SAM Magazine—Snowbird, Utah, Jan. 16, 2026—NSAA president Mike Reitzell and Snowbird president Dave Fields at the first track breakfast 1NSAA president Mike Reitzell and Snowbird president Dave Fields at the first track breakfast.A challenging start to the season for much of the west kept some ski area personnel from attending the National Ski Areas Association Western Winter Conference, but a crowd of 690 industry professionals—up from last year’s conference—still made their way to Snowbird, Jan. 13-15, for education, networking, and discussions about pressing issues and opportunities. 

The mix of educational sessions included broad topics like how to handle OSHA inspections, tips for having difficult conversations with staff, advancing women in mountain operations, and navigating AI-led recommendations online. Some sessions capitalized on the host resort’s knowledgeable staff, who highlighted Snowbird’s various innovations in water and energy sustainability—including facility tours—for others to learn from.

A big crowd gathered for the session about restraint-bar use on chairlifts, for which the industry is determining the best alignment on messaging to encourage guests to always use the devices on lifts equipped with them. Terrain park professionals led a discussion about how technology is helping longtime park builders pass along their knowledge to the next generation of leaders in the space. Other sessions shared data from NSAA’s recent economic and guest experience studies and covered how ski areas can use the results to improve their operations. 

The trade show was packed and energetic as suppliers engaged with the ski area operators in attendance. Exhibitors included a variety of technology and equipment providers alongside services such as architects, safety professionals, and health and wellness experts, among others. 

 

  • First Tracks Guests
  • Attendees In Snowbird Tunnel
  • Brooke VanderKelen
  • Carolyn Stimpson
  • Daren Cole
  • First Tracks
  • Grooming Demos
  • Halley O Brien Hession
  • Hilary Arens Dir.
  • Jodan Elliott With Dave Meeker
  • Mike Bettera
  • NSAA President Mike Reitzell
  • Olivia Rowan Jay Scambio Rick Schmitz
  • Outdoor Demos
  • Dave Meeker With SAM Summit
  • Dave Meeker With Consultant Peggy Hiller
  • Olivia Rowan With SAM Summit Series
  • Olivia Rowan With James Coleman
  • Tatiana Lawson Ski Patrol Dir. At Sun Valley Resort At A Leadership Session
  • The SAM Team
  • The Trade Show Hall
  • Tim Wang And Monika Ratnik
  • Tram Shots
  • Touring The Nest At Snowbird
  • Halley And Liv
  • First Tracks guests were treated to a bountiful breakfast with stunning vistas.
  • Attendees ride Snowbird’s Peruvian Tunnel, a 600-foot surface lift that transports skiers and riders through the mountain, connecting Peruvian Gulch to Mineral Basin for easier access to backside terrain.
  • Brooke VanderKelen Alba from SMI Snowmakers catches up with Brendan and Stephanie Ryan of Alpine Solutions.
  • Carolyn Stimpson of Wachusett Mountain Ski Area with Keith Johns, president and CEO of Doppelmayr USA, and Mike Nellis, Vermont tramway inspector.
  • Daren Cole, president and CEO of Leitner-Poma of America, welcomes guests to the Summit for HTI's dinner.
  • First Tracks included a stop at The Nest at Snowbird, a new midmountain, self-service restaurant that opened for the 2025–26 ski season.
  • Grooming demonstrations took place on a picture-perfect day.
  • Halley O’Brien-Hession, media consultant at Snow Partners, with Soonju Kwon, principal at GSBS Architects, along with Hilary Arens, Snowbird’s director of sustainability and water resources.
  • Hilary Arens, director of sustainability and water resources, presents on climate resiliency.
  • Jordan Elliott, president of the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association, with SAM’s Dave Meeker.
  • Mike Bettera, Ryan Wormsbecker, Kevin Laverty, Noah Schwander and Clayton Shoemaker.
  • NSAA President Mike Reitzell and Snowbird President Dave Fields at the First Tracks breakfast.
  • Olivia Rowan of SAM with Jay Scambio of Boyne Resorts, Rick Schmitz of Nordic Mountain, and Kevin Laverty of Effective Edge at the SAM booth.
  • Outdoor demonstrations with spectacular views and perfect blue skies.
  • SAM’s Dave Meeker with former SAM Summit Series mentee Madeline Pierce from Copper Mountain, Colo.
  • SAM's Dave Meeker with consultant Peggy Hiller.
  • SAM Publisher Olivia Rowan with SAM Summit Series mentor Jean Mikulas, president and general manager of Red Lodge Mountain, Mont.
  • SAM Publisher Olivia Rowan with James Coleman, CEO of Mountain Capital Partners; John Rice, president of Ski California; and J.R. Murray, chief planning officer of Mountain Capital Partners at the First Tracks breakfast.
  • Tatiana Lawson, ski patrol director at Sun Valley Resort, at a leadership session.
  • The SAM team enjoying the views from the top of the Summit.
  • The trade show hall was a hive of activity throughout the course of the conference.
  • Tim Wang and Monika Ratnik from Ratnik Industries chatting with attendees at the trade show.
  • A large group arrives to The Summit for HTI's dinner on the iconic Snowbird tram.
  • Touring The Nest at Snowbird, a stunning new midmountain, self-service restaurant offering panoramic canyon views, global cuisine, a heated patio and sustainable features.
  • Halley O’Brien-Hession and Olivia Rowan enjoying the sun and fire pit at The Nest.

 

A perennial highlight of the winter conferences is the morning of first tracks, when breakfast and early-ups are offered to attendees. Wednesday’s first tracks experience was an excellent example of ski area operators’ penchant for problem-solving and adaptability.

Snowbird planned to send everyone up the tram to Hidden Peak around sunrise for breakfast followed by a few runs before lifts opened to the public. When a mechanical issue prevented the tram from running first-thing that morning, the Snowbird team quickly pivoted to Plan B: Open the Peruvian chair to bring attendees most of the way up the mountain, followed by a ride through the conveyor-served tunnel (a unique, museum-like experience) for a sunrise run down the east-facing Mineral Basin to load the Mineral Basin quad up to the summit. 

The Snowbird staff made the transition from Plan A to Plan B appear seamless. Kudos to all involved for what turned out to be a terrific adventure to start the day. 

The NSAA Eastern Winter Conference will be held at Killington, Vt., Feb. 3 and 4.