In this episode we speak with journalist Mitch Tobin. Tobin co-directs the Water Desk at CU Boulder’s Center for Environmental Journalism, and he also publishes his own excellent newsletter, Snow.News. I first learned about Tobin’s work while seeking resources to better understand climate change and its impacts in the West. As skiers and riders, we like snow, and without it, well, life simply is not as good.
After last season’s historically low snow totals, I thought it was time to get a grasp on the broader context of the 2025-2026 snow-water cycle. Also, just like everyone else, I wanted Tobin’s insights into the predicted Super El Nino. However, both Tobin and I are die-hards—we’d love an epic snow season, but Super El Nino or not, we are somewhat easy to please when it comes to snow conditions.
Below are some maps and graphs pulled from Snow.News. And yes, they are not exactly surprising if you toured last season, and they are not exactly hopeful, but the data speaks for itself. Pow turns or not, digesting this information helps us all understand the big picture. In other words, what exactly happened last winter, and how does it compare historically? Tobin’s research and writing help us do that.
And we should note, we read many resources covering the water and snow scenes when it comes to policy, climate, and weather—Tobin’s work has set a very high bar.
If you are new to The High Route, we are a reader- and listener-supported enterprise focused on human-powered turn-making. Our mission is simple, but it takes real-deal calorie-burning to piece it all together.
We’d like to thank Patagonia, ATK, Folkrm Poles, and Cripple Creek Bike and Backcountry for supporting us.
We are also excited to announce that you can pre-order Issues 4 and 5 of our fine print journal (The High Route journal) on our site. Fancy paper. Good reads. High-octane photos. And some fine mountain ranges. And turns. You can learn more about our subscription options here.
The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Bozeman-based band Jampoke. We are psyched to feature young creative folks. Jam and twirl and tour on.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.