Erin Spong

The 2024-25 ski season started off with an impressive bang across much of the Pacific Northwest and the Western Rockies. Mountains in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon have all seen upwards of 100 inches of snow already, which made for incredible early season turns at the resorts as well as in the backcountry, and did a wonder for ski areas in terms of opening terrain. Since then, however, the faucet has effectively turned off, the sun has reappeared accompanied by unseasonably warm temps. While some of us may not be complaining about the “nice weather,” backcountry forecasters are bracing for what’s to come with the next round of precipitation this coming weekend and stack on top of the weakened snow.

WHEN SKIERS THINK OF SUN VALLEY, the town of Ketchum and the iconic ski resort typically come to mind. What most overlook, however, is everything else this central Idaho playground has to offer. Home to athletes such as Crazy Karl Fostvedt, McKenna Peterson, Willy Griffith and more, the valley is surrounded by mountain ranges that make it an absolute paradise for outdoor recreation. The Sawtooth, Pioneer, Smoky, Soldier, Boulder and White Cloud Mountains offer up seemingly endless backcountry zones, hut trips and heli skiing terrain that complement the 2,000+ acres of world-class resort skiing at Sun Valley Ski resort. With all this access, it’s hard to see why skiers don’t overrun the place every year, but those that do visit sure don’t mind the lack of crowds and lift lines.

We’ve all been there. You look at the two-week forecast, plan ahead to get your work days covered and the homies together, and then when the time comes, the massive storm that was projected disappears into thin air leaving you with no new snow to plunder and all of your PTO used up. We get it. Weather can be frustrating and unpredictable but now thanks to Google’s new weather-based artificial intelligence (AI), GenCast, that 15-day forecast may not be so far off in accuracy.

Talks of an exciting La Niña winter had all of us eager for a fruitful season, but after a decent November showing, she’s basically ghosted us. We’re halfway through December without any real storm totals to report, which is both sad for our ski days and for our climate. But thanks to an uplifting email from OpenSnow this morning, we may just be turning a corner on this depressingly dry December.

Revelstoke Backcountry Guides is an 8,000-acre, foot-powered tenure just outside the town of Revelstoke with incredible access.

The brand you know and love for creating skis that break the mold, inspire creativity and revolutionized the sport of skiing have entered the boot market with Armada’s first lineup of boots—dubbed AR ONE. For so many athletes, and everyday skiers, a ski day can be soured when all you’re thinking about are your boots. Maybe they don’t fit properly, maybe they’re not stiff enough or give you terrible shin bang. Whether you play predominantly in terrain parks, on top of big peaks or a mixture of both, the AR ONE boot series has a boot for every style of rider.

Some would say being the middle child has its downfalls but for Cassie Sharpe, it has shaped her into the athlete and competitor she is today. Sandwiched between two brothers, Sharpe started skiing at the age of 12 when her dad got a job at Mount Washington on Vancouver Island. There, she and her siblings ran wild, pushing each other to try tricks and compete in the local slopestyle competitions. Unknowingly, this kickstarted her long and successful career as a freestyle skier. Sharpe won her first halfpipe competition in 2012 and she became the first Canadian woman to take home an Olympic gold medal in the discipline at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. On the X Games super stage, Sharpe has racked up two gold medals, one silver and two bronze to make her one of the most dominant women in the Superpipe.

When you think of halfpipe skiing, it’s nearly impossible not to think of Alex Ferreira. A local to the Roaring Fork Valley and Aspen mountains, Ferreira has been a competitive skier for the majority of his life. His first introduction to the sport was moguls, but the skier soon discovered halfpipe and has never looked back. A dominant competitor in the discipline, Ferreira has racked up enough awards to be one of the most decorated athletes in the sport, including two Olympic medals, seven X Games medals—three of which were gold—and 16 World Cup podiums. Last year, Ferreira became the first halfpipe skier to have a perfect season, winning every single contest he entered.

These days, there are so many heli-ski operations to choose from it’s hard to know what makes each one unique and worthy of your hard-earned dollars. Some operations lean on their terrain or average annual snowfall while others lean on the guest experience with the gourmet meals and lavish lodging. At Eleven Revelstoke

Whether he's setting up for a big hit or hauling ass through steep and narrow couloirs, we're always here to catch Lucas Wachs' wave length.