SAM Magazine--Greenwood, Maine, October 1, 2013--Building on an existing partnership, Mt. Abram, Maine, has hired Mountain Rider’s Alliance (MRA) to manage the ski area. MRA is a grassroots organization whose mission is to create sustainable mountain playgrounds. Led by GM Dave Scanlan, MRA personnel will fill other key positions of Mt Abram&...

Loveland, CO SAM Magazine—Denver, Oct. 1, 2013—Colorado resorts have begun snowmaking operations for the 2013-14 season. Loveland Basin cranked up its guns at 6 p.m. on Sept. 27, and Arapahoe Basin followed five hours later. Copper Mountain began early today. This year’s start was about a week ahead of last year. While warme...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 27, 2013—Vail Resorts (VR) rebounded nicely in 2012-13 from a very poor 2011-12 season, and early indicators, such as pass sales, suggest the coming winter will be strong. That’s the big picture presented by VR’s year-end financial report, released today. For the year ended July 31, t...

SAM Magazine--Covington Township, Pa., September 26, 2013--The following is a statement released by The Renaissance Auction Group: "We are pleased to announce that the high bid submitted at the Sealed Bid auction for Alpine Mountain Ski Area was accepted by the sellers. "The successful bidder is a local investor who plans to continue o...

SAM Magazine—Missoula, Mont., Sept. 25, 2013—The Bitterroot and Lolo national forests have, for the third time, rejected Tom Maclay’s proposal for a ski resort on the national forest above his family’s former ranch. “Based on review of your proposal, we have concluded that your proposal is not consistent with all of...

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., September 24, 2013—Summer gave way to snow on the first few days of fall across parts of the West. From Colorado to California and Oregon, resorts reported the first significant snow of the season. It was significant enough at Silverton, Colo., where two to three feet of snow fell, that a few patrollers rode t...

SAM Magazine—Ludlow, Vt., Sept. 24, 2013—The state of Vermont has given the go-ahead to a $200 million development at Okemo Mountain. The development will be led by Timber Creek at Okemo, a private investment group, but it will connect to the existing resort. Okemo will operate the development’s two planned lifts and snowmaking on...

SAM Magazine—West Dover, Vermont, Sept. 24, 2013—New England areas are competing hard for core customers, especially college-age and post-college skiers and riders. In Vermont, sometime rivals Mount Snow and Stratton have formed a new partnership that offers 18- to 26-year-old skiers and snowboarders an unrestricted Double Down Pass ...

SAM Magazine--Mount Spokane, Wash., September 20, 2013--A proposed lift, which would have accessed 279 more acres at Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, was halted by a ruling this past Tuesday from the state appeals court. According to The Spokesman-Review, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission made a mistake by not requiring a deta...

SAM Magazine--Park City, Utah, September 19, 2013--Yesterday, a district county judge in Summit County, Utah, ruled that Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) can ammend its complaint against Talisker Land Holdings LLC and argue that it had "first right of refusal" to buy the terrain that Talisker owns and leases to PCMR. The terrain does not ...

SAM Magazine--Denver, Colo., September 18, 2013 – Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced  that Christy Sports, a family owned and Colorado-based ski and snowboard retailer, is partnering with CSCUSA in support of the 5th and 6th Grade Passport Programs. The CSCUSA Passport Programs introduce kids to Colorado’s winter sports...

SAM Magazine--Denver, Colo., September 17, 2013--Lodging properties in 17 western mountain resort destinations wrapped up the summer through August with a 5.5 percent increase in actual occupancy and a six percent increase for the past six months compared to 2012 according to the most recent data released by DestiMetrics. The results are through Au...

SAM Magazine--Tupper Lake, N.Y., Sept. 17, 2013--After not opening last season, the entity that runs the Big Tupper ski area, ARISE (Adirondack Residents Intent on Saving their Economy), has decided to open up the community area for the coming winter. According to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, the ski center will be completely volunteer-run this...

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Sept. 12, 2013—District Judge Ryan Harris has ruled that a series of emails between Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) officials and attorneys shows no evidence of an attempt to commit fraud as part of PCMR’s actions to renew its land lease, and he barred the emails from depositions that began yesterday...

SAM Magazine—Littleton, N.H., Sept. 12, 2013—After being shuttered for more than 20 years, the Mt. Eustis Ski Tow will reopen to skiers and local school ski programs after Jan. 1. The town is planning to offer the non-profit Mt. Eustis ski Hill Group a three-year lease for $1 a year. Voters approved the plan at a town meeting last March...