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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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 ...

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....

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; ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...