• Summer
• Ski Area Profiles

SAM Magazine—Cherry Creek, N.Y., Oct. 26, 2023—Officials at Cockaigne Resort announced on Monday that the ski area, including food and beverage operations, will not open for the 2023-24 season. The 462-acre property, including a 10,000-square-foot lodge built in 2019, has been for sale on-and-off for the past year, and was relisted this summer ...

• Summer
• Lifts

This report was updated on Oct. 26. SAM Magazine—Nederland, Colo., Oct. 25, 2023—Colorado Public Radio (CPR) reported that 71 percent of ski patrollers and medical staff at Eldora Mountain Resort have signed cards in favor of holding a union election. This is the latest such unionization effort among ski area staff following lift mechanics an...

• sustainability

SAM Magazine—Vail, Colo., Oct. 24, 2023—The third annual Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Solutions Summit (MT2030) took place Oct. 18-19 in Vail, drawing more than 500 attendees from more than 40 U.S. and international mountain communities.From left: Kate Wilson (Vail Resorts), Darcie Renn (Alterra), Raj Basi (POWDR), and Tom Bradley (Boyne Resorts...

• Snowmaking
• Racing

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Oct. 19, 2023—Vail Resorts (VR) has chosen Trent Poole to become vice president and GM of Hunter Mountain Resort, effective Oct. 30. He succeeds Russ Coloton, who is retiring after serving 44 years as president of Hunter. An 18-year VR veteran, Poole has a background in finance, project management, and mountain ...

• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Jackson, N.H., Oct. 18, 2023—A week after announcing that it would not open for the 2023-24 season, owners of New Hampshire’s Black Mountain have reconsidered after reaching an operating agreement with Indy Pass and its parent company Entabeni. Black Mountain officials announced on Oct. 11 that the ski area would remain closed d...

• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Sandia Park, N.M., Oct. 16, 2023—Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) and Sandia Peak Ski Company have entered a joint venture agreement for the operation of Sandia Peak Ski Area, located 35 miles northeast of Albuquerque, N.M. This is MCP’s third New Mexico ski area, bringing the company’s total portfolio to 14 ski, bike, and golf ...

• Environment
• Ski Patrol

SAM Magazine—Stowe, Vt., Oct. 12, 2023—Plans for a proposed gondola connecting Smugglers’ Notch Resort and Stowe Mountain Resort have been withdrawn following initial disapproval from the Agency of Natural Resources, according to reporting by the News & Citizen.  Stowe, owned by Vail Resorts, and privately-held Smugglers’ Notch have r...

• Environment
• Ski Patrol

SAM Magazine—Breckenridge, Colo., Oct. 12, 2023—Breckenridge Ski Resort has promoted Jon Copeland, current vice president of mountain operations, to vice president and COO.  Copeland will lead mountain and base area operations, food and beverage, ski and snowboard school, summer operations, and other areas of business, while driving partnersh...

• Summer
• Grooming
• Trail Maintenance

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Oct. 11, 2023—Alterra Mountain Company has initiated the purchaseof Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing (MWHS) in Blue River, BC, Canada. Officials at Alterra said the addition will complement the company’s BC-based CMH Heli-Skiing and Summer Adventures operation, and is expected to be completed late this year, pending...

• Summer
• Ski School

SAM Magazine—New York City, Oct. 11, 2023—Ski Utah held its annual media event in Soho on Oct. 5, taking the opportunity to share in-person details of last year’s record winter in Utah and the latest news, including Powder Mountain’s announcement on Oct. 2 that it pulled all available lots as it moves forward on its rebranding process.  ...

• Rental
• Ski Area Profiles

SAM Magazine—Stratton, Vt., Oct. 11, 2023—Alterra Mountain Company has named Matt Jones president and COO of Vermont’s Stratton Mountain Resort. He most recently served as the VP and general manager of Kirkwood Mountain Resort in California. Jones will report to Alterra’s regional COO, Patrice Malo, and will be responsible for overseeing...

• Rental
• Ski Area Profiles

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 10, 2023—Out of a strong field of more than 75 nominations,10 talented mountain resort industry up-and-comers have been selected to participate in the sixth annual SAM Summit Series, a mentorship program aimed at developing future mountain resort industry leaders. The 10 mentees hail from areas of all sizes loca...

• Summer
• Grooming
• Trail Maintenance

SAM Magazine—Edmonton, Alberta, Oct. 10, 2023—Rabbit Hill Snow Resort, founded in 1955, has transitioned to new ownership—business partners Chuck and Lara Amerongen and Derek and Anna Look. The independently owned ski area is located about 20 miles southwest of Edmonton.  Rabbit Hill was purchased from former owner Jim Sutherland whose fath...

• Marketing
• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Oct. 10, 2023—The Indy Pass has added more than 50 new alpine and Nordic resorts in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan for the 2023-24 season. Sales of the pass have also reopened with limited supply available after sales were halted in April due to “overwhelming demand.” Would-be purchasers must join a waitlis...

• Marketing
• Environment

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 9, 2023—Ski areas across North America are invited to nominate their snowmaking teams to participate in the ninth annual “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, presented by HKD Snowmakers. The “I AM” contest highlights the importance of snowmakers and their unique role in mountain operations and the success of the ...