SAM Magazine-Oconomowoc, Wisc., Sept. 30, 2011-Highlands of Olympia ski and snowboard area will open for the 2011-2012 season with new management: Casey Bingham and Brent Milkey. The two plan to make improvements to the terrain park, focus on beginner lessons, and offer some of the best rates and prices in the area. "We are very anxious to ma...

SAM Magazine-Aspen, Colo., Sept. 30, 2011-The Aspen Skiing Co. is seeking a new structure to replace the snowsport school's Team Leader system and maintain open lines of communication within the school. The Team Leader system was developed 18 years ago as part of management's efforts to derail a move to unionize the school. However, the National La...

SAM Magazine--September 27, 2011--Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Ski Resort, Calif., announced today that the two North Lake Tahoe ski resorts have agreed to combine operations under common ownership and offer season passes and lift tickets that will allow guests to enjoy skiing and riding on both mountains. The transaction is expected to close p...

SAM Magazine--September 25, 2011-- The venerable 40-year-old Royal Gorge Ski Resort at Donner Summit, Calif., is in receivership after defaulting on its loan. The area's lender, Armed Forces Bank, first issued a default notice in June on a $16.7 million loan, according to published reports. For the time being, the bank will not assume ownership ...

SAM Magazine--September 25, 2011--According to The Morning Call, a 49-year-old man working for an excavation company at Blue Mountain Ski Area in Pennsylvania was killed when the truck he was operating overturned on a ski slope last Wednesday morning, September 21. The accident victim, Victor Bortz, was an employee of Livengood Excavating & Pavi...

SAM Magazine, September 16, 2011--The most recent data released by the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP)* revealed that despite a dramatic drop in consumer confidence, wide fluctuations in the stock market and the the weather wreaking havoc, reservation activity for western mountain destinations remained solid. August occupancy continued the...

SAM Magazine--September 13, 2011--Eaglecrest Ski Area in Alaska had tapped Ray Gardner to be GM, but due to an unexpected family emergency, Gardner was unable to fill the position. So, the board went back to its findings in the original search process and offered Matt Lillard the role, which he accepted. Lillard is currently the assistant GM and ma...

UPDATE TO BLOG: This week's Blog Patrol is brought to you by John Rice, General Manager, Sierra-at-Tahoe. Dear SAM, In my original Speak Out I made a few assumptions that were factually 
incorrect, and I would like to apologize to USTPC and founding member Jim McNeil about them. To set the record straight: In my first...

SAM Magazine-Sacramento, Calif., Sept. 8, 2011- Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed California's winter sports helmet law yesterday, calling the bill overbearing and expensive. The bill, passed by the state legislature earlier this year, would have mandated helmets for all youths ages 17 and under at winter resorts. The veto signals that the governor, a Dem...

In late July, SAM paid a visit to Wisp Resort in Maryland to check out the area's wide range of summer activities. From water sports to high-flying challenges, Wisp keeps its doors open year-round and has posted some impressive numbers as a result. Check out our latest SAM CAM from Wisp. >> View the full SAM CAM library...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Colo., Sept. 2, 2011-Vail Resorts' (VR) next generation EpicMix ski and snowboard app expands and simplifies how guests take and share photos at the company's six resorts, and broadens the app's reach to nearly everyone who visits the areas, not just season's passholders. EpicMix will deliver photos to guests' computers and mob...

Windham, N.Y., Aug. 30, 2011-Resorts across the Northeast continue to investigate and catalog the impacts from Hurricane Irene, which dumped more than 10 inches of rain across much of the high terrain in southern Vermont and the Catskills, with similar totals across much of northern New England. In the Catskills, both Hunter and Windham mountain...

SAM Magazine-Rutland, Vt., Aug. 29, 2011-The remnants of Hurricane Irene drenched northern New England and caused extensive flood damage to resorts, from Okemo and Killington in Vermont to Attitash, N.H., and Sugarloaf, Me. Flooding in many locations was the worst on records dating to the 1930s. The Superstar Pub attached to the K-1 Lodge partia...

SAM Magazine-McHenry, Md., Aug. 26, 2011-The owners of Wisp Resort are considering a variety of options, including the sale of the area as a last resort, to help pay or refinance a $28.5 loan that funded construction of a golf course and infrastructure for a resort community at Wisp. Wisp's ownership group operates three corporations involved in...

SAM Magazine--August 25, 2011--Peek 'n Peak Resort & Spa, N.Y., was bought out of bankruptcy yesterday by Scott's Development Co. for $11.3 million. The previous owners, Kiebler Recreation, first filed for bankruptcy in May 2010 as they tried to reorganize, but were unsuccessful in the effort, forcing the court to auction off the ski area. The ...