SAM Magazine--January 25, 2012--After filing for bankruptcy two years ago, the assets of Moonlight Basin, Mont., were sold last week to the estate of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. According to the Wall Street Journal, Lehman began lending to Moonlight in 2007 under a $100 million credit agreement between the area and the Lehman Brothers Commercial ...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Jan. 24, 2012-What a difference a week makes. Winter returned across most of the U.S. in the past seven days, bringing several feet of snow to the snow-starved Lake Tahoe areas and padding snow depths across the Rockies. Eastern areas also received fresh snow, adding to base depths there as well. Clearing the decks at Mt. Ro...

From January 17-19, ski areas and suppliers alike descended on Squaw Valley, Calif., for the NSAA Western Conference and Trade Show. Understandably, the number of attendees was off by about 150 over previous years, but that didn't stop those who did attend from taking part in informative sessions and a little trade show shopping. Sixty-two resorts ...

SAM Magazine--January 20, 2012--Colorado Ski Country USA's (CSCUSA) 22 member resorts reported a decrease in skier visitation for the beginning of the 2011/12 ski season. Skier visits at CSCUSA resorts were off by 10.65 percent during the first period of the ski season, defined as opening day of the season through December 31, 2011, compared to the...

SAM Magazine-Woodbury, Conn., Jan. 18, 2012-Terrain parks have come a long way over the past decade and Cutter's Camp has been at the forefront of this movement by creating a program where best practices are shared, technology discussed, and ideas exchanged. But freestyle terrain is ever-changing and improving, so we still have much to discuss. To ...

SAM Magazine-Boulder, Colo., Jan. 13, 2012-Unseasonably warm and dry weather cooled off snowsport retail sales in November, and more broadly, curbed sales of overall outdoor products in December. Preliminary Outdoor RetailTRAK data from Leisure Trends Group indicate that outdoor retail sales declined a little more than 2 percent from December 2010....

SAM Magazine--January 11, 2012--SIA and SAM Magazine are partnering again at the upcoming SIA Snow Show in Denver, Colorado, January 26-29, 2012, to deliver a comprehensive program for rental buyers and suppliers. The Backshop + Rental + Uniform exhibit will provide a close-up look at the latest rental equipment and backshop innovations. Additi...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Jan. 11, 2012-With a below-average snow year leaving many areas short of their usual snow coverage and trail count, resorts are taking a variety of measures to lure customers-mostly by offering a variety of package deals and ticket discounts. And some of those areas blessed with good snow are seeking to profit from the snow ...

SAM CAM checked out Jay Peak's impressive new indoor water park in December. From aqua loops to lazy rivers, Jay has officially entered a whole new world in guest options. And the grand opening couldn't have been more timely-despite a slow start to the season, Jay Peak has been at peak capacity since opening. Move over snow, water has come to town!...

SAM Magazine--January 10, 2012--The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) filed a lawsuit in Federal court in the district of Colorado today against the U.S.D.A. Forest Service (USFS) to challenge a new water rights clause that results in "an unconstitutional taking of property." At issue is a new water rights clause enacted by the USFS late las...

SAM Magazine--According to published reports, a federal lawsuit was filed late last week against Homewood Mountain Resort, Calif., by The Sierra Club and Friends of the West Shore. The suit was filed against the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and Placer County for approving, in their words, "an ill-conceived, inadequately studied, and enviro...

SAM Magazine--January 9, 2012--Oak Mountain Ski Area in the Adirondacks is for sale. The 230-acre area, which is owned by the Hamilton County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), has a 650-foot vertical drop, 14 trails serviced by a CTEC quad and two T-Bars, a base lodge, tubing facilities, and 50 percent snowmaking coverage. Oak Mountain is also h...

SAM Magazine--January 4, 2012--The operators for the past two years of Swain Resort, N.Y., have announced the purchase of the area, completing a lease-to-own agreement that was reached in August 2009 with the owners of Swain Recreation Center, LLC. The purchase was made by Denton Hill Family and Ski Resort Inc. whose officers are Scott and Jodi...

SAM Magazine-Slinger, Wisc., Jan. 1, 2011: After months of negotiation, Schmitz Brothers, LLC has purchased Little Switzerland Ski Area from Wayne Erickson. Schmitz Brothers consists of veteran resort owner/manager Rick Schmitz and two siblings, all of whom grew up skiing at Little Switzerland. They plan to invest heavily and open for the 2012-13 s...

SAM Magazine-Red Lodge, Mont., Dec. 29, 2011-A chair on the Willow Creek chairlift detached from the cable and fell to the ground at Red Lodge Mountain Resort yesterday afternoon. Two guests riding the chairlift at the time were injured and taken off the mountain. The chairlift was safely unloaded and shut down. The chairlift will remain closed unt...