SAM Magazine-Durango, Colo., Aug. 31, 2009-In a move that reflects the growing popularity of "sidecountry" terrain-inbounds, ungroomed, off-piste acreage-Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort is adding 125 acres and 1,200 vertical feet of expert tree-skiing terrain. This expands the resort's total skiable terrain by 10 percent, to 1,325 acres, and i...

SAM Magazine-Breckenridge, Colo., Aug. 31, 2009-A petition seeking to effectively legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults in the town of Breckenridge received enough support to place the issue before voters on Nov. 3. The measure would repeal local penalties in the Breckenridge Town Code for the possession of up to one ounce...

SAM Magazine-Cody, Wyo., Aug. 31, 2009-After several years of dormancy and two years of renovation and expansion, Sleeping Giant Ski Area will reopen for the 2009-10 season. The community-oriented, 180-acre area, closed since 2004, is located just outside the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It is owned and operated by the non-profit Yel...

SAM Magazine--August 27, 2009--According to published reports, and Idaho judge dismissed Bank of America's bid to take possession of two lifts, a snow plow, a shuttle bus and a Mack truck (all estimated to be worth $4.3 million) from Tamarack Resort. The judge ruled that the request should be part of a separate litigation by another bank. The be...

SAM Magazine--August 27, 2009--The Olympic Regional Development Authority has named Bruce McCulley the new general manager for Whiteface Ski Center. McCulley is replacing Jay Rand, who will become the new executive director of the N.Y. Ski Educational Foundation. McCulley has worked at Whiteface since 1981, starting as a lift operator and snowma...

In every issue of SAM we run a section called "SAM on the Road"-- a photo wrap up of happenings in the industry. Now, with the help of a helmet cam, SAM on the Road will be... in Action. This video is second in a series of resort profiles featuring summer attractions across the country. These profiles will also be covered more in-depth in our Summe...

SAM Magazine-Denver, Colo., Aug.19, 2009-Although the Federal Reserve recently reported that the "economy is leveling off," data gathered and analyzed by the Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP) shows that destination travel continues to struggle. July's lodging business followed the winter pattern: occupancy was down 13.3 percent compared t...

SAM Magazine-Reno, Nev., Aug. 19, 2009-After more than 30 years of stimulating snowfall in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin, the Nevada Cloud Seeding Program closed for good this month as a result of budget cuts. The program needed $550,000 to keep it going. "It's not really good for the ski resorts or anyone worried about water supplies in Lake ...

SAM Magazine--August 17, 2009--Big Sky, Mont.--The Big Sky sales team received a phone call from the White House a few weeks ago to find out if it was available to host a special unnamed guest the evening of August 14. And so it was that the Summit Hotel at Big Sky hosted the President of the United States and the First Family for a night's rest be...

SAM Magazine--August 12, 2009--The operators of Ski Denton, Pa., and owners of Swain Recreation Center, LLC reached an agreement to lease Swain Resort, N.Y., with the intention of completing an acquisition of the resort as soon as feasibly possible. Ski Denton owners Scott and Jodi Carts and Shawn and Celeste Schoonover will continue ski operati...

SAM Magazine-Portland, Maine, Aug. 5, 2009-Maine ski areas posted their second-best season on record in 2008-09, with 1,366,752 ski/snowboard visits. The previous 2007-08 season set an all-time record with 1,401,043 visits recorded. Early season snowfall and extensive snowmaking systems allowed Maine to maintain strong numbers in spite of the ti...

In every issue of SAM we run a section called "SAM on the Road"-- a photo wrap up of happenings in the industry. Now, with the help of a helmet cam, SAM on the Road will be... in Action. This video is second in a series of resort profiles featuring summer attractions across the country. These profiles will also be covered more in-depth in our Summe...

SAM Magazine-Olympic Valley, Calif., Aug. 4, 2009-Squaw Valley USA has named Mike Livak as senior vice president and general manager, starting in early September. He will report to chairwoman and CEO Nancy W. Cushing. Livak succeeds Ernst Hager, who is retiring after working at Squaw Valley on and off since the early 1970s. Hager will continue to a...

SAM Magazine-Whistler, B.C., Aug. 2, 2009-The Ministry of Forests & Range and the Whistler Fire Department have declared Blackcomb Mountain safe to re-open to guests. The Crystal Ridge fire, located on Blackcomb Mountain, was 85 percent contained by this morning. It is in an isolated area that does not interfere with the summer operating area on Bl...

SAM Magazine-Whistler, B.C., July 31, 2009-A wildfire started by a lightning strike Thursday afternoon at Blackcomb Mountain led to the evacuation of mountain. The fire, which covered about 75 acres as of Friday afternoon, has been burning since approximately 3 p.m. local time Thursday near the Crystal Chair, according to a Whistler Blackcomb spoke...