SAM Magazine—Terrebonne, Quebec, Feb. 21, 2022—Quebec ski industry pioneer and Les Sommets co-founder Louis Dufour died Feb. 19, 2022. Dufour led Les Sommets, the largest private ski resort ownership group in Quebec, for 50 years prior to his death. Dufour was a visionary in the Quebec ski industry. His group Les Sommets today owns Sommet Sain...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Feb. 16, 2022—Momentum from the red-hot holiday season turned cool in early January as a surge in new cases of the Omicron variant put a damper on short-lead bookings, according to the most recent Monthly Market Briefing released by DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. Aspen SnowmassA re...

SAM Magazine—Big Sky, Mont., Feb. 15, 2022—Boyne Resorts is looking to transform access to Big Sky’s Lone Peak with a new base-to-summit lift network that includes a two-stage gondola and a higher-capacity tram. The multi-year project is the final phase of the Big Sky 2025 master plan. “The new lift system from the base area to the summit ...

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., Feb. 15, 2022—Sunlight Mountain has become the first Colorado ski area to join the Indy Pass. For the remainder of winter 2021-22 and the entire 2022-2023 season, Indy Pass holders will get two days at Sunlight with no blackout dates.  “The timing was right for Sunlight to go Indy,” said Sunlight marketing and...

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., February 11, 2022—Aspen Skiing Company (Ski Co.) said Thursday it will give all salaried and hourly employees a $3/hr raise, effective Sunday, Feb. 13. The move boosts starting pay to $20/hr for most hourly employees and represents an annual increase of $6,240 for those in salaried positions. “This is an investment...

SAM Magazine—Greenville, Maine, Feb. 10, 2022—The Maine Land Use Planning Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to hold a public hearing on the proposed $113.5 million expansion to the Big Squaw Mountain ski area in Piscataquis County, Maine.  Developer Big Lake Development LLC has proposed a two-phase project that would expand the resor...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Feb. 10, 2022— SAM Magazine has raised over $2,500 for non-profit causes since November 2021. Those proceeds, a percentage of SAM Magazine subscriptions and Summit Series Leadership Bootcamp registration, will be donated to four 501(c)3 organizations: Share Winter, Winter4Kids, the National Brotherhood of Skiers,...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Feb. 10, 2022—In a $6.6 billion deal expected to close in the second half of 2022, Spirit Airlines will merge with Frontier, giving Denver-based Frontier Airlines the controlling stake in the combined entity. The merger of these two major discount airlines will form the fifth largest airline in the United States and ...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Feb. 3, 2022—Registration is open for the 18th spring session of Cutter's Camp, May 16-20, 2022, at Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore. The five-day program for terrain park professionals features on-hill and classroom workshops, including the return of one-on-one customized operator coaching. The program will cover all ...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Feb. 4, 2022—Nearly 2,500 votes were cast in the 15th annual SAM Terrain Park Contest, in which a total of 40 entries from ski areas around the world looked to earn the top spot in one of the three contest categories: Bread and Butter, Terrain Park Feature, and, new this year, Park Edit. Some of the resort-submit...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Feb. 4, 2022—There are leadership changes in the works at Vail Resorts’ (VR) eastern properties: Mount Snow, Vt., general manager Tracy Bartels will become vice president of maintenance, planning and project management this Tracy Bartelsspring, joining VR’s mountain division senior leadership team; and Roundt...

SAM Magazine—Bartlett, N.H., Feb. 3, 2022—Brandon Swartz is moving back east to become the new general manager at Vail Resorts-owned Attitash, N.H., starting Feb. 7. Swartz is a New England native, but his ski industry career has taken him all over the country. Most recently, he had served as the GM at Hidden Valley, Mo., since November 2020. ...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 28, 2022—A record 16,000 votes were cast during the 11-day voting period in the 2022 HKD I AM a Snowmaker contest. This year’s contest showcased seven regionally diverse snowmaking teams from across North America: Boler Mountain, Ontario; Crystal Mountain, Mich.; Camelback Mountain, Pa.; Mountain High, Calif.;...

SAM Magazine—Providence, R.I., Jan. 28, 2022—In an effort to improve snowsports accessibility, Share Winter Foundation has partnered with Motel 6 to provide mountain access and bring awareness to skiing and riding cost-barriers and the affordable options that exist to minimize them. “With Motel 6 as our very first lodging partner, we are tea...

SAM Magazine—Woodstock, Vt., Jan. 27, 2022—Season pass sales, demand for rental equipment, and lesson sales are all up at a majority of North American cross country ski areas as of Jan. 15, according to the results of a survey conducted in early-January by the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) and Snow Sports Insights.  The survey w...

SAM Magazine—North Creek, N.Y., Jan. 27, 2022—Plans were unveiled this week for a new base lodge, a unique aerial attraction, a new chairlift, and additional ski terrain for the North Creek Ski Bowl area of New York’s Gore Mountain, which is owned and operated by the state-run Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). Officials are seeki...

SAM Magazine—Tannersville, Pa., Jan. 25, 2022—Camelback Resort and Winter4Kids have partnered on a new initiative to support skiers and snowboarders from diverse economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. A beginner lesson at Winter4KidsThe initiative will provide three years of season passes, and other opportunities, to graduates of the Winter4...

SAM Magazine—Cambridge, Vt., Jan. 21, 2022—After a break following the busy Christmas period, ski areas are again reporting strong business over the MLK holiday weekend, partially due to favorable weather and continued pent-up demand for outdoor activity. Although resorts still faced a mixed bag of challenges due to staffing shortages, cold tem...

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 GREG GAVRILETS, MT. ROSE SKI TAHOE, NV Greg Gavrilets will take over as gener...

SAM Magazine—Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Quebec, Jan. 21, 2022—Club Med’s first North American property at a mountain resort since the early 2000s is up and running slopeside at Canada’s Le Massif ski area. A Club Med group warms up with their ski guide slope side outside the base area building. With plans for a second North American...

SAM Magazine—Whistler, B.C., Jan. 20, 2022—Outsiders Network is a new online marketplace designed to connect brands with a diverse pool of outdoor talent and support, including athletes, models, actors, photographers, cinematographers, hair/makeup, and wardrobe crew who all specialize in shooting for media outside. The vetted talent is compris...

SAM Magazine—Taylors Falls, Minn., Jan. 20, 2022—Wild Mountain is installing a 40-kilowatt solar array this spring. In 2021, Wild Mountain became the first CarbonNeutral Certified ski area in North America, and this solar investment aims to help the mountain continue to drive down its overall carbon usage. Wild will work with Cedar Creek Energ...

SAM Magazine—Pinedale, Wyo., January 19, 2022—The owners of Lakeside Lodge in Pinedale, Wyo., Audrey and Kyle Odermann, have entered into a contract to purchase all assets of nearby White Pine Ski Resort from majority owners Robyn and Alan Blackburn, pending issuance of a new U.S. Forest Service special use permit for the new owners to operate ...

SAM Magazine—Longmont, Colo., Jan. 18, 2022—December occupancy at Western destinations was up 11.7 percent compared to pre-pandemic 2019, and up 37 percent from December 2020, according to the latest report from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. As of Dec. 31, the average daily rate (ADR) for the month was up 40 per...

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Jan. 17, 2021—The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) voted to approve a new contract with Vail Resorts (VR) on Friday. The union agreed to a base wage of $15 an hour, with $1 an hour incentive for patrollers who work some shifts out of both Park City Mountain Resort base areas, Canyons Village a...

SAM Magazine—Lutsen, Minn., Jan. 17, 2022—Lutsen Mountains has promoted director of operations and marketing Jim Vick to serve as the resort’s new general manager. Assistant director of operations and marketing Amanda Plummer was promoted to the role of assistant general manager. The promotions followon the heels of president Charles ...

SAM Magazine—Washington, D.C., Jan. 14, 2022—The Supreme Court issued a decision staying the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) mandate that employers with 100 or more employees require their workers to be vaccinated or produce a negative Covid-19 test on a weekly basis.  "This is helpful news to ski areas, who are fac...

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Jan. 14, 2022— The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) and Vail Resorts (VR) reached a tentative agreement Wednesday night after an hourslong bargaining session, according to a statement.  Union members were expected to vote on the offer Thursday night, Jan. 13. Until the vote is tallied, spec...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 14, 2022—Vail Resorts reported a drop in visitation and an uptick in revenue for the season-to-date period ended Jan. 2, 2022. The depressed visitation numbers, in particular, sit in juxtaposition to the portrait in the news of epic lift lines and crowded slopes at the company’s resorts over the Christmas ...

SAM Magazine—Terrebonne, Quebec, Jan. 13, 2022—While Quebec ski areas were able to open and stay open for the 2020-21 winter season, financial results unveiled as part of the “Economic and Financial Study of Quebec Ski Areas” show that several lines of business were down dramatically year-over-year as a result of Covid operating limitations...

SAM Magazine—Leavenworth, Wash., Jan. 12, 2022—The ongoing operational and guest experience challenges at Vail Resorts-owned Stevens Pass, Wash., appear to have necessitated a change in leadership.Tom Fortune Tom Fortune, general manager of Heavenly, Calif., also owned by Vail Resorts, shared a message as the “new interim general manager of S...

SAM Magazine—Beech Mountain, N.C., Jan. 11, 2022—A snowmaking pipe under a chairlift at Beech Mountain ruptured on Friday, Jan. 7, blasting guests passing over it with water. Several people were caught in the high-pressure spray as the lift kept spinning, while others jumped 25 feet from the chair to avoid the water. Two guests were transported...

SAM Magazine—Pinkham Notch, N.H., Jan. 10, 2022—On Saturday, Jan. 8, a chair carrying a 22-year-old snowboarder on the Snowcat triple at Wildcat Mountain, N.H., detached from the haul rope and fell nearly 10 feet to the ground. The guest was taken to a nearby hospital with serious rib injuries. According to state fire marshal Sean Toomey, the ...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 10, 2022—Online voting for the 2022 HKD and SAM “I AM a Snowmaker” contest is now open through midnight (EST) on Friday, Jan. 21. Since it debuted the winter of 2013-14, the annual I AM contest—sponsored by HKD Snowmakers—has highlighted the hard work, determination, and camaraderie of snowmakers, reco...

SAM Magazine—Cambridge, Vt., Jan. 7, 2022—While many resorts grappled with the impacts of the Omicron surge over the holiday season, which left operators with already-reduced workforces even shorter staffed, visitors still flocked to the mountains in earnest to participate in their favorite winter activities. Angel Fire Fireworks 2022Extreme we...

SAM Magazine—Londonderry, Vt., Jan. 7, 2022—Magic Mountain, Vt., was not able to open today as planned after a member of its ski patrol tested positive for Covid yesterday, leaving the ski area with too few patrollers to safely operate. The news was shared last night in an online “Alpine Update” from Magic Mountain president Geoff Hatheway,...

SAM Magazine—Hancock, Mass., Jan. 6, 2022— Jiminy Peak, Mass., snowmaker Kimberlee Francoeur, 30, of Lanesborough, Mass., died after a snow groomer operator reportedly backed into the snowmobile she was operating during the day on Tuesday, Jan. 4. The Berkshire District Attorney’s office and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the in...

SAM Magazine—Lutsen, Minn., Jan. 6, 2022—Charles Skinner is now the sole owner and president of Lutsen Mountains, Minn., after acquiring co-president Tom Rider’s 50 percent ownership interest in the resort. The stock purchase was made under a process initiated by Rider pursuant to a longstanding buy-sell agreement between the parties. The sp...

SAM Magazine—Longmont, Colo., Jan. 5, 2022—Staffing shortages, large crowds, long liftlines, limited terrain, overflowing parking lots, Covid restrictions, and more plagued many resorts during the holiday season, but none more so than Vail Resorts. Across its network of resorts, VR seemed to fare worse than many other resorts—and has dominate...

SAM Magazine—Enumclaw, Wash., Jan. 5, 2022—In response to high demand, especially amid ongoing snowfall, Crystal Mountain, Wash., will implement a reservations system for its limited on-resort parking on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for the rest of the season, beginning Jan. 15. It is also “significantly increasing” the use of its overfl...

SAM Magazine—Kimberley, B.C., Jan. 4, 2022—After a suspicious Dec. 18 fire destroyed the control system for the main chairlift at Kimberley Alpine Resort, the ski area managed to find an innovative workaround just in time for the holidays. The disabled chair is the only lift out of the base area village, but with help from neighboring resorts R...

SAM Magazine—Killington Vt., Jan. 3, 2022—A special testing site opened at Killington Resort on Sunday after 5 percent of its staff contracted Covid over the holiday period.  The Vermont Department of Health confirmed that, as of Thursday, 86 Killington employees had tested positive, making this the largest known outbreak currently affecting ...

SAM Magazine—Superior, Colo., Jan. 3, 2022—In response to the wildfire disaster that struck Boulder County just before the new year, local Powdr-owned resorts Copper Mountain and Eldora Mountain are launching an initiative to provide financial relief for those impacted. A view of a Boulder County neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire i...

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Jan. 3, 2022—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has cancelled its in-person Western and Eastern Winter Conferences and Tradeshows, scheduled for mid-January at Snowmass, Colo., and early-February at Killington, Vt., respectively. The cancellations come as Covid cases surge across the country. Member feedba...

SAM Magazine—Wintergreen, Va., Dec. 31, 2021—Due to unseasonably warm temperatures, Wintergreen Resort in Virginia temporarily suspended skiing and snowboarding operations Dec. 29. “While we wish our mountain was completely covered in snow with all outlets and operations in full swing, we are weathering the weather (or lack thereof), with ou...

SAM Magazine—Norden, Calif., Dec. 29, 2021—“WE ARE BURIED—it feels like March,” said Sugar Bowl general manager Greg Dallas on Tuesday as the resort was preparing to reopen after a historic, multi-day winter storm dropped more than 10 feet of snow since Christmas Eve, closing highways and forcing Sugar Bowl and several other California re...

SAM Magazine—Ludlow, Vt., Dec. 29, 2021— In the middle of a busy holiday period, ski area operators in some pockets of the country are being forced to respond to growing regional Covid case numbers and outbreaks among staff with policy updates and operational changes .  At this time last year, Covid infection rates were trending flat or down....

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Dec. 20, 2021— The Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) published a new manual, Teaching Children Snowsports, to support instructors in helping kids learn to ski and ride.  With NSAA estimating more than half of ski and snowboard lessons are t...

SAM Magazine—Sandpoint, Idaho, Dec. 14, 2021—Schweitzer has converted a former assisted living facility in nearby Sandpoint into employee housing for winter and summer seasonal staff. Schweitzer HR director Scot Auld, Schweitzer CEO and president Tom Chasse, and Schweitzer chief development officer Lance Badger in a room at Schweitzer's Hemlock...

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., December 14, 2021—The Indy Pass has added Montana ski area Blacktail Mountain to its growing list of resorts in the Northern Rockies, bringing its total number of partners to 77 in North America, 81 worldwide.  “We are very excited to join the Indy Pass coalition and look forward to welcoming Indy Pass holders f...

SAM Magazine—Cambridge, Vt., Dec. 14, 2021—A newly released study from the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA), and Snow Sports Insights (SSI) shows a continuing shift in buying, working, and travel trends towards midweek outdoor participation, increased travel, and online shopping.  Midweek partici...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Dec. 14, 2021—Despite a slow start to the 2021-22 winter, as of Nov. 30, aggregated reservations, rates, and revenue for the coming winter at Western destinations were comparing favorably to the last two seasons, according to the latest Monthly Briefing from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of In...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Dec. 10, 2021—Vail Resorts (VR) reported a 47 percent increase in season pass units for the 2021-22 season, as of Dec. 5, 2021, and a 21 percent increase in sales dollars. Year over year, this equates to an increase of 700,000 pass units, according to Liftblog.com. The pass sales numbers were part of Vail's first...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Dec. 8, 2021—Vail Resorts has entered into an agreement to purchase Seven Springs, Pa., from Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Inc. As part of the $125 million deal, the company will also acquire Hidden Valley Resort, Pa., and the operations of Laurel Mountain Ski Area, Pa. The transaction is expected to close this ...

SAM Magazine—Cambridge, Vt., Dec. 3, 2021—Most open ski areas are reporting strong attendance and positive visitor feedback over the Thanksgiving holiday, with loosened outdoor Covid protocols restoring a cautious sense of normalcy to the mountains. Heading into this weekend, cold temps and new snow are allowing more resorts to start turning li...

SAM Magazine—Teton Village, Wyo., Dec. 2, 2021—Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) increased its minimum wage for all non-tipped positions from $15 per hour to $18 per hour, effective immediately. The wage increase aims to help with employee recruitment and retention by supporting staff to live and work in the Jackson Hole community. “We con...

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Nov. 24, 2021—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has shared new guidance for ski area operators regarding the Nov. 4 OSHA emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring businesses with 100 employees or more to implement and enforce a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy. Although OSHA has been court ordered ...

SAM Magazine—Truckee, Calif., Nov. 24, 2021—Two small ski areas on opposite sides of the country are set to reopen after years of closure: Kingvale Terrain Project, Calif., and Tapawingo (aka Woodbury Ski Area), Conn. Eric Anderson and Day Franzen Kingvale After shuttering in 2011, the all-terrain-park Kingvale Terrain Project, located just ...

SAM Magazine—Porte-de-Savoie, France, Nov. 22, 2021—The French government issued a new national protocol requiring masks in lifts lines and on chairlifts at the country’s 250 ski areas this winter. The protocol does not require guests to provide immunization records for access, but the French Ski Areas Association (Domaines Skiables De Franc...