Hit the slopes (before you can't)

 

Because winter is changing (basically getting shorter and warmer), skiing is changing too.  This New York Times article covers the changes.  There are also some changes due to COVID-19, of course.

First, the climate change indicator:

"Between 1982 and 2016, the American ski season shrunk by an average of 34 days annually, and levels of snow cover saw an average drop of 41 percent, according to a study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters."

So there's an upswing in "ski touring" -- which essentially means hiking to and then up the mountain, and then skiing down it. And also not getting buried in an avalanche.  That's important too.

Here’s How Climate Change and Covid Are Transforming Skiing

"In recent years, with snow cover diminishing and untouched powder increasingly difficult to reach, skiers like Ms. Backstrom have been pushed onto groomed trails more often. That increased visibility, combined with the pandemic shutdowns, she said, has prompted more skiers to try touring gear. “That always helps to have a visible example,” she said.

Ms. Backstrom also said more skiers are opting to avoid the backcountry and ski uphill on managed slopes because it’s “more safe given extreme changes in climate and weather.”

One of the main reasons is that, as weather becomes more volatile, avalanches are becoming more difficult to predict."

So, if you want to get skiing, hike to it.   While there's still snow on the mountains.