SAM Magazine-Taylors Falls, Minn, Oct. 29, 2010-Wild Mountain, Minn., and Boreal, Calif., both opened for business today, adding to the flurry of openings in the past week. For Wild Mountain, it marks the 35th year the area has been the first in the Midwest to open. Rates were determined by bow many Facebook fans the area had-the more "likes" t...

SAM Magazine-Orlando, Fla., Oct. 29, 2010-In response to an earlier report on saminfo.com, CNL Lifestyle Properties has informed us that some of the statements in that report may be misleading. Here's a more complete description of the change in management at Northstar-at-Tahoe: As with other CNL resort properties, CNL owns the land and all impr...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Oct. 27, 2010-After a long, warm fall, areas in the west have received significant snowfall in the past three days. In the Pacific Northwest, Mt. Hood Meadows had recorded 30 inches through Tuesday, with more expected. In Colorado and Utah, snowfalls were in the 18- to 24-inch range. And in western Canada, Fernie reported 15 in...

SAM Magazine-Newry, Maine, Oct. 26, 2010- In the wake of the SANY and NWSS fall workshops, the two groups and NSAA are planning an expanded agenda for 2011 over an eight-day stretch that, for the two events, is one day shorter. In a key and expected change, the NWSS will return to a more conventional trade show format after this year's experimen...

SAM Magazine-Andover, N.H., Oct 25, 2010-Dalbello and Elan are ending their joint distribution agreement as of Jan. 1, when Alpina Sports Corp. in Lebanon, N.H., will assume responsibility for Elan. The two companies will continue to market the 4Factor rental system, although Dalbello also plans to offer its Vantage system boot for use with other b...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., Oct. 25, 2010-Vail Resorts (VR) has acquired the stock of the companies that operate Northstar-at-Tahoe from Booth Creek Resort Properties LLC and other sellers for $63 million. The operations of Northstar-at-Tahoe are conducted on land owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties Inc., which will be leased to Vail Resorts unde...

SAM Magazine-Sugar Mountain, N.C., Oct. 25, 2010-The North Carolina ski industry generated $146 million in economic activity in the 2009-10 winter season, according to a study conducted by RRC Associates for the North Carolina Ski Areas Association (NCSAA). Total direct expenditures on winter sports were $88.5 million. Indirect economic activity wa...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Oct. 24, 2010-Loveland Ski Area opened at 9 a.m. today, one day ahead of the scheduled opening of neighboring Arapahoe Basin on Monday. For both, this is the start of continuous operations for the season.The news brought an energized crowd to Loveland today, demonstrating that people are eager for ski season. Snowmaking eff...

SAM Magazine-Newry, Maine, Oct. 22, 2010-Sunday River Ski Resort became the first resort in the country to open as of 3:30 p.m. EDT today, with skiable terrain on its T2 trail from the top of the mountain down to the midstation of the Locke Mountain triple chair. This marks the first time the resort has been the first to open-that is, aside from...

SAM Magazine-Wildwood, Mo., Oct. 21, 2010-Peak Resorts has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire all Wildcat Mountain Ski Area assets and attractions in Pinkham Notch, N.H., from longtime owner Pat Franchi, pending approval by the U.S. Forest Service. Adding to its portfolio of resorts located in six U.S. states, including Attitash and Crotc...

SAM Magazine-Boise, Idaho, Oct. 20, 2010- Federal bankruptcy judge Terry Myers has rejected a $2 million loan intended to allow Tamarack Resort to maintain facilities and reopen this winter while it finds a buyer, saying that the onerous conditions of the loan made it likely the resort would default once again. Whether Tamarack will open or not ...

SAM Magazine--October 20, 2010--A jury returned a unanimous defense verdict yesterday in the case of James Malaguit v. Ski Sundown, Inc., in the Connecticut Superior Court, Litchfield, Conn. James Malaguit was 15 years old on February 17, 2006, when he went off a terrain feature in Ski Sundown's terrain park. He reverse rotated and landed on the...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Oct. 19, 2010-Despite ongoing economic fluctuations and decreased consumer confidence, western mountain destinations posted a 15.8 percent increase in occupancy in September 2010 compared to September 2009, according to the latest data released by Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP). This represents the biggest monthly inc...

SAM Magazine-Waterville Valley, N.H., Oct. 19, 2010-Less than a week after taking over, the new owners of Waterville Valley are buying 25 energy-efficient HKD tower guns and a new Prinoth Bison groomer. Total investment in the six weeks leading up to the area's planned Nov. 20 opening will hit $500,000. "We completed the purchase of Waterville V...

In the latest installment of SAM's Summer Ops video series, the SAM CAM visited Nashoba Valley's Sunset Tiki Bar in western Mass., where guests are treated to summer fun on the ski area's snowmaking pond. Nashoba's success with the Sunset Tiki Bar this summer has surprised even its owners, the Fletchers. "The Tiki Bar has more than doubled our s...