SAM Magazine—Snowbird, Utah, Jan. 16, 2026—NSAA president Mike Reitzell and Snowbird president Dave Fields at the first track breakfast.A challenging start to the season for much of the west kept some ski area personnel from attending the National Ski Areas Association Western Winter Conference, but a crowd of 690 industry professionals—up fr...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Jan. 16, 2026—Low snowfall led to a lackluster December for mountain town lodging operations across most of the West, according to the December Market Briefing from Inntopia's DestiMetrics division. But in spite of the challenges, lodging properties managed to mitigate much of the negative impact—at least for ...

• leadership

SAM Magazine—Nederland, Colo., Jan. 16, 2026—Powdr Corp. has hired Andrew Gast to serve as president and general manager of Eldora Mountain Resort, effective Feb. 1. Gast will serve in his current role as general manager of Mt. Ashland, Ore., until Jan. 24. Powdr CEO Justin Sibley said the company—which remains Eldora’s owner while the Tow...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 15, 2026—Skier visits for Vail Resorts (VR) destinations were down 20 percent for the season through Jan. 4 compared to a year ago, the company reported today. The news reflects below-normal snowfall across much of the West and the resulting limited operations at many resorts. It also provides a window into ...

SAM Magazine—Jackson, Wyo., Jan. 13, 2026—Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski patrollers voted against unionizing in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election held over two days last week, but the result is not yet final because challenged ballots are still under review.  In a social media statement Jan. 10, the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol sa...

SAM Magazine—Nederland, Colo., Jan. 13, 2026—The Town of Nederland’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted Jan. 6 to approve an asset purchase agreement that would pave the way for the municipal acquisition of Eldora Mountain Resort from Powdr Corp. for roughly $120 million. The approved agreement authorizes Nederland to purchase Eldora throug...

• Technology Headline News

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 13, 2026—The Ski Resort AI Bootcamp will return in 2026 with four new virtual live sessions focusing on practical, department-level applications of artificial intelligence for ski areas. The program pairs self-paced coursework with live discussions featuring mountain resort professionals and technology experts....

SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Jan. 9, 2026—The Telluride Professional Ski Patrol union, on strike since Dec. 27, accepted the latest offer from the resort on Thursday, ending the 13-day walkout that had vastly reduced visits and led resort owner Chuck Horning to shutter operations. The resort resumed very limited operations on three runs on Ja...

On the cusp of turning 65, the Wiseman family’s Swiss Valley has done more than persevere, it's found a Perfect future. This is part 1 of Andy Bigford's Revival Road Trip.  Knowing what you don’t know is critical to any successful endeavor. It can also help save the life of an endangered ski area in this weather-challenged corner of southwest...

SAM Magazine—Happy Valley, Ore., Jan. 8, 2026—Killington Resort The two-week 2025-26 holiday period was a tale of haves vs. have-nots. While the East, Midwest, and Canadian Rockies set records with big visitation numbers, the Western U.S. navigated a complex weather pattern that delivered atmospheric rivers in some areas and historically low sn...

SAM Magazine—St. Paul, Minn., Jan. 7, 2026—Minnesota’s 18 operating ski areas generated $359.1 million in total economic value to the state during the 2024-25 winter season, according to an analysis commissioned by the Minnesota Ski Areas Association (MNSAA) and conducted by RRC Associates. The study captured both direct spending at ski areas...

• Technology Headline News

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 7, 2026—Resorts are investing more in technology and increasingly treating it as a strategic priority, according to SAM’s 2025–26 Technology Survey. Respondents indicated the next wave of investment is focused on system integration, guest-facing services, and using data to inform operational and revenue deci...

SAM Magazine—Telluride, Colo., Jan. 5, 2026—After nine days of the resort being closed entirely during a strike by its unionized ski patrollers, Telluride opened two lower mountain trails served by one aerial lift and two conveyors today. The free village gondola is also spinning.  Failed contract negotiations led to a Telluride Professional ...

SAM Magazine—Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Quebec, Jan. 5, 2026—Following the expiration of their collective agreement, roughly 300 union-represented employees at Le Massif de Charlevoix went on strike, Friday, Jan. 2, forcing the resort to close all operations including lifts, food services, retail, and tobogganing.Credit: Conseil central d...

​SAM Magazine—Happy Valley, Ore., Dec. 30, 2025—Jay PeakExtreme and erratic weather defined the first week of the 2025 Christmas-to-New Year period across much of North America, forcing operators to contend not only with snow, or lack thereof, but also power failures, access disruptions, infrastructure breakdowns, and workforce concerns. Whi...