The SnowBrains Podcast

Season 7, Episode 111You may have looked at Joe's title and not known what SNOW Partners is; however, it is a company revolutionizing the ski industry in many ways that you may already be aware of. First, Joe and SNOW Partners are the owners of Mountain Creek, NJ, one of the busiest ski resorts in the Mid-Atlantic region. They are also the operators of Big Snow American Dream, the only indoor ski area in North America, located in the Mall of America just 20 minutes from New York City. SNOW Partners is also the company behind Terrain Based Learning, a program that over 80 ski resorts across the globe have adopted to make learning to ski an easier and better experience. The company also runs a software company called SnowCloud, a commerce and operations platform for ski resorts, waterparks, and attractions.Last winter, SNOW Partners launched the Snow Triple Play pass, a new multi-mountain pass product aimed at making exploring ski resorts for those learning to ski more accessible and more affordable. And this winter, SNOW Partners built on the momentum of the Snow Triple Play pass by launching the SNOW Pass, a brand-new national multi-mountain ski pass that also aims to make skiing more affordable.Joe's story is an inspiration that demonstrates that anyone can make it in the ski industry and achieve great things. He's on the cutting edge of the ski industry and sees the future of this sport as few others can.Follow The SnowBrains Podcast:- On ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠- On ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠- On ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠- On ⁠⁠⁠SnowBrains.com⁠⁠⁠This episode was edited by Liam Abbott. Hosted by Miles Clark.

Season 7, Ep. 110The world of medicine is rapidly evolving, and recently, we've seen some new terms become popular in pop culture – GLP-1s, peptides. What exactly are these, are they legitimate, and how are they relevant to skiers and athletes? Dr. Kevin Stone joins us for a record-setting fourth appearance to break down and answer questions about GLP-1s and peptides, alongside other developments in the world of sports medicine and orthopedic surgery.Dr. Stone is one of the world’s leading orthopedic surgeons and the founder of the Stone Clinic in San Francisco. He’s a pioneer in biological knee restoration, a surgeon trusted by Olympic athletes and everyday skiers alike. He’s a voice who’s been pushing sports medicine for decades.Follow The SnowBrains Podcast:- On ⁠Instagram⁠- On ⁠⁠Facebook⁠- On ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠- On ⁠⁠SnowBrains.com⁠⁠This episode was edited by Liam Abbott. Hosted by Miles Clark.

Season 7, Ep. 109Our guest today is Brandon Swartz, the General Manager of Smugglers' Notch, VT. Brandon learned to ski just down the road at Mount Snow, VT, when he was just 3 years old, and from there, he did just about every single job on the mountain. Ski patrol, race department, lift mechanic, lift ops, mountain ops, before climbing the ladder for over 14 years inside Vail Resorts, the biggest ski operator on Earth, eventually running Attitash and Wildcat, NH. Then he walked away from it all to go home to Vermont and run a funky, fiercely independent mountain, with some of the oldest chairlifts in the country.We dig into his story, why he recently moved to Smugglers' Notch, and the future of this old-school ski resort that has gone through lots of change in the past year. Follow The SnowBrains Podcast:- On ⁠Instagram⁠- On ⁠⁠Facebook⁠- On ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠- On ⁠⁠SnowBrains.com⁠⁠This episode was edited by Liam Abbott. Hosted by Miles Clark.

Season 7, Episode 108Chris Tomer is an Emmy Award-winning meteorologist and avid backcountry skier. After more than 25 years in Denver, he recently relocated to Columbus, Ohio, to become the Chief Meteorologist at 10TV – WBNS. Although he may be further from the mountains than before, he hasn't lost his obsession with mountain weather, and joins us on the podcast today to talk about the horrific ski season we saw last year, and what this coming season across the United States is currently shaping up to be.If you care about mountain weather, no matter where in the U.S. you are based, be sure to follow his YouTube Channel for regular videos forecasting where you can find the best snow. Follow The SnowBrains Podcast:On InstagramOn ⁠FacebookOn ⁠Threads⁠On ⁠SnowBrains.com⁠This episode was edited by Liam Abbott. Hosted by Miles Clark.

Season 7, Episode 107Our guest today is Jeff Kohnstamm, President of Timberline Lodge, OR, frequently associated with the longest ski season in North America and home to the iconic Timberline Lodge. Jeff knows this place better than anyone. He literally grew up at the resort, with his father, Richard L. Kohnstamm, running the resort from 1955–1992, when Jeff took over. On this podcast episode, Miles & Jeff dive into all things Timberline Lodge, including its wild and fascinating history, its feature in the cult movie The Shining, new lifts planned to connect The Summit Ski Area with Timberline Lodge (which will create the longest lift-served vertical drop in the United States), and the increasing effects that climate change is having on the longest ski season in North America.Follow The SnowBrains Podcast:On FacebookOn InstagramOn ThreadsOn SnowBrains.comThis episode was edited by Liam Abbott. Hosted by Miles Clark.

Season 7, Episode 106To start Season 7 of the Podcast, we are doing things a little differently. Today, Jeff Banks, IFMGA guide, avalanche course instructor, and CEO & Founder of AspectAvy, is going to join us as we discuss the Castle Peak Avalanche in Lake Tahoe, CA, that took 9 souls last winter in 2026.This was the deadliest ski/snowboard related avalanche in U.S. history, and there is a lot to unpack, understand, and learn from this incident so we can be safer while knowing the risks of spending time in the backcountry. Follow The SnowBrains Podcast:On FacebookOn InstagramOn ThreadsOn SnowBrains.comThis episode was edited by Liam Abbott. Hosted by Miles Clark.

Season 6, Episode 105Our guest today is Olivier Fremond, the head of Operations & Development at Les 3 Vallées, the world's largest ski resort. When we say large, we're not talking big. We're talking absurdly massive. Les 3 Vallées spans over 600km of pistes, roughly 25,000 acres of skiable terrain, more than 160 lifts, and it connects the legendary ski destinations of Courchevel, Meribel, and Val Thorens in one single ski area. This is a place where you can ski all day, rack up thousands of vertical feet, ski multiple valleys, and still not even come close to seeing it all. Today, we are diving deep into the numbers, the infrastructure, the logistics, and what it actually takes to operate the biggest ski resort in the world. Follow The SnowBrains Podcast:On FacebookOn InstagramOn ThreadsOn SnowBrains.com This episode was edited by Liam Abbott. Hosted by Miles Clark.

Season 6, Episode 104Our guest today is Alex Ferreira, one of the most accomplished and unique athletes in freeskiing. Alex is an Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medalist across three different games, but what makes Alex really interesting isn't just the results; it's how he gets them.In this discussion, we talk about affirmation, visualization, and the psychological effects of the music he listens to. It was really interesting to hear from Alex about the psychology and strategies he uses to create the results that he does. We talk about what it takes to win Olympic gold, what was on his mind during that final run in Italy, the variations of those final runs in the Olympics, his training, his mindset, sobriety, identity, and how the character of Hot Dog Hans might actually help him perform at a higher level. This is a deep one. Follow The SnowBrains Podcast:On FacebookOn InstagramOn ThreadsOn SnowBrains.comThis episode was edited by Liam Abbott.Hosted by Miles Clark.

Season 6, Episode 103Our guest today is Dave Searle – mountain guide, deep mountain thinker, and someone who has built his life around moving through wild places with purpose. Dave has spent years guiding in serious terrain, helping people travel safely and confidently in the mountains while also developing a thoughtful approach to risk, decision making, and what it really means to operate in consequential environments. He also has an amazing YouTube channel that helps people so much in learning about navigating the mountains, including his massive project that he is pushing right now called "The Grand Ski Tour." All of this stuff, about Dave, who he is, and what he creates and produces, is absolutely incredible, and we are honored to have him.This episode is brought to you by onX Backcountry.Whether you’re planning to drop into a technical couloir or accomplish a high-vert spring volcano tour, make sure you have the app onX Backcountry downloaded ahead of time. With LiDAR-based topo technology, offline 3D maps, and recent imagery, you get an unmatched view of the terrain, even when you don’t have cell service. For a limited time, you can use the code snowbrains60 at onXmaps.com to get sixty percent off your annual membership and start planning your trips in the backcountry with confidence.Follow The SnowBrains Podcast:On FacebookOn InstagramOn ThreadsOn SnowBrains.comThis episode was edited by Liam Abbott.Hosted by Miles Clark.

Season 6, Episode 102Our guest today is Paul Raymore, Marketing & Communications Manager at Diamond Peak Ski Area, Lake Tahoe's local favorite mountain for big views, uncrowded slopes, and a seriously strong community vibe. Paul has a deep background in mountain operations and marketing, and he is here to talk about what makes Diamond Peak such a hidden gem in the Tahoe ski scene.Follow The SnowBrains Podcast:On FacebookOn InstagramOn ThreadsOn SnowBrains.comThis episode was edited by Liam Abbott.Hosted by Miles Clark.