SAM Magazine—Denver, Dec. 20, 2016—Golf clubs and bicycles got some additional use during an unseasonably warm November, which appears to have had an adverse effect on lodging bookings at western mountain destinations, according to a recent report by DestiMetrics. As of Nov. 30, actual bookings made in November for arrivals during the six winter months (November through April) were down 7.9 percent compared to bookings made in November 2015 for the same months last winter. November bookings for November arrivals were down a dramatic 25.9 percent and down 15.3 percent compared to the same time last year, as several resorts delayed their planned openings due to the warm weather.

SAM Magazine—Woodbury, Conn., Dec. 20, 2016—This spring, Cutter's Camp will celebrate 15 years of gathering freestyle terrain professionals for educational seminars and hands-on workshops. Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore., will once again host the longer-camp format, May 16-20, 2017. Mount Snow, Vt., will host the return of an eastern camp and the debut of the new “Fall Refresher” format, Nov. 6-8, 2017.

SAM Magazine—Gatlinburg, Tenn., Dec. 20, 2016—Gatlinburg Sky Lift, a Boyne Resorts-owned scenic chairlift attraction in Gatlinburg, Tenn., was in the path of the wildfire that spread through the popular resort town on Monday, Nov. 28. The chairlift’s upper section and upper terminal experienced significant damage, the degree of which is being evaluated. The facilities on the upper viewing deck, including the gift shop, are a total loss. The street-level building that houses ticket sales, offices, and a maintenance shop, as well as the lift’s bottom terminal, were completely unharmed.

SAM Magazine—Wildwood, Mo., Dec. 13, 2016—Any EB-5 program turmoil, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services backlogs, questions, and delays are, for now, in the rearview mirror for Peak Resorts and its flagship property, Mount Snow, Vt. Earlier today, the USCIS approved the first I-526 petition submitted by an investor in Mount Snow’s EB-5 offering, immediately releasing the $52 million of investor funds that have been sitting idle in escrow for more than two years, delaying some projects and forcing Peak to find alternate funding sources.

SAM Magazine—Jackson, N.H., Dec. 12, 2016—The Northeast’s biggest cross-country ski center just got bigger, thanks to the completion of a $500,000 capital expansion project. New for this season, the Jackson Ski Touring Center added four new trails totaling six kilometers in length, and also built eight new trail bridges. It is the most extensive expansion in the facility’s 44-year history.

SAM Magazine—Harbor Springs, Mich., Dec. 12, 2016—The Main Lodge hotel at Boyne Highlands Resort, Mich., experienced a significant structure fire that began early Sunday morning, leaving 11 people with reportedly non-life threatening injuries, and one in critical condition. There were approximately 113 registered guests occupying 64 rooms Saturday night.

SAM Magazine—Stowe, Vt., Dec. 6, 2016—It’s fairly common for a mountain resort to be breastfeeding-friendly, but Stowe has taken it one step further by installing a Mamava lactation suite in its Spruce Camp Base Lodge—the first ski resort in the nation to do so.

SAM Magazine—Truckee, Calif., Dec. 6, 2016— Nadia Guerriero is the new vice president and general manager at Northstar California Resort, effective immediately. She replaces Beth Howard, who became COO at Beaver Creek, Colo., in October.

SAM Magazine—Rutland, Vt., Dec. 1, 2016—What goes up must come down, and if it doesn’t, it’ll cost you. A Pittsfield, Vt., woman who was stranded in a gondola cabin at Killington for five hours was awarded $750,000 by a Rutland County Civil Court jury on Wednesday.

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Dec. 1, 2016—A reported 30,000 spectators came out to see the first FIS World Cup ski racing event held in the eastern U.S. in 25 years, and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association thinks that enthusiasm will buoy future growth of alpine ski racing. USST member and World Cup and Olympic champ Mikaela Shiffrin was the big draw for the slalom and GS events, held Nov. 26-27, and she didn’t disappoint, winning the slalom and placing fifth in the GS.

SAM Magazine—Big Bear Lake, Calif., Nov. 28, 2016—Industry leader and former chairman and CEO of Snow Summit Ski Corporation, Richard “Dick” Kun, died at his home Sunday after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was Big Bear Lake's most iconic and influential businessman of the past half century, and one of the nation's most innovative and successful ski resort developers. 

SAM Magazine—Stowe, Vt., Nov. 28, 2016—Barry Pius will take over as Stowe Mountain Resort’s president and CEO following the retirement of Robert McEleney, who has held the position since 2007. McEleney will step down Nov. 30.

SAM Magazine— Londonderry, Vt., Nov. 23, 2016—Having been through its fair share of ownerships and plenty of uncertainty about the future, Vermont’s Magic Mountain has begun a new chapter. Ski Magic LLC, a locally based ownership and operating group, completed its acquisition of the classic New England ski area Tuesday, and plans to make immediate improvements.

SAM Magazine—Waterville Valley, N.H., Nov. 23, 2016—New Hampshire governor-elect Chris Sununu will resign as CEO of Waterville Valley Resort and relinquish his position on the board of directors, effective Dec. 31, 2016. His gubernatorial term begins Jan. 4, 2017. Tim Smith has been promoted to president and GM of the resort, and will report to the Waterville Valley Holdings board of directors.

SAM Magazine—Whistler, B.C., Canada, Nov. 23, 2016—Vail Resorts-owned Whistler Blackcomb broke the news to 60 employees last week that their jobs are being eliminated by May 1, 2017. The layoffs affect IT, marketing, and finance. Two executives will be out of the job as of Dec. 2—senior VP of marketing and sales Stuart Rempel and CFO Jeremy Black.