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From Controversy to Commonplace: How Ski Helmets Became the Norm

From Controversy to Commonplace: How Ski Helmets Became the Norm

Drawing on DCSki archives and National Ski Areas Association statistics, this feature traces how ski helmets went from a controversial choice among Mid-Atlantic skiers to nearly universal equipment. Forum debates, improved helmet design, rental availability, changing expectations, and increased awareness of head injuries all shaped the shift from 25 percent helmet use in 2002-2003 to 94 percent in 2025-2026.
Road Trips "R" Us

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.
Mountain Weather

Mid-Atlantic Skiers' Forecast

Updated an hour ago

A mild, quiet stretch is ahead across the Mid-Atlantic, with no natural snow or meaningful wintry precipitation in the forecast. Wednesday through Friday brings mostly dry weather and warming temperatures, with highs generally in the upper 50s to low 70s. Eastern and lower-elevation areas will be warmest, including Bear Creek and Liberty Mountain, while higher terrain such as Snowshoe and Timberline stays several degrees cooler.

A weak cool-down arrives Friday night into Saturday, when overnight lows fall into the upper 30s and low 40s at many northern and higher-elevation locations. That may offer only a marginal, brief snowmaking-temperature opportunity, not a sustained window. Sunday remains mostly dry in much of the region, but showers become more likely around Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain, with chance showers also appearing near Snowshoe and Wintergreen.

Weather Fact of the Day
Snow does not always settle evenly after a storm. Wind can strip soft crystals from exposed ridges and deposit them in sheltered hollows, where the snow becomes denser and deeper; meanwhile, repeated scouring can leave a hard, icy surface up high. That is why slope aspect and terrain can matter as much as the snowfall total when judging coverage.
DCSki regional outlook based on National Weather Service forecasts for Mid-Atlantic ski areas.
Around the Ski World

Elsewhere on the Web

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

Updated 20 hours ago
POWDER Oct 26

Mt. Bachelor Welcomes Winter to Central Oregon

Mt. Bachelor received three inches of snow at its base as a broader Pacific Northwest storm moved through, with more snowfall expected across Oregon and Washington. The resort is scheduled to open December 4, while nearby Timberline and Mt. Hood Meadows are forecast to receive substantially more snow.

Read at POWDER
OpenSnow Oct 26

Snow Coming to the Northwest this Week

Meteorologist Alan Smith forecasts the season’s first significant snowfall for the Northwest, British Columbia, and the Northern Rockies, with favored resorts potentially receiving 6 to 14 inches. The storm track is expected to shift toward California and the southern and central Rockies over Halloween weekend.

Read at OpenSnow
Links open external websites. Story summaries are generated from publicly available reporting and are refreshed once daily.
DCSki Spotlight

Explore DCSki's Lost Ski Areas

Discover ski areas that once operated across the Mid-Atlantic through DCSki's growing historical archive.

Explore Lost Ski Areas →
Weiss Knob Ski Area
Davis, West Virginia

Weiss Knob Ski Area

Near Davis, West Virginia, Weiss Knob was a 1959 rope-tow ski area built by Bob and Anita Barton, with four tows and snowmaking. Its former downhill site lives on as White Grass Touring Center, where cross-country trails, grooming, and snowfarming preserve the area’s winter-sports legacy.
4 reader comments
Buckaloons Ski Area / Youngsville Skiways
Youngsville, Pennsylvania

Buckaloons Ski Area / Youngsville Skiways

Near Youngsville, Pennsylvania, this former ski area operated under several names, including Youngsville Skiways, Peak ’n’ Mountain, and Buckaloons. Its rope tows, chairlift, long T-bar, night skiing, and steep runs made it a beloved local gathering place before it closed in the early 1980s.
80 reader comments
Oregon Ridge
Cockeysville, Maryland

Oregon Ridge

Oregon Ridge was a short-lived 1960s ski area in Cockeysville, Maryland, conveniently located beside I-83 and offering rope tows, night skiing, snowmaking, and a Hall double chairlift. Though operations faded by the late 1960s, the park’s tow reportedly ran sporadically into the 1980s, and remnants remain visible today.
31 reader comments
Mountain Run
Moreland Gap, Virginia

Mountain Run

Mountain Run was a short-lived ski area in Moreland Gap near Mount Jackson, Virginia, opening around 1970 with a double chairlift, J-bar, and rope tow. Its modest slopes were part of a grander vacation-resort plan that collapsed, leaving abandoned lift infrastructure and former trails gradually reclaimed by pine forest.
14 reader comments
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