SAM Magazine - West Dover, Vt., May 1, 2008 - One hundred and fifty new fan guns highlight a $5 million snowmaking investment by Vermont's Mount Snow this summer. The upgrades come on the heels of substantial investments in snowmaking last summer, which saw the resort install 101 of the energy efficient SMI guns. Officials at the resort say that th...

SAM Magazine-McLean Va., April 25, 2008-Snow Sports product sales are closing in on $3 billion by season's end, according to Kelly Davis, director of research for SnowSports Industries America (SIA). Sales figures are from the SIA Retail Audit, conducted by Leisure Trends Group of Boulder, Colo. Through February, apparel and accessories showed g...

SAM Magazine-Vail, Colo., April 23, 2008-North American search and rescue organizations are taking a harder look at RECCO technology as the system continues to prove itself across the Atlantic. The systems have been widespread in Europe for the last decade, with two avalanche victims being rescued alive this year using the system. According to ...

SAM Magazine-Alta, Wyo., April 25, 2008-Grand Targhee Resort has proclaimed its entire base area will become smoke free as of June 1. The resort's official summer operating season begins June 21. The policy asks all visitors and employees of the resort to refrain from smoking anywhere at the resort except for location at the east end of the mai...

SAM Magazine-Salt Lake City, April 22, 2008-Despite a slow start in November, Utah resorts had a very strong season, benefiting from excellent snow conditions from December through February. Final attendance figures at Utah's 13 ski and snowboard resorts should fall somewhere near last season's record-setting 4,082,094 skier days, said Ski Utah pre...

SAM Magazine-Ludlow, Vt. April 22, 2008-Okemo, Vt., Whiteface, N.Y., and Jiminy Peak, Mass., are reporting their best seasons in history, demonstrating that the rebound in visits in the northeast was widespread this winter. Okemo reported skier days up nearly 25 percent over the late-starting 2006-07 season, and up six percent over the resort's ...

SAM Magazine-Aspen, Colo., April 16, 2008-The Aspen Skiing Company is replacing the Sheer Bliss double at Snowmass with a new Leitner-Poma high speed quad, to the tune of $7 million. The new lift will be realigned to provide easy access to the entire Big Burn and Sheer Bliss areas. This region of Snowmass encompasses nearly 700 acres of terrain and...

SAM Magazine-Park City, Utah, April 16, 2008-Park City Mountain Resort plans $10.5 million in improvements for the 2008-09 winter season, including a new Doppelmayr CTEC high-speed chair lift, terrain enhancements and renovation of the Mid-Mountain Lodge. "Our goal is to have more of our guests explore the diverse terrain that our mountain ha...

SAM Magazine-Broomfield, Colo., April 14, 2008-Vail Resorts will utilize a new state-of-the-art radio frequency technology with all of its season passes for next season-the Epic, Colorado, Summit and Heavenly season passes-to provide "easy scan" lift access. The technology makes it possible for skiers and snowboarders to keep their pass zipped insi...

SAM Magazine-Winter Park, Colo., April 14, 2008-With many ski resorts wrapping up their seasons, two of Clorado's biggest players are looking to lock in passholders for next year with a variety of discounted season pass offers. Following on the heels of Vail Resorts' various offers, Intrawest is courting skiers with a $399 Rocky Mountain Super P...

SAM Magazine-Lyndonville, Vt., Apr. 14, 2008-How's your succession planning going? If it needs a boost, the second annual Resort Industry Leadership Institute (RILI) June 3-5 at Lyndon State College can help. It provides middle and upper level managers an opportunity to improve their leadership ability through a combination of workshops, keynotes, ...

SAM Magazine, Carrabasett Valley, ME, April 8, 2008 -A series of avalanches in Sugarloaf's backside area on March 31 ran up to 200 feet wide and 200 feet long. The incidences were closed to the public, and the patrol was doing control work at the time. "They were small slides, which we have seen before in this area when base depths are large...

Sam Magazine - Donner Summit, CA, April 9, 2008 - A Doppelmayr quad chair will highlight $2.6 million in improvements at California's Boreal. The new Castle Peak Quad will replace the existing Gunnar's double chair, increasing base area capacity on beginner/novice runs and evolution terrain parks. The new lift will take skiers and riders to a slig...

SAM Magazine-April 9, 2008--With many resorts across the nation shuttering for the season, some ski area operators just can't quit. Idaho's Brundage Mountain Resort has announced that they will extend their winter with weekend operations on April 19-20 and April 26-27. With the news, the resort joins Colorado's Monarch Mountain and Okemo, Vermont, ...

SAM Magazine - Carrabassett Valley, Maine, April 9, 2008 - Sugarloaf has announced a $5 Million investment package at the resort this summer. The initiative will focus on improving snowmaking and the base area. According to the resort, a significant portion of the $5 million will go directly toward the snowmaking system, including upgrading water i...