• Personnel Issues

SAM Magazine—Denver, Feb. 20, 2020—Despite widely-reported exceptional skiing and riding, lodging occupancy is slipping year-over-year at many Western resorts, according to the most recent Market Briefing released by DestiMetrics from Inntopia. However, rates continue to creep up, allowing lodging properties to maintain healthy revenue results....

• Lifts
• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Marquette, Mich., Feb. 20, 2020—A staple of the Upper Michigan ski scene is changing hands. Peter and Lois O’Devero have sold Marquette Mountain and its surrounding 330 acres to Eric and Sarah Jorgensen of Hartland, Wis., owners of transportation company JX Enterprises Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Founded in 1...

• Personnel Issues
• Ski Patrol

by Tom WinterWhat has been billed as “Colorado’s first new ski area in nearly 20 years” looks suspiciously like a backcountry ski guide operation. The “ski area,” Bluebird Backcountry, plans to open approximately 1,500 acres of skiable terrain with 2,200 feet of vertical drop to the general public on Feb. 15. Three hundred acres of this i...

• Lifts

Snow People is our monthly roundup of happenings to the people of and around the mountain resort industry. Send any personnel news to: news@saminfo.com. CHRIS JARNOT, MAYFLOWER MOUNTAIN VILLAGE, UTAH Industry veteran , and former SAMMY winner, Chris Jarnot has accepted a consulting role with Extell Development Company (EDC), focusing on Extell’...

• Ski Patrol
• Racing

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Feb. 7, 2020—Following a strong western meeting in Squaw Valley, the 2020 National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) Eastern Winter Conference and Trade Show was held at Killington Resort, Feb. 4 and 5. A big crowd of 677 ski area operators, suppliers, and speakers gathered for informative sessions, great skiing and rid...

• Lifts
• Lift Maintenance

SAM apologizes for a previous rendition of this article that had inaccuracies. Please note this was updated on Febuary 9, 2020 to reflect requested changes.  SAM Magazine—Sublette County, Wyo., Feb. 7, 2020—The White Pine Ski Area and Resort outside Pinedale, Wyoming, is being put up for sale by the majority owners of Citizens to Save Whi...

• Lifts
• Racing

SAM Magazine – Olympic Valley, Calif., Feb. 6, 2020 – The Granite Chief Wilderness Protection League reached an agreement with Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows to dismiss the lawsuit against the approval of the Squaw’s Base-to-Base Gondola. The lawsuit originally challenged the adequacy of the environmental analysis and the County Board ...

• Area Management
• Lift Maintenance

SAM Magazine—New York City, Feb. 5, 2020—Roughly 15,000 people came out to play on the snow and ice for Winter Jam NYC, held Saturday, Feb. 1 in New York City’s Central Park. Presented by NYC Parks, the Olympic Regional Development Authority, I Love NY, and I Ski NY, the free event featured a variety of winter sports and activities for visito...

• Lifts
• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Denver, Feb. 4, 2020—The Outdoor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), released its annual study of participation in outdoor recreation activities, and the results are sobering. According to the 2019 Outdoor Participation Report, Americans are staying inside more and more while engaging less frequ...

• Lifts
• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Denver, Feb. 4, 2020—After finalizing its acquisition of the Denver and Boston Ski and Snowboard Expos from BEWI Productions, Snowsports Industries America (SIA) has rebranded the events and unveiled the 2020 dates. The newly minted “Snowbound” consumer expos will take place Nov. 6-8, 2020 in Denver, and Nov. 19-22 in Boston, M...

• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Rangeley, Maine, Jan. 31, 2020—Boston investment firm Arctaris Impact Fund completed a reported $6.5 million acquisition of Saddleback Mountain ski area from the Berry family on Friday afternoon. The resort has been closed since 2015 when the Berrys couldn’t secure financing to replace the primary chairlift, and have been seeki...

• Lifts
• Legal

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 29, 2020—Registration is open for the 18th annual spring session of Cutter's Camp, May 11-15, 2020, at Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore. The weeklong program for terrain park professionals features on-hill and classroom workshops, including the return of one-on-one customized operator coaching. Program highlights incl...

• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Denver, Jan. 29, 2020—The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) unveiled its new climate and sustainability initiative, the Climate Action Corps, at its annual sustainability meetings in Denver ahead of the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show. The aim of the Climate Action Corps is to support outdoor brands, retailers, manufacturers, and sup...

• Marketing
• Legal

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 28, 2020—The snowmaking crew from Bristol Mountain, N.Y., emerged as the winner in this year’s HKD and SAM “I AM a Snowmaker” contest. More than 10,000 votes were cast for the seven resort snowmaking crews in a close contest, with Bristol coming out on top by only a few hundred votes. The 13-day voting per...

• Marketing
• Area Management

The mountain resort industry sadly lost one of its true pioneers with the sudden, but peaceful, death of John Fry on Jan. 24, 2020, two days after celebrating his 90th birthday with his wife Marlies in Puerto Rico.  Fry devoted much of his life to ski journalism, serving on the staffs of SKI LIFE, SKI, Snow Country, Skiing Heritage (now Skiin...