SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., Jan. 4, 2017—When we asked a handful of ski areas across North America how they fared during the Christmas holiday week, the following are just some of the adjectives used to describe it: “fantastic,” “excellent,” “wonderful,” “nuts,” “spectacular”—even “perfect.” From coast to coast, Santa brought snow, and people followed—in record numbers.

SAM Magazine—Stowe, Vt., Jan. 4, 2017—Growth through acquisition continues for Inntopia. The software as a service (SaaS) e-commerce company has acquired Denver-based DestiMetrics, which has been supplying lodging metrics and market intelligence to North American travel destinations, including the mountain travel industry, since 2004. This is the second acquisition for Inntopia since October, when it acquired database and CRM firm Ryan Solutions.

SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., Jan. 4, 2017—After its inaugural attempt in Jan. 2016 fell short, organizers for this year’s shot at breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest ski and the largest snowboard lessons are giving it another go. On Friday, Jan. 6, more than 80 different ski areas across the U.S. and Canada will simultaneously hold individual events to try and break the record—and help generate enthusiasm for Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month.

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 4, 2017—Vail Resorts has more capital enhancements planned for three of its Colorado resorts—Vail, Keystone, and Breckenridge—highlighted by a new high speed six-passenger lift at each of the properties, all scheduled to be installed in time for the 2017-18 ski season. Each new lift will increase capacity by up to 25 percent compared to the lifts they’re replacing. All installations will be done by Leitner-Poma, and are subject to U.S. Forest Service approval.

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Dec. 31, 2016—A Texas mother, 40-year-old Kelly Huber, died and two young daughters were hurt after they fell about 25 feet from a quad chairlift Thursday morning Dec. 29 at Ski Granby Ranch. One daughter remains in serious condition after being transported by Flight for Life helicopter to Children’s Hospital in Denver.

SAM Magazine—Denver, Dec. 20, 2016—Golf clubs and bicycles got some additional use during an unseasonably warm November, which appears to have had an adverse effect on lodging bookings at western mountain destinations, according to a recent report by DestiMetrics. As of Nov. 30, actual bookings made in November for arrivals during the six winter months (November through April) were down 7.9 percent compared to bookings made in November 2015 for the same months last winter. November bookings for November arrivals were down a dramatic 25.9 percent and down 15.3 percent compared to the same time last year, as several resorts delayed their planned openings due to the warm weather.

SAM Magazine—Woodbury, Conn., Dec. 20, 2016—This spring, Cutter's Camp will celebrate 15 years of gathering freestyle terrain professionals for educational seminars and hands-on workshops. Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore., will once again host the longer-camp format, May 16-20, 2017. Mount Snow, Vt., will host the return of an eastern camp and the debut of the new “Fall Refresher” format, Nov. 6-8, 2017.

SAM Magazine—Gatlinburg, Tenn., Dec. 20, 2016—Gatlinburg Sky Lift, a Boyne Resorts-owned scenic chairlift attraction in Gatlinburg, Tenn., was in the path of the wildfire that spread through the popular resort town on Monday, Nov. 28. The chairlift’s upper section and upper terminal experienced significant damage, the degree of which is being evaluated. The facilities on the upper viewing deck, including the gift shop, are a total loss. The street-level building that houses ticket sales, offices, and a maintenance shop, as well as the lift’s bottom terminal, were completely unharmed.

SAM Magazine—Wildwood, Mo., Dec. 13, 2016—Any EB-5 program turmoil, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services backlogs, questions, and delays are, for now, in the rearview mirror for Peak Resorts and its flagship property, Mount Snow, Vt. Earlier today, the USCIS approved the first I-526 petition submitted by an investor in Mount Snow’s EB-5 offering, immediately releasing the $52 million of investor funds that have been sitting idle in escrow for more than two years, delaying some projects and forcing Peak to find alternate funding sources.

SAM Magazine—Jackson, N.H., Dec. 12, 2016—The Northeast’s biggest cross-country ski center just got bigger, thanks to the completion of a $500,000 capital expansion project. New for this season, the Jackson Ski Touring Center added four new trails totaling six kilometers in length, and also built eight new trail bridges. It is the most extensive expansion in the facility’s 44-year history.

SAM Magazine—Harbor Springs, Mich., Dec. 12, 2016—The Main Lodge hotel at Boyne Highlands Resort, Mich., experienced a significant structure fire that began early Sunday morning, leaving 11 people with reportedly non-life threatening injuries, and one in critical condition. There were approximately 113 registered guests occupying 64 rooms Saturday night.

SAM Magazine—Stowe, Vt., Dec. 6, 2016—It’s fairly common for a mountain resort to be breastfeeding-friendly, but Stowe has taken it one step further by installing a Mamava lactation suite in its Spruce Camp Base Lodge—the first ski resort in the nation to do so.

SAM Magazine—Truckee, Calif., Dec. 6, 2016— Nadia Guerriero is the new vice president and general manager at Northstar California Resort, effective immediately. She replaces Beth Howard, who became COO at Beaver Creek, Colo., in October.

SAM Magazine—Rutland, Vt., Dec. 1, 2016—What goes up must come down, and if it doesn’t, it’ll cost you. A Pittsfield, Vt., woman who was stranded in a gondola cabin at Killington for five hours was awarded $750,000 by a Rutland County Civil Court jury on Wednesday.

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Dec. 1, 2016—A reported 30,000 spectators came out to see the first FIS World Cup ski racing event held in the eastern U.S. in 25 years, and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association thinks that enthusiasm will buoy future growth of alpine ski racing. USST member and World Cup and Olympic champ Mikaela Shiffrin was the big draw for the slalom and GS events, held Nov. 26-27, and she didn’t disappoint, winning the slalom and placing fifth in the GS.