SAM Magazine—ASPEN, Colo., Sept. 14, 2012—A lawsuit by an environmental group has led Aspen Skiing Co. [ASC] to temporarily halt its efforts to add skiing on 230 acres of Burnt Mountain at Snowmass, according to an article in the Aspen Times. The Ark Initiative filed a suit last week, arguing that the U.S. Forest Service improperly g...

SAM Magazine—Boulder, Colo., Sept. 14, 2012—Winter sports retailers reduced preseason orders sharply last spring but remain optimistic about the upcoming season, results of a new retail survey conducted by Leisure Trends Group reveal. And early indicators show surprising strength. Drawn from a sample of 44 responses among outdoor and...

SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., Sept. 10, 2012—The Little Horsethief Fire south of Jackson has burned at least 1,500 acres, prompting Snow King resort to close its summer operations, including the bike and hiking trails, lifts, and alpine slide. The Jackson Hole resort is not impacted by the blaze, and all highways in and out of Jackson rem...

SAM Magazine—Missoula, Mont., Sept. 10, 2012—The U.S. Forest Service has rejected a proposal by would-be resort developer Tom Maclay to build a destination ski resort on Lolo Peak. This is the second time Maclay has presented a resort proposal, and the second time the Forest Service has rejected it. As with his earlier plan, the Fore...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 10, 2012—Vail Resorts (VR) has partnered with Verbier, Switzerland, to provide Epic Passholders three days of free access to Verbier and the other members of Les 4 Vallées, Nendaz, Veysonnaz and Thyon. The four comprise the largest ski area in Switzerland. The upshot is that VR’s $67...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 2, 2012—The introduction of Vail Resorts’ (VR) EpicMix Racing gives skiers a chance to see how they stack up against Lindsey Vonn, thanks to a new NASTAR-like addition to VR’s acclaimed EpicMix social media program. The incorporation of EpicMix Racing has led VR to drop the 44-year-old N...

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., Sept. 2, 2012—Snowmass is adding 230 acres of rolling, low-angle meadows and glades on Burnt Mountain this season, bringing total skiable acreage to 3,362 acres. This will make Snowmass the second largest ski area in Colorado, after Vail. "This is a powder skier’s dream," said Steve Sewell, ...

SAM Magazine—Taos, N.M., Sept. 2, 2012—The acting supervisor of the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico has signed the Record of Decision for Taos Ski Valley’s Phase I projects in the Ski Area’s 2010 Master Development Plan. That includes two new lifts to access high alpine terrain and upgrades to existing lifts. ...

SAM Magazine—Irwindale, Calif., Sept. 2, 2012—Start-up company Energy Cache is exploring the use of specially equipped “ski lifts” to create a large-scale energy storage system. The aim is to use solar and/or wind power to drive the lift and transport gravel uphill, where it would be stored in giant hoppers. Then, the lift w...

SAM Magazine--August 31, 2012--This past Wednesday, Arapahoe Basin, Colo., introduced a long-term master development plan, kicking off what will likely be a years-long process. The plan includes an expansion of 412 acres into The Beavers, a new lift to access the terrain, a year-round zipline, increased capacity for its snowmaking reservoirs and se...

SAM Magazine--August 31, 2012--After years of court battles that finally ended in a green light for Arizona Snowbowl's comprehensive snowmaking system, the last remaining legal battle seems to have come to an end. According to the Arizona Daily Sun, an earlier court decision that would have made opposing attorney Howard Shanker responsible for ...

SAM Magazine--August 29, 2012--Park City, Utah--The U.S. Ski Team and NBC Sports Network will partner for first-ever U.S. live TV broadcasts of Audi FIS Alpine World Cup ski racing as part of a pre-Sochi broadcast schedule announced by the network and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. The live coverage will feature Olympic champions Lindsey V...

SAM Magazine—Tannersville, Pa., Aug. 29, 2012—With five days left in the summer business high season, Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark has exceeded 366,000 visits, surpassing last summer’s previous record of 365,000 visits. A member of the Gober family from Easton, Pa., was visitor number 366,000, and received season passes for all i...

SAM Magazine—Idaho Springs, Colo., Aug. 29, 2012— Pykkonen Capital LLC has purchased Echo Mountain, and will convert the area into an alpine race training facility serving Denver-area competitors. The transformation of Echo Mountain into the Front Range Ski Club will begin in the coming weeks and involve the entire property. Nora Pykko...

SAM Magazine—Greenwood, Maine, Aug. 27, 2012—Mt. Abram and the Mountain Rider’s Alliance (MRA) have partnered to promote a cooperative business model and convert Mt. Abram into a member-owned MRA Mountain Playground. The joint effort aims to boost regional visitation, increase sustainability awareness, and create a business model ...