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  • Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. Submits Top Bid for Jay Peak at $76 Million

    PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco shares his thoughts on the acquisition with SAM. SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., Sept. 8, 2022—Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) made the highest and best final bid to buy Jay Peak, $76 million, following an auction with multiple bidders. PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco told SAM that after three years spent pursuing the acquisition, PGRI is poised to bring renewed stability to the resort and its staff, and tap into its passion and energy. The prevailing bid remains subject to approval by the United States District Court in Southern Florida during a final hearing scheduled for Sept. 16. Judge Darrin P. Gayles, who has presided over the receivership in federal...

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Six Resorts Selected for 2023 Rise Up Challenge

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., May 30, 2023—Six lift maintenance teams have been chosen to participate in the third annual Rise Up Challenge, which is supported by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA). Arapahoe Basin, Colo., Deer Valley, Utah, Killington Resort, Vt., Mansfield Ski Club, Ont., Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore., and Powder Ridge, Minn., were select...

Winter Ended Strong, Summer Looks Weak at Western Destinations

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., May 25, 2023—The winter 2022-23 ski season ended on a high note courtesy of extraordinary snowfall across the West. But the upcoming months are showing considerable slowing from previous summers. Data collected by DestiMetrics, part of the business intelligence division of Inntopia, through April 30 show notab...

Historic Snow in the West to Delay Some, Not All Summer Activities

SAM Magazine—Bear Valley, Calif., May 23, 2023 – Several ski areas in the West are reporting that their summer operations and activities will move forward mostly as scheduled despite receiving historic snowfalls and extending their winter operating seasons late into the spring.Courtesy of Bear Valley Resort In many cases, hiking and biking trai...

East Peak Resort Gains Initial Approval for 800-Acre Land Lease

SAM Magazine—Valdez, Alaska, May 17, 2023—Alaska’s Southcentral Regional Land Office (SCRO) has given preliminary approval to East Peak Resort (EPR) for a 20-year, 800-acre state land lease that may signify a small step forward for what company officials say could one day be a four-season resort. A final decision is expected by the end of Jun...

Confidence Reigns at CCSAA Conference

SAM Magazine—West Yellowstone, Mont., May 12, 2023—Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) held its first in-person spring conference since 2019 on April 3-5, 2023, at West Yellowstone, Mont., where snowpack was on the order of four feet and drifted-in roofs were still on the edge of collapse. Attendance was slightly below the 2019 confere...

Ski Industry Celebrates Success, Shares Cautious Optimism at NSAA National Convention

SAM Magazine—Savannah, Ga., May 12, 2023—The 2023 National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) National Convention and Tradeshow drew more than 840 mountain resort professionals, suppliers, and speakers to Savannah, Ga., for three days of networking, learning, and celebrating what the numbers show was a successful 2022-23 winter season for U.S. ski ar...

U.S. Ski Areas Set New Record for Skier Visits

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 9, 2023—U.S. ski areas recorded record visitation for the 2022-23 season with a total of 64.7 million skier visits, according to preliminary data from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). That is a 6.6 percent increase over last year’s record season. A skier visit is recorded every time an individual us...

Vail Resorts Appoints Murphy VP and COO of Beaver Creek

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., May 4, 2023—Vail Resorts named industry veteran Bobby Murphy vice president and COO of Beaver Creek, effective June 1. He has served as VP and general manager of Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont since 2017, with oversight of Attitash and Wildcat Mountain in New Hampshire, as well. “I am thrilled to have Bobby ...

New Ski Co. CEO Buchheister Talks Leadership, Role Ahead

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., May 4, 2023—Geoff Buchheister has a very big job ahead of him. Aspen Skiing Company named him chief executive officer of Aspen Snowmass on March 1, succeeding longtime CEO Mike Kaplan. While there are larger resort operators in North America, none combine the history, prestige, cachet, and environmental leadership tha...

John Merriman Appointed as Mt. Bachelor President and GM

SAM Magazine—Bend, Ore., May 2, 2023—Powdr has named John Merriman the new president and general manager of Mt. Bachelor Ski & Snowboard Resort, starting May 22. Merriman is the current vice president of finance and sales at Powdr-owned Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado, a role he has held since 2016.   “Working with [John] for the p...

Gregory to Receive NSAA Lifetime Achievement Award

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 2, 2023—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) will recognize former Alterra Mountain Company leader Rusty Gregory with a 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award at its National Convention and Tradeshow in Savannah, Ga., May 9.   NSAA’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals whose commitment and cont...

DeBerry Named Snow Partners President

SAM Magazine—Montville, N.J., May 1, 2023—SNOW Partners named Frank DeBerry, former president of Crystal Mountain, Wash., and COO of Alterra Mountain Company’s four West Coast resorts, as its new president, effective June 1. New Jersey-based SNOW Partners is the parent company of growth and conversion program SNOW Operating, technology provid...

Windham Mountain Gains New Majority Owners, Multi-Year Capital Investment

SAM Magazine—Windham, N.Y., April 27, 2023—Windham Mountain ownership has secured new investment from two hospitality and resort development families that will provide growth capital for a multi-year development and renovation plan at the resort. The Beall family and Kemmons Wilson family through its investment arm Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Pa...

Jay Peak Seeks Savings, Sustainability with New 3-Megawatt Boiler

SAM Magazine—Jay Peak, Vt., April 26, 2023—Jay Peak Resort plans to install a 3-megawatt (MW) electric boiler capable of providing 100 percent of the heating for the 176-room Hotel Jay and Conference Center and the Pump House indoor water park, as well as numerous resort restaurants and retail spaces.  The $1 million project, reportedly one o...

Accesso Acquires Paradocs

SAM Magazine—Twyford, United Kingdom, April 26, 2023—Enterprise technology provider accesso Technology Group has acquired Paradocs Mountain Software. Paradocs' mountain management solution, MtnOS, will join accesso’s existing product portfolio as accesso Paradox.  "Adding this contemporary and powerful solution to our offering supports acc...

Darbous Named Crystal Mountain (Wash.) President and COO

 SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., April 26, 2023—Alterra Mountain Company named Matthew Darbous president and COO of Crystal Mountain, Wash., effective immediately. In his new role, Darbous will be responsible for operations, profitability, and oversight of the resort’s strategic development plan.  Darbous joined Crystal one year ago as vice pr...

Boyne Resorts Introduces ForeverProject

SAM Magazine—Boyne Falls, Mich., April 21, 2023—Boyne Resorts has introduced its Master Plan for reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2030, a goal that was the catalyst to forming the ForeverProject, Boyne Resorts’ long-term pledge to sustainable practices. Largely structured around collective action, the 2030 Master Plan also includes pr...

Vail Resorts Skier Visits, Revenue Up

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 21, 2023—While Vail Resorts reported mixed second quarter results in March, with visits up but earnings down from the prior year for the November to January period, results in March and April have improved as expected, according to the company’s latest ski season metrics.  Vail Resorts reported skier vi...

Whistler Blackcomb Names Trembath VP & COO

SAM Magazine—Whistler, British Columbia, April 21, 2023—Vail Resorts has appointed Belinda Trembath as vice president and chief operating officer of Whistler Blackcomb, effective May 15. Trembath most recently served as vice president and general manager at Perisher, Australia.  "Belinda is dedicated to ensuring the preservation of unique mo...

Leitner-Poma to Build $27 Million Manufacturing Plant in Utah

SAM Magazine—Grand Junction, Colo., April 20, 2023—Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA), will build a $27 million manufacturing facility in Tooele, Utah, about 35 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. The new facility, scheduled to be completed by 2024, will be LPOA’s largest facility in the country at more than 130,000 square feet, and will serve as ...

Winter Ends Strong, But Inflation Threatens Summer Business in Western Destinations

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., April 18, 2023—Widespread snowstorms in March had skiers and riders eagerly booking end-of-season Western mountain vacations, according to the monthly Market Briefing from DestiMetrics, part of the business intelligence division of Inntopia. But the summer season is headed in an entirely different direction, the...

Nominate an Up-and-Comer for the 2023 “10 Under 30”

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., April 17, 2023—The nomination period is now open for SAM’s annual “10 Under 30.” Members of the mountain resort industry are invited to nominate a standout 20-something-year-old who is making an impact at the ski area where they work and is poised to become a leader in the industry.  The chosen 10 rising sta...

MCP Acquires Lee Canyon

SAM Magazine—Las Vegas, Nev., April 13, 2023—Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) has acquired Lee Canyon ski resort, located about 50 miles northwest of Las Vegas, from Powdr Corporation and local partner, the Thomas family. Lee Canyon brings MCP’s ski resort portfolio to 10 properties, including Colorado’s Purgatory Resort and Hesperus ski are...

John Kelly Named Taos Ski Valley COO

SAM Magazine—Taos Ski Valley, N.M., April 13, 2023—Taos Ski Valley promoted vice president of operations John Kelly to chief operating officer. As COO, Kelly will expand his purview to oversee all aspects of the day-to-day operation of the resort, with a focus on enhancing the year-round Taos experience. Among Kelly’s initial projects will ...

Alyeska Joins Ikon

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., April 13, 2023—Alyeska Resort, located 40 miles south of Anchorage, Alaska, has joined the Ikon Pass for the 2023-24 season. The Ikon Pass offers access to 56 ski resorts in the U.S and internationally. “We are thrilled to expand into Alaska and invite the Ikon Pass community to discover Alyeska Resort,” said E...

Indy Pass to Meter Growth After Record Volume Halts Sales

SAM Magazine—Grand County, CO—April 10, 2023—Sales of the 2023-24 Indy Pass have been suspended after the volume of renewals and purchases by new passholders exceeded expectations. The pass had only been available to new customers for 10 days. Officials plan to reassess their sales goals in terms of volume and capacity.  “We’re metering...

The 2023 SAMMY Leadership Award Honorees

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., April 7, 2023—The four individuals being recognized with 2023 SAMMY Leadership Awards demonstrate the innovative thinking, collaborative spirit, and transparent leadership needed to guide our industry through its next evolution. This year’s honorees are: Preston Cline, safety advocate; Nadia Pepin, champion of comm...

Four Antelope Butte Board Members Resign Citing Safety Concerns

SAM Magazine—Sheridan, Wyo., April 7, 2023—Four Antelope Butte Foundation (ABF) board members have resigned this week, three citing safety concerns regarding operation of the Antelope Butte Mountain Recreation Area (ABMRA) Summit lift on the mountain’s closing weekend, according to a news release from ABMRA.  The Summit lift did not operate...

Little Switzerland Puts the Brakes on Bike Park

SAM Magazine—Slinger, Wis., April 6, 2023—Little Switzerland will permanently close its summer bike park because of increased insurance costs.  In a statement posted to its social media accounts, the company stated, “Our insurance company has dropped coverage of the bike park, and alternative insurance options would not make the park econom...

Vail Resorts Names Guerriero SVP and COO of Rockies Region

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., April 6, 2023—Vail Resorts has named Nadia Guerriero, currently vice president and COO of Beaver Creek Resort, Colo., senior vice president and COO of the Rockies Region, and appointed her to the company’s executive committee. In her new role, Guerriero will lead Vail Resorts’ six resorts in Colorado and Utah...

Western Resorts Continue to Get Buried by Historic Snowfall, While the East Makes Up for Lost Time

With historic snowfall at ski areas throughout the western United States, many resorts are poised to wrap up the season with later-than-expected closings and strong visitation and revenue. Photo courtesy of Alta Ski AreaIn fact, the records shattered and milestones reached by western resorts are seemingly endless, with new updates pouring in even a...

Vail Resorts to Offer "My Epic Gear"

SAM Magazine—Broomfield Colo., March 30, 2023—Vail Resorts (VR) plans to introduce a new membership program called My Epic Gear, which could replace the habit of owning gear with renting, for the day or for the season. The program will launch in 2024-25 at selected resorts, according to the plan, following a pilot program, with a limited number...

March Snow People

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to supplier news, awards and obits, we celebrate the people that make this industry thrive. PEOPLE JESSE TRUE, MAGGIE MURRAY, LOUIS SKOWYRA, and TONY CAMMARATA, ARAPAHOE BASIN, Colo. Jes...

NZ Ski Areas To Limit Skier Numbers on Peak Dates

SAM Magazine—United Kingdom, March 30, 2023—One outcome of the pandemic has been an increasing move by some of the world’s more popular destinations to limit numbers on the slopes and prevent overcrowding. North American resorts have been leading the way with this, but now New Zealand’s Cardrona and Treble Cone resorts are joining the movem...

97% of Indy Pass Resorts Renew for 2023-24 Season

SAM Magazine—Grand County, Colo., March 29, 2023—Nearly all 2022-23 Indy Pass alpine partner resorts—102 out of 105—have committed to the pass for the 2023-24 season. Two of the others, Mt. Hood Meadows and Mt. Ashland, Ore., are pending and expected to renew. The final resort, Snow Valley, Calif., was purchased by Alterra Mountain Company ...

Mountain Capital Partners Expands Into Golf

SAM Magazine—Phoenix, Ariz., March 29, 2023—Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) is taking on a new venture: golf. The winter resort operator is buying Silver Creek Golf Course, which includes management of neighboring Bison Golf Club. Both are par 71 public courses located in Show Low, Arizona. Separated by less than 20 miles in the White Mountain...

Solitude Dedicates $16 Million Towards Capital Improvements, Including Lifts and Snowmaking

SAM Magazine—Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, March 29, 2023—Solitude is planning more than $16 million in off-season capital improvement projects, including an upgrade of its Eagle Express quad, Utah’s first detachable chairlift. The investment will fund four projects all set to commence this spring and summer. In addition to the new lift, proj...

Snowbasin and Club Med Part Ways

SAM Magazine—Huntsville, Utah, March 24, 2023—Snowbasin and Club Med cancelled development of a 320-room hotel, the plans for which were unveiled in September 2021. The Club Med hotel was originally scheduled to open for winter 2024. It would have been the resort’s first on-site lodging and Club Med’s first U.S. ski area location since the ...

Vail Resorts Tahoe Properties to Institute Paid Parking, Carpool Incentives

SAM Magazine—Lake Tahoe, Calif., March 24, 2023—Starting winter 2023-24, Vail Resorts-owned Northstar California, Heavenly Mountain Resort, and Kirkwood Mountain Resort in the Lake Tahoe region will implement paid parking for certain lots in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion and parking shortages on weekends, holidays, and peak periods....

Alterra To Invest Nearly $500 Million This Year

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 21, 2023—Alterra Mountain Company plans a nearly $500 million capital investment program across its portfolio of destinations over the next year. That includes almost $400 million in lifts, snowmaking, summer adventures, additional guest amenities, and resort infrastructure; $50 million dedicated to employee housing; ...

MCP 2023-24 Power Pass Pricing Remains Relatively Flat

SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., March 21, 2023—Mountain Capital Partners released its 2023-24 Power Pass family of season passes today, raising the price of its top-tier Power Pass $50 while lowering or keeping flat the prices of others and adding a new pass-holder benefit of 30 percent off day tickets. The Power Pass is good at Spider Mountain B...

Booking Pace And Rates Retreat at Western Resorts

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 14, 2023—Despite widespread significant snowfall across the West in February, high nightly room rates and continued economic pressures depressed bookings across the region—and led to rate reductions in some cases. Still, while occupancy is down slightly compared to last year, overall rates are still substantially hi...

California Operators Cry “Uncle!” on Historic Snowfall

SAM Magazine—Lake Tahoe, Calif., March 10, 2023—Most California ski areas are closed today as another intense weather system carrying heavy rain, snow, and wind bears down on a state that has already seen several disruptive storms this winter, China Peak's ticket window buried in snow.producing record snowfall and forcing frequent road and reso...

Vail Resorts Plans $211M in Capital Investments for 2023

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 10, 2023—Vail Resorts is planning $206 million to $211 million in capital investments for 2023. Projects include lift installations, a new technology rollout, integration activities, and the first phase in a multi-year project at Andermatt-Sedrun. The Keystone, Colo., Bergman Bowl expansion is slated to be...

Vail Resorts Q2 Earnings Down, Skier Visits Up

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 9, 2023—Vail Resorts reported a decrease in its second quarter earnings (EBITDA) of approximately 1 percent from the prior year for the November through January period, with the company’s profitability impacted primarily by increased operating costs from abnormal weather conditions. However, skier visits,...

Ikon Pass Prices Rise 7.5%, Includes New Benefits

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 9, 2023—Alterra Mountain Company is raising prices on its Ikon Passes roughly 7.5 percent for 2023-24, its sixth season, and is adding new benefits to pass ownership. The full Ikon Pass provides access at up to 54 mountain destinations across the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.  When the Ikon Pa...

Killington Receives Key Approval for New Ski Village

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., March 8, 2023—Killington Mountain Resort will move ahead with plans to build a new ski village with 1,500 residences, including workforce housing, after Killington town voters approved phase one of the infrastructure and development project on Vermont’s Town Meeting Day, March 7. The vote allows for $47 million i...

POWDR Wins Death Valley Concession Contract

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, March 7, 2023—Destination Death Valley, LLC, a subsidiary of POWDR, has won the contract as concessioner for Stovepipe Wells Village in Death Valley National Park, Calif. The facilities include lodging, RV campground, food service, and retail, among others. As concessioner, POWDR will renovate and improve the facil...

Vail Resorts Increases Epic Pass Pricing 8%, Expands European Partners

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 7, 2023—Vail Resorts has released pricing for the 2023-24 Epic Pass suite. The restricted Epic Local Pass will retail for $676 and the unlimited Epic Pass will go for $909, increases of roughly 8 percent year-over-year but still below the price for the 2020-21 Epic Pass. The company slashed prices 20 percen...

Wolf Ridge to Transfer Ownership, Rebrand

SAM Magazine— Mars Hill, N.C., March 6, 2023—Wolf Ridge Ski Resort looks set to transfer ownership this year. Deborah and David Hatley, owners of a forthcoming luxury wellness resort and spa in Tennessee, have acquired and plan to rebrand the North Carolina ski area, which closed for the season Feb. 24 due to a lack of snow.  Orville English ...

Indy Pass Unveils 2023-24 Pricing, Will Limit Sales

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., March 6, 2023—Indy Pass released 2023-24 season pass pricing today. The new retail cost of the adult Base Pass ($279) and adult unrestricted Indy+ Pass ($379) reflects a $20 dollar increase in pricing compared to last year and is available only to current and former pass holders through March 21. The XC Pass for cro...

Rock to Become President of Vail Resorts Mountain Division

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Mar. 2, 2023—Longtime resort leader Bill Rock will become president of Vail Resorts' mountain division on May 1, replacing current division president James O'Donnell, who is leaving the company on March 3.

New Vail Resorts Mobile App Will Allow Phones to be Used as Tickets, Passes for 2023-24

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 2, 2023—Vail Resorts will replace its longstanding EpicMix mobile app with the new My Epic app in the fall of 2023. The new app will include a feature allowing guests to activate and store a season pass or lift ticket digitally on their phone and use their phone to gain lift access—as they do now with RF...

EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL REPORT: Indy Pass Gets New Owner, Maintains Independence

In a move intended to bolster the future of the five-year-old Indy Pass, the Pass is being acquired by Entabeni Systems, "the long-time trusted partner who runs the technology platform that Indy Pass has always been built on," according to Indy Pass founder Doug Fish. Fish will continue to lead Indy Pass as it continues to grow its independent reso...

Buchheister Named as Aspen Snowmass CEO

SAM Magazine—Aspen Snowmass, Colo., March 1, 2023—Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) has named Geoff Buchheister as chief executive officer of Aspen Snowmass. Buchheister will lead ASC’s Mountain Division effective March 1, 2023, succeeding longtime CEO Mike Kaplan, who is retiring as of April 30, 2023, after 30 years with the company. Buchheister cu...

Tale of Two Winters

By LINDA GOODSPEED East and West.  The two sides of the country are experiencing two very different winters: In the West, consistent cold and snow since November. In the East, warm and below average snowfall. And in the middle, both extremes at the same time. West  Mountain High, CA & Wintergreen, VAUtah is having quite possibly its snowi...

Cutter’s Camp 2023 Registration Opens Thursday

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Feb. 14, 2023—Registration will open on Thursday, Feb. 16, for the 19th spring session of Cutter's Camp, May 15-19, 2023, at Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore. The five-day program for terrain park professionals features on-hill and classroom workshops, one-on-one customized operator coaching, and demos of the latest mac...

January Snow Boosts Bookings in West

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Feb. 14, 2023—The booking pace for guests arriving in January through June rose 13.3 percent compared to the same time last year at Western mountain destinations, boosting the aggregated occupancy for those six months 7.1 percent, according to the monthly Market Briefing from DestiMetrics, part of the business i...

I AM A SNOWMAKER 2023: And the Winner Is…

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., February 2, 2023—Over 12,000 votes were cast during the 11-day voting period in the 2023 I AM a Snowmaker contest. This year’s contest showcased seven snowmaking teams from across North America: Belleayre Mountain, N.Y.; Bryce Resort, Va.; Jay Peak, Vt.; Massanutten Resort, Va.; Pleasant Mountain, Maine; Wachuset...

SNOW PEOPLE – JANUARY 2023

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to supplier news, awards and obits, we celebrate the people that make this industry thrive. PEOPLE BONNIE MACPHERSON, GUNSTOCK MOUNTAIN RESORT, N.H. Bonnie MacPherson joined Gunstock Moun...