DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 29, 2026--
The Pacific Northwest for the win! Crystal Mountain in Washington is the first Ikon Pass destination to see snowfall, kicking off the 26/27 Northern Hemisphere winter season - in August.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260829961096/en/
Most of the snowfall was concentrated across Crystal’s upper elevations, with accumulation visible in Northway, Mountain Top, and along the 9 side of the mountain, home to Forest Queen Express and Chair 6. Just off Chair 6, a fresh dusting coated the surrounding peaks, with The Silver King taking most of the share. The snow was enough to stick and remains visible across the high alpine this morning, giving the mountain its first real hint of winter.
For snowy images and video click here. Webcams Around The Mountain | Crystal Mountain Resort.
Ikon Pass now offers 70+ global destinations across five continents and is on sale now for winter 26/27 at www.ikonpass.com.
About Ikon Pass
The Ikon Pass welcomes skiers and riders to a community of inspiring mountain destinations and the people who live and play among them across the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Brought to you by Alterra Mountain Company, Ikon Pass unlocks adventure at iconic and unique destinations including Aspen Snowmass, Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper Mountain Resort, Arapahoe Basin, and Eldora Mountain Resort in Colorado; Palisades Tahoe, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort, and Snow Valley in California; Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming; Big Sky Resort in Montana; Alyeska Resort in Alaska; Stratton, Sugarbush Resort, and Killington in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia; The Highlands, Boyne Mountain and Snowriver Mountain Resort in Michigan; Lutsen Mountains in Minnesota; Granite Peak in Wisconsin; Crystal Mountain and The Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington; Mt. Bachelor in Oregon; Sun Valley and Schweitzer in Idaho; Tremblant and Le Massif de Charlevoix in Quebec and Blue Mountain in Ontario, Canada; SkiBig3 in Alberta, Canada; Revelstoke Mountain Resort, RED Mountain, Cypress Mountain, Panorama Mountain Resort, Sun Peaks Resort and SilverStar Mountain in British Columbia, Canada; Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine; Loon Mountain in New Hampshire; Camelback Resort and Blue Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania; Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico; Deer Valley Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort, Brighton Resort, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird and Snowbasin in Utah; Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley and Megève Ski Area in France; Dolomiti Superski and Valle D’Aosta in Italy; Grandvalira Resorts in Andorra; Kitzbühel and Ischgl in Austria; Zermatt and St. Moritz in Switzerland; Thredbo and Mt Buller in Australia; Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt in New Zealand; Niseko United, Arai Mountain Resort, Shiga Kogen Mountain Resort, Mt.T, Myoko Suginohara, APPI Resort, Furano Ski Resort, NEKOMA Mountain and Zao Onsen Ski Resort in Japan; Yunding Snow Park in China; Mona Yongpyong in South Korea; and Valle Nevado in Chile. Special offers are available at CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing, the world’s largest heli-skiing and heli-accessed hiking operation. For more information, please visit www.ikonpass.com.
About Alterra Mountain Company
Alterra Mountain Company is a family of iconic year-round mountain destinations, the world’s leading heli-skiing operations, and Ikon Pass - the premier ski and snowboard season pass offering access to more than 70 iconic mountain destinations around the world. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado and born out of a shared love of the mountains and adventure, the company has brought together some of the world’s most aspirational brands, including: Steamboat, Winter Park and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Palisades Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort and Snow Valley in California; Stratton Mountain and Sugarbush Resort in Vermont; Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia; Tremblant in Quebec and Blue Mountain in Ontario, Canada; Crystal Mountain in Washington; Schweitzer in Idaho; Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah; and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing in British Columbia. Also included in the portfolio are Alpine Aerotech, a worldwide helicopter support and maintenance service center in British Columbia, Canada, Aspenware, the ski industry leader in technology services and e-commerce, and Ski Butlers, the global leader in ski and snowboard rental delivery. For more information, please visit www.alterramtn.co.
First Snow Seen in Ikon Pass Country at Crystal Mountain in Washington.
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Niger’s capital of Niamey on Sunday appeared calm with normalcy restored after a day of unrest as aggrieved soldiers staged a mutiny that threatened the ruling military junta before being repelled by loyalist forces aided by Russian troops.
In what was seen as a major threat to the junta in power since a 2023 coup, the soldiers engaged loyalist forces in sustained gunfire overnight from Friday till late Saturday. Most of the clashes took place at Niamey’s main airport that houses the military air base and in a district where the presidential palace is located.
The unrest culminated in the arrest or killing of dozens of soldiers, some of whom were paraded in front of the cameras live on state television. The fate of the mutineers was not immediately clear and authorities did not disclose any charges against them.
On Sunday, military trucks and check points were seen across the city, particularly along major roads between the airport and the presidential district. Junta leader Abdourahamane Tchiani was yet to make any public comments or appearance.
Here’s what we know about the mutiny, according to witnesses, analysts and diplomats:
Nigeriens were awoken around midnight on Friday into Saturday by bursts of gunfire and explosions that started at the Diori Hamani International Airport. The airport is a strategic hub that hosts a key military air base, known as Base 101, as well as the headquarters of Russia’s Africa Corps in the country. It was the third time this year the airport has experienced unrest.
Gunshots were also heard near the presidential palace in the Plateau district of Niamey as a group of soldiers confronted forces loyal to the junta.
Niger’s Defense Ministry said its forces were gradually regaining control of the situation after a group of soldiers took their “comrades” hostage at the air base and fired at “sensitive” sites, without specifying cause of the unrest.
The chaos persisted for hours late into Saturday as the presidential guard and other loyalist forces secured the air base and the presidency, analysts and diplomats said.
Some of the mutineers came from hot spots in the south and west, among the areas worst-hit by jihadi violence, and were rallying support from others stationed outside the city, according to one European diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly about the matter.
The unrest appeared to have been triggered by grievances over rising insecurity, including rampant jihadi attacks that have led to the mass killing of soldiers in the last year.
Deadly attacks are “becoming commonplace (in the country) and will continue to fuel unrest and aggravate tensions within the army ranks,” said Héni Nsaibia, senior West Africa analyst at Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a conflict monitor.
Jihadi violence has worsened in the wider Sahel region, including in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, where the military also seized power from civilian governments. The junta in Niger promised to stabilize the country but instead security has deteriorated. Attacks on military positions have increased, including one about a week ago when at least 18 soldiers were reportedly killed in the southern Dosso region.
The mutiny was led by soldiers mostly deployed on the ground against the jihadis, according to Wassim Nasr, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, a New York-based think tank. “Deteriorating insecurity drove the coups that swept across the central Sahel, and the latest events show how these same pressures are now fueling unrest within the militaries that seized power,” said Nsaibia.
Soldiers' welfare is another key issue, from complaints about food rations to inadequate equipment, according to Beverly Ochieng, a senior analyst at geopolitical risk consultancy Control Risks. “The stability of these governments is very much pinned on how much they can ensure the army remains cohesive and can provide security and political reforms,” Ochieng said.
The mutineers remained camped at the military base within the airport complex for several hours, resisting efforts from loyalist forces, until Russia’s Africa Corps intervened with ground and aerial support, several analysts said.
The Africa Corps is believed to have between 200 to 300 personnel in Niger where it is primarily protecting the junta and its interests, and also supporting the fight against jihadis.
In interviews broadcast on Russian media, Moscow’s ambassador to Niger, Viktor Voropayev, said Niger had requested support from the Russian force and the mutineers were “neutralized particularly thanks to the intervention” of Africa Corps.
The mutineers outnumbered the elite presidential guard that was deployed to retake the air base and it was unclear who was in control until the Russians intervened, according to Nasr, from the Soufan Center.
“At the end of the day, it is easier to go full-blown on repression when it’s a foreign force,” Nasr said.
The regional Alliance of Sahel States (AES) that includes Burkina Faso and Mali issued a statement late Saturday expressing its “full support” to Niger and condemning the “betrayal” from the soldiers.
“Thanks to the bravery and professionalism of the loyalist republican forces, this latest attempt was contained and thwarted,” it said
Algeria, the first country on Saturday to express support for Niger, its southeastern neighbor, assured it of its “full solidarity and firm support.” On Sunday, an Algerian delegation arrived in Niamey with four combat fighter jets and a military transport aircraft in what Niger's ruling council described as “the demonstration of the strategic support."
Turkey, another key ally of Niger, expressed solidarity with the country and its people, called for “restraint” for the preservation of the country’s security and stability.
FILE - Motorcyclists ride by the entrance of the airport in Niamey, Niger, Aug. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)
A view of a street in Niamey, Niger, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (AP Photo)
FILE - A view of a street in Niamey, Niger, Wednesday, July. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Hama, FIle)
