National Ski Council Federation Newsbeat
October 2023
How Safe Are Ski Lifts? After several incidents of chairs dropping off of lift cables, Ski Magazine spoke to an expert to learn more about the safety behind it. More. Ski Magazine
The End of Cash is Nigh. More and more resorts, spurred by the unique needs of the pandemic, are moving toward making cash payments a thing of the past. And while a small percentage of skiers and riders are pushing back, most are finding the transition to cashless systems not just semi-seamless, but beneficial in many ways. More. SAM Magazine
Peak Lift Ticket Prices to Hit $299 at Some U.S. Ski Areas This Winter. What is happening to day ticket prices at American ski areas? Only three years ago, we were sharing news of resorts breaking through the $200 mark which seemed absurd; now that appears to be the norm. More. SnowBrains
The 11 Most Anticipated Upgrades and Expansions Coming to North American Ski Resorts This Season and Beyond. Two consecutive seasons of record skier visits signal that the U.S. ski industry is healthy and that the demand for outdoor recreation is strong. To keep up with the demand, many ski areas are improving, upgrading, and expanding their operations. More. SnowBrains
New Winter Park Chairlift to Open this Season. Vasquez Ridge is a popular part of Winter Park, and this year skiing and riding it will be much easier, thanks to a new six-pack chairlift, the Wild Spur Express. More. Powder
Sun Valley Releases Updated Trail Map With New Trails, Lifts. Sun Valley, Idaho, has unveiled a new resort trail map that includes the chairlift alterations associated with the Warm Springs Enhancement Project. More. Powder
Hunter Mountain NY Announces New Six-Person Lift. Hunter Mountain has announced the upcoming construction of a new six-person high-speed lift. The lift is slated to replace the Broadway four-seater chair. If approved, the resort intends to complete the lift before the 2024-2025 ski season. More. Powder
Michigan’s Norway Mountain to Reopen with New Owners. Norway Mountain, idle since 2017, has been purchased by a local family who plans to reopen the 160-acre ski and snowboard area situated in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for the 2024/25 season. More. SAM
Blue Mountain, Camelback Join Ikon Pass. Alterra Mountain Company announced today that Pennsylvania’s Blue Mountain and Camelback Resort will join the Ikon Pass for the 2023-24 season. More. SAM
State, Local Investment to Revitalize Ski Area at Pennsylvania’s Denton State Park. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is committing $10 million in capital improvements and is working with a locally-based company to grow four-season recreational opportunities—including the return of alpine skiing—at Denton Hill State Park in Potter County. The 700-acre Denton Hill State Park is located in the north central part of the state along Route 6 in Ulysses Township. More. SAM
Netflix CEO Acquires Majority Share of Powder Mountain. Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings became the majority owner of Powder Mountain following a $100 million investment. Hastings acquired a minority stake in the ski area back in April. More. SAM
Silverton Mountain Sold to Aspen-based Adventure Company. Colorado’s Silverton Mountain has been sold for an undisclosed amount to Andy Culp and Brock Strasbourger, owners of Aspen-based Heli Adventures, a heli-skiing and adventure travel company. More. SAM
Who Wants to Buy a Colorado Ski Resort? The former Slopes at Saint Mary’s Glacier is up for sale. It’s listed for a cool $7 million. It includes a 373-acre parcel of land about 10 miles northwest of Idaho Springs. More. Powder
Vail Reports Net Income Drop for 2023, Rising Pass Sales for 2024. Vail Resorts (VR) reported a drop in full-year net income for fiscal 2023, EBITDA that was essentially flat, and an increase in season-to-date pass sales for the 2023-24 season. VR’s fiscal year ended on July 31. More. SAM
[UPDATED] NOAA Winter 23/24 Outlook: This is How El Niño Will Impact Temperature and Snowfall This Winter… These outlooks have been consistently updated every month since last year, but with winter fast approaching, forecasters can start being more specific and accurate. They were updated last week on September 21st, 2023. More. SnowBrains
Strong El Niño During Winter ’23-’24 Could Bode Well For Northeastern Ski Resorts. Popular YouTube meteorologist Direct Weather has created the video below to show his long-range winter weather forecasts for the United States. Based on his early estimations, he believes that the northeast could see an increased chance of Nor’easters this winter with the rising of the Jet Stream. Check it out: More. Powder
Yes, Jimmy Buffett Was a Skier. While most people will remember Jimmy Buffett for the Florida Keys life that he sold as part of his persona, Buffett was a bonafide skier and spent considerable time in Aspen for more than 50 years. He even played the closing set for the JAS Aspen Snowmass Labor Day show in 2021. More. Powder
