Julia Schneemann | September 28, 2025 |

In a bid to keep one of Switzerland’s largest ski resorts in local hands, the municipalities of Flims, Laax and Falera announced plans on Wednesday, September 24, to jointly purchase the infrastructure of the Flims-Laax-Falera ski area for CHF 94.5 million ($118 million).

In a bid to keep one of Switzerland’s largest ski resorts in local hands, the municipalities of Flims, Laax and Falera announced plans on Wednesday, September 24, to jointly purchase the infrastructure of the Flims-Laax-Falera ski area for CHF 94.5 million ($118 million).

The proposal, shared by the three municipalities son Wednesday, outlines how the three villages intend to acquire the Weisse Arena Gruppe’s lifts, restaurants, avalanche barriers and other facilities through Finanz Infra AG, a company already responsible for financing of the area’s snowmaking operations. The “sell-and-lease-back” model would see the infrastructure sold to Finanz Infra AG and leased back to Weisse Arena Bergbahnen AG, which will continue to operate the lifts and manage day-to-day mountain operations.

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Reposted from SnowBrains

U.S. Resort Operator to Create Largest Ski Area in South America

Published May 10, 2024

SAMANTHA BERMAN

The majestic and sprawling Tres Valles region of the Andes—7,000 skiable acres that stretch as far as the eye can see—is home to some of the best skiing on the globe. The region’s three ski resorts of Valle Nevado, La Parva, and El Colorado are close enough to ski between but operated by different entities. Until now.

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Reposted from Ski Magazine

Small towns reclaim abandoned ski areas as nonprofits

By BRITTANY PETERSON

CUCHARA, Colorado (AP) — It’s been the longest wait, their whole lives, in fact. But Race Lessar and Landen Ozzello are finally right where they want to be, on a snowy slope close to home, molding snow into a ski jump.

Their local ski mountain just reopened.

“I’m happy that it’s open for at least one year,” Lessar said. It opened as a nonprofit, and that may be the key. “I didn’t know that there was a hope,” he said.

His ties to the mountain are so close, he’s practically named after it. His dad used to race here and named his son for what brought him joy. Chad Lessar first skied on hand-me-down gear and later worked summers at a nearby ranch to earn money for more nimble racing equipment.

“We’ve never been very rich,” Chad said of Huerfano, one of the poorest counties in the state. “It’s nice to see a little area open up on the cheap,” he said. The ski runs here are short, but the fact it’s affordable just might be enough to keep it up and running.

Big White, BC’s Master Plans Up to 2089:

Doubling Lifts, Skiable Terrain, & More

Liam Abbott

January 12, 2021

Big White is known by many as one of the go-to destinations for skiing and snowboarding in British Columbia and Canada. Its proximity to a Kelowna, family-oriented resort-style, large skiable area, and year-round operations make it stack up against any other major ski resort. With Big White now unveiling their master plans until 2089, all of these aspects will only become more true.

With Big White submitting a 37-page proposal to the Government of British Columbia, there is a lot to breakdown. There are nine main sections:

Skiing:

Currently, Big White offers 16 lifts servicing 119 designated trails on 1500 acres (607 hectares) of skiable terrain with a total uphill capacity of 28,700 skiers per hour. They also offer the largest night skiing terrain in western Canada, with 38 acres (15 hectares) of lit-up terrain. In the proposal submitted to the Government of British Columbia, Big White proposes increasing the number of lifts they have from 16 to 25 by adding two new double chairs, nine new fixed quads, nine high-speed detachable quads, a new eight-person gondola, and one new pulse gondola. These new lifts will bump the 1500 acres of skiable terrain to 2523 acres (1021 hectares), almost doubling it.

All in all, these new ski expansions will increase Big White’s comfortable carrying capacity (CCC) by over 200%, from 9,390 people to 25,624 per day.

Lack of Diversity in Ski Runs:

Big White has acknowledged that one of the biggest current problems with their ski resort is the lack of terrain diversity. Currently, Big White comprises of 18% beginner runs (greens), 54% intermediate (blues), 22% expert (blacks), and only 6% extreme (double blacks). This is great for families, but as Big White continues to expand, they want to appeal to all skiers types. Within the new expansion, Big White is aiming to expand more on difficult and expert terrain.

• Related: 136 Covid-19 Cases Now Linked to Big White Ski Resort, BC

Other Winter Activities:

Big White plans to expand its ski operations in the winter and a variety of other winter activities. For example, Big White plans on increasing Nordic skiing (cross-country skiing) capacity by 300%, add 50% carrying capacity to ice skating, doubling the capacity of snowmobiling, while also introducing ziplining, fat biking, spas, an alpine coaster, winter camping, and horseback riding (equestrian).

Summer Activities:

In 2017, Big White opened its lift-serviced mountain bike trails, and since then, they have been expanding them each year. In their 2089 master plan, Big White plans to continue this expansion with mountain biking and a variety of other summer activities.

Big White also plans on building two new 18-hole golf courses, one based in Happy Valley and the other one in East Peak Village Base. The Happy Valley golf course would incorporate the use of Lara’s Gondola to return players to the village at the end of the course.

Village Expansion:

One of the most important stats that Big White currently has is that 100% of their overnight accommodations are considered ski-in, ski-out. In comparison, Whistler’s is only 20%. Big White has stated that even as the resort continues to expand, they want to keep 100% of their ski-in, ski-out accommodations.

Big White is currently requesting for approval of an additional 20,600-bed unit, which would almost double the current amount of bed units to 44,555.

In addition to the expansion of overnight accommodation, Big White plans to double ski-related spaces (ski school, ski rental, lodges, & other ski-related facilities) from 215,133 square feet (19,986 square meters) to 485,965 square feet (45,147 square meters). Big White has also acknowledged that they will need to transform their ski village into an actual fully functioning town with such a large expansion. This means adding essential services such as a grocery store, liquor store, post office, hardware store, theatre, and other essential retailers.

Besides adding essential services, Big White also plans to expand tourist-oriented businesses such as restaurants, bars, cafes, sporting goods stores, and specialty stores. All of these new buildings will be built to have the current Lower Village as the town center.

Short-Term Goals:

2089 is a long time away, and the reality is most people reading this article won’t be skiing by that point in time. Big White has outlined some of the short-term goals within the outlined proposal they want to see complete.

These include:

1. Obtain all high-level approvals for development.
2. Improve the existing on-mountain and base area facilities.
3. Expand summer operations.
4. Develop the East Peak as a Cat Skiing operation.

Working with the Local Indigenous People & Environmental Impact:

One of the first things Big White said in their proposal was how they have and will continue to work closely with the local indigenous group, the Westbank First Nation, on making sure the plans and proposals are okay with them and that they will not only benefit the resort itself but the people who live there.

When it comes to environmental impacts, Big White has taken this opportunity to do several environmental studies, which concluded that “climate, geology, and vegetation did not present any obvious constraints to development” (Big White Ski Resort Draft Master Plan, October 2020 Edition). Nevertheless, Big White has committed to expanding in an environmentally cautious and sustainable way.

Interactive Model:

If you are still curious about learning more about Big White’s new plans, I would highly recommend checking out the interactive model Big White has put together. It lets you explore the ski resort and what they plan to do in a comprehensive 3D model.

Conclusion:

Big White may not be the biggest or most extreme resort in the Rockies, but it sure is fun. This family-oriented all-season resort is only going to continue to improve, offering more facilities and activities to fit anyone’s needs. If everything in this proposal is complete, Big White’s Comfortable Carrying Capacity (CCC) will increase to 25,624 skiers per day, with an additional 4,151 guests per day for other various activities bringing their total daily winter capacity to 31,825!

While working with local indigenous groups and making sure they expand in a sustainable and eco-friendly way, Big White will serve as a hallmark of skiing in North America.

What are your thoughts on these plans? Is Big White biting off more than they can chew, or are these changes a sign of a strive towards a better resort community? Please let us know!

Posted from SnowBrains

Contact: Jo Simpson, NSCF Public Affairs, 775-722-6468, publicaffairs@skifederation.org

National Ski Council Federation Expresses Support to Ski Industry

The National Ski Council values our long-standing relationship with our ski industry partners. We want to let them know that our leadership and our 30 member councils support the difficult decisions that they have made to ensure the health and safety of skiers and riders and your employees to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Of course, we are disappointed about not being able to ski and ride when the season normally would be going strong, but these are extraordinary times that require taking extraordinary measures.

We look forward to our continued relationship with them and to skiing and riding in the seasons to come. Thank you for your support to NSCF.

About the National Ski Council Federation: The National Ski Council Federation (NSCF), founded in 1999, is a not-for-profit organization made up of 30 ski councils composed of 640 ski clubs with more than 300,000 members throughout United States. The Federation’s purpose is to strengthen councils, with industry participation so they may better serve their ski clubs through improved communication, education and benefits. The Federation conducts active programs in public affairs, communications, council development, racing, ski industry relations and skier outreach.

Bluebird Backcountry at Peak Ranch will offer $50 access, $50 guided instruction on 1,500 acres of gladed terrain below Whiteley Peak in the Rabbit Ears range.

January 27, 2020

Jason Blevins

he country’s first human-powered ski area opens next month near Kremmling.

Erik Lambert and Jeff Woodward and their Bluebird Backcountry project are developing a lift-free backcountry ski area on 1,500 acres of private land flanking Whiteley Peak, the prominent volcanic plug on the southern end of the Rabbit Ears range. The pair of entrepreneurs have spent 18 months hosting test events and searching the state for slopes to anchor their dream of building a ski area with all the trimmings of a traditional hill — ski patrollers, instructors, guides, a base hut, gear rentals, a mountain warming hut, trails and avalanche hazard reduction — minus the chairlift.

“People are ready to get away from the crowded resort experience. They are maybe a little bored with traditional resorts,” Lambert said. “Part of going outside in the winter is this special experience you get communing with nature and it’s hard to do that at a crowded resort. That’s a big part of what people are seeking in the backcountry: more solace. They are looking for the soul of skiing.”

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This story first appeared in The Outsider, the premium outdoor newsletter by Jason Blevins. Become a Newsletters+ Member to get The Outsider at coloradosun.com/join. (Existing members, click here to learn how to upgrade)

Posted from The Colorado Sun via Snocountry.com

Jenny Wiegand

Mar 26, 2019

I was a 31-year-old Aspen-virgin. Despite having lived in Crested Butte, Colo.—just 24 miles south of Aspen as the crow flies—for a number of years, I’d never made it to the ski mecca located just on the other side of the Maroon Bells.

At first, it didn’t bother me. In my mind Aspen was the go-to destination for the glitterati, not the serious skier. But then I started running into more and more skiers on my wavelength (caring mostly about expansive expert terrain, annual snow totals, and minimal lift lines) who all flocked to Aspen.

I began to wonder—was I missing out?

FOMO (and copious amounts of peer pressure), led me to finally take the plunge this season. I was resolute, yet anxious. What if it didn’t live up to the hype? What if it became clear through my awkward bumbling around the mountain that I was a total noob?

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Posted from Ski Magazine

Posted from Kuhl blog via Facebook

The Men Who Started USA’s Ski Industry

SnowBrains | November 17, 2017 |

I bet you didn’t know that at least 62 ski areas in the USA were started by 10th Mountain Division veterans.  Even Vail and Aspen were started by 10th Mountain Division vets.

“After the war, ex-soldiers from the 10^th Mountain Division fired-up America’s modern ski industry. They published ski magazines, opened ski schools, and established ski areas, including Vail, Aspen, Sugarbush, Whiteface Mountain and others. At least 62 ski resorts have been founded, managed, or employed head ski instructors that were 10^th Mountain Division veterans.” –thestormking.com

The 10th Mountain Division.  That name is legendary in the ski & snowboard industry, but not many of us know much about these guys.   I’ve looked into this group and have been blown away by what they did in war and what they did for skiing in the USA.  In light of recognizing Veterans Day today, I’d like to share some basic information about the legendary 10th Mountain Division and what they did for us in war and in peace.

The 10th Mountain Division trained in various places from 1943-1944 including their base at Camp Hale (9,200 ft near Leadville) in Colorado and at Cooper ski area.   Mountaineering experts Jim & Lou Whittaker (first American to summit Everest & founder of Rainier Mountaineering Inc., respectively)were hired to train these men in Camp Hale and on Mount Rainier, WA.  The 10th trained hard to live, sleep, climb, ski, and fight on snow in the harshest conditions.  During maneuvers, the 10th would lay down their skis on the snow, throw their double sleeping bags on top of that and call it good for the night.  This training created some of the strongest soldiers America had and they were called on to prove it.

In late 1944 the 10th was shipped to Italy, fought courageously against the Nazis in many battles, and saw 114 days of combat.

After World War II many of the 10th Mountain Division warriors came home to the USA and continued skiing.  Much of the US ski industry was started by 10th Mountain Division veterans.  It’s valid to say that the ski industry in the USA would never have become so widespread without these warriors.

The 10th Mountain Division still fights on today.  The 10th has been involved in both the Afghanistan & Iraq wars since 2001 and they’re still out there.

Every time I see that 10th Mountain Division sign on highway 89 in Lake Tahoe, I think of these guys and what they did for our country and for skiing.  Thank you to the 10th and all of America’s warriors.

The 10th Mountain Division in WWII:

– Arrived in Italy on January 6th, 1945 & immediately entered combat

– Fought in the roughest terrain of Italy during WWII

– Saw combat in  Cutigliano, Battle of Monte Castello, Monte Della Torraccia-Mount Belvedere,  Canolle,  Mongiorgio, Torbole and Nago.

– 992 killed in action

– 4,154 wounded in action

– 114 days of combat

– 1  Medal of Honor (John D. Magrath)

– 3 Distinguished Service Crosses

– 1 Distinguished Service Meda

– 449 Silver Star Medals

– 7 Legion of Merit Medals

– 15 Soldier’s Medals

– 7,729 Bronze Star

– The division was awarded two campaign streamers

(movie trailer of the history of the 10th mountain division called “fire on the mountain”)

 The goal was clear: defeat the Nazis who were entrenched high in the snowy mountains of Italy. Drawing together an elite group of champion skiers, mountain climbers and European mountaineers, the U.S. Army created the 10th Mountain Division, America’s only mountain and winter warfare fighting unit. From the intensive training atop the Colorado Rockies to the spectacular night climb of Italy’s Riva Ridge – where the 10th scored their biggest victory against Hitler’s troops – Fire on the Mountain tells the thrilling story of these rugged, courageous men in all their glory. – Fire on the Mountain Movie

MORE 10th MOUNTAIN DIVISION INFO:

by wikipedia

The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. The division is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps. Originally constituted as a unique mountain warfare unit, the division was the only unit of its size in the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting in mountainous and arctic conditions, thus earning the division the “MOUNTAIN” tab. Today, the division retains its “mountain” designation for historical purposes and is organized as a light infantry division.

Originally activated as the 10th Light Division (Alpine) in 1943, the division was redesignated the 10th Mountain Division in 1944 and fought in the mountains of Italy in some of the roughest terrain in the country. Following the war the division was deactivated, only to be reactivated and redesignated as the 10th Infantry Division in 1948. The division first acted as a training division and in 1954 was converted to a full combat division and sent to Germany before being deactivated again in 1958.

Reactivated again in 1985, the division was designated the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), to historically tie it to the World War II division and to also better describe its modern disposition.Since its reactivation the division and/or elements of the division have deployed numerous times since. The division has participated in Operation Desert Storm(Saudi Arabia), Hurricane Andrew disaster relief (Homestead, Florida), Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope (Somalia), Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti), Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Operation Joint Guardian (Kosovo), and several deployments as part of the Multinational Force and Observers (Sinai Peninsula). Since 2001, the division and its four combat brigades have seen over 20 deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, respectively.

Posted from Sniw Brains

The past three decades have been great! I have skied and written about more than 200 ski resorts in North America, another 200 European ski resorts — and a half-dozen resorts in both Japan and in New Zealand. I’ve traveled to and writen about touring destinations in Morroco, Turkey, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Belize, Spain, plus Peru’s Macchu Picchu, the Outback and Great Barrier Reef of Australia, Yellowstone in winter, whitewater trips in Utah, Texas, and Colorado, and cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Prague, Rome, Amsterdam, London, Zurich, Athens, Sydney, Aukland, Vancouver, Quebec, New York, San Francisco, and many others.

My plan is to publish the March and May 2016 issues, continue researching content for next season’s issues, and to seek a buyer for the magazine who will continue publishing The National Ski Club Newsletter and its Newsflash email beginning with the November 2016 issue. We’ll see how that plan works out.

The training started November 15 with almost 300 people in attendance, including Big Sky Fire Department, Summit Air Ambulance, Gallatin Gateway Fire Department, American Medical Response, Bozeman Health Group, and other local medical, EMS, and fire agencies. “Although the Big Sky Medical Refresher is focused on our ski patrollers, it is also a multi-agency effort that shares experience and builds relationships,” remarked Steve Emerson, of the Big Sky Resort Ski Patrol who said, “It’s so important for such a large organization to get our members together to bring everyone up to speed on our standard of care. “The medical refreshers we conduct are required training for our members, but also count as continuing education to go toward their license renewal.”

The practical skill stations have training on backboard mobilization, medical patient assessment, CPR, and more.

Many U.S. ski clubs are changing their names to ski and adventure club or ski and travel club and even those clubs that have not changed their name are taking more and more non-ski trips. Cruises, bike and barge trips, safaris to Africa, scuba trips to Australia or Belize are becoming common among America’s ski clubs. That change is creating the second stage of U.S. ski clubs. Our members are still active and like to vacation together. Most of our members still ski and those who don’t ski are still doing active things when they go on vacation, like snowshoeing and X-C skiing in the winter or bicycling during the summer.

I suppose stage three will be laying out on some beach or sitting in an expensive spa somewhere, but I don’t see too many ski clubs running those kind of trips at this time. Perhaps that day will come — but not yet. Ski resorts and tour operators shouldn’t count ski clubs out of the picture. We are changing, most of our kids are adults now, and some of us are retired — but we have not left the vacation scene. Resorts should cater to those changes if they want to keep ski clubs as profitable clients. Keep selling us ski trips — but include some less strenuous activities two or three days of the week. Start showing America’s ski clubs what’s at your resort during the summer and fall if you don’t do so already. Yes, we’re getting older and some of us can’t ski full speed six days a week. That spa might just look good to some members on Friday and riding snowmobiles on Wednesday is starting to look inviting, too.

Clubs and tour operators should pay more attention to non-ski trips; the Texas Ski Council is already spending more money on non-ski trips than ski trips — but they are still taking four large ski trips per year. It’s just that summer and fall are also looking good these days — largely because many members are now empty nesters, some are retired, and most have lots more time (and more money) to travel year-round. Ski clubs, ski resorts, and tour operators all need to recognize those facts and cater to the not so new older segment of the American ski club market, because that’s where the market is going folks.

Vermont’s Hermitage Club
The $75 million Hermitage Club, (formally Haystack Mountain Resort) is the only private ski resort in the east. Initial cost is $65,000, plus $5,150 annual dues. Begun in 2011, membership is capped at 1,500, and is now 750 member-families. The club packages skiing with fine dining, luxury lodging, and year-round recreation including an 18-hole golf course and a covered ski lift with heated seats — all just a 3.5-hour drive from New York City.
It’s located in the towns of West Dover and Wilmington, to complement the small-town, historic flavor of the Deerfield Valley. After crossing a truss-and-lattice covered bridge at the club’s entrance, families encounter a resort with a 1842 country inn, folks skating on a pond, and gliding over the snow in a horse-drawn sleigh. In winter, there’s snowmobiling on the mountain after dark, traveling to a mountaintop cabin by Sno-Cat for fine dining, and a 5,000-bottle wine cellar.
The master plan for the club includes more than 100 homes, a $15 million hotel, and a $3 million airport expansion to accommodate the majority of the private jets of the members. A $21 million, 80,000-square-foot Club House has 14 spa and treatment rooms, a movie theater, and an edit suite for GoPro helmet cams — where skiers and boarders can edit footage they’ve recorded on runs and post it on social media.

Colorado’s Cimarron Mountain Club
Membership in Colorado’s new Cimarron Mountain Club are available but just 12 people get to buy into the resort. starting at almost $4 million each. Denver attorney John Aronstein has owned 2,000 acres on the north slope of the Colorado San Juan Mountains since 2002, but now plans to develop his personal winter playground into the most exclusive ski and snowboard mountain in the West. So far, more than 60 trails have been cut along a 2-1/2 mile ridge off 11,453-foot Castle Rock peak. There are a few beginner trails, but it’s mostly chutes, couloirs, and steep glades on 1,600 vertical feet on the north end of the mountain slope.
Access to the skiing terrain will be via unlimited Snocat rides for members and snowmobiles, which is the only way into the dozen multi-million-dollar homes to be built on the property. Home site prices range from $2.7 million to $3.8 million, and annual dues start at $50,000.

Or You Can Rent Utah’s Eagle Point Resort
For the less-wealty who still want to ski on a private mountain, for $10,000 per day, Eagle Point Resort in southwest Utah will, rent the whole ski hill for up to 200 guests any Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday this ski season — equipment rentals included! About 40 cabins and condos are available at additional cost and the 12,000 square-foot Canyonside Lodge is available for parties, meetings, and entertainment.