SAM Magazine—Olympic Valley, Calif., Jan. 27, 2023—A mix of snowstorms and sunshine brought travel delays and bluebird days to the NSAA Western Winter Conference, hosted at Palisades Tahoe. See more images in the slideshow below.More than 650 operators and suppliers attended the Jan. 17-18 event, which offered networking opportunities and educa...

SAM Magazine—Big Bear Lake, Calif., Jan. 20, 2023—Alterra Mountain Company has closed on its acquisition of Southern California’s Snow Valley Mountain Resort. Snow Valley will join the operations of Alterra’s Big Bear Mountain Resort, located 11 miles away in Big Bear Lake, which includes the Bear Mountain and Snow Summit ski areas.  “T...

SAM Magazine—Brian Head, Utah, Jan. 20, 2023—Development and construction are currently underway for Aspen Meadows, a new master-planned community and expansion at Brian Head Resort.Long Meadows at Aspen Meadows overlooking Brian Head Resort. Photography Credit Mike Saemisch, Brian Head, Utah The project includes expanded skiable terrain, addi...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 19, 2023—Vail Resorts experienced gains in visits and ticket revenue and is up substantially in ancillary revenue year-over-year across its North American portfolio for the season-to-date period ending Jan. 8, 2023.  Total skier visits were up 12.5 percent, and total lift ticket revenue, including a portio...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Jan. 18, 2023—An impressive booking pace during December—more than double the pace of the year prior—significantly boosted December and January arrivals at Western destinations, according to the most recent Market Briefing released by DestiMetrics, part of the business intelligence division of Inntopia. Aspe...

SAM Magazine—Montville, N.J., Jan. 16, 2023—SNOW Partners has appointed Dave Belin as its new chief financial officer for all its related businesses, effective Jan. 30, 2023. SNOW Partners is the parent company of growth and conversion program SNOW Operating, ski areas Mountain Creek Resort and Big SNOW American Dream in New Jersey, and technol...

SAM Magazine—Steamboat Springs, Colo., Jan. 13, 2023—Chris Diamond, former Steamboat Ski Resort president and author of seminal industry text Ski Inc., died Jan. 12, 2023, from pancreatic cancer. He was 76 years old.  Diamond had a long, influential career in the industry. He got his start in 1972, fresh off a tour in Vietnam with the U.S...

SAM Magazine—Terrebonne, Quebec, Jan. 12, 2023—Quebec ski areas welcomed 6.3 million skier visits in 2021-22, the second highest total in the last 10 seasons and a 2.7 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to financial results released today by the Quebec Ski Areas Association (ASSQ). The organization attributed much of the ...

SAM Magazine—Carrabassett Valley, Maine, Jan. 12, 2023—Sugarloaf received key approvals from the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to begin work on its massive, 450-acre West Mountain expansion, which will include a new a high-speed detachable quad, 12 new alpine trails with snowmaking, a...

SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., Jan. 12, 2023—Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) has agreed to become the majority owner of Valle Nevado, Chile, the largest ski resort in the Americas by acreage. The acquisition is MCP’s first international resort and eleventh ski area. Founded in 1988, Valle Nevado is located in the Andes 37 miles from Santiago, ...

SAM Magazine—Beaupré, Québec, Jan. 10, 2023—The Quebec Building Authority (RBQ) cleared four of Mont-Sainte-Anne’s (MSA) chairlifts to reopen on Jan. 8, but not the gondola. The resort closed after an unoccupied gondola cabin detached from the line and fell to the ground prior to opening on Dec. 10, 2022, the latest in a series of lift malf...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 6, 2023—Rollercoaster weather across the country, from recording breaking snowfall in California to 60-degree temps in Vermont, presented operational challenges for mountain resorts across the country.Courtesy of Sugar Mountain Despite some operational disruptions, though, many operators are reporting strong, an...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 6, 2023—Record-breaking warmth has taken a toll on European mountain resorts over the holiday period and into the new year. A Jan. 6 screen capture from the webcam at the top of Mont Chéry at Les Gets, France.While the season began with cooler temps and mid-December snow in the Alps and elsewhere, rain and high...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 6, 2023—Nearly 1,800 votes were cast in the 16th annual SAM Terrain Park Contest, in which a total of 60 resort-submitted entries from mountain resorts around the globe competed for the top spot in one of the four contest categories: features, events, edits, and—new this year—park crew. The votes have been ...

SAM Magazine—Calabogie, Ontario, Jan. 4, 2023—Early Tuesday morning, a fire engulfed the snowmaking pump house at Calabogie Peaks, shuttering the ski area for the day for safety reasons. No one was injured and no other structures were affected, according to a statement. Calabogie reopened for operations today. “Thank goodness nobody has ...

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Jan. 3, 2022—A Park City Mountain staff member was killed Jan. 2 after falling from the chairlift they were riding. A tree fell on the line of the Short Cut chairlift at about 10:45 a.m. MST, unseating the employee who fell at least 25 feet to the ground, according to a Vail Resorts spokesperson. The staff member w...

SAM Magazine—Ludlow, Vt., Dec. 23, 2022—A powerful winter storm bringing artic temps, dangerous wind chill values, and in some regions, blizzard conditions or even warm rain,Courtesy of Boyne Mtn has led to widespread operational disruptions at ski areas across North America heading into the holiday weekend. As the storm moves from the Rockies ...

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., Dec. 20, 2022—Recreational use law was successfully used as a defense against a plaintiff seeking $1.5 million in a parking lot slip-and-fall claim against Hoodoo Ski Area in Oregon. ASDA (Association of Ski Defense Attorneys) attorneys Brad Stanford and Trish Walsh of Portland firm Farleigh, Wada & Witt represe...

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Dec. 20, 2022—The Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) has named industry veteran Peggy Hiller as its new CEO, effective Jan. 16, 2023. Hiller succeeds Nick Herrin, who was hired as CEO in 2016 and stepped down in June 2022 to become senior vice presi...

SAM Magazine— Beaupré, Quebec, Dec. 19, 2022—The Quebec Building Authority (RBQ) found that Mont-Sainte-Anne (MSA) did not follow proper operating procedures during morning start-up of its gondola on Dec. 10, resulting in an unoccupied cabin detaching from the haul rope and falling to the ground, according to a Dec. 16 report. The resort has b...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Dec. 19, 2022—Consistent, and in some cases, abundant snowfall across many western mountain resorts compared to last year gave November bookings a boost, particularly for November and December arrivals. But economic variables have prevented 2022 from sustaining the rebound recovery of 2021, and are likely to rem...

SAM Magazine—Beaupré, Quebec, Dec. 12, 2022—A gondola cabin fell from the haul rope of the Mont-Sainte-Anne (MSA) L’Étoile Filante gondola before operating hours on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 10. No one was injured in the incident. The resort has been closed since Saturday, and an inspection is ongoing.  “A full inspection procedure ...

SAM Magazine—Lakeshore, Calif., Dec. 9, 2022—China Peak Mountain Resort has been sold to Mountain High Resort and Dodge Ridge, Calif., owners Invision Capital and Karl Kapuscinski, Mountain High president and CEO. Former owner Tim Cohee will remain general manager "for the foreseeable future" and also be involved in shaping the guest experience...

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 STEVE DUKE, CRESTED BUTTE, CO Steve Duke was named director of mountain operations at Cr...

So far, the early 2022-23 ski season is a tale of inches and feet: Feet of snow and earlier than planned openings in the West; mere inches of snow in the East and delayed openings. Stowe Mountain Opening Day As colder temps settle in later this month, the East hopes to catch up. And everybody is looking forward to a good holiday period, especiall...

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., Nov. 29, 2022—The Indy Pass has added four Northeastern Alpine and Nordic ski areas to its 2022-23 lineup, making for 21 total participating ski areas in the Eastern region this year to date.  Included are Peek'n Peak in New York and Tussey Mountain, Pa., on the Alpine side, and cross country areas Catamount Outdo...

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Nov. 28, 2022—An estimated 37,000 spectators descended on Killington Resort this weekend for the sixth annual Killington Cup, a women’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup event. The resort’s new K-1 base lodge also made its debut over the weekend, opening to an eager public.  The record-breaking crowds began arriving on ...

SAM Magazine—Boston, Mass, Nov. 23, 2022—After a two-year Covid delay, the Snowbound Expo debuted in Boston this past weekend, Nov. 18-21, drawing 20,000 skiers and riders from around New England. The reimagined version of the longtime event included dozens of speakers, hardgoods and softgoods retailers promoting their newest wares, a learn-to...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Nov. 22, 2022—Vail Resorts released its 2021-22 EpicProgress report last week, detailing strides the company made last year towards its goal of a zero net operating footprint by 2030.  The company is “ahead of schedule,” according to the report, achieving 100 percent renewable electricity across its North A...

SAM Magazine—West Bolton, Quebec, Nov. 22, 2022—Former Mont Glen owner Peter White and his company Optikinvest Inc. could not secure the financing to re-acquire the ski area, and it has been purchased by another unnamed buyer who reportedly plans to keep Mont Glen private as it has been for the last 15 years. White entered into an agreement to ...

SAM Magazine—Eden, Utah, Nov. 17, 2022—Utah’s Powder Mountain has appointed Kevin Mitchell as its new general manager. Mitchell assumed the role Nov. 7, after serving as GM of California’s Homewood Mountain Resort for a decade. He replaces former GM Mark Schroetel, who moved to the tech industry after eight years at Powder Mountain.  “O...

SAM Magazine—Petaluma, Calif., Nov. 17 2022—Ski California debuted an updated digital version of its Mountain Safety Guide earlier this week, Nov. 15. Designed by the association and its member resorts in California and Nevada, the new version is a play off the group's existing Mountain Safety Guide, and will serve as a comprehensive tool to ed...

SAM Magazine—Stowe, Vt., Nov. 16, 2022—Lodging in Western mountain destinations wrapped up the summer season with mixed results, and on-the-books occupancy for November through April is down 4.8 percent year-over-year, according to the latest Market Briefing by DestiMetrics, part of the Business Intelligence division of Inntopia.  But the aver...

SAM Magazine—Ashland, Ore., Nov. 16, 2022—Andrew Gast will join Mt. Ashland, Ore., as the nonprofit ski area’s new general manager beginning Dec. 21. Gast currently serves as the chief business officer for Southern Oregon University in Ashland. He succeeds Hiram Towle, who led Mt. Ashland for eight years and is now the GM of another nonprofit...

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., Nov. 15, 2022—The Indy Pass has added Colorado resorts Echo Mountain and Granby Ranch to its roster for the 2022-23 season. The coalition now has four partner areas in Colorado, including Sunlight Mountain and Bluebird Backcountry, and is up to 121 downhill and Nordic resorts total across the U.S., Canada, and Japan...

SAM Magazine—Bend, Ore., Nov. 10, 2022—Powdr-owned Mt. Bachelor in Oregon will install a new wood energy facility to provide heat for four of its base area buildings using a modern biomass boiler fueled by the byproducts of NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act)-approved forest management and wildfire fuel reduction activities within the surr...

SAM Magazine—Hastings, Minn., Nov. 7, 2022—Vail Resorts has appointed Trevor Maring as general manager of Afton Alps. The move is a homecoming for Maring, who is returning to the area where he grew up after spending several years working at Vail Resorts-owned Breckenridge Resort, Colo., most recently as the director of operations. “This is a...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Nov. 4, 2022—North American ski areas are starting to open for the season after a second autumn snowstorm pummeled the West this week, with more snow expected over the weekend and early next week.Opening Day at Banff Sunshine The new snow allowed Banff Sunshine in Alberta to be the first resort in Canada to open whe...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Nov. 4, 2022—Vail Resorts has hired Kenny Thompson Jr. to serve as the company’s first chief public affairs officer, effective Dec. 5, 2022. In the newly created role, Thompson will oversee government relations, community relations, communications, sustainability, and the company’s social responsibility platf...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Nov. 3, 2022—Out of a strong field of 100 nominations, 10 talented mountain resort industry up-and-comers have been selected to participate in the fifth annual SAM Summit Series, a mentorship program aimed at developing future mountain resort industry leaders. The 10 mentees hail from areas of all sizes located all ...

SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., Nov. 1, 2022—Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) has completed its purchase of Jay Peak, Vt., from court-appointed receiver Michael Goldberg. PGRI’s prevailing bid of $76 million was approved by the United States District Court in Southern Florida on Sept. 16, and the State of Vermont approved the assignment of leases fo...

SAM Magazine—Olympic Valley, Calif., Oct. 28, 2022—The Base to Base Gondola at Palisades Tahoe, connecting the Village at Palisades Tahoe to the Alpine Lodge base area at the former Alpine Meadows, is set to open for the upcoming season. By tying together the two mountains, the gondola provides access to 6,000 acres of terrain, creating the lar...

SAM Magazine—Fabius, N.Y., Oct. 27, 2022—New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Intermountain Management Inc. over Intermountain’s purchase and closure of Toggenburg Ski Area in 2021. James claims that Intermountain bought Toggenburg in August 2021 with the explicit intent to shutter the business and e...

SAM Magazine—Thompsonville, Mich., Oct. 27, 2022—Crystal Mountain named Karyn Thorr as its new chief operating officer, effective Oct. 26, 2022. She succeeds John Melcher, who was elevated to CEO in December 2021. As COO, Thorr will oversee on-mountain operations including lifts, grooming, maintenance, resort safety, and snowsports at the Michi...

SAM Magazine—Dresser, Wis., Oct. 19, 2022—Wisconsin’s Trollhaugen Recreation Area has joined the early-opening game as the third ski area to open for the season, and the first to offer chairlift served skiing and riding. Photo courtesy of Matthew Zabransky The area opened today, Oct. 19, and is operating from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. with future oper...

SAM Magazine—Bozeman, Mont., Oct. 19, 2022—Hiram Towle assumed his new role as GM of the non-profit Bridger Bowl Ski Area, Mont., this week. A 20-year industry veteran, Towle most recently served as GM of another non-profit area, Mt. Ashland, Ore., for the past eight years.  “Step one is lots of meetings with the team and getting caught up ...

SAM Magazine—Taylors Falls, Minn., Oct. 18, 2022—While a handful of resorts in the East and West began making snow in earnest last week, it was two Minnesota ski areas that jumped ahead in the race to open, with perennial contender Wild Mountain opening its Front Stage rope tow at noon CDT today. Wild edged out Andes Tower Hills, which yesterda...

SAM Magazine—Wakefield, Mich., Oct. 17, 2022—Snowriver Mountain Resort plans to install a new Doppelmayr six-passenger detachable chairlift for the 2023-24 season at the Jackson Creek Summit area of the resort. The new lift will replace three of the original chairs installed in the 1960s: the Chippewa Double, the Leelinaw Triple, and the Voyage...

SAM Magazine—Boulder, Colo., Oct. 17, 2022—SKI Magazine's 2023 “Top 50 Resort Reader Survey” has been released with some noteworthy trends, albeit not totally surprising to anyone who's been following ski industry news, even loosely.  The survey “points to the overall trend of people seeking out the non-corporate ski areas after a coup...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 12, 2022—SAM has launched its fifth annual Summit Series leadership development program and is calling for ski areas to nominate emerging leaders to participate as mentees. Mentees will engage with respected industry leaders in dialogue around key topics, gaining tangible takeaways to apply to their careers, o...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Oct. 12, 2022—Summer occupancy is likely to be down at the end of October, compared to both last summer and the pre-pandemic, benchmark-setting summer of 2019, as the booking pace remains slow. Lodging at Mammoth, Calif.However, the average daily rate (ADR) has continued to soar, allowing lodging properties to i...

SAM Magazine—Gatlinburg, Tenn., Oct. 12, 2022—Local entrepreneur and former Sevier County attorney Joe Baker has acquired Ober Gatlinburg and all its assets—including the aerial tramway and employee housing properties—from longtime owners, the Anders family.  The property is held under a long-term lease from the city of Gatlinburg, dati...

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Oct. 12, 2022—A group of lift mechanics and electricians at Vail Resorts-owned Park City Mountain, Utah, filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to form the Park City Lift Maintenance Professional Union.  The workers are seeking to organize under the United Professional Ski Patrols of America, a ...

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., Oct. 11, 2022—The Indy Pass has added 12 ski areas to its 2022-23 roster, including its first in eastern Canada, as well as three other Alpine partners, four cross-country resorts, and four Allied resorts.  The additions bring the total number of participating resorts to 133.Calabogie Peaks Resort in Ontario is eas...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 10, 2022—Ski areas across North America are invited to nominate their snowmaking teams to participate in the eighth annual “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, presented by HKD Snowmakers. The “I AM” contest highlights the hard work and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes how critical they are to the succes...

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 10, 2022—On Oct. 4, the Salt Lake City Council became the latest government group to formally oppose the Little CottonwoodImage credit: Gondola Works Canyon gondola, Utah Department of Transportation’s (UDOT) proposed solution to traffic congestion on the route that leads to Alta and Snowbird. Hours ear...

SAM Magazine—Fairfield, Pa., Oct. 6, 2022—Vail Resorts appointed Chris Blackwell as the new general manager of Liberty Mountain Resort. Blackwell assumed the role in September. He succeeds Jeff Lifgren, former GM of Liberty and VP of Vail Resorts’ Mid-Atlantic region; Lifgren will continue in his role as vice president of the Mid-Atlantic reg...

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Oct. 6, 2022—Stephanie Cox has been named as the new executive director of the National Ski Patrol (NSP). Cox brings extensive experience leading nonprofits, technology, and consumer goods companies around the world. She succeeds Chris Castilian, who resigned as the NSP CEO in August.  “The search committee,...

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 PAUL MUNDY, DODGE RIDGE,  CA Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort hired Paul Mundy as its ...

SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., Oct. 4, 2022—Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) has entered a joint venture with the Wiper family to operate and manage Willamette Pass Resort, Ore. The partnership will begin immediately with Willamette Pass being added to MCP’s Power Pass family of season pass products, joining the nine other ski/ride and mountain ...