Born in Ohio, Lowell grew up in Victor, Colorado, and got his start in journalism by editing two newspapers in that mining town.

During World War I, he did his first skiing as a correspondent with the Italian Mountain Troops and got his first formal instruction during the 1932 Olympics at Lake Placid. Since then he has skied his way around the world, his enthusiasm leading to involvement in launching two ski clubs and the National Ski Patrol, development of ski areas in America and Europe, building of the East's first chairlift, and promotion of skiing through over 50 years of news broadcasting ("So long until tomorrow"), many of his programs originating from the ski areas he loved.

Of all his ski adventures he cites as most memorable a trip by train and cage up through the Camp Bird Mine near Ouray, Colorado, to emerge far above timberline in Chicago Basin and ski all the way down, to the accompaniment of spring avalanches.