#1: Beartooth Highway & Basin Seasons Nearly Underway:

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Let's get things going this week with a pinch of psuedo-news. This weekend on the border of Montana and Wyoming, Beartooth Highway is set to partially reopen. For those unacquainted with the location, Beartooth Highway is a seasonal route that winds its way through the Rocky Mountains, reaching elevations of nearly 11,000 feet. As such, it's one of the highest highways in the United States, and the only way to get to the U.S.'s only summer-only ski area: Beartooth Basin. Typically, both the highway and the basin aim to open for the season by Memorial Day Weekend, which officially kicks off at 5 PM today. This year however, late snow storms have resulted in heavy snow accumulations in the area, thereby delaying the opening of Wyoming's side of the highway, including access to Beartooth Basin. Ultimately that's why we're referring to this highlight a "psuedo-news". Typically, we don't report on things not happening, but in this case it makes sense. For those in the area accustomed to earning some turns on Memorial Day Weekend the Beartooth region, this is certainly news, even if it is a bit unwelcome. Of course there is a major silver lining: both the full highway and Beartooth Basin are set to open next weekend, and when it does, there will be plenty of snow to be had!

#2: They're Farming Snow in Europe!

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Next up: a new concept in the ongoing battle against snow melt. This week, we learned of a new technique being used in Europe in which ski areas are attempting to save snow from one season to the next in an effort to create better early season conditions. It's called "snow farming" and it's a strategy being employed by a few ski areas in the Alps. The idea is pretty simple: rather than accepting summer time melt as a fact of life, these European ski areas are covering large areas of snow with insulated panels, which are then covered by a large waterproof tarp. In doing so, the hope is that the sun, rain, and heat won't make direct contact with the snow, therefore slowing the melting process. If all goes as planned, the resort will be able to conserve approximately 15,000 - 20,000 square meters of snow. For Courchevel, a ski resort in the French Alps, the harvested snow will be used in two locations: at the resort to help ease the difficulties of opening, and at a World Cup stadium event in December. All told, it's an interesting strategy, and certainly a sign of the times as ski resorts worldwide are having to make adjustments to stay relevant in the face of climate change. For more on this, check out this article from the Telegraph.

#3: Peak Resorts Eagerly Engage Youth with New Drifter Multi-Pass Option:

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What would a Top Five Friday in May be without some kind of ski resort or multi pass update? Answer: probably nonexistent. Possible proof of that fact comes right now as we share with you the news that Peak Resorts has created a new pass for 18-29 years olds called the Drifter Pass. Much like the other multipass options, the Drifter Pass will give its owners access to all of the ski areas under Peak Resorts' umbrella. More specifically, it includes unrestricted access to Big Boulder and Jack Frost in PA, Hunter Mountain,NY, Mount Snow, VT, and Crotched, Attitash, and Wildcat Mountains in New Hampshire. In other words: it's a great option for millenials in the Northeast.

There's another reason we wanted to share the news of this new pass though, beyond the fact that it may be welcome news to a segment of our readers. As it turns out, the goal of this pass goes beyond simply increasing sales and revenue. When Jesse Boyd, the Vice President of Operations at Peak Resorts, was asked about the reason for the new pass, his response was, "We're just trying to grow the sport [of skiing] and get more people involved. As Baby Boomers continue to age out, we need to bring in more people. We're trying to remove barriers like cost to encourage young people to participate."

Ultimately this is what caught our eye. As regular readers likely realize, there's a slowly growing concern within the industry that the future of the sport is at risk as participation numbers amongst millennials and younger generations are lower than those of older generations. As a result, the sport of skiing is aging in a sense. This type of forward thinking (which is reminiscent of Vail's attempt to combat climate change through geo-diversification) could pay dividends for Peak Resorts and the ski industry on the whole in the long run. To learn more, check out this full writeup from SkiMag.com.

#4: U.S. Marines Looking to Purchase a Ski System That Doesn't Require Ski Boots:

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Finally, let's wrap things up with something a bit different. This week, we learned that the U.S. Marines are currently looking to source a new type of ski that would allow soldiers to use their combat boots without have to switch into a specific ski boot. Now, before we bore too deeply into this one, we'll start by pointing out that these skis are probably going to resemble cross country skis, so don't start day dreaming about soldiers on big mountain skis in leather boots. That said, part of what's interesting about this news is that the Marines are being purposely vague in describing what their after. For example, their release states that they are looking for "over the snow capability" that's compatible with their two current styles of winter combat boots. The exciting part of course is that it leaves the door open to innovation. For really any industry, when a branch of the U.S. government puts out a request for proposal, it gives niche ideas and products the chance to prove themselves while reaping the benefits of healthy revenue. Now, we're certainly not saying that a revolutionary new product is sure to come of this, but we are saying that it could happen, and that thought alone is enough to get us excited on May 25th. For more on this, check out the full article from Military.com.

#5: And Now, Your Edits of the Week:

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*** Warning: Moderate Language ***

Well, This is About as Gnarly of an Approach As You'll Ever See:

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Finally, One Last Dose of High Altitude Spring Skiing For Good Measure:

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Written by Matt McGinnis on 05/25/18