SAM Magazine—Denver, Jan. 19, 2017—With the Christmas holiday season and the month of December now officially in the books, many western mountain lodging properties have much to cheer about, according to the most recent data released by DestiMetrics. As of December 31, while actual occupancy for the month of December was up a scant 0.6 percent compared to last December, revenues jumped 13.2 percent.

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 16, 2017—Before the snow started piling up this month at its properties in western North America, the ski season got off to a slow start for Vail Resorts’ destination areas in Colorado, Utah, California, and British Columbia. According to an interim period report from VR, skier visits were down more than 13 percent since the beginning of the season through Jan. 8, 2017, compared to the same period ending Jan. 10, 2016.

SAM Magazine—Incline Village, Nev., Jan. 13, 2017—After serving as Diamond Peak’s interim general manager during the 2015-16 season, Mike Bandelin had the “interim” removed from his title in October, and now serves as the resort’s full-on GM.

SAM Magazine—Tahoe, Calif., Jan. 11, 2017—Is it possible to have too much snow? Ask anyone in the Sierras or Colorado right now, and they’ll say yes. A storm of rare strength, moisture content, and duration has been dumping feet of snow on many areas in the West, causing major roads and resorts to close until they can dig out and manage severe avalanche danger.

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Jan. 10, 2017—The investigation into the fatal chairlift accident at Ski Granby Ranch Dec. 29 has “identified issues within the chairlift’s electrical drive/control system that contributed to a rare dynamic event that occurred on the lift at the time of the incident,” according to a report from the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board. In addition, the report said that the chair in which a Texas mom and her two daughters were riding struck a lift tower a third of the way up the mountain before the three fell 25 feet to the ground.

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Jan. 9, 2017—A longtime Killington lift mechanic died after he reportedly fell 13 feet from the catwalk while working on Killington’s Skyeship gondola at its North Brook terminal on Saturday.

SAM Magazine—Truckee, Calif., Jan. 5, 2017—Mountain resorts continue to make progress combating the ongoing housing crisis, with Northstar California the most recent to step up. The resort will participate in the newly emerging Truckee North Tahoe Regional Housing Council, kicking in $30,000 to its Housing Solutions Fund. The money will be used to prioritize opportunities, support resident assistance programs, and leverage capital funding.

Welcome to Snow People. This time, our monthly roundup of happenings to prominent people in the mountain resort industry is a combo of December and early January.

SAM Magazine—Riviera Maya, Mexico, Jan. 5, 2017—Powdr plans to open its newest Woodward center in October 2017 at a location nowhere near the snowy slopes—Riviera Maya, Mexico. The new facility will operate as part of the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.

SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., Jan. 5, 2017—Purgatory Resort has appointed Colin McBeath as its new general manager, taking over for interim GM and company CFO Mark Seiter. McBeath brings more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, most recently as general manager of the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel and Spa in Alaska. His first day on the job will be Jan. 10.

SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., Jan. 4, 2017—When we asked a handful of ski areas across North America how they fared during the Christmas holiday week, the following are just some of the adjectives used to describe it: “fantastic,” “excellent,” “wonderful,” “nuts,” “spectacular”—even “perfect.” From coast to coast, Santa brought snow, and people followed—in record numbers.

SAM Magazine—Stowe, Vt., Jan. 4, 2017—Growth through acquisition continues for Inntopia. The software as a service (SaaS) e-commerce company has acquired Denver-based DestiMetrics, which has been supplying lodging metrics and market intelligence to North American travel destinations, including the mountain travel industry, since 2004. This is the second acquisition for Inntopia since October, when it acquired database and CRM firm Ryan Solutions.

SAM Magazine—Dover, Vt., Jan. 4, 2017—After its inaugural attempt in Jan. 2016 fell short, organizers for this year’s shot at breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest ski and the largest snowboard lessons are giving it another go. On Friday, Jan. 6, more than 80 different ski areas across the U.S. and Canada will simultaneously hold individual events to try and break the record—and help generate enthusiasm for Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month.

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Jan. 4, 2017—Vail Resorts has more capital enhancements planned for three of its Colorado resorts—Vail, Keystone, and Breckenridge—highlighted by a new high speed six-passenger lift at each of the properties, all scheduled to be installed in time for the 2017-18 ski season. Each new lift will increase capacity by up to 25 percent compared to the lifts they’re replacing. All installations will be done by Leitner-Poma, and are subject to U.S. Forest Service approval.

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Dec. 31, 2016—A Texas mother, 40-year-old Kelly Huber, died and two young daughters were hurt after they fell about 25 feet from a quad chairlift Thursday morning Dec. 29 at Ski Granby Ranch. One daughter remains in serious condition after being transported by Flight for Life helicopter to Children’s Hospital in Denver.