SAM Magazine—Jeffersonville, Vt., Aug. 10, 2018—Resorts are investing bigtime in their summer operations. It seems to be paying off: Despite wildfires and wet weekends, summer business levels across North America seem to be steady. Many resorts have reported slight growth, and those who are off target are only shy by a small percentage. In both...

SAM Magazine—Denver, August 7, 2018—Longtime finance industry executive Tim Donahue has been appointed as Alterra Mountain Company’s new chief financial officer and executive vice president. Donahue spent the last 19 years at JPMorgan Chase & Co., most recently serving as head of the company’s Leveraged Finance Capital Markets Group, he...

SAM Magazine—Newbury, N. H., July 26, 2018—Vail Resorts representative Pat Campbell spoke to an audience of around 100 people at an information session last night regarding the proposed lease transfer of Mount Sunapee to Vail Resorts. Campbell discussed the benefits the company could provide both the resort and the community, citing Vail’s charitable work, commitment to sustainability, and strong existing roster of resorts.

SAM Magazine—Big Bear, Calif., July 26, 2018— Big Bear Mountain Resort (BBMR) has named Wade Reeser as its new chief operations officer. Reeser was raised in Big Bear Valley and has been with BBMR for 25 years. He has served in numerous roles within the company; most recently, he was the resort’s general manager, overseeing BBMR during its integration into the newly formed Alterra Mountain Company. 

SAM Magazine—Jamesville, N.Y., July 26, 2018—Ski Areas of New York, Inc. (SANY) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) have collaborated on a new program to help ski areas in the state purchase energy-efficient snowmaking guns. The program will provide up to $5 million for New York ski areas to upgrade and ex...

Snow People is where we highlight recent happenings to prominent people in the mountain resort industry.

SAM Magazine—Denver, July 17, 2018—June occupancy and revenues continued to climb, keeping summer 2018 on pace to reach record levels in mountain destinations across the West, according to the latest DestiMetrics Market Briefing. Actual occupancy for the month was up a robust 7.9 percent compared to June 2017. Bolstered by a 3.3 percent increas...

SAM Magazine—Kelowna, B.C., July 17, 2018—Jimmie Spencer, who led the Canada West Ski Areas Association for 32 years, died July 16 in Vernon, B.C., at age 92. He led CWSAA from 1979 through 2011.“Likely his greatest legacy … will be the generation of leadership and cooperative culture he expected and created between competitors to establish...

SAM Magazine—Wildwood, Mo., July 16, 2018—Peak Resorts reported record revenue of $56 million for its fiscal 2018 fourth quarter ending April 30, a 9 percent increase over the same period last year. Reported EBITDA edged up 4 percent to $21.5 million. For the year as a whole, revenues rose to $131.6 million compared to $123.2 million a year ago...

SAM Magazine—Eden, Utah, July 16, 2018—The operators of Nordic Valley, Mountain Capital Partners (MCP), are floating the idea of a massive expansion that would grow Utah’s smallest ski area from 140 skiable acres to more than 2,800. The proposal for the expansion into the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest includes a 4.3-mile-long gondola pl...

SAM Magazine—Newport, Vt., July 11, 2018—Vermont attorney general T.J. Donovan said in a press conference today that the state has settled its civil lawsuit against former Jay Peak owner Ariel Quiros and former Jay Peak CEO Bill Stenger. The case has been pending since 2016 after the two men were accused of misappropriating millions of dollars ...

SAM Magazine—Woodbury, Conn., July 12, 2018—The SAM Summer Ops Camp has added several sessions that reflect the needs of summer ops 2.0, the next evolution of this growing business. Focused on programming, operations, marketing and risk management, these sessions can help winter resorts become more knowledgeable and sophisticated about summer o...

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., July 11, 2018—R.L.K. and Company, operator of Timberline Lodge and Ski Area, has purchased Summit Ski Area in Government Camp, Ore., which is located on Mt. Hood less than six miles from Timberline. Included in the sale is Snow Bunny, a snow play area and parking lot, approximately 1.5 miles east of Governmen...

SAM Magazine—Steady Brook, Newfoundland, Canada, July 9, 2018—The Newfoundland and Labrador government, which owns and operates Marble Mountain Ski Resort, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) from potential private investors, operators, or even new owners for the resort. According to reports, Marble Mountain hasn’t turned a profit in yea...

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., June 25, 2018—Industry veteran Mike Quinn has been hired to lead Mt. Hood Skibowl as its new vice president and general manager. This is a return to Skibowl for Quinn, who served as the resort’s operations manager from 1992 to 2000. He brings 32 years of ski industry experience to his new position. Most re...

SAM Magazine—Flagstaff, Ariz., June 25, 2018—The threat of wildfires in the west has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to close access to several areas of public lands, including access to some businesses that operate through permits in public lands. This includes Arizona Snowbowl, which was ordered to close summer operations a few days before M...

SAM Magazine—Denver, June 25, 2018—Alterra Mountain Company is gradually covering all its competitive bases, the most recent being a pass partnership with Thredbo, Australia. This is the first resort outside of North America to be included on the Ikon Pass, and inserts the company into a market that, until now, was only occupied by Vail Resorts...

SAM Magazine—Eagle, Colo., June 21, 2018—A jury ruled in favor of Vail Resorts on June 20 in the wrongful death trial of 13-year-old Taft Conlin, who was killed in an in-bounds avalanche at Vail in 2012. Vail’s ski patrol had closed the upper Prima Cornice run, but a lower entry to the slope had remained open. Conlin had entered and climbed up toward the cornice when the avalanche occurred. Conlin’s parents, Dr. Louise Ingalls and Dr. Stephen Conlin, had sued the ski company for negligence, saying the resort had violated Colorado’s Skier Safety Act because it did not close the run properly.

SAM Magazine—Wrightwood, Calif., June 21, 2018—Colorado’s Monarch Mountain—one of the pioneers in season pass partnerships—has joined the Powder Alliance, becoming the 20th mountain resort to be a part of the reciprocal pass partnership.

SAM Magazine—Waltham, Mass., June 21, 2018—BEWI Productions, Inc., the organizer of the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Expo, has partnered with Sun & Ski as the exclusive retailer for this year’s event, Nov. 16-18 at the Colorado Convention Center. Sun & Ski has recently expanded to Colorado, opening shops in Avon and Dillon, with more lo...

SAM Magazine—Vail, Colo., July 30, 2018—Vail has become the first U.S. destination and the first mountain resort in the world to achieve certification as a "sustainable destination" by Sustainable Travel International. Certification efforts took more than five years, and required work and involvement by the resort, the town of Vail, and the U.S...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., June 20, 2018—Registration is open for SAM’s ninth annual Summer Ops Camp, a series of seminars, workshops, and site visits that explore the state of the art in summer operations. Camp also provides a great opportunity to get hands-on with a wide range of summer activities, and to explore product offerings with a d...

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, June 18, 2018—Despite limited help from Mother Nature during the 2017-18 ski season, Utah ski areas posted their sixth-best season in terms of skier visits. Starting Nov. 21 at Brighton Resort and ending May 13 at Snowbird, visits for the season totaled 4,145,321—down 9.6 percent from last season’s all-tim...

SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., June 18, 2018—As part of its master development plan, Snow King Mountain Resort (SKMR) intends to build an on-site facility that will house approximately 50 seasonal employees. The Jackson town council must approve the plan before construction can begin. SKMR hopes to start building it by 2020. The site for the prop...

Snow People is where we highlight recent happenings to prominent people in the mountain resort industry.

SAM Magazine—June 14, 2018—As winter weather remains unpredictable and skier visits stagnate, resorts are continuing to invest capital in their summer operations. Bike parks are booming, and adventure parks dominate the summer development field. More diversified summer operations are also popping up thanks to some exciting new partnerships. Acr...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., June 7, 2018—Vail Resorts reported earnings and pass sales increases in its all-important February-April third quarter. Net income grew 41 percent in the quarter, to $256.3 million, boosted by a reduction in income taxes as a result of U.S. tax reform and by the addition of Stowe to the VR portfolio for the 2017-...

SAM Magazine—Denver, June 7, 2018—Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced today at its 55th Annual Meeting in downtown Denver skier visits at its now 24-member ski resorts tallied 7.1 million during the 2017-18 winter season. This year’s total is just slightly ahead of the five-year average, and only 2 percent lower than in 2016-17. “T...

SAM Magazine—Montpelier, Vt., June 18, 2018—The Vermont Ski Areas Association (VSAA) reported 3.97 million skier visits at its member resorts during the 2017-18 season, a year-over-year increase of 1.2 percent, but just below the state’s 10-year average. Those visits helped generate $1.6 billion in economic activity during the winter season i...

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A new resource for the industry: SAM Digital Archives

SAM Magazine—Denver, June 20, 2018—It didn’t take long for Alterra Mountain Company to answer Vail Resorts’ recent plans for new acquisitions. Alterra has entered into an agreement to purchase Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah, which would bring the company’s total to 13 destinations throughout North America, including CMH heli-skiing oper...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., June 4, 2018—It’s been about 15 months since Vail Resorts added a new ski area to its portfolio, and today the company said it plans to add four more, with the acquisition of Triple Peaks, LLC, which is the parent company of Okemo, Vt., Mount Sunapee Resort, N.H., and Crested Butte, Colo., plus Stevens Pass, Wash., in a separate transaction. All four properties are currently operated under lease agreements with Ski Resort Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Oz Real Estate.

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, June 7, 2018—Powdr is shaking up its executive group, starting at the top. The company's founder and chairman John Cumming, has stepped down as CEO, making way for Wade Martin and Justin Sibley, who will serve as co-presidents. Tim Brennewald has been promoted to chief operating officer of Powdr. All moves are effe...

SAM Magazine—Incline Village, Nev., June 4, 2018—The community-owned Diamond Peak Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe was recently recognized as being STOKE Certified for its sustainability efforts. The resort joins Oregon’s Mt. Ashland Ski Area as the only two ski areas in the nation to achieve the recognition.

SAM Magazine—Dummerston, Vt., May 25, 2018—Maple Valley Ski Area, just outside of Brattleboro in southern Vermont, has sat idle for 18 years. This week, a Connecticut-based “member managed” company purchased the 375-acre property for $745,000 from another Connecticut-based company that has owned it for several years.

SAM Magazine—Pittsfield, Mass., May 25, 2018—Berkshire East owners Jon, Jim, and Roy Schaefer have closed on their acquisition of nearby Catamount Ski Area. Total purchase price was $2.3 million, which includes $1.66 million in outstanding debt.

SAM Magazine—Denver, May 21, 2018—Western mountain destinations eked out a lodging revenue increase of 1.8 percent over last year as of April 30. The aggregated figure set a new revenue record among participating properties, even though occupancy finished the season down one percent compared to the previous winter. Increases in the average daily rate (ADR) elevated total revenues. The season-end summary was reported by Inntopia in its monthly DestiMetrics Market Briefing.

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 17, 2018—Resorts interested in joining the NSAA Climate Challenge have until tomorrow, May 18, 2018, to complete the enrollment form, or at least alert NSAA of intention to join.

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 17, 2018—In its most recent edition of “Capital Watch,” the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) said the list of co-sponsors in the House and Senate for the Ski Fee Retention Act of 2018 is growing, thanks in part to efforts by ski areas that operate on public lands and state associations reaching out to their respective federal lawmakers—but the more the merrier.

SAM Magazine—Marco Island, Fla., May 11, 2018—The National Ski Areas Association recognized six ski areas and one state association with Safety Awards for exceptional initiatives to educate guests and employees about skiing and snowboarding responsibly.

SAM Magazine—Wildwood, Mo., May 11, 2018—The presence of the Ikon Pass and Epic Pass in the Northeast market doesn’t appear to have impacted sales of Peak Resorts’ incumbent Peak Pass. The company reported that consolidated sales of the five Peak Pass products through April 30, 2018 increased 14 percent in units and 16 percent in revenue year-over-year, buoyed by a 47 percent jump in unit sales of the Drifter Pass, an unrestricted discounted pass for the 18- to 29-year-old crowd.

SAM Magazine—Marco Island, Fla., May 8, 2018—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) presented its 2018 Lifetime Achievement Awards to Jerry Blann, the former longtime president of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyo., and Onno Wieringa, the longtime general manager of Alta, Utah, at the National Convention and Tradeshow here.

SAM Magazine—Marco Island, Fla., May 8, 2018—Bear Valley Mountain, Calif.; Crystal Mountain, Mich.; and Boreal Mountain, Calif., won the 2018 Golden Eagle Awards for excellence in environmental initiatives. Sha Miklas of Arapahoe Basin, Colo., was named the “Hero of Sustainability” honoree for 2018.

SAM Magazine—Snowbasin, Utah, May 8, 2018—Snowbasin Resort came home with two awards from the National Ski Areas Association convention in Florida: the Conversion Cup and Best Overall Safety Program.

SAM Magazine—Pittsfield, Mass., May 7, 2018—The owners of Berkshire East Mountain Resort in western Massachusetts have reached an agreement to acquire nearby Catamount Ski Area. SAM reported in April that Catamount president Tom Gilbert and vice president Rich Edwards were actively seeking an investor, a joint venture partner, or a new owner/operator for the mountain. The deal is expected to close in the next two weeks. The purchase price was not disclosed.

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 1, 2018—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) selected four member ski areas to receive its annual Sustainable Slopes Grants: Blue Mountain Resort, Pa., Mountain High Resort, Calif., POWDR Resorts, and Snow Creek Ski Area, Mo. The Sustainable Slopes grant program provides cash and in-kind funding to support sustainability projects at NSAA member ski areas.

SAM Magazine—Tremblant, Quebec, June 5, 2018—Mont-Tremblant hosted the Quebec Ski Areas Association annual meeting last week that welcomed a record crowd of 380 attendees from 51 ski areas across the province of Quebec. The province’s ski areas drew more than 6 million skier visits, up 1.4 percent compared to last season despite some challeng...

SAM Magazine—April 24, 2018, Vernon, N.J.—Mountain Creek is debuting a new ecommerce and point-of-sale solution called SnowCloud this summer. Aimed at simplifying guest transactions, SnowCloud will replace all other sales and access software at the resort, including online sales, onsite sales and management, and lift gate access. It is built around the same ultra-high frequency RFID technology as Vail Resorts’ Epic Mix and the Disney Magic Band.

SAM Magazine—Snowbasin, Utah, April 20, 2018—Snowbasin Resort appointed Davy Ratchford as its new GM effective May 2018. Ratchford will succeed retiring GM John Loomis.

SAM Magazine—Denver, April 19, 2018—Significant snowfall in many regions continued through March and raised March occupancy 0.5 percent compared to year-ago levels. That cut the decline for the 2017-18 winter season from 2.6 percent to 1.3 percent, according to Inntopia in its monthly DestiMetrics Market Briefing.

The word innovation connotes creative, forward-moving success. But as a principal theme of the Forum portion of the 2018 Mountain Travel Symposium, April 11-12 in South Lake Tahoe, there was a reminder that innovation is best used remembering the lessons of yesteryear, and that nothing comes easy.

SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., April 18, 2018—Mountain Capital Partners, which owns Purgatory and Arizona Snowbowl among other resorts, has entered into an operating agreement with Skyline Mountain Base, LLC, to manage and operate Nordic Valley Ski Resort, Utah.

SAM Magazine—Denver, April 12, 2018—“We’re listening. And we heard you loud and clear. We’ve adjusted our January dates.” That was the message from Outdoor Retailer VP and show director Marisa Nicholson in a letter to the industry, unveiling a return to late-January dates for the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver—Jan. 30–Feb. 1. The new dates are about three weeks later than the schedule announced back in February.

SAM Magazine—Boone, N.C., April 11, 2018—D. Grady Moretz Jr., one of the co-founders of Appalachian Ski Mountain in Blowing Rock, N.C., died on April 8, 2018 at the age of 88.

SAM Magazine—Wrightwood, Calif., April 5, 2018—The Powder Alliance has added Sugar Bowl Resort, Calif., Loveland Ski Area, Colo., Castle Mountain Resort, Alberta, Canada, and Ski Marmot Basin, Alberta, to its list of participating resorts for the 2018-2019 winter season.

SAM Magazine—Woodbury, Conn., April 4, 2018—SAM Magazine is bestowing its 2018 SAMMY Leadership Awards on a remarkable quartet: Nadia Guerriero, Tish Lopez, Ryan Lavoie, and Aaron Maddox. The four, nominated by their peers, have demonstrated the leadership skills needed to help steer the snowsports industry into the future. They will receive their awards during a ceremony at the NSAA National Convention in Marco Island, Fla., May 4.

SAM Magazine—Hillsdale, N.Y., April 3, 2018—Catamount Ski Area owners Tom Gilbert and Rich Edwards are seeking an investor, joint venture partner, or new owner/operator for the mountain. The pair has enlisted real estate brokerage firm Mirus Resort Advisors to assist in the search.

SAM Magazine—Jamesville, N.Y., April 3, 2018—The lift-maintenance training program coordinated and subsidized by Ski Areas of New York (SANY) will offer an expanded curriculum starting this, its seventh year, when the program kicks off in May. The program will include a group of advanced fixed grip and detachable lift classes, as well as condensed basic fixed grip training.

SAM Magazine—March 28, 2018—The month of March came in like a lion for ski areas across the country, a welcome shot in the arm after what was turning out to
be a challenging season from coast to coast. The first two-and-a-half weeks of the month brought a parade of storms—powerful systems off the Pacific, and complicated Nor’easters on the East Coast—that dumped several feet of snow, attracting crowds and extending the seasons for many ski areas.

SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., March 23, 2018—Jay Peak is the only mountain resort in Vermont to be designated as a Gold-level participant in the 3>4>50 initiative, a statewide Department of Health program that helps residents understand and address the impact of chronic disease in Vermont. This designation stems from the resort’s dozen-plus wellness measures designed to enable employees to live a healthy life. Gold is the highest designation, followed by Silver- and Bronze-level participation.