SAM Magazine--Denver, Colo., October 15, 2013--As early snowstorms and cold weather fronts moved across the California, Utah and Colorado mountains, bookings among participating resorts continued their upward trend in pacing and revenues. In the most recent data released by the Denver-based DestiMetrics (formerly known as Mountain Travel Research P...

SAM Magazine--Kansas City, Mo., October 14, 2013--EPR Properties announced that it is the entity that purchased Camelback Mountain Resort in Tannersville, Pa. for close to $70 million. The resort consists of 160 acres of skiable terrain and includes a waterpark, an outdoor adventure park, a 40-lane tubing facility and base lodge. The resort hosts 9...

SAM Magazine—Arapahoe Basin, Colo., Oct. 11, 2013—Arapahoe Basin Ski Area will open Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013, marking the official start to the Colorado ski and snowboard season. Early-season snow, low temperatures and snowmaking upgrades have made it possible for A-Basin to open four days earlier than last season. The Black Mountain Ex...

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., Oct. 11, 2013—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) today released its 13th Sustainable Slopes Annual Report detailing the ski industry’s progress in implementing the principles of its Environmental Charter during the 2012-13 season. Among the highlights: • 115 ski areas endorsed the Cl...

SAM Magazine—Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2013—The 2013 Women's Snow Sports Market Intelligence Report reveals that 3.3 million women participated in snowsports last season, and made $1 billion in purchases of women-specific gear during the 2012-13 season. The report, a supplement to the full Market Intelligence Report produced by Sno...

SAM Magazine--Tannersville, Pa., October 10, 2013--Spirit Realty Capital, Inc., the real estate investment trust (REIT) that owned Camelback Mountain Resort, announced that it has sold Camelback Mountain Resort for $69.25 million, representing a "significant gain on its original investment," says the press release. The REIT bought the are...

SAM Magazine--October 8, 2013--In a survey released last week by PhoCusWright, a New York based travel industry research group, and sponsored by Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS), the current data available on the travel behavior of skiers and snowboarders revealed new information about these specific destination travelers. Here are some highlight...

SAM Magazine--Los Angeles, Calif., October 3, 2013--ESPN issued the following statement today: ESPN today announced it will not continue with X Games events in Barcelona, Munich, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil and Tignes, France. We are proud to have run world-class competitions for both the athletes and spectators; however the overall economics of t...

SAM Magazine--October 3, 2013--In a clever move, Arizona Snowbowl and Aspen/Snowmass are spinning lifts for tourists who are shut out of national parks. Thanks to the government shutdown, national parks are closed across the country, so the ski areas decided to offer alternatives for tourists. Arizona Snowbowl is extending its scenic chairlift oper...

SAM Magazine—Copper Mountain, Colo., Oct. 2, 2013—The Forest Service has approved Copper’s high alpine project, The 12’s, a multi-year enhancement of the resort’s high alpine skiing and riding. The 12’s encompass three peaks with elevations in excess of 12,000 feet: Tucker Mountain, Union Peak and Copper Peak. Th...

SAM Magazine--Vernon, N.J., October 2, 2013--UPDATE: After announcing an auction for October 1, Hidden Valley remains unsold after no-one bid on the resort. According to The Star-Ledger, bidding was expected to start at $2.75 million (an amount that would cover debts and fees). The auction house is still hopeful that someone will make an offer. In ...

SAM Magazine--Greenwood, Maine, October 1, 2013--Building on an existing partnership, Mt. Abram, Maine, has hired Mountain Rider’s Alliance (MRA) to manage the ski area. MRA is a grassroots organization whose mission is to create sustainable mountain playgrounds. Led by GM Dave Scanlan, MRA personnel will fill other key positions of Mt Abram&...

Loveland, CO SAM Magazine—Denver, Oct. 1, 2013—Colorado resorts have begun snowmaking operations for the 2013-14 season. Loveland Basin cranked up its guns at 6 p.m. on Sept. 27, and Arapahoe Basin followed five hours later. Copper Mountain began early today. This year’s start was about a week ahead of last year. While warme...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 27, 2013—Vail Resorts (VR) rebounded nicely in 2012-13 from a very poor 2011-12 season, and early indicators, such as pass sales, suggest the coming winter will be strong. That’s the big picture presented by VR’s year-end financial report, released today. For the year ended July 31, t...

SAM Magazine--Covington Township, Pa., September 26, 2013--The following is a statement released by The Renaissance Auction Group: "We are pleased to announce that the high bid submitted at the Sealed Bid auction for Alpine Mountain Ski Area was accepted by the sellers. "The successful bidder is a local investor who plans to continue o...