If you ever tried saving snowballs in the freezer until summer as a kid, you'll love this idea.
Bogus Basin — a nonprofit ski destination in Idaho with a Bill-and-Ted-approved name — found a secret weapon to combat the snow drought plaguing the West: snow blankets.
Dubbed "Project X," the innovative experiment allowed the recreation area to store snow during the summer and reopen trails — long before the first snow fall, per NPR.
Strange things are afoot on the slopes
While some of us were busy watching the snow-covered Winter Olympics, the Western US has experienced one of the worst ski seasons in decades.
- Record low snowpacks and high temps have led to bare slopes, canceled reservations, and a harsh economic blow to a multi-billion-dollar industry.
- Even Florida has seen more snow than Utah, much to the chagrin of freezing iguanas.
But Bogus Basin was prepared.
A bit like traveling back in time
Early last year, while temperatures were still below freezing, Bogus Basin stockpiled snow for the future with the help of Finish company Snow Secure:
- Snowmakers created a tall, football-field-sized pile of snow.
- Massive, interlocking polystyrene plastic blankets — one of Time Magazine's best inventions of 2025 — covered the pile.
- Snow remained frozen, even during 80-degree days.
- When overnight temps returned to freezing in October, the pile was uncovered, revealing that 80% of the snow remained.
- Special tractors then spread the snow and the first small ski hill opened.
Bogus Basin was able to welcome customers even before the first snowfall or temps were low enough for snowmaking.
The $120k kit also proved cheaper than a proposed $6m-$7m expansion of a water retention pond for snowmaking.
Party on, dudes
The nonprofit plans to invest $600k in additional blankets for next year, in hopes of opening an entire trail before Thanksgiving.
Resorts in Wisconsin, British Columbia, and Europe have also successfully incorporated Snow Secure's system.
While not a replacement for natural snow or snowmaking, the blankets offer a low-tech, economical tool to help ski slopes bring in business earlier.
Providing a most excellent adventure for skiers and snowboarders.
