SAM Magazine—Beaver, Utah, June 25, 2026—Credit: Marc LeducThe Cottonwood Fire has reportedly caused significant property damage to Eagle Point Resort, according to photos shared with news outlets.  The fire was first reported on Monday afternoon, June 22, and has since grown quickly, burning nearly 71,000 acres as of noon EDT Thursday. It is...

SAM Magazine—Biwabik, Minn., June 24, 2026—Starting in winter 2026–27, kids ages 12 and under will ski and snowboard for free at Giants Ridge with no blackout dates and no other purchase necessary. The ski area will also introduce free night skiing on Thursdays, 4–8 p.m., this winter. First developed in the late 1950s by local families who...

SAM Magazine—East Burke, Vt., June 24, 2026—Hannah Barrego has been hired by Bear Den Partners as its executive vice president of strategy, operations and integration, a new leadership position focused on strategic execution and operational alignment across the company’s portfolio of ski areas. Barrego joins Bear Den Partners with nearly two...

SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., June 22, 2026—Despite a challenging winter season in the West, Ski California’s 2026 Lift Maintenance and Operations Education (LMOE) Conference drew 387 attendees from ski areas in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah, just 16 shy of last year’s record attendance. Held June 2-4 across three venues near Reno—the ...

• leadership

SAM Magazine—Deep Creek Lake, Md., June 22, 2026—Erik BarnesErik Barnes will join Wisp Resort as general manager designate, ultimately succeeding general manager Ron Hawkes following Hawkes' planned semi-retirement at the conclusion of the 2026-27 winter season. During the transition period, Barnes will focus on risk management, safety initiat...

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight personnel moves in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to awards, obits, and supplier news, we celebrate the people that make this industry thrive. PEOPLE ADELINE DEYOUNG, NATIONAL SKI AREA ASSOCIATION Adeline DeYoung was hired as the director of public policy for th...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo. June 17, 2026—Booking pace at western mountain destinations softened in May following an April surge, but summer lodging demand remains healthy, with occupancy, room rates, and revenue all tracking ahead of last year, according to the latest DestiMetrics Market Briefing from Inntopia. As of May 31, occupancy for...

SAM Magazine—Phoenix, Ariz., June 17, 2026—Sedona Golf ResortMountain Capital Partners (MCP) and affiliated fund Texas Capital Partners plan to acquire a portfolio of three Arizona resort and golf destinations—Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, Sedona Golf Resort, and Rancho Mañana Golf Club—known as The Arizona Hideaway Collection from owners t...

SAM Magazine—Boulder, Colo., June 17, 2026—The Outdoor Industry Association’s 2026 Outdoor Participation Trends Report found outdoor participation reached a historic peak in 2025 of 183.2 million Americans, part of a continuing trend that has seen the addition of nearly 30 million participants since 2019.  While the overall picture is posit...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., June 10, 2026—Vail Resorts reported declines in nearly every financial metric for its 2026 fiscal third quarter ending April 30, including 2026-27 season pass sales to date, punctuating what was a historically challenging for its destination resorts in western North America.  Year-over-year, third quarter net i...

• leadership

SAM Magazine—Jeffersonville, Vt., June 10, 2026—Smugglers’ Notch Resort appointed Brandon Swartz as its new general manager. Swartz most recently served as general manager of Attitash Mountain and Wildcat Ski Area in New Hampshire. “Brandon understands that great resorts are built on great people and strong communities,” said Jon Schaefe...

SAM Magazine—Denver, June 5, 2026—Visits to Colorado resorts declined by 24 percent in 2025-26 compared to the prior season, according to figures reported by Colorado Ski Country USA. The association projected preliminary statewide skier visits of 10.5 million for the 2025-26 Colorado season at its 63rd annual meeting yesterday, down from 13.9 ...

SAM Magazine—Bretton Woods, N.H., June 5, 2026—Doug and Liz Fichera, Summit Resources, with SAM's Karolyn Towle.New Hampshire’s alpine ski areas recorded 2,283,539 skier visits during the 2025-26 season, according to Ski New Hampshire (Ski NH), which represents more than 30 alpine and cross-country member ski areas in the state. The result is...

SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., June 5, 2026—JJ Toland from Sugarbush with former Jay Peak teammate and 2017 SAM "10 Under 30" Andrew Lanoue and SAM's Dave Meeker.The 242 attendees at the Vermont Ski Areas Association’s (Ski Vermont) 57th Annual Meeting at Jay Peak, June 3-4, were the first to hear that the 2025-26 winter’s early start, good snowfal...

• leadership

SAM Magazine—Palmer, Alaska, June 4, 2026—Skeetawk Ski Area has promoted Ryan Thompson to general manager. Thompson previously served on the board of directors for the nonprofit that runs Skeetawk before resigning in 2025 to serve as Skeetawk’s construction development manager.  As construction development manager, Thompson oversaw capital ...