Snow Ghosts and Tree Wells
I’ve spent a lot of time so far talking about the slope conditions because that’s what I get the most questions about.
Now that we’ve had some powder and our slopes are up to normal Brundage standards, I thought I would mention one of my favorite things about powder days here. (Besides the obvious). SNOW GHOSTS.
If you’ve spent much time at Brundage, you’ve probably noticed what we call the Snow Ghosts – big old trees with branches just drooping from so much snow. They’re especially beautiful when the sun comes out and makes them sparkle.
You don’t find these at many ski resorts because heavy snowfall is often accompanied by high winds. Brundage gets several good storms a year without heavy winds, and these beautiful creatures are the result.
Like many beautiful things, though, these snow ghosts also pack a bit of a hazard.
You don’t want to be standing underneath one of those big branches when they finally do drop their load of snow. A big, plush snow ghost can also disguise a deep tree well. With all of the feather-light snow we’ve had this year, tree wells are not very well “packed”, and it’s really easy to slip or slide straight down in to a big hole around a tree trunk.
We know our powder is irresistable, so when you’re out there looking for fresh lines in the trees (like Santa was yesterday), just be sure to give the Snow Ghosts a wide berth. We’d hate for your powder day to suddenly turn scary. Here are some safety tips to help you enjoy the deep powder with confidence.


