SAM Magazine—Teton Village, Wyo., Jan. 7, 2013—Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) recorded above-average snowfall and unprecedented business levels for December and the holidays. The snowfall fueled record skier day numbers for the month of December and the best-ever holiday period for the Mountain Sports School, where business was dri...

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., Jan. 7, 2013—Snowmass ski patroller Patsy Hileman, 49, triggered the avalanche that killed her Dec. 30 at Snowmass, in the same area where the ski patrol had performed control work three days before the accident, according to a report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Ski patrol had used explo...

SAM Magazine--January 2, 2013--Jim and Kim Engle, owners of Sunburst in Wisconsin, announced an agreement to sell their resort to Rob and Jennifer Friedl, who, according to the Engles, will "continue to focus on families and to take Sunburst to a new level, even better than what we know now." The Engles plan to help with the transition...

SAM Magazine--December 26, 2012--Brian Head Resort in southern Utah, announced that as of December 20, the area is under new ownership. The resort was purchased for an undisclosed amount out of receivership from Zion's First National Bank. The new owners are Brian Head Acquisition Partners, LLC, formed out of two groups, one from California and...

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Dec. 19, 2012—A federal district court in Colorado has struck down a U.S. Forest Service water policy that would have required resorts to transfer ownership of valuable water rights to the U.S. government without compensation. “Given how critical and valuable water is to ski area operations, we are...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Dec. 19, 2012—The Rental World, Backshop, and Uniform Gallery exhibits presented by SIA and SAM Magazine, along with a series of seminars and breakfast meetings, promise to give resort rental operators plenty to think about and see at the annual SIA Snow Show in Denver Jan. 31-Feb. 3. Rental World/Backshop...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Dec. 18, 2012—As of Nov. 30, advance reservations at 16 Western mountain resort destinations were down a sharp 12.3 percent for December 2012 compared to the same time last year, although the average daily rate rose 2.6 percent, according to the most recent data released by the Mountain Travel Research Progra...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Dec. 18, 2012—Vail Resorts (VR) has closed on its acquisitions of Afton Alps, Minn., and Mount Brighton, Mich., making them the eighth and ninth resorts owned by the company. The price for the two family-owned resorts was a combined $20 million. Vail officials now intend to upgrade both facilities an...

SAM Magazine—Bear Valley, Calif., Dec. 18, 2012—Environmentalists, Bear Valley owners and Stanislaus National Forest officials have resolved issues that threatened to delay a planned expansion at the resort. Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center said on Monday it was withdrawing its appeal of the Forest Service approval of the...

SAM Magazine—McLean, Va., Dec. 13, 2012—The snow sports retail market declined 2 percent season-to-date (August through October) compared to last year. But it still reached $616 million in sales, despite significant disruptions in retail sales in the South and Northeast regions due to Hurricane Sandy, and lack of momentum from the snow-...

SAM Magazine--December 13, 2012--Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. (WBH) reported financial results for the three months and year ended September 30, 2012. The corporation, which has been publicly listed for two years now, holds a 75% interest in the entities that operate Whistler Blackcomb. Thanks to its downhill bike park and Peak2Peak gondola,...

SAM Magazine--December 11, 2012--On December 7, ISB Community Bank took over ownership of the Highlands of Olympia ski area in Oconomowoc, Wisc., as well as a golf course, both of which had been operating in receivership. According to The Business Journal, ISB took over the 134-acre property and, in exchange, forgave a $2.3-million debt it held wit...

SAM Magazine—Glens Falls, N.Y., Dec. 11, 2012—To encourage skiing and riding in the state, New York areas are offering 10,000 lift tickets for just $10 each, valid for one day only—Jan. 10—at a host of the state’s resorts. Participating areas include Peek n’ Peak, Holiday Valley, Holimont, Kissing Bridge, Bris...

SAM Magazine--December 9, 2012--After filing for bankruptcy in mid-October, a federal bankruptcy judge has OKed the sale of Sno Mountain Ski Resort in Pennsylvania in order to recoup about $24 million in debt. According to the timesleader.com, documents filed by Sno Mountain show it has $171,562 in assets compared to $24.2 million debt. The debt is...

SAM Magazine—McHenry, Md., Dec. 6, 2012—The Kansas City-based REIT, EPR Properties, has completed its purchase of Wisp Resort for a final price of $23.5 million. That’s up $3 million from its initial bid of $20.5 million three weeks ago. In a separate transaction, National Land Partners acquired a nearby golf course and other real...