SAM Magazine—Fabius, N.Y., March 10, 2025—A New York State judge has ruled that Intermountain Management, owner of Labrador Mountain and Song Mountain ski areas, violated state antitrust law when it purchased and shut down neighboring Toggenburg ski area in 2021. The ruling, issued by Judge Robert E. Antonacci II and granting the Office of the...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., March 6, 2025—The cost of an Epic Pass will top $1,000 for the first time since the company slashed pass prices in 2021. Most pass access remains unchanged from the previous season, with the primary update being the addition of Switzerland’s Verbier 4 Vallées to more pass tiers. The 2025-26 Epic Pass will sta...

SAM Magazine—Denver, March 6, 2025—The 2025-26 Ikon Pass will introduce new resort access, expanded benefits, and a notable change to the pass lineup when it goes on sale March 13. Ischgl, a ski area in Austria that connects to Switzerland, will join as the seventh Ikon Pass destination in Europe. Additionally, Colorado's Arapahoe Basin, which...

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., March 4, 2025—For the 2025-26 season, the Mountain Collective Pass will once again offer two days of access to 26 ski partner resorts with some changes from the previous year, including the departure of Arapahoe Basin, Colo., and the addition of new pass-holder benefits. For the upcoming season, pass holders who purc...

SAM Magazine—Warren, Vt., March 3, 2025—United States Vice President JD Vance went on a ski trip to Sugarbush Resort this past weekend with his family, along with a vast entourage of security personnel. Photo credit: Evan L’Roy/VTDiggerThe visit became a flash point, drawing more than 1,000 protesters to the resort and surrounding community....

SAM Magazine—Wardsboro, Vt., March 3, 2025—Many regions of the United States, especially those that experienced somewhat lackluster snowfall and mild temps last winter, are enjoying the benefits of consistent snow and cold weather so far this season, and the results for the Presidents’ Day holiday appear to prove that out. Photo credit: Snow...

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., March 1, 2025—Indy Pass will include six new ski area partners in 2025-26, including the first Southern Hemisphere partner resort. Next season’s pass goes on sale March 1, with limited quantities available and guaranteed access to 250 resorts. The new additions are Burke Mountain, Vt.; Tenney Mountain, N.H.; Corra...

SAM Magazine—Vermont, Wis., Feb. 26, 2025—Tyrol Basin owner Nathaniel McGree was arrested Monday night, Feb. 24, following an altercation with a 17-year-old guest. According to a report from the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, the guest “admitted to arriving at Tyrol Basin but not purchasing a pass.” The ski area staff asked him to leave,...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Feb. 24, 2025—Alterra Mountain Company has appointed Diane Neville as chief people officer (CPO) and Will Forbes will serve as president and chief operating officer of the company’s Will ForbesDiane NevilleExperiences Division. “We are very excited to add these talented leaders to crucial roles within our growing compa...

SAM Magazine—Boise, Idaho, Feb. 24, 2025—The Idaho Supreme Court is reconsidering its December 2023 decision in Milus v. Sun Valley Co. In a rare move, the court agreed to rehear the case, with oral arguments presented Feb. 14. The case centers on the 2019 accident in which 65-year-old skier Stewart Milus fatally collided with a yellow-padded ...

SAM Magazine—Winhall, Vt., Feb. 21, 2025—Over Presidents' Day weekend, separate wind-related incidents at three ski areas in the Northeast led to temporary lift closures.Stratton Mountain's upper gondola terminal was damaged by high winds on Sunday. At Stratton Mountain Resort in Vermont, high winds on Sunday, Feb. 18, caused significant damag...

SAM Magazine—Wenatchee, Wash., Feb. 20, 2025—Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort named Matt Neubauer as its new general manager. He succeeds Josh Jorgensen, who led the resort for 13 years. Jorgensen will stay involved in the Mission Ridge Expansion master development project to ensure a smooth transition. “We are thrilled to welcome Matt t...

SAM Magazine—Newry, Maine, Feb. 20, 2025—The paid ski patrollers at Sunday River took steps to unionize on Monday, filing a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to hold a union election. If successful, they would become the first unionized ski patrol in the East. More than 70 percent of the eligible patrollers signed the petition. ...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Feb. 18, 2025—In a notable change from December, Western mountain destinations saw bookings cool down in January, and occupancy and revenue margins shrunk for the 2024-25 ski and snowboard season. The latest DestiMetrics monthly Market Briefing, released last week, cited uneven snowfall, erratic economic news, s...

SAM Magazine—Crested Butte, Colo., Feb. 14, 2025—The unionized lift mechanics at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) reached a contract agreement with resort owner Vail Resorts this week, ending a protracted negotiation that began in January 2024 and avoiding a strike, which the 12-member team authorized at the end of January 2025.Credit: Cres...