SAM Magazine—Danbury, N.H., Nov. 6, 2025— SF Mountain Co., LLC (SFMC), a group of local investors with lifelong ties to Ragged Mountain, has acquired the ski area, which went on the market in March of this year. The group has pledged to keep Ragged affordable and rooted in community while investing in its future as a year-round mountain destina...

SAM Magazine—Huntsville, Utah, Nov. 5, 2025—Powder Mountain has appointed Brandi Hammon as president, overseeing all resort operations, real estate, and hospitality. Hammon, an Ogden Valley native, previously served as the resort’s chief revenue officer and has been involved with Powder Mountain’s growth and development since its transitio...

SAM Magazine—Pinedale, Wyo., Nov. 4, 2025 —White Pine Ski Resort has named Dalan Adams as general manager and Austin Bevilacqua as assistant general manager.Dalan Adams and Austin Bevilacqua. Credit: White Pine. Both are longtime Pinedale residents with community ties and experience in outdoor recreation and hospitality. Adams brings near...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., November 4, 2025—Teams from Boyne Mountain, Mich.; Burke Mountain, Vt.; Killington Resort, Vt.; Poley Mountain, New Brunswick; Seven Springs, Pa.; and Steamboat, Colo., have been selected as finalists in the 11th annual “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, sponsored by HKD Snowmakers. Resorts across North America nominat...

SAM Magazine—New York City, Oct. 30, 2025—Indy Pass director Erik Mogensen speaks during the Indy Pass press event.The number of Indy Pass products sold for 2025-26 grew 60 percent year-over-year, and pass holder redemptions at partner ski areas were up 40 percent for the 2024-25 season compared to 2023-24, according to a presentation at the se...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 28, 2025—The results from the 2026 SKI Reader Resort Survey put Saddleback, Maine, ranked top in the East and Big Sky Resort, Mont., as the highest ranked resort in the West. Saddleback improved one place from its No. 2 ranking last year, while Big Sky jumped 23 spots.  In the East, there were several noticeab...

SAM Magazine—Keystone, Colo., Oct 27, 2025—On Saturday morning, Arapahoe Basin announced it would open for the season Sunday at 8:30 a.m. MDT, positioning itself to be the first ski area in the U.S. to open for daily operations. But a few hours later, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Keystone Resort jumped ahead, alerting the public that it would open in...

SAM Magazine—Breckenridge, Colo., Oct. 23, 2025—Six-hundred mountain community stakeholders gathered in Breckenridge, Colo., for the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Solutions Summit, Oct. 9–10. The two-day event brought together resort leaders, municipal officials, energy sector representatives, and nonprofits to share strategies for acceleratin...

SAM Magazine—Shrewsbury, Mass., Oct. 22, 2025—The first turns of the 2025-26 season are in the books. Ski Ward in Massachusetts fired up its all-weather snowmaking system to allow for surface lift-served laps at its annual fall festival event this past weekend.Ski Ward Ward counts the event as day one of its season, and will offer limited oper...

SAM Magazine—Tannersville, Pa., Oct. 21, 2025—Camelback Resort has appointed two veteran hospitality executives to lead the year-round Poconos destination.Jason Bays Jason Bays will serve as vice president and general manager, providing strategic direction for the resort, and Olivier Marc Glattfelder will oversee all day-to-day and front and ba...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Oct. 21, 2025—The Ikon Pass will significantly expand its footprint in Asia for winter 2025-26, adding nine new ski destinations across Japan, China, and South Korea. The additions include a mix of marquee and regional resorts. In Japan, Shiga Kogen, Mt.T, Myoko Suginohara, Furano, APPI, NEKOMA, and Zao Onsen join e...

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Oct. 17, 2025—Killington Resort plans to invest $22 million in on-mountain infrastructure next year, including a new fixed-grip quad and an expanded on-hill restaurant facility.Snowdon Triple lift that is scheduled to be replaced. This follows a 2025 capital expenditure of $38 million, highlighted by the installati...

SAM Magazine—Perisher Valley, Australia, Oct. 14, 2025—The Southern Hemisphere’s 2025 season has ended, with a mix of winners and losers, as usual. After pre-season forecasts of likely lacklustre snow conditions for Australia, it turned out to be one of the best winters of the 21st century.Falls Creek Alpine Resort, Australia In contrast, af...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Oct. 14, 2025—The summer season at Western mountain destinations (May-October) appears set to finish slightly up from last year, and the winter season is shaping up similarly. That's the view from DestiMetrics, part of the business intelligence platform of Inntopia, which tracks lodging performance in 17 resort ...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 14, 2025—The Summit Series returns this fall with a new class of mentors, mentees, and a curriculum focused on leadership development. Sponsored by MountainGuard, the program connects rising leaders in the ski industry with mentors and peers to explore the challenges of leadership, the realities of resort operat...

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., Oct. 9, 2025—As insurers exit Oregon and available insurance premiums skyrocket in response to the state’s legal climate, in which recreational liability waivers are unenforceable, outdoor recreation providers, including ski areas, are in a precarious position. Timberline, which operates on Mt. Hood, addres...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 8, 2025—Nominations are now open for the 11th annual “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, hosted by SAM magazine and presented by HKD Snowmakers. The contest offers the opportunity for a handful of resorts to showcase their snowmaking teams and the work they do via creative, behind-the-scenes videos.  Nominations s...

SAM Magazine—Enfield, N.H., Oct. 3, 2025—Whaleback Mountain has named Khara Benoit as its new general manager. Benoit has spent the past four years at Whaleback managing the lodge, events, food and beverage, and daily operations, a role that allowed her to combine her passion for the mountain with her commitment to creating community-centere...

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight personnel moves in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to awards, obits, and supplier news, we celebrate the people that make this industry thrive. PEOPLE KATHY HASTINGS, STEAMBOAT RESORT, CO Steamboat Resort has promoted Kathy Hastings to vice president of food an...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 30, 2025—In his comments about Vail Resorts’ fourth quarter and full year results reported yesterday, CEO Rob Katz acknowledged that the company plans to make some changes to its strategy to combat declines in Epic Pass sales and visitation to its North American resorts. "The results from this past season...

SAM Magazine—Tannersville, Pa., Sept. 29, 2025—Nearly 160 ski area and supplier personnel descended on Camelback Resort last week for the National Ski Areas Association’s Mountain Technology Symposium, where IT teams, business analysts, and industry vendors gathered to explore how technology can help shape the future of the ski industry.Sever...

SAM Magazine—Montville, N.J., Sept. 26, 2025—Snow Partners, parent company of Mountain Creek Resort, Big Snow American Dream, and the Snow Triple Play pass, has formed a strategic partnership with the Mountain Collective pass program. The agreement allows Snow Triple Play pass holders to save $100 on a Mountain Collective pass for the 2025-26 ...

SAM Magazine—Mesa, Colo., Sept. 25, 2025—Subject to approval of the U.S. Forest Service, Powderhorn Mountain Resort will replace the 1972 West End double chairlift with a high-speed detachable quad lift in the summer of 2026.The upper terminal for the planned West End Express will be lower than the existing double to ease terrain access. Source...

SAM Magazine—Warren, Vt., Sept. 25, 2025—A fire late Wednesday night destroyed the clubhouse at Sugarbush Resort Golf Club, which housed the golf pro shop and Hogan’s Pub, resort officials said. The Warren Volunteer Fire Department responded to the blaze around 10:30 p.m., with crews from Waitsfield, Fayston, Moretown, and Waterbury assistin...

SAM Magazine—Slinger, Wis., Sept. 24, 2025—Schmitz Brothers Resorts has hired longtime ski industry leader Greg Fisher as the new general manager of Little Switzerland ski area, effective immediately.   Fisher has 25 years of mountain resort experience, much of it in leadership roles. He most recently served for five years as general manager...

SAM Magazine—Saint-Sauveur, Quebec, Sept. 23, 2025—Les Sommets, which owns and operates five resorts in Quebec, has promoted three long-standing employees to corporate vice president roles.Simon Pagé Simon Pagé was named executive vice president and deputy general manager of the company. Isabelle St-Germain was appointed as VP of finance, an...

SAM Magazine—Jackson, N.H., Sept. 23, 2025—After Indy Pass and Entabeni Systems acquired the Black Mountain ski area business and its assets (equipment, buildings, lifts, and other infrastructure) last year, the Black Mountain Community Corporation—the entity formed as the financial vehicle to fund and run the ski area—has now closed on its...

SAM Magazine—Ellicottville, N.Y., Sept. 18, 2025—L to R: Brandon Quinn from GetSkiBots, NSAA's Earl Saline, Ski Big Bear (Pa.) GM Lori Phillips, and NSAA's Mike Lane at the trade show.The annual joint conference and expo hosted by Ski NY and the newly rebranded and reorganized Pennsylvania Outdoor Recreation Association (PORA, formerly Pennsylv...

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, September 17, 2025—On Aug. 28, Park City Mountain bike patrollers voted to unionize with the Communications Workers of America, forming the Park City Bike Patrol Association. The vote came after patrollers and trail workers petitioned over the summer to unionize. Credit David Jackson/Park Record The move gives p...

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Sept. 16, 2025—Indy Pass will end sales for the 2025-26 season at midnight on Thursday, Sept. 18, the company said today. With the cap reached, this will be the final sales window of the year. “We’re not going to compromise the sport and culture of independent skiing by prioritizing profit over our passholders,...

SAM Magazine—Ishpeming, Mich., Sept. 16, 2025—The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame has named eight to its Class of 2025, to honor individuals who have shaped and elevated skiing and snowboarding in America. The Hall of Fame will fete the eight at the Class of 2025 Announcement Party on Sept. 23 in Ogden, Utah. The Class will be inducted o...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Sept. 12, 2025— Western mountain lodging operators kept summer revenues in positive territory despite a softer August booking pace, according to Inntopia’s DestiMetrics Monthly Market Briefing. Occupancy for August rose 4.6 percent year over year while average daily rate (ADR) edged up 0.1 percent, yielding a...

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Sept. 11, 2025—Indy Pass has partnered with the independent ski and snowboard retailers association Winter Sports Retailers (WSR) to provide discounts on gear and tune-ups for Indy Pass holders at participating shops.  WSR comprises more than 200 independent ski shops across the U.S., and many are expected to join ...

SAM Magazine—Portland, Maine, Sept. 10, 2025—Ski Maine hosted the annual New England Summit in Portland this year, bringing approximately 320 attendees together at the Holiday Inn by the Bay for two half days of education and networking, Sept. 8-9.L to R: Greg Sheets of Torrent Engineering & Equipment, Ian Jarrett of HKD Snowmakers, Kris Bl...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Sept. 10, 2025 — Alterra Mountain Company is spending more than $400 million on capital projects, guest amenities, and employee programs across its portfolio for the 2025-26 season, with a major share directed to Deer Valley Resort’s ongoing transformation.Deer Valley's new East Village Gondola. For the coming winter, t...

SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., Sept. 10, 2025—Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe has invested $6 million this season to add the new Wildslide Tahoe Tubing Center and expand its snowmaking systems.Courtesy of Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe The resort has targeted a Nov. 8 opening date for skiing and riding, weather permitting, and a Thanksgiving start date for the tubing center....

SAM Magazine—Whistler, British Columbia, Sept. 9, 2025—The fourteenth annual SAM Summer Ops Camp convened Sept. 2-4, at the world-class indoor and outdoor classroom of Whistler Blackcomb for three days of immersive learning, forward-thinking discussions, and genuine connection.  A full day on the mountain allowed both resort operators and ven...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Sept. 3, 2025—HTI Group is joining the HKD Snowmakers ownership team of Charles Santry, Anni Dupré Santry, and Ian Jarrett. The ownership stake in HKD adds to HTI Group’s existing portfolio, which also includes Leitner-Poma, Prinoth, and DemacLenko. In a related move, HKD will assume responsibility for DemacLenko ...

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 3, 2025—An Oklahoma woman who was left paralyzed from the waist down after she fell from a chairlift at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBME) in March 2022 was awarded $20 million in damages by a Colorado jury on Friday. The initial lawsuit brought by the victim’s family in 2022 claimed that when Annie Mil...

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Aug. 28, 2025—Indy Pass has added 43 alpine and cross-country partner ski areas for the 2025–26 season, bringing its total to 271 worldwide. The pass went back on sale today. The additions include Mont Sutton and Owl’s Head in Quebec, Burke Mountain in Vermont, Hyland Hills in Minnesota, OK Bergbahnen in Germa...

SAM Magazine—Denver, Aug. 27, 2025—Ikon Pass holders will gain access to Valle d’Aosta’s five ski areas for winter 2025-26, including Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Cervino Ski Paradise, La Thuile Espace San Bernardo, Monterosa Ski, and Pila. “Endless joy abounds when exploring the special mountain culture of the Alps, and Valle d’Aosta serves...

SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Aug. 19, 2025—With the addition of dozens of new resorts, Indy Pass will go back on sale to the public Aug. 28, 2025. Indy halted sales of its 2025-26 pass in March after reaching its cap following a 10-day sales period. The company will also launch a new Learn-to-Turn pass that includes three total days of bundled l...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 18, 2025—Maddie Baldwin and the lift maintenance crew at Bogus Basin, Idaho, were voted the winners of the 2025 Rise Up Challenge. The challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA), highlighted up-and-coming lift mechanics and their lift maintenance teams from five ski areas across North America: Bogus ...

SAM Magazine—Montville, N.J., Aug. 18, 2025—A new multi-mountain ski and snowboard product, the Snow Triple Play, will go on sale Sept. 1, offering Northeast skiers and snowboarders three days of lift access at 15 participating resorts in the U.S. and Canada for $199.99. “We recognized that there’s a significant portion of the skiing and s...

SAM Magazine—Lake Geneva, Wis., Aug. 15, 2025—It was Bo Bigelow’s first major event as executive director of the Midwest Ski Areas Association (MSAA) and the industry showed up in droves to celebrate the future, honor the past, learn, and network.Tim Larsen, Michael Bisner, and Nicholas Vornle from Axess with Dave Meeker, SAM Magazine. The 20...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Aug. 14, 2025—Western mountain lodging properties reversed a June slowdown in July by lowering daily rates more sharply than any time since September 2023, according to Inntopia’s monthly Market Briefing. The move boosted bookings for the rest of summer and into early winter. Data for the Briefing are drawn f...

SAM Magazine—Valley County, Idaho, Aug. 14, 2025—A lightning-sparked wildfire that ignited late Aug. 12 is burning about 1.5 miles south of Tamarack Resort, Idaho, and has prompted the Valley County Sheriff’s Office to issue a “ready” stage evacuation notice advising nearby communities of the potential need for an evacuation.  The Rock ...

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 4, 2025—The 2025 Rise Up Challenge is underway, and voting is officially open. Now in its fifth year, this video contest shines a spotlight on a handful of talented young lift mechanics, rising stars who are essential to the future of mountain operations. This year, five resorts each nominated a standout team m...

SAM Magazine—Red Lodge, Mont., July 31, 2025—Red Lodge Mountain has hired Jean Mikulas as its new president and general manager. She brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the ski and hospitality industries to the role.  Mikulas is a Montana native who earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana, “so the mou...

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight personnel moves in the mountain resort industry. From resort hires, promotions, and retirements to awards, obits, and supplier news, we celebrate the people that make this industry thrive. PEOPLE GAVIN MALIA, STEAMBOAT RESORT, CO Steamboat Resort hired Gavin Malia as its new vice president of engineering,...

SAM Magazine—Wilmington, N.Y., July 22, 2025—Whiteface Mountain will join the Mountain Collective pass for the 2025-26 season, expanding the multi-resort pass’s Northeast footprint. The announcement marks the latest addition to the Mountain Collective’s lineup, which now includes 27 ski areas across five continents. Passholders receive two...

SAM Magazine—Leeland, Mich., July 21, 2025—The Leelanau Conservancy plans to acquire and revitalize the defunct Sugar Loaf ski area in northwest Michigan, transforming it into a year-round public recreation destination with a focus on ecological restoration and inclusive access, and without any ski lifts. The conservancy has entered into a pur...

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., July 17, 2025—Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports and the Bart Adaptive Sports Center plan to merge, forming what will be the largest year-round adaptive sports organization in the eastern region of the U.S. Under the proposed plan, which is pending legal finalization, Bart Adaptive will merge into Vermont Adaptive by...

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., July 16, 2025—The booking pace at Western mountain destinations ticked up slightly in June, the first such gain since last November. Revenues also posted a comfortable year-over-year increase. However, booking pace results were skewed by a drop in the number of available room nights. “When we simply count the ...

SAM Magazine—Henniker, N.H., July 14, 2025—In less than 24 hours, more than 120 students in career and technical education (CTE) programs around New Hampshire pre-registered for The. Pipeline Project’s first-ever Ski Career Exploration event, scheduled for Oct. 15 at Pats Peak, N.H. The event is designed to help students explore career option...

SAM Magazine—Olympic Valley, Calif., July 10, 2025—The massive planned base area development at Palisades Tahoe appears to be moving forward after the resort and two Tahoe-area environmental conservation groups agreed to various reductions in scope, ending a 14-year legal battle that has delayed the project from breaking ground. Prior to the a...

SAM Magazine—Nederland, Colo., July 9, 2025—The Town of Nederland has signed a letter of intent to buy Eldora Mountain Resort from Powdr following months of negotiations that began in fall 2024. The two entities will continue negotiating based on the rules set forth in a mutually agreed upon term sheet and could close by early October, accordin...

SAM Magazine—Keystone, Colo., July 7, 2025— Ski area representatives attending the Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit this October are invited to arrive early for a special pre-Summit gathering hosted at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area on Monday, Oct. 6. The event is a collaboration between Mountain Towns 2030, the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA)...

SAM Magazine—Longmont, Colo., July 7, 2025—While Washington has been focused on Trump's megabill, the administration has continued to pursue its anti-immigration policies and efforts to downsize the bureaucracy. The J-1 cultural exchange program, which many resorts tap for seasonal workers, could fall victim to this effort in a year or two, eve...

SAM Magazine—Durango, Colo., July 3, 2025—Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) plans to acquire a controlling stake of Andacor S.A., the longtime owner and operator of El Colorado and Parque Farellones near Santiago and majority shareholder of Pillán (Villarrica) and Volcán Osorno ski areas in southern Chile. Photo credit: El ColoradoIf all corpo...