SAM Magazine--Denver, Colo., March 17, 2014--Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced today that its 21 member resorts reported an increase in skier and snowboarder visitation in January and February. Visits at CSCUSA resorts, which do not include any resorts owned by Vail Resorts, were up by 8.6 percent during the second period of the 2013/14 s...

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 13, 2014—Advance reservations at mountain resorts in both the Rockies and the Northeast were strong in February. As of Feb. 28, with nearly 95 percent of all winter lodging business either completed or on the books, lodging visits showed a 4.6 percent increase for the 2013-14 season (November through April) co...

SAM Magazine--Crystal Mountain, Wash., March 11, 2014--Guests checking out Crystal Mountain's website this morning for the Mountain Report found this: The bottom of the High Campbell chairlift was taken out by a very large avalanche late yesterday afternoon. The area was closed and nobody was hurt. The avalanche was triggered by an explosive...

SAM Magazine--Tamarack, Ida., March 11, 2014--In an auction on Monday, Credit Suisse, the main creditor for Tamarack, was the only bidder for three large sections of Tamarack Resort at a sheriff's sale. According to KTVB news, Credit Suisse now owns most of the physical properties instead of collateral interest, including the mountain assets an...

SAM Magazine--March 11, 2014-- Whistler, Aspen/Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Alta, Snowbird and Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, members of the Mountain Collective, which offers purchasers two days at each of the destinations, plus a 50% discount on all additional days, have released an expanded pass product for the 2014/15 season. A limited number of passes...

SAM Magazine—Washington, D.C., March 10, 2014—The snow sports retail market finished January up 4 percent in units sold and up 7 percent in dollars, reaching $2.8 billion for the season to date (August through January), according to the SIA RetailTRAK. The report is prepared by Leisure Trends for SnowSports Industries America (SIA). Tot...

SAM Magazine--Olympic Valley, Calif., March 10, 2014--Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are teaming up with Sugar Bowl next season to offer passholders sliding privileges at all three resorts, plus Royal Gorge Cross Country. Holders of Squaw/Alpines's Gold pass are allowed four free days at Sugar Bowl and Royal Gorge. Sugar Bowl's unrestricte...

SAM Magazine--Albany, N.Y., March 10, 2014--New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the launch of the ‘I Ski NY’ Bus, a new, dedicated bus line to 13 upstate ski mountains from New York City and Toronto to begin service for the 2014-2015 winter ski season. Currently, only two mountains—Hunter and Windham Mountains...

SAM Magazine—Pagosa Springs, Colo., Mar. 7, 2014—On Tuesday, Mar. 4, Wolf Creek Ski Area avalanche technician and senior patroller Colin Sutton was caught in an avalanche while conducting an exploration and research mission via helicopter on Conejos Peak. The avalanche occurred at about 1:30 p.m. He was immediately dug out by his partne...

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., Mar. 7, 2014—Some of the world’s best snowboarders will descend on Aspen March 19-23 to try their hand on a halfpipe—or two—that is unlike anything done before. For this Red Bull Signature Series event, two competition-spec halfpipes will be constructed side-by-side, complete with rails, wall...

SAM Magazine--Richmond, Utah, March 6, 2014--A new resort in Cache County, Utah, (close to Logan) is set to open its doors next season, bringing the state's total to 15 mountain resorts. Called Cherry Peak Ski Resort, the small 200-acre resort will postion itself as a teaching mountain. According to Utah Public Radio, the resort will feature th...

SAM Magazine--Denver, Colo., March 6, 2014--Like cell phone companies, Intrawest has roled out a new pass product designed for the "modern" family. Called the Intrawest Passport, the pass will offer children 12 and under free skiing and riding, as well as redefine who can be included in the product. The season pass includes six days of sk...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Feb. 28, 2014—With many resorts already selling season passes for the 2014-15 season, Vail Resorts (VR) is adding one of the snowiest powder skiing resorts in the world—Niseko, Japan—to its Epic Pass program. Epic Passholders will receive five complimentary consecutive days at Niseko, Japan, f...

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Feb. 28, 2014—Olympian Tiger Shaw will take over as president and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) effective Mar. 3 as part of a planned transition, replacing longtime USSA chief Bill Marolt. Shaw was named chief operating officer last fall. He has spent the last five months working c...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Feb. 26, 2014—Despite the legalization of private use of marijuana in Colorado, public use of pot remains illegal. And so, over the past several weeks, Vail Resorts (VR) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have destroyed a number of structures associated with prohibited marijuana use. The structures had be...