• Lifts
• Safety

SAM Magazine—Big Sky, Mont., Feb. 15, 2022—Boyne Resorts is looking to transform access to Big Sky’s Lone Peak with a new base-to-summit lift network that includes a two-stage gondola and a higher-capacity tram. The multi-year project is the final phase of the Big Sky 2025 master plan. “The new lift system from the base area to the summit ...

• Lifts

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., Feb. 15, 2022—Sunlight Mountain has become the first Colorado ski area to join the Indy Pass. For the remainder of winter 2021-22 and the entire 2022-2023 season, Indy Pass holders will get two days at Sunlight with no blackout dates.  “The timing was right for Sunlight to go Indy,” said Sunlight marketing and...

• Lifts
• Ski Area Profiles

SAM Magazine—Aspen, Colo., February 11, 2022—Aspen Skiing Company (Ski Co.) said Thursday it will give all salaried and hourly employees a $3/hr raise, effective Sunday, Feb. 13. The move boosts starting pay to $20/hr for most hourly employees and represents an annual increase of $6,240 for those in salaried positions. “This is an investment...

• Lifts
• Area Management

SAM Magazine—Greenville, Maine, Feb. 10, 2022—The Maine Land Use Planning Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to hold a public hearing on the proposed $113.5 million expansion to the Big Squaw Mountain ski area in Piscataquis County, Maine.  Developer Big Lake Development LLC has proposed a two-phase project that would expand the resor...

• Lifts
• Ski School

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Feb. 10, 2022— SAM Magazine has raised over $2,500 for non-profit causes since November 2021. Those proceeds, a percentage of SAM Magazine subscriptions and Summit Series Leadership Bootcamp registration, will be donated to four 501(c)3 organizations: Share Winter, Winter4Kids, the National Brotherhood of Skiers,...

• Ski Area Profiles
• Legal

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Feb. 10, 2022—In a $6.6 billion deal expected to close in the second half of 2022, Spirit Airlines will merge with Frontier, giving Denver-based Frontier Airlines the controlling stake in the combined entity. The merger of these two major discount airlines will form the fifth largest airline in the United States and ...

• Area Management
• Legal

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Feb. 3, 2022—Registration is open for the 18th spring session of Cutter's Camp, May 16-20, 2022, at Timberline, Mt. Hood, Ore. The five-day program for terrain park professionals features on-hill and classroom workshops, including the return of one-on-one customized operator coaching. The program will cover all ...

• Marketing
• Ski School

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Feb. 4, 2022—Nearly 2,500 votes were cast in the 15th annual SAM Terrain Park Contest, in which a total of 40 entries from ski areas around the world looked to earn the top spot in one of the three contest categories: Bread and Butter, Terrain Park Feature, and, new this year, Park Edit. Some of the resort-submit...

• Miscellaneous
• Legal

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Feb. 4, 2022—There are leadership changes in the works at Vail Resorts’ (VR) eastern properties: Mount Snow, Vt., general manager Tracy Bartels will become vice president of maintenance, planning and project management this Tracy Bartelsspring, joining VR’s mountain division senior leadership team; and Roundt...

• Racing
• Legal

SAM Magazine—Bartlett, N.H., Feb. 3, 2022—Brandon Swartz is moving back east to become the new general manager at Vail Resorts-owned Attitash, N.H., starting Feb. 7. Swartz is a New England native, but his ski industry career has taken him all over the country. Most recently, he had served as the GM at Hidden Valley, Mo., since November 2020. ...

• Marketing
• Personnel Issues

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 28, 2022—A record 16,000 votes were cast during the 11-day voting period in the 2022 HKD I AM a Snowmaker contest. This year’s contest showcased seven regionally diverse snowmaking teams from across North America: Boler Mountain, Ontario; Crystal Mountain, Mich.; Camelback Mountain, Pa.; Mountain High, Calif.;...

• Area Management
• Miscellaneous

SAM Magazine—Providence, R.I., Jan. 28, 2022—In an effort to improve snowsports accessibility, Share Winter Foundation has partnered with Motel 6 to provide mountain access and bring awareness to skiing and riding cost-barriers and the affordable options that exist to minimize them. “With Motel 6 as our very first lodging partner, we are tea...

• Marketing
• Racing

SAM Magazine—Woodstock, Vt., Jan. 27, 2022—Season pass sales, demand for rental equipment, and lesson sales are all up at a majority of North American cross country ski areas as of Jan. 15, according to the results of a survey conducted in early-January by the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) and Snow Sports Insights.  The survey w...

• Personnel Issues
• Grooming
• Trail Maintenance

SAM Magazine—North Creek, N.Y., Jan. 27, 2022—Plans were unveiled this week for a new base lodge, a unique aerial attraction, a new chairlift, and additional ski terrain for the North Creek Ski Bowl area of New York’s Gore Mountain, which is owned and operated by the state-run Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). Officials are seeki...

• Marketing

SAM Magazine—Tannersville, Pa., Jan. 25, 2022—Camelback Resort and Winter4Kids have partnered on a new initiative to support skiers and snowboarders from diverse economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. A beginner lesson at Winter4KidsThe initiative will provide three years of season passes, and other opportunities, to graduates of the Winter4...