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  • Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. Submits Top Bid for Jay Peak at $76 Million

    PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco shares his thoughts on the acquisition with SAM. SAM Magazine—Jay, Vt., Sept. 8, 2022—Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) made the highest and best final bid to buy Jay Peak, $76 million, following an auction with multiple bidders. PGRI president and CEO Vern Greco told SAM that after three years spent pursuing the acquisition, PGRI is poised to bring renewed stability to the resort and its staff, and tap into its passion and energy. The prevailing bid remains subject to approval by the United States District Court in Southern Florida during a final hearing scheduled for Sept. 16. Judge Darrin P. Gayles, who has presided over the receivership in federal...

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Booking Pace Slows, Rates Stay Strong at Western Resorts

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Sept. 15, 2021—By the end of August, western mountain destinations were poised to set all-time records for daily rates and revenue—despite wildfires and smoky conditions in many destinations, and a spike in cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19. Summer at Mammoth Mountain ResortBut some headwinds were coolin...

Alterra Partners with Share Winter Foundation

SAM Magazine—Denver, Sept. 14, 2021—Alterra Mountain Company and Share Winter Foundation have entered a multi-year collaboration highlighted by a donation to Share Winter of nearly $4 million in the form of cash and in-kind services, including lessons, lift tickets, equipment rentals, and meal vouchers. The partnership aims to create a more div...

Mt. Rose Raises Minimum Wage, Requires Vaccinations

SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., Sept. 13, 2021—Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe has raised its minimum wage to $15 per hour for all positions that were previously below, and will provide a five percent cost-of-living increase for year-round and full-time employees. The resort will also require employees to be vaccinated for Covid-19 ahead of the start of its 2021-2...

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Now Palisades Tahoe

SAM Magazine—Olympic Valley, Calif., Sept. 13, 2021—After a year of in-depth research and discovery, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has changed its name to Palisades Tahoe, a nod to the sheer granite faces and chutes that compose some of the mountains’ more extreme terrain.  In August 2020, the resort committed to eliminating the word "squaw"...

Canada Eases Travel Restrictions, Resorts Prepare

SAM Magazine—Kelowna, B.C., Sept. 9, 2021—Canada’s federal government relaxed travel restrictions for fully-vaccinated, non-essential travelers this week, a promising development for destination market resorts. Non-essential international travelers who have had a full course of a Health Canada-approved Covid-19 vaccine no longer need to q...

Jay Gamble Named Wintergreen GM

SAM Magazine—Wintergreen, Va., Sept. 9, 2021—Jay Gamble has been named general manager of Wintergreen Resort in Virginia. Gamble will transition from Ragged Mountain, N.H., where he has served as general manager for the past three years. Both resorts are operated by Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI).             Gamble ha...

Snowbound Festivals Postponed to 2022

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, Sept. 8, 2021—Snowsports Industries America (SIA) has postponed the 2021 Denver and Boston Snowbound Festivals until November 2022 due to the resurgence of Covid-19 in the Unites States. The 2020 events were also postponed due to the pandemic.  “Over the last year, the Snowbound team has been working to run the...

Caldor Fire Update

SAM Magazine—South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Sept. 4, 2021—Aggressive containment efforts over the past 48 hours are preventing the Caldor Fire from advancing on Heavenly, Kirkwood, and the surrounding communities. Despite continued spotting behavior in the northeastern head of the fire, crews are successfully holding the blaze largely within its cur...

Vail Resorts, Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust Support Youth Access

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., Sept. 2, 2021—Vail Resorts (VR) and the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust will donate products and services as well as roughly $560,000 in grants to 11 nonprofit organizations that all work to support youth of color in major metropolitan areas near VR properties, including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, and...

Caldor Fire Update, Sept. 2

SAM Magazine—Kirkwood, Calif., Sept. 2, 2021—Firefighters are making progress preventing the Caldor Fire’s eastern spread toward Kirkwood and Heavenly.Heavenly snowmaking systems working hard to protect the resort and the surrounding areas. “We are aiming to stop the fire before it reaches those locations,” Cal Fire public information of...

Bluewood GM Kim Clark Dies at 65

SAM Magazine—Dayton, Wash., Sept. 2, 2021—Longtime industry leader and Bluewood, Wash., general manager Kim Clark died of an apparent heart attack while working on the mountain Tuesday. He was 65. Clark had been the Bluewood GM since 2014.  In a statement sharing the news of Clark’s death, Bluewood said, “significant rescue efforts were u...

Ikon Adds Dolomiti Superski and Kitzbühel

SAM Magazine—Denver, Sept. 1, 2021—Ikon Pass has expanded its European connections to include Dolomiti Superski in Italy and Kitzbühel, Austria, which join Zermatt, Switzerland, on the Ikon Pass. The three European legends offer up to 21 days in the Alps for winter 2021-22. Ikon Passholders now have access at 47 global destinations across fiv...

Caldor Fire Update, Sept. 1

SAM Magazine—South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Sept. 1, 2021—Mandatory evacuation orders for the Caldor Fire have been extended to Douglas County, Nev. Smoke from the Caldor Fire wafts over a ridgetop near Kirkwood Ski Resort in Eldorado National Forest, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)Heavenly Ski Resort and Kirkwood are brace...

Caldor Fire Update, Aug. 31

SAM Magazine—South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Aug. 31, 2021—The Caldor Fire continues its push east and northeast, with Heavenly Ski Resort and Kirkwood Ski Resort sitting in its path. Map of active evacuation order south of TahoeBoth resort areas are under mandatory evacuation order. “It has not made it to Heavenly, but that is the direction it is...

ALTERRA ACQUIRES PURCELL HELI-SKIING

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., Aug. 30, 2021—Alterra Mountain Company has purchased Purcell Heli-Skiing in British Columbia, Canada. The business and ski tenure will be incorporated into Alterra-owned CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures. CMH president and COO Rob Rohn will oversee the transition and all operations. “At Alterra Mountain Co...

Caldor Fire Blazes into Sierra-at-Tahoe

SAM Magazine—Twin Bridges, Calif., Aug. 30, 2021—The two-week-old Caldor Fire spread rapidly over the weekend, advancing northeast toward the Lake Tahoe Basin. USFS webcam image from Aug. 29, 2021The fire pushed into Sierra-at-Tahoe’s West Bowl first, with long-range spot fires arriving at the resort summit Sunday night.  Forest Service w...

Appeals Court Blocks SVAM Expansion

SAM Magazine—Olympic Valley, Calif., Aug. 27, 2021—On Tuesday, a California appeals court blocked a 30-year, $1 billion expansion plan for Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows (SVAM), saying the development plan fails to adequately address potential environmental damage, as well as increased area noise and travel.   The three-judge panel granted par...

In-Person Industry Events Planned for the Fall

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Aug. 26, 2021—Mountain resort industry personnel began gathering in-person again at the Midwest Ski Areas Association (MSAA) Summer Meetings and Tradeshow in mid-August. MSAA in session It was the first of several planned in-person events this fall, most of which were either cancelled or went virtual in 2020 due to ...

Mount Bohemia Bumps to $20 an Hour

SAM Magazine—Mohawk, Mich., Aug. 23, 2021—Mount Bohemia bumped its starting wage to $20 an hour for all jobs except bartenders, who will start at $15 per hour, plus tips. The move aims to make employment at the Upper Peninsula ski area attractive in a tight labor market. “We’ve been at $15 for about four years, and initially it helped us a...

Caldor Fire Shuts California Resorts

SAM Magazine—Twin Bridges, Calif., Aug. 20, 2021—California’s Sierra-at-Tahoe and Kirkwood Mountain Resort were forced to close earlier this week after the U.S. Forest Service closed the Eldorado National Forest—in which both resorts operate—in response to the growing Caldor fire, burning to the west of both resorts. Screenshot of the Cal...

Industry Meets In-Person at MSAA Show

SAM Magazine—Lake Geneva, Wis., Aug. 20, 2021—The Midwest Ski Areas Association (MSAA) hosted the first in-person ski industry meeting and trade show since Covid-19 upended things. On Aug. 15-18 at Grand Geneva Resort in Wisconsin, 254 attendees from ski areas, associations, and affiliates joined 119 supplier representatives to celebrate the su...

Taos to Exceed Living Wage, Add Staff Housing

SAM Magazine—Taos Ski Valley, N.M., Aug. 19, 2021— Taos Ski Valley has raised its starting pay for entry-level positions to $15 per hour, exceeding the living wage of $14.94 for Taos County, as stated by the MIT Living Wage Calculator. Taos Ski Valley’s living wage increase is coupled with a plan to expand staff housing, with the aim of pro...

Dodge Ridge Sold to Mountain High Owners

SAM Magazine—Pinecrest, Calif., Aug. 17, 2021—California’s Dodge Ridge Ski Resort is being acquired by Mountain High Resort, Calif., owners Invision Capital and Karl Kapuscinski, Mountain High president and CEO. Karl & Audrey Kapuscinski and Frank & Sally HelmLongtime Dodge Ridge owners Frank and Sally Helm are retiring. The Helm fam...

Western Destination Visits Sizzle; Winter Appears Strong

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Aug. 17, 2021—Despite rising concerns about the Covid-19 Delta variant and smoky conditions across much of the Western U.S., 18 Western mountain destinations across eight states are setting new benchmarks for occupancy, rate, and revenue. And as of July 31, that enthusiasm for mountain vacations was continuing ...

Australian Resorts Shut Amid Covid Surge

SAM Magazine–New South Wales, Australia, Aug. 16, 2021—Ski fields in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, including Perisher and Thredbo, have temporarily shut following a government imposed statewide snap lockdown, in effect Aug. 14-22. The resorts had previously been open to locals.  In a statement on its social channels, Thredbo said, “Whil...

Solitude Joins the $15 Starting Wage Club

SAM Magazine—Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, Aug. 13, 2021—Solitude Mountain Resort will increase its starting wage for hourly, non-tipped employees to $15 an hour. Starting Aug. 14, 2021, job offers for summer and winter employment will reflect the new pay scale and current, eligible Solitude employees will see wage adjustments. “I am proud to...

Kirsten Lynch to Succeed Rob Katz as Vail Resorts CEO

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., August 11, 2021—Vail Resorts has named Rob Katz’s successor: Kirsten Lynch, currently the company’s chief marketing officer, will be appointed chief executive officer and elected to the Vail Resorts’ board of directors, effective Nov. 1, 2021. Kirsten LynchAt that time, Katz, CEO since 2006, will move into...

Blue Mountain Sold for $32 Million

SAM Magazine— Palmerton, Pa., Aug. 11, 2021—Blue Mountain, Pa., has been sold for nearly $32 million to BMR Resort, a Denver-based LLC formed by equity firm KSL Capital Partners. KSL Capital is affiliated with KSL Resorts, which took over management of Blue Mountain in May.  Details about the management agreement remained opaque until the ...

Dee Byrne Named President and COO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows

SAM Magazine—Denver, Aug. 10, 2021—Alterra Mountain Company has promoted industry veteran Dee Byrne to the role of president and COO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows (SVAM), effective immediately. Byrne has served as SVAM vice president of skier services since 2017. She will now report to Mark Brownlie, Alterra chief operating officer—mountain...

Rise Up Challenge 2021: And the Winner Is…

SAM Magazine—Barrie, Ont., Aug. 10, 2021—The lift maintenance team from Ontario’s Craigleith Ski Club and its featured up-and-coming lift mechanic Leah Parkes won the inaugural Rise Up Challenge sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America, garnering nearly 1,000 of the more than 4,000 total votes cast in the contest. Parkes and the Craigleith team w...

SAM Summit Series Opens, Nominate a Mentee

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., August 10, 2021—SAM has launched its fourth annual Summit Series for leadership development and is calling for mentee nominations. Throughout the season-long program, mentees will engage with respected industry leaders in dialogue around the key issues of our times, gaining tangible takeaways to apply to their careers, operations, and teams. 

Indy Pass Adds Japanese Resorts

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., August 10, 2021—Indy Pass is expanding beyond North America with the addition of four Japanese resort partners: Geto Kogan, Tazawako, Okunakayama Kogen, and Shimokura/Panorama. Tazawako, JapanIndy Pass holders will now have up to eight days of skiing and riding in the Tohoku region of Japan’s main island, Hons...

Wildfires Close Baldy Mountain Resort, CHS Snowmakers Shares Fire Pre Plan

SAM Magazine—Oliver, B.C., August 5, 2021—An above average fire season continues to ravage parts of North America, in some cases causing significant disruptions at ski resorts. Baldy Mountain Resort in British Columbia is the latest area to be impacted.  Land scorched by flames during the 2021 wildfire season in B.C. (Courtesy BC Wildfire Ser...

Sugarbush Raises Minimum Wage to $15

SAM Magazine—Warren, Vt., August 5, 2021—Sugarbush Resort raised its minimum wage to $15 per hour for all non-tipped positions. To maintain the pay differential, the resort will also make wage adjustments for other eligible staff members. New hires will reflect the new pay scale, and eligible current employees will receive a wage adjustment, ef...

PSIA-AASI and Women of Winter Partner on BIPOC Initiative

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., August 4, 2021—The Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) has partnered with grassroots organization Women of Winter to host three education events specifically for women in snowsports who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Women of Win...

Toggenburg Sold, New Owner to Close It, Sell Assets

SAM Magazine—Fabius, N.Y., Aug. 4, 2021—Toggenburg Mountain in upstate New York was acquired by Peter Harris, president of Intermountain Management, which owns nearby Song Mountain and Labrador Mountain. Harris, who purchased the ski area from John and Christine Meier, owners of Greek Peak Mountain Resort, also in upstate New York, plans to cl...

Snow People—Summer 2021

In SAM’s Snow People, we highlight recent personnel moves that have been made in the mountain resort industry. RESORTS JULIE CALDER, JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) promoted Julie Calder to vice president of guest experience, a new position created to lead JHMR’s strategic initiative to elevate the guest experience...

One Week Left to Vote in Lift Mechanic “Rise Up Challenge”

SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., July 28, 2021—There is one week of voting left in the inaugural “Rise Up Challenge,” a new contest highlighting the skilled, young lift mechanics who will keep ski area lifts spinning for decades to come. A $3,500 educational grant, courtesy of sponsor Leitner-Poma of America, goes to the winning resort to suppor...

Ski Areas Focus on Fighting Fires

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., July 23, 2021—As a relentless series of heat waves broil the West, exacerbating an already significant drought, wildfire season is off to an ominous start. North American ski areas have been fortunate not to be in the direct path of any fires thus far, but indirect impacts from smoke and closures are still be...

Indy Pass Adds Four Resorts, Founder Outlines Growth Strategy

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., July 20, 2021—Snow Valley, Calif., Ski Marmot Basin, Alberta, Titus Mountain, N.Y., and Montage Mountain, Pa., have all joined the Indy Pass roster for winter 2021-22, bringing the Indy Pass coalition up to 72 resort partners in 27 states and provinces. Snow Valley is Indy Pass’s first resort partner in Southern C...

Deer Valley Raises Minimum Wage To $15

SAM Magazine—Park City, Utah, July 20, 2021—Deer Valley Resort, Utah, will increase starting wages to $15 per hour for the resort’s hourly, non-tipped positions. Wage adjustments will also be made for eligible staff members to maintain a differential in pay.  Deer Valley staff members eligible for the wage increase will see t...

Huge Lodging Gains At Western Mountain Destinations

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., July 15, 2021—Western mountain destinations will likely set new seasonal records for occupancy, rate, and revenue this summer, according to the latest monthly Market Briefing from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. Bookings for the coming winter are already strong as well. The report ...

Timberline Names Two New General Managers

SAM Magazine—Government Camp, Ore., July 14, 2021—After a months-long search, Timberline Lodge, Ore., has promoted two longtime staff members to general manager roles: Rose Phillips will serve as GM of ski area operations, and Scott Skellenger will be the GM of hotel operations. Rose Phillips and Scott Skellenger “The results of this extens...

Average Visitation a Win for New Hampshire Ski Areas

SAM Magazine—Conway, N.H., July 14, 2021—Overall winter visits to Ski NH’s 33 alpine and cross-country member ski areas during the 2020-21 season totaled 2,295,424 (including alpine skiing, cross country skiing, and tubing visits), which statistically mirrors the 10-year average. The results are better than expected given that many ski areas ...

CCSAA Survey Profiles XC Participants

SAM Magazine—Woodstock, Vt., June 30, 2021—Despite a reputation as spandex-clad uber athletes, cross country skiing participants are, in their own words,  a more low-key sporting type: active year-round in the outdoors in a variety of casual, human-powered pursuits. This and other insights stem from "Cross Country Ski Consumer Sentiment," a r...

Snowbird Expands On-Site Power Capabilities

SAM Magazine—Snowbird, Utah, June 29, 2021—Snowbird can now meet up to 100 percent of the resort's electrical power needs through its new onsite Snowbird Power Systems. The system, currently in its testing phase, allows the resort to make its own power, vastly reducing Snowbird's dependence on the traditional electrical grid and that grid’s ...

Another Covid Winter Begins in Australia and New Zealand

SAM Magazine—New South Wales, Australia, June 25, 2021—Ski areas in Australia and New Zealand are beginning another pandemic-tinged winter season. Strong demand, increased capacity, and greater familiarity with Covid protocols offer a promising picture, although variables like vaccine rollouts and staffing challenges remain in play.  Thredbo ...

Western Mountain Lodging Poised For Summer Records

SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., June 24, 2021—A robust rebound is underway in summer visitation at Western mountain destinations, according to the latest information in the monthly Market Briefing from DestiMetrics, the business intelligence division of Inntopia. Compared to a year ago, lodging occupancy during May was up more than five-fold,...

Colorado Tallies Estimated 12 Million Skier Visits

SAM Magazine—Denver, June 23, 2021—Skier visits for the 2020-21 season at Colorado Ski Country USA’s (CSCUSA) 22 member ski resorts were up 7.6 percent from the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, but trailed the five-year average by 3.7 percent. Total statewide skier visits—which includes non-member ski areas’ estimated numbers—reached ...

Indy Pass Adds Eagle Point, Sundown Mountain

SAM Magazine—Portland, Ore., June 22, 2021—The Indy Pass added Eagle Point Resort, Utah, and Sundown Mountain Resort, Iowa, to its growing coalition of 68 independent ski areas. Passholders will have access to two days of skiing and riding at both hills for the 2021-22 season.  “We are proud to be a part of the Indy Pass and its amazing col...

Utah Resorts Break Record with 5.3 Million Skier Days

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, June 15, 2021—Utah’s 15 alpine ski areas saw 5,301,766 skier days during the 2020-21 winter season, breaking the previous record of 5.13 million skier days in the 2018-19 season, an increase of nearly 3.5 percent. Ski areas had a successful winter despite the limitations and adjustments most had in place to ...

NSAA Recognizes Resort Growth, Sustainability, Safety, and Marketing Efforts

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., June 15, 2021—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) presented awards in growth, sustainability, safety, and marketing during a virtual ceremony June 11. The online event was again hosted by “The Snow Report” star Halley O’Brien. “This is a special award year,” noted NSAA president and CEO Kelly Pawla...

NSAA Honors Bill Jensen, Tim Silva with Lifetime Achievement Awards

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., June 14, 2021—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to Bill Jensen, former Vail Resorts mountain division president and Intrawest CEO, and Tim Silva, longtime Sun Valley, Idaho, general manager and former Northstar, Calif., GM. Jensen and Silva were recognized at NSAA’s 2...

Cohen Named Mammoth, June President and COO

SAM Magazine—Denver, Colo., June 11, 2021—Alterra Mountain Company named Ron Cohen president and COO of Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain, Calif., effective immediately. He will oversee all operations at both resorts, and will lead significant developments planned for Mammoth, Alterra’s largest and most visited destination. Cohen has served ...

Katz Amsterdam Foundation Focuses in on Racial Justice

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., June 11, 2021—The Katz Amsterdam Foundation, founded by Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam, has determined a new nationwide focus on racial justice work. A $29.3 million donation from Katz and Amsterdam will support that. Rob Katz and Elana Amsterdam Katz exercised stock appreciation rights...

Major Resort Ownership Groups Band Together to Fight Climate Change

SAM Magazine—Denver, June 10, 2021—Alterra Mountain Company, Boyne Resorts, POWDR, and Vail Resorts have joined forces to develop the Climate Collaborative Charter, a unified effort to combat climate change through shared sustainability and advocacy commitments.  “The idea for the four of us to unite in this pledge to combat climate change...

NSP Names New CEO Amid Continued Staff Turnover

SAM Magazine—June 9, 2021, Lakewood, Colo.—National Ski Patrol (NSP) named Chris Castilian as its new chief executive officer. Castilian succeeds former executive director Meegan Moszynski as the head of the non-profit organization. Castilian was hired by the board of directors following a wide-ranging search that attracted more than 250 applic...

U.S. Ski Areas Rebound with 59 Million Skier Visits

SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., June 8, 2021—Skier visits in the U.S. totaled 59 million during the 2020-21 winter season, according to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). It was the fifth best season on record and a strong improvement upon the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, which tallied 51.1 million visits. Despite the challenges of...

Vail Resorts Fiscal 2021 Q3, Early Season Pass Sales Show Strength

SAM Magazine—Broomfield, Colo., June 8, 2021—Vail Resorts, Inc. (VR) reported third-quarter gains compared to the prior year's quarter, with both quarters heavily influenced by different Covid limitations and restrictions. VR also reported strong early season pass sales for the 2021-22 North American ski season, and provided its outlook for the...

Quebec 2020-21 Skier Visits Up

SAM Magazine—June 7, 2021—Despite significant pandemic-related operating constraints, Quebec resorts recorded 6.1 million skier visits in 2020-21, exceeding the province’s 10-year average of 5.9 million visits, according to preliminary numbers from the Quebec Ski Areas Association’s (ASSQ) Economic and Financial Study. Tremblant, Quebec P...