ski leads to outsized coverage of niche corners of this already niche activity. What percentage of skiers think that skiing uphill is fun? Can accomplish a mid-air backflip? Have ever leapt off a cliff more than four feet high? Commute via helicopter to the summit of their favorite Alaskan powder lines? The answer on all counts is probably a statistically insignificant number. But 99 percent of contemporary ski media focuses on exactly such marginal activities.In some ways I understand this. Most basketball media devote their attention to the NBA, not the playground knuckleheads at some cracked-concrete, bent-rim Harlem streetball court. It makes sense to look at the best and say wow. No one wants to watch intermediate skiers skiing intermediate terrain. But the magnifying glass hovering over the gnar sometimes clouds consumer choice. An average skier, infected by cliffity-hucking YouTubes and social media Man Bro boasting, thinks they want Corbet's and KT-22 and The Cirque at Snowbird. Which OK if you zigzag across the fall line yeah you can get down just about anything. But what most skiers need is Grand Targhee, big and approachable, mostly skiable by mostly anyone, with lots of good and light snow and a low chance of descent-by-tomahawk.Targhee's stats page puts the mountain's share of intermediate terrain at 70 percent, likely the highest of any major North American ski area (Northstar, another big-time intermediate-oriented mountain, claims 60 percent blue runs). I suspect this contributes to the resort's relatively low profile among destination skiers. Broseph Jones and his Brobot buddies examine the statistical breakdown of major resorts and are like “Yo cuz we want some Jackson trammage because we roll hard see.” Even though Targhee is bigger and gets more snow (both true) and offers a more realistic experience for the Brosephs.That's not to say that you shouldn't ski Jackson Hole. Everyone should. But steeps all day are mentally and physically draining. It's nice most of the time to not be parkouring down an elevator shaft. So go to Targhee too. And you can whoo-hoo through the deep empty trees and say “dang Brah this is hella rad Brah.” And it is.Podcast NotesOn the Peaked Mountain expansionThe Peaked Mountain terrain has been marked on Targhee's trailmap for years, but up until 2022, it was accessible mostly via snowcat:In 2022, the resort dropped a six-pack back there, better defined the trail network, and brought Peaked into the lift-served terrain package:On Grand Targhee's masterplanHere's the overview of Targhee's Forest Service master development plan. You can see potential expansions below Blackfoot (left in the image below), looker's right of Peaked/Colter (upper right), and below Sacajawea (lower right):Here's a better look at the so-called South Bowl proposal, which would add a big terrain pod contiguous with the recent Peaked expansion:Here's the MDP's inventory of proposed lifts. These things often change, and the “Peaked DC-4” listed below actualized as the Colter high-speed sixer:Targhee's snowmaking system is limited, but long-term aspirations show potential snowmaking stretching toward the top of the Dreamcatcher lift:On opposition to all of this potential expansionThere are groups of people masquerading as environmental commandos who I suspect oppose everything just to oppose it. Like oh a bobcat pooped next to that tree so we need to fence the area off from human activity for the next thousand years. But Targhee sits within a vast and amazing wilderness, the majority of which is and should be protected forever. But humans need space too, and developing a few hundred acres directly adjacent to already-developed ski terrain is the most sustainable and responsible way to do this. It's not like Targhee is saying “hey we're going to build a zipline connecting the resort to the Grand Teton.” But nothing in U.S. America can be achieved without a minimum of 45 lawsuits (it's in the Constitution), so these histrionic bozos will continue to exist.On Net Promoter Score and RRCI'm going to hurt myself if I try to overexplain this, so I'll just point toward RRC's Net Promoter Score overview page and the company's blog archive highlighting various reports. RRC sits quietly behind the ski industry but wields tremendous influence, assembling the annual Kotke end-of-season statistical report, which offers the most comprehensive annual overview of the state of U.S. skiing.On the reason I couldn't go to Grand Targhee last yearSo I was all set up to hit Targhee for a day last year and then I woke up in the middle of the night thinking “Gee I feel like I'm gonna die soon” and so I did not go skiing that day. Here's the full story if you are curious how I ended up not dying.On the Peaked terrain expansion being the hypothetical largest ski area in New HampshireI'll admit that East-West ski area size comparisons are fundamentally flawed. Eastern mountains not named Killington, Smugglers' Notch, and Sugarloaf tend to measure skiable terrain by acreage of cut trails and maintained glades (Sugarbush, one of the largest ski areas in the East by pure footprint, doesn't even count the latter). Western mountains generally count everything within their boundary. Fair enough – trying to ski most natural-growth eastern woods is like trying to ski down the stands of a packed football stadium. You're going to hit something. Western trees tend to be higher altitude, older-growth, less cluttered with undergrowth, and, um, more snow-covered. Meaning it's not unfair to include even unmarked sectors of the ski area as part of the ski area.Which is a long way of saying that numbers are hard, and that relying on ski area stats pages for accurate ski area comparisons isn't going to get you into NASA's astronaut training academy. Here's a side-by-side of 464-acre Bretton Woods – New Hampshire's largest ski area – and Targhee's 600-acre Peaked Mountain expansion, both at the same scale in Google Maps. Clearly Bretton Woods covers more area, but the majority of those trees are too dense to ski:And here's an inventory of all New Hampshire ski areas, if you're curious:On the Teton Pass highway collapseYeah so this was wild:On Booth CreekGrand Targhee was once part of the Booth Creek ski conglomerate, which now exists only as the overlord for Sierra-at-Tahoe. Here's a little history:On the ski areas at Snoqualmie Pass being “insane”We talk a bit about the “insane” terrain at Summit at Snoqualmie, a quirky ski resort now owned by Boyne. The mountain was Frankensteined together out of four legacy ski areas, three of which share a ridge and are interconnected. And then there's Alpental, marooned across the interstate, much taller and infinitely rowdier than its ho-hum brothers. Alpy, as a brand and as a badass, is criminally unknown outside of its immediate market, despite being on the Ikon Pass since 2018. But, as Gillett notes, it is one of the roughest, toughest mountains going:On Targhee's sinkholePer Jackson Hole News and Guide in September of last year:About two weeks ago, a day or so after torrential rain, and a few days after a downhill mountain biking race concluded on the Blondie trail, Targhee ski patrollers noticed that something was amiss. Only feet away from the muddy meander that mountain bikers had zipped down, a mound of earth had disappeared.In its place, there was a hole of unknown, but concerning, size.Subsequent investigations — largely, throwing rocks into the hole while the resort waits for more technical tools — indicate that the sinkhole is at least 8 feet wide and about 40 feet deep, if not more. There are layers of ice caking the walls a few feet down, and the abyss is smack dab in the middle of the resort's prized ski run.Falling into a sinkhole would be a ridiculous way to go. Like getting crushed by a falling piano or flattened under a steamroller. Imagine your last thought on earth is “Bro are you freaking kidding me with this s**t?”On the overlap between Mountain Collective and IkonMountain Collective and Ikon share a remarkable 26 partner ski areas. Only Targhee, Sugar Bowl, Marmot Basin, Bromont, Le Massif du Charlevoix, and newly added Megève have joined Mountain Collective while holding out on Ikon.The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 70/100 in 2024, and number 570 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stormskiing.com/subscribe