AN INDUSTRY PARTNER FOR 60 YEARS  You may have noticed a nod to our 60th anniversary on this month’s cover. Can it be? For six decades SAM has strived to be thought-provoking, helpful, and sometimes entertaining. We have been through a lot of ups and downs along with the rest of the industry, from record seasons to snowless winters and our latest challenge, the pandemic. Like the ski business, we’ve grown and adapted over the years—SAM is no longer just a magazine. You can access news, information, insights, and opinions via PodSAM, Huddles, headline news emails, and social posts. We’ve also gathered expertise inside the industry and out to offer training, education, and networking through Summit Series bootcamps, Cutter’s Camp, and Summer Ops Camp.  We are grateful for your support through the years. We would not be here celebrating our 60th without you. Turning 60 is not ...

Innovations for winter and summer ops.

THE QUESTION: I'M COMING TO THE MOUNTAIN WITH MY FAMILY FOR SOME HIKING, AND WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME WILDLIFE. MY KIDS HAVE NEVER SEEN A BEAR BEFORE AND ARE DESPERATE TO SEE ONE WHILE WE'RE THERE. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS? Mountain resorts are amazing places to go and enjoy nature. We invite people to come experience the outdoors (with amenities) in all its glory, and that glory typically includes wildlife. It is thrilling to encounter an animal in its natural habitat, but some animals we can meet—like bears—require extra caution.  Etiquette exists to help people safely navigate animal encounters—bear encounters specifically—to prevent bad things from happening. Many ski areas understand this. Their websites often include tips for safe wildlife viewing and almost always offer recommendations for general hiking safety. For this call, staffers were a bit less reliable than the websites. Responses ranged ...

With Covid-19 loosening its grip on the country, the outdoor recreation boom it spawned shows no sign of letter up.

Make sure your resort safety programs and training are in compliance before OSHA comes knocking.  As we emerge from Covid protocols, continue to bring staff back to work at all levels of resort operations, and look forward to working in our “new normal” environment, are our workplaces ready? A lot has changed, and we need to refocus our efforts to ensure our workplace safety programs and our staff are prepared for the new sheriff in town. There is new leadership at the U.S. Department of Labor and at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and with the Biden administration signaling a return to more regulatory and compliance oversight, it’s time to examine where we stand with our compliance and injury reduction efforts at the resort level.  MORE OVERSIGHT IS COMING The Biden administration moved relatively quickly to appoint James Frederick as the acting head of OSHA. Under ...

New lifts, employee housing, and a Club Med are among this year's early-summer projects.

It will take thoughful guest education for newcomers and veterans alike to feel happy and safe as they embrace the outdoors this summer.

A collection of new products for retail, mountain operations, and summer activities.

These fun, welcoming, and revenue-driving activities and attractions could be just the ticket for boosting summer business.

Resorts can capitalize on a new market of guests seeking new experiences. SNOW PLAY OPTIONS ABOUND: (top, left to right) Frolicking in the snow at Tahoe Donner; Cross country skiing and snowshoeing adventures at Giant’s Ridge. Last March, as resorts shut down amid the escalating pandemic, snowsports enthusiasts, keen to keep sliding, turned to the backcountry and an array of Nordic trail systems to get their fix. “It was like an active museum out there last spring,” says Sally Jones, cross country ski area manager at Tahoe Donner, Calif. “People were pulling old gear out of the garage. They were hungry to get out, so we just saw a huge number of people on our trails.” The same thing happened at Colorado’s Crested Butte Nordic, a non-profit trail network easily accessible from town. Amidst a stringent county lockdown, CB Nordic secured permission to remain open. The locals ...