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July 2025Greasing the Gears
When the necessary elements align, downhill bike parks can take off. In the past decade, mountain biking’s growing popularity has pushed many ski areas to add it to their roster of summer activities. Yet, while some bike parks flourish, others quickly peter out, with resort operators citing h When the necessary elements align, downhill bike parks can take off.
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July 2025Getting Trails Ready for Winter
It pays to do work during the summer so trails can open with less snow come winter. In the last decade or so, no aspect of mountain operations has been more completely transformed by new technology than snow management. LiDAR mapping combined with sophisticated grooming software has enabled groome It pays to do work during the summer so trails can open with less snow come winter.
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July 2025The Challenges of Selling Summer
Guests really enjoy summer in the mountains. So why don’t they return more often? Summer operations offer ski areas many benefits, including a reduced reliance on winter revenues, year-round employment for more staff, an introduction to non-winter sports enthusiasts, resilience against climate c Guests really enjoy summer in the mountains. So why don’t they return more often?
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July 2025Mountain Spy :: July 2025
The Spy asks: “I have an infant. Can I bring her on the chairlift?” Ski resorts often tout their family-friendliness and multigenerational appeal—and the summer scenic lift ride would seem to be the perfect attraction to capture that market. But what does that look like when one of those gen The Spy asks: “I have an infant. Can I bring her on the chairlift?”
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May 2025The Wisdom of Whistler Blackcomb
How the largest resort in North America mastered summer, and how you can, too. The simple secret of Whistler Blackcomb’s summer ops success: maximize the experience of your physical environment. It helps to have a couple of spectacular alpine peaks, of course, but two principles reign regardless How the largest resort in North America mastered summer, and how you can, too.
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May 2025Marriage Partners
It takes commitment for resorts to realize the many benefits the wedding business can bring. The tradition of the dowry is the ancient practice of a gift, given by the bride’s family at wedding time. In most cases, the dowry was meant to be a financial cushion for the bridal couple as they start It takes commitment for resorts to realize the many benefits the wedding business can bring.
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January 2025Summer Ops Around the Globe
Ski area operators from Europe, Australia, and Japan share insights about the activities and trends shaping their non-winter business. There is opportunity in summer ops, according to ski area operators in Australia, Europe, and Japan, who have also identified a pressing need to grow their non-win Ski area operators from Europe, Australia, and Japan share insights about the activities and...
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January 2025The State of Summer Operations
Analysis of a fall survey on summer operations at North American ski areas offers insights on activities and programming, profitability, and growth goals. Summer in the mountains has evolved from “off-season” to “on” as North American mountain resorts have added summer activities to create Analysis of a fall survey on summer operations at North American ski areas offers insights on...
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September 2024Funding the Fight Against Wildfires
Western ski areas are figuring out how to fund costly, but necessary, vegetation management projects to mitigate wildfire risk. With the increased need for wildfire mitigation initiatives, vegetation management projects at Western resorts have become a core component for reducing risk, protecting Western ski areas are figuring out how to fund costly, but necessary, vegetation management...
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July 2024Summertime is not Slumbertime
Resorts look to weddings, mountain biking, and more to bolster summer operations, a small but growing piece of the revenue pie. In early June, with winter over and the snow melted, resorts were kicking off their warm-season business with mountain coasters, zip lines, adventure parks, and all manne Resorts look to weddings, mountain biking, and more to bolster summer operations, a small but...
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May 2024Coasting Along
The mountain coaster market is expanding and new tech is improving safety and throughput. When Jiminy Peak, Mass, installed a Wiegand alpine coaster in 2006 as part of a major investment in year-round operations, staff didn’t realize it would remain one of the resort’s most popular attract The mountain coaster market is expanding and new tech is improving safety and throughput.
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May 2024From Tee to Green
How to improve your golf course—and maybe its ranking—without breaking the bank. It’s not easy to be a golf course attached to a ski resort. Cold weather, short seasons, and rugged terrain conspire against many such courses reaching and maintaining a top status on a golf magazine ranking How to improve your golf course—and maybe its ranking—without breaking the bank.
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January 2024Capital Ideas for Summer
Experts dish on how to survive (and thrive during) summer construction projects. During summer, the challenge of balancing capital improvement construction zones, staff schedules and tasks, and providing guests with activities and positive experiences requires a lot of planning, strong communicati Experts dish on how to survive (and thrive during) summer construction projects.
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November 2023Defining Summer Success
When it comes to a successful operation, profit is only a piece of the puzzle. What defines success for a resort’s summer operations? Claire Humber of SE Group posed this question to a few areas ahead of SAM’s Summer Ops Camp in September, where a session she led examined the topic further. When it comes to a successful operation, profit is only a piece of the puzzle.
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September 2023Mountain Spy :: September 2023
Hiking at a resort. THE QUESTION: “My family wants to come hike at your resort, but we’re pretty inexperienced. Do you have any advice?” Hiking is a great, free activity to offer your guests that leverages your beautiful natural environment. So, you can imagine the Spy’s surprise when the Hiking at a resort.
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July 2023Adventure Playgrounds
Playgrounds can expand a ski area's appeal and help accommodate everyone in the family without straining staff or the checkbook. One of the first rules of being a good host is to have something for everybody. That can be a challenge at ski areas in the summer, when the offerings tend to be less Playgrounds can expand a ski area's appeal and help accommodate everyone in the family without...
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July 2023Summer Booking, Summer Not
As of late spring, summer business was looking up, down, or on par-—for many different reasons. Remember the good old days when there were pandemic restrictions? When house-bound Americans were so eager to get out of the house for some fresh air they flocked to the mountains in record numbers? As of late spring, summer business was looking up, down, or on par-—for many different reasons.
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May 2023Getting to the Root of Forest Management
Three ski areas share the ins and outs of maintaining a healthy forest to mitigate wildfire risk, combat pest infestations, and improve safety. Forest health is at the heart of sound and sustainable ski area management. The maintenance of a healthy forest through practices like thinning, prescribe Three ski areas share the ins and outs of maintaining a healthy forest to mitigate wildfire risk,...
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March 2023Purpose, Perspective, and People
Mountain bike industry professionals discuss creating a sustainable and responsible summer operation. In September 2022, the Mountain Bike Tourism Symposium (MBTS) brought together a hive of trail advocates to SilverStar Mountain Resort, B.C., for its biennial conference. There, trail builders, bi Mountain bike industry professionals discuss creating a sustainable and responsible summer...
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March 2023Selling Summer
While your winter value proposition is well established, selling your summer offerings is often trickier. Here’s how to stand out in the “off season.” Ski resort operators are experts at selling winter to the snow-loving population. Even those newer to skiing and riding understand the ide While your winter value proposition is well established, selling your summer offerings is often...
Summer Operations Articles
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