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NOVEMBER 10, 2026

Irv Naylor, Founder of Snow Time and a Pioneer of Mid-Atlantic Skiing, Dies at 91

Irv Naylor, one of the most influential figures in the history of Mid-Atlantic skiing, died October 20, 2026, at age 91. As founder of Snow Time, he spent more than five decades developing and expanding ski resorts, including Roundtop Mountain Resort, Liberty Mountain Resort, and Whitetail Resort. His continuous investments in snowmaking, infrastructure, and resort operations helped build a thriving regional ski industry despite the challenges of unpredictable Mid-Atlantic winters. DCSki looks back at the life and accomplishments of this pioneering entrepreneur.

NOVEMBER 5, 2026

The Long Run: How a Baltimore Engineer Helped Reinvent the Ski

DCSki's new Long Run series traces how Baltimore-area aircraft engineer Howard Head's experiments helped usher skiing from wooden skis into the era of composite design.

2 comments

NOVEMBER 4, 2026

Tussey Mountain Clears Major Hurdle for Lodge Expansion

Tussey Mountain has cleared a major regulatory hurdle for its planned lodge expansion, bringing the Pennsylvania ski area closer to significant upgrades.

NOVEMBER 3, 2026

Snow Guns Roar to Life as Ski Areas Across the U.S. Prepare for Winter

Snowmaking is underway across the country, and several resorts have opened, while the Mid-Atlantic awaits colder temperatures.

NOVEMBER 2, 2026

Snowmass Replaces Chairlift Diesel Generator with Battery Backup

Snowmass is using a 900-kilowatt battery to back up its Elk Camp chairlift, replacing a diesel generator and supporting the local power grid.

NOVEMBER 1, 2026

DCSki Resort Profiles Updated for the 2026–2027 Winter Season

DCSki has completed its 2026–2027 Resort Profile updates, refreshing information on 30 Mid-Atlantic ski areas. Explore detailed mountain statistics, interactive maps, weather forecasts, driving directions, and tools for comparing resorts and planning ski trips.

OCTOBER 31, 2026

Whatever Happened to the Halfpipe?

Once a familiar sight at Mid-Atlantic ski resorts, halfpipes have largely disappeared. DCSki looks back at their heyday, the challenges of maintaining them, and a recent revival at Seven Springs.

1 comment

OCTOBER 30, 2026

The Economics of Making Winter: Does Snowmaking Pay Off?

A Canadian ski area's $2.5 million snowmaking investment raises a familiar question for Mid-Atlantic resorts: Does making more snow make financial sense?

OCTOBER 29, 2026

Priority Lift Lines: Winter Park Tries a New Approach

Winter Park is rewarding early-season passholders with priority lift access, adding a new angle to the debate over bypassing regular lift lines.

3 comments

OCTOBER 28, 2026

From Controversy to Commonplace: How Ski Helmets Became the Norm

DCSki looks back at how helmets went from a source of heated debate to standard equipment for more than nine in ten skiers and snowboarders.

1 comment

Community Pulse

The Forum

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Updated 2 hours ago by needawax

A question for readers

Scott solicits feedback on names for a possible broader ski news site, prompting suggestions and a spirited discussion about competition, sustainability, and independent ski journalism.

14 posts 8 participants 346 views

Popular

Updated 3 hours ago by Scott

Irv Naylor, RIP

Members remember Irv Naylor as a local ski-industry pioneer and generous steward of Liberty, Roundtop, and Whitetail, while Scott shares a letter and publishes a tribute to his lasting legacy.

5 posts 4 participants 296 views

Updated 13 hours ago by Scott

Emergency server upgrade - please report any glitches

Scott describes DCSki’s emergency security patch and server upgrade, asks users to report glitches, and later discovers a PHP compatibility issue that halted site emails for 19 days.

12 posts 5 participants 942 views

Updated 18 hours ago by TheCrush

Moment Meridian 107 comments from big brains plz

TheCrush buys Moment Meridian 107s in Reno, briefly debates returning them, then decides to keep the full-rocker skis after others praise their powder performance and distinctive design.

9 posts 3 participants 644 views

Updated 4 days ago by marzNC

Indy Pass 2026-27

marzNC previews Indy Pass’s expanded 2026-27 lineup and Destination Upgrade option, while members debate its sales model, resort changes, and value for destination trips.

14 posts 4 participants 1,764 views

Popular

Updated 4 days ago by needawax

Unhappy shareholders with Vail resorts

itdoesntmatter reports that Vail Resorts may face a December proxy battle, while needawax connects the shareholder unrest to stagnant guest experiences and broader management problems.

2 posts 2 participants 391 views

Visit the Forum for all discussions →

Mountain Weather

Mid-Atlantic Skiers' Forecast

Updated 34 minutes ago

A warm, dry start gives way to a wet Thursday across most of the region, with highs mainly in the 40s and 50s after Tuesday’s 60s. Lower-elevation areas near Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia look mainly rainy, with limited natural snow potential. The eastern Pennsylvania mountains may see rain change to rain/snow late Thursday or Friday, but conditions there remain marginal.

The better winter-weather signal is in the higher West Virginia and Laurel Highlands terrain. Canaan Valley Resort, Snowshoe, Timberline, Wisp, Seven Springs and Hidden Valley all have snow likely Friday into Saturday, following rain and mixed precipitation Thursday night. Strong winds will add an operational concern at the highest elevations. Lows in the 20s Friday night should provide a potential snowmaking window in the colder mountains, while milder eastern areas see only marginal overnight opportunities.

Weather Fact of the Day

Snow can lose depth even on a dry, bitterly cold day through **sublimation**, but it can also gain strength without melting. Inside a shaded snowpack, vapor moves from warmer grains toward colder ones, where it redeposits as larger, better-bonded crystals -- gradually turning loose powder into a firmer layer while exposed ridges quietly shrink.

DCSki regional outlook based on National Weather Service forecasts for Mid-Atlantic ski areas.

From the Archives of Skiing

Ski History Fact of the Day

In 1958, inventor Alden Hanson patented a snowmaking system that replaced the large external air compressor with a rotating propeller. Water was atomized mechanically and blown into the cold air, while a smaller nucleating system helped create the ice crystals needed for freezing.

The design became known as the “airless” or fan snowmaker. Early versions produced modest quantities, but they pointed toward a major operational shift: snowmaking could cover broad trails with mobile, electrically powered machines rather than relying entirely on fixed networks of compressed-air guns.

Modern fan guns are far more powerful and efficient, but their basic idea remains Hanson's legacy. By separating snow production from a central compressor plant, the invention helped make large-scale, flexible snowmaking practical.

Around the Ski World

Elsewhere on the Web

Fresh ski and snowboard stories from around the web, selected daily for DCSki readers.

Updated 3 hours ago

POWDER Nov 10

New Freeride World Tour Documentary Series Goes Behind the Lines and Cliffs

The new No Second Run web series offers a behind-the-scenes look at the 2026 Freeride World Tour through the experiences of several leading skiers and snowboarders. Its arrival gives newcomers more context on freeride competition while offering longtime fans a closer look at the season’s major moments.

Read at POWDER

Vail Resorts Nov 9

Breckenridge Ski Resort Kicks Off Winter in The Kingdom

Breckenridge will open its 2026–27 season on Wednesday, November 11, five days after its original target, with Peak 8 and limited intermediate terrain available. The resort plans to continue snowmaking as conditions permit and will work toward expanding access to learning terrain and Peak 9.

Read at Vail Resorts

POWDER Nov 9

Camelback Resort, Pennsylvania, Reveals New Trail Map

Camelback’s new winter trail map adds Pokawachne Pass, a double-black trail, and Rabbit Hole, a blue route, marking the first new trails at the Pennsylvania resort in decades. The changes provide new route options ahead of a season whose opening date has not yet been announced.

Read at POWDER

POWDER Nov 9

Video Captures Massive Avalanche Releasing on New Zealand’s Tallest Peak, Forecasters Issue Warning

A natural wet-slab avalanche on Aoraki/Mount Cook ran roughly 1,500 meters after a rockfall trigger. New Zealand’s avalanche service is warning that warm, wet conditions and continued rain are keeping spring snow and ice hazards elevated in the high mountains.

Read at POWDER

POWDER Nov 9

There Are Now 6 Open Ski Areas Across The United States

Six U.S. ski areas are now operating, including four in Colorado plus Mammoth Mountain and Mount Rose. The roundup highlights how early-season skiing is spreading geographically despite limited terrain and uneven opening conditions.

Read at POWDER

POWDER Nov 9

A Major Pattern Shift Could Bring Snow Back To The Rockies In The Coming Weeks

A developing weather-pattern change could bring several storm systems to the Sierra, Wasatch, Rockies and Tetons from November 13 through 18. Forecast projections call for the possibility of meaningful early-season snow, though timing and totals remain uncertain.

Read at POWDER

POWDER Nov 9

Ikon Base Pass Adds Three Days At Deer Valley For The 2026-27 Season

Ikon Base Pass holders will receive three days at Deer Valley for the first time, with reservations required and blackout dates applying. The access expansion arrives as Deer Valley prepares to add 200 acres and seven runs for the 2026–27 season, while Ikon also expands coverage in Austria and Wisconsin.

Read at POWDER

My NBC5 Nov 9

Killington Resort resumes snowmaking ahead of Killington World Cup event

Killington resumed snowmaking as Vermont temperatures cooled, focusing preparations on Superstar ahead of the Killington Cup on November 27–29. The resort has not yet announced its public opening date, after warm weather interrupted earlier snowmaking efforts.

Read at My NBC5

Links open external websites. Story summaries are generated from publicly available reporting and are refreshed once daily.

OCTOBER 27, 2026

Three Big Changes That Reshaped Mid-Atlantic Skiing

DCSki examines how megapasses, improved snowmaking, faster lifts, and year-round investments have changed Mid-Atlantic skiing since the turn of the century.

1 comment

OCTOBER 26, 2026

A History of High-Speed Chairlifts in the Mid-Atlantic

From Whitetail’s pioneering high-speed quad to today’s six-passenger lifts, explore the history of detachable chairlifts at Mid-Atlantic ski resorts.

OCTOBER 25, 2026

Road Trips “R” Us

Jim Kenney recounts the beautiful, crazy, scary, lucky, and tasty moments gathered during decades of ski road trips across North America.

OCTOBER 24, 2026

You Had to Do What? Skiing’s Little Annoyances That Technology Left Behind

DCSki looks back at the snow phones, paper tickets, film cameras, fixed-grip lifts, and other ski-day inconveniences that technology has largely left behind.

3 comments

OCTOBER 23, 2026

Mountain Matchup: Liberty vs. Whitetail

DCSki compares Liberty and Whitetail, weighing longer runs and faster laps against varied terrain, short steeps, and a different mountain personality.

4 comments

OCTOBER 22, 2026

Colorado Drought Raises Questions About Snowmaking’s Water Demands

Colorado’s severe drought is raising questions about snowmaking’s water demands, an issue that also affects Mid-Atlantic ski resorts.

1 comment

OCTOBER 21, 2026

Doppelmayr Expands U.S. Ski Lift Manufacturing with New Utah Headquarters

Doppelmayr’s new Utah headquarters doubles its U.S. manufacturing capacity and adds domestic production of lift towers and other components.

OCTOBER 20, 2026

New Study Examines the Future of Mid-Atlantic Snowmaking

A new study finds that Mid-Atlantic ski areas could face fewer reliable snowmaking windows as winter conditions change.

1 comment

OCTOBER 19, 2026

Snow Farming: Could Preserving Winter Snow Work in the Mid-Atlantic?

Snow farming allows ski resorts to preserve snow through the summer for use the following season. A successful experiment at Colorado’s Snowmass raises an interesting question: Could the technology work at Mid-Atlantic ski areas?

DCSki Spotlight

The DCSki Interview Series

Conversations with people who have a connection to the mountains, in the Mid-Atlantic or beyond.

DCSki Interview Series: Woody Bousquet, a Lifetime Connected to Skiing’s Past

Woody Bousquet discusses his family's ski-area legacy, his collection of memorabilia from around 200 ski areas, and his work preserving skiing's history.

4 comments

JANUARY 16, 2026

Interview Series: Kevin Thomas on the Mechanics and Mindset of a Backyard Ski Hill

Kevin Thomas describes how he built and operates a steep, high-speed rope tow and private ski area in Pennsylvania, relying entirely on natural snow, simple infrastructure, and years of hands-on experimentation.

2 comments

DECEMBER 8, 2025

Interview Series: Spencer Allen, a World Traveler with a DCSki Connection

Spencer Allen, who grew up joining his father and longtime DCSki Columnist Robbie Allen on "Going Further Afield" adventures, now travels the world skiing and documenting his journeys through a creatively edited YouTube channel.

2 comments

JANUARY 16, 2025

Interview Series: Pete Tolsdorf, Creator of SkiTripPlanner.com.

DCSki interviews Pete Tolsdorf, who created the skiing resource SkiTripPlanner.com.

2 comments

Explore DCSki

DCSki by the Numbers

1,814 published stories Browse more than two decades of DCSki reporting, features, interviews, and firsthand reports. Explore the Newsroom → 105,128 Forum posts Tap into years of Mid-Atlantic ski conversation, trip reports, advice, debates, and local knowledge. Join the discussion → 30 resort profiles Compare ski areas with maps, mountain statistics, practical details, and DCSki's candid perspective. Explore resorts → 127 Lost Ski Areas Discover the vanished ski hills and resorts preserved in DCSki's growing historical archive. Explore Lost Areas →

Catch Up

Latest Stories

Mid-Atlantic Skiers' Forecast

Elsewhere on the Web

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