SAM Magazine—Montpelier, Vt., June 13, 2022—Alpine ski areas in Vermont welcomed 3.76 million skier visits during the 2021-22 winter season, up 6.5 percent year-over-year, but 6 percent below the state’s 10-year average, according to the Vermont Ski Areas Association (Ski Vermont), which shared numbers at its annual meeting last week at Sugarbush, Vt. Courtesy of Dave GibsonSki Vermont’s 29 cross-country ski area members reported 350,000 skier visits, up 5.2 percent compared to pre-pandemic visitation. 

“Vermont’s ski industry has faced monumental pandemic-related challenges over the past few seasons, but our ski areas have shown incredible perseverance, resourcefulness, and resiliency in continuing to offer the skiing and riding experience for which Vermont is renowned,” said Ski Vermont president Molly
Mahar. “Even with last winter’s inconsistent weather, we still saw a solid rebound in business.”

In addition to Covid-related challenges, such as testing requirements at the Canadian border, mild and inconsistent early-season weather stunted snowmaking operations, leading to limited terrain being open for the holidays. Despite the variable weather, including low snowfall in March—historically one of Vermont’s snowiest months—Jay Peak and Sugarbush were able to stay open into May, and Killington closed on June 5.

At the VSAA annual meeting, industry achievement awards were given to Barbara Ann Cochran, Olympic gold medalist and longtime ski school director at Cochran’s Ski Area; and Diane Whatley, Stratton Mountain Resort’s longtime director of marketing and sales.