April 2026

Indy Pass Adds 16 Resorts for Next Season. Indy Pass continues to grow, which is a good thing, because it offers bargain rates and other perks to smaller, independent areas at less than half of other multi-destination season passes. More. Seniors Skiing

Ikon Pass Adds SilverStar, Giants Ridge. SilverStar Mountain Resort in British Columbia has joined Ikon Pass as a partner resort and Giants Ridge, Minn., has been added as a bonus mountain on the 2026-27 pass. More. SAM

MCP Details $37.5M in Planned Capital Improvements. Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) plans to invest more than $37.5 million in capital improvements across its Power Pass network ahead of the 2026-27 season in the United States and the 2026 season in South America, with projects focused on snowmaking expansion, lift infrastructure, and terrain development. More. SAM

Ikon Pass Adds Partners, Benefits, and Other Changes for 2026-27. Alterra Mountain Company’s 2026-27 Ikon Pass suite of products is on sale  with new partners, access, benefits, and numerous other changes. More. SAM

A New Lift Will Unlock 1,000 Acres of Steep Expert Terrain at Powder Mountain (UT).  Powder Mountain’s new expansion will bring a chairlift to the steep “DMI” (short for Don’t Mention It) terrain pod while adding a new base lodge and other amenities. More. Ski

$1 Billion Expansion Plans Could Make Nordic Valley, UT, One of the Premier Ski Resorts in the State. Nordic Valley has long been one of the state’s more low-key ski areas. If built as envisioned, Nordic Valley would go from a modest ski hill to one of the more dramatically reimagined resorts in the West. More. SnowBrains

Mont-Sainte-Anne Details Lift Replacements, Other Improvements. Mont-Sainte-Anne has ordered three new lifts to replace four existing lifts as part of a CA$100 million investment plan that operator Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) is undertaking in partnership with the Québec government to modernize the resort’s lift infrastructure. More.

Pico (VT) Ski Resort Retires Historic Chairlift. Pico Mountain announced that the Outpost Double chairlift is now closed for good. Earlier this ski season, it experienced a main drive-shaft failure. After further review, an engineering analysis revealed that further repairs are no longer possible. More. Unofficial Networks

Berkshire East and Catamount Join Bear Den, New Mountain Alliance Formed. Berkshire East and Catamount Resorts in Massachusetts have joined Bear Den Partners, formalizing an ownership transition that brings the Schaefer family’s two ski areas into a growing portfolio alongside Vermont’s Burke Mountain and Smugglers’ Notch. More. SAM

Mountain Collective Pass Adds Referral Bonus for 2026-27. The 2026-27 Mountain Collective pass is on sale and has retained all the resort destinations around the world that it offered in 2025-26. More. SAM

New Hampshire Will Become Headquarters for Indy Pass and Parent Company. Erik Mogensen has announced that he will buy out all early investors in Black Mountain and return the ski area to 100% private ownership. He will also permanently relocate the headquarters of Entabeni Systems to the Jackson, New Hampshire, site, as well as the headquarters for the Indy Pass. More. SnoCountry

Oregon Legislature Passes Waiver Reform Bill. Oregon lawmakers finally passed a bill that strengthens the enforceability of liability waivers in the state after several previous attempts to quell what had amounted to a crisis for the state’s outdoor recreation providers failed to progress over the past decade or so. Senate Bill 1517 passed the Oregon House 55-2 on March 5 and the Senate 29-0 on March 6. More. SAM Ed. Note: The Northwest Ski Club Council carried out an extensive letter writing campaign to support the legislation.

Vail, Alterra Named in Antitrust Class Action over Pass Pricing. Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company have been named in a federal antitrust class-action lawsuit challenging pricing and competitive practices tied to their Epic and Ikon passes, respectively. the complaint alleges the companies engaged in anticompetitive conduct by bundling multi-resort access and setting single-day lift ticket prices high enough to steer consumers toward season passes. More. SAM

Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz Opens Up About Expensive Lift Tickets, Crowding In Wall Street Journal Interview. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz gave some insight into how he and Vail Resorts view high ticket prices, crowding, and dwindling Epic Pass sales. Katz seldom gives interviews, so his conversation with WSJ Correspondent Roberto Ferdman gives a rare glimpse into his thinking on some of the more contentious issues facing skiers today, More. Snowbrains

Ski Helmet Usage Just Hit An All-Time High of 91% In The 2024/25 Season. According to a report from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), overall helmet usage among U.S. skiers and snowboarders reached a national all-time high of 91% during the 2024/2025 skis season, up from just 25% back in the 2002/03 season. That’s a generational shift in behavior playing out over two decades. More. Unofficial Networks via Google Alerts

More Than Just a Sticker: How Mips Is Changing Helmet Safety in Skiing. SnowBrains spoke with Mips CEO Max Strandwitz to better understand what the technology does and why it has become increasingly common across snow sports and beyond. More. SnowBrains

La Niña Fades as NOAA Expects El Niño by Summer With Significant Impact on Winter 2026-27. The climate pattern that has shaped global weather for the past year is nearly done. La Niña is weakening quickly, and by summer, its warm-water counterpart El Niño could take over. More. SnowBrains

 Germany’s Last Glacier Ski Resort Disappears as Zugspitze’s Platt Lift is Torn Down. An era in German winter sports is drawing to a close as the final ski lift on the Zugspitze glacier area is being dismantled this week — a sad sign of how climate change is reshaping alpine landscapes. More. SnowBrains

Don’t Knock ’Em Till You Ski ’Em. Why Appalachia’s Resorts Are Worth Exploring. Once you get past the stigma, the Southern Appalachians are an unexpected ski region that doesn’t deserve the overlook it gets. More. Ski

I Thought It Was a Gimmick—Until This $60 Boot Hack Saved My Toes at Zero Degrees. Bootcaps, low-tech toe wraps for your ski boots, add a crucial 20 degrees of warmth to keep you on the mountain all day .More.  Ski

February-March 2026

Ikon Pass Reveals 2026-27 Price, New Resorts, and Access for Skiers. The Ikon Pass, one of the two biggest multi-mountain ski passes, is back on sale soon with new resorts, deals for younger skiers, and expanded Colorado access. More. Powder

Indy Pass Adds 16 Partners, Launches Auto-Renewal Requirement for 2026-27 Sales. Indy Pass has added 16 new alpine and cross-country ski area partners and opened 2026-27 pass sales Feb. 25 to existing pass holders under a new automatic renewal structure the company said is designed to manage demand. More. SAM

Epic Pass Drops 20 Percent In Price, But Only For This Age Group. Vail Resorts announced a 20-percent discount for skiers aged 13-30, slashing the price of an Epic Pass to $869 and the price of an Epic Local Pass to $649. The 2026-’27 prices will debut at $1,089 for an adult Epic Pass and $809 for an Epic Local Pass. That’s about a 3.6 percent increase (which is a smaller increase from last year’s 6.5 percent). More. Ski

How Premium Season Passes With Exclusive Amenities are Quietly Influencing the Ski Industry. Resorts across North America are experimenting with ultra-expensive products that promise first tracks, shorter lines, private lounges, and a host of VIP perks to those willing to pay thousands of dollars for the privilege. More. Snowbrains

Oregon Introduces the ORCA Act of 2026 to Address the State’s Liability Insurance Crisis. A bipartisan coalition of Oregon lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 1593, also known as the Oregon Recreation Commerce and Affordability Act of 2026 (ORCA), for consideration in the upcoming legislative session. “Oregon’s liability laws are broken, and it’s not just hurting recreation providers,” Representative  Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) said. “It’s hurting small businesses of every kind that rely on basic liability waivers to operate.” More. Snowbrains

Steamboat’s Long-Held Local’s Only Side Country is Now Open to the Public. Now, two seasons after Alterra Mountain Company invested $200 million over three years on its “Full Steam Ahead” project, Steamboat is still finding its equilibrium between massive infrastructure improvements, increased visitation, a passionate local user base, and how people can best utilize the expanded mountain and base area. More. Freeskier

$100M Investment, Major Changes Coming to Mont-Sainte-Anne. Mont-Sainte-Anne and operator Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) have reached an agreement with the Quebec government to fund substantial capital improvements at the resort, including the replacement of four lifts with three new ones, new snowmaking infrastructure, and installation of warm-season attractions. More. SAM

ORDA Commits $15.9 Million for Upgrades at Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre. The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) board of directors approved $15.9 million in capital investments across Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre mountains, continuing a multi-year run of infrastructure upgrades at the state-owned ski areas. More.  SAM

Burke Mountain (VT) Revival Has Begun. After nearly a decade in receivership, Vermont’s Burke Mountain is coming out of hibernation. New owners Bear Den Partners are prioritizing long-deferred capital improvements and operational stability, having already accomplished a variety of projects after taking ownership in May 2025, with more on the horizon. More. SAM

Bear Den Partners Acquires Majority Ownership of Smugglers’ Notch (VT). Bear Den Partners has acquired a majority ownership interest in Smugglers’ Notch Resort from Bill Stritzler, who has owned Smuggs for 29  years and whose family will retain an ownership stake in the resort. Stritzler’s daughter and Smuggs CEO Lisa Howe will serve as an advisor on the future of the mountain. More.  SAM

Pats Peak (NH) Snowmaking Expansion Includes Multifold Increases to Pumping Capacity, Water Storage. Pats Peak will undergo a significant expansion of its snowmaking system this summer that will allow the ski area to double the number of snow guns it can operate at once starting in winter 2026-27. More. SAM

Powderhorn (CO) Launches Limited Three-Year Pass Tied to 60th Anniversary, Lift Investment. As it approaches its 60th anniversary season, Powderhorn Mountain Resort is introducing a limited three-year season pass, positioning it as both a loyalty offering and commitment to affordability amid a major capital upgrade and plans for future improvements. More. SAM

Pomerelle (ID) Sold to Longtime Mountain Manager. Pomerelle Mountain Resort in southern Idaho has been sold to mountain manager Zach Alexander and his wife, Crystal, according to Ski Idaho. The Anderson family, which has owned and operated the ski area for decades, finalized the sale this month. More. SAM

Shanty Creek (MI) Acquired by New Ownership Group. Trinidad Resort & Club, LLC has sold Shanty Creek Resort to a new ownership group called Shanty Creek Ski and Golf Resort, LLC. The resort is a 5,500-acre, four-season property that includes two ski areas—Shuss Mountain and Shanty Creek—five golf courses, a variety of lodging and dining options, and several other amenities. More. SAM

Little Switzerland (WI) to Invest $4 Million on Two New Chairlifts. Little Switzerland Ski Area will install two new Skytrac quad chairlifts this summer to replace the ski area’s Lift 1 and Lift 2, a unique “up and over” double chairlift that loads from both the base area and backside of the ski area and transports guests uphill in opposite directions to unload at the summit mid-point. It was originally installed in 1964. More. SAM

What It Really Takes to Build a Modern Ski Lift. No two chairlifts are the same and the engineering and construction must be adapted to the specific terrain and carrying capacity requirements. Replacement of an existing chairlift is a very different process from installing a new one in a new place. More. Ski

Is a $300 Ski Helmet Really Safer Than a $70 One? Ski Found Out. Every winter, Ski’s gear testers try out dozens of ski helmets, putting them through the paces in myriad locations and different weather conditions. Then they collect everyone’s detailed feedback and rate the winning helmets, calling out the best qualities in each one. More. Ski

October 2022

Winter Park Resort to expand terrain this winter. Among a series of announced improvements, Winter Park Resort is opening new terrain for the 2022-23 ski season that the resort says will almost double its expert-only terrain over last season.  More. Steamboat Pilot & Today

Three More Ski Areas Added to Indy Pass. Bluebird Backcountry, Colo.; Chestnut Mountain, Ill.; and Snowriver, Mich., have joined the Indy Pass starting in winter 2022-23. With the additions, Indy Pass holders will have two days of access to 96 alpine ski areas and 13 Nordic ski areas in North America and Japan. More. SAM

Mountain Collective Adds Sugar Bowl. The Mountain Collective Pass has added Sugar Bowl, Calif., to its now 25-destination roster. The Tahoe resort joins Sun Valley, Snowbasin, Marmot Basin, and Le Massif de Charlevoix as new partners for upcoming season. More. SAM

Ikon Pass Adds Sun Peaks, Grandvalira Resorts Andorra. Ikon Pass has added Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia and Grandvalira Resorts Andorra in Andorra for the 2022–23 season. With five other partners added earlier this year—Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley, France, Sun Valley, Idaho, Snowbasin, Utah, Lotte Arai Resort, Japan, and Panorama, B.C.—Ikon Pass holders will now have access to more than 50 mountain destinations in 11 countries. More. SAM

Canada to Remove All COVID-19 Restrictions for Travelers. Canada will lift all remaining COVID-19 restrictions for international and domestic travelers starting Oct. 1. More.  CBS News via Inntopia

Mountain Capital Partners to Operate Willamette Pass Resort. Mountain Capital Partners (MCP) has entered a joint venture with the Wiper family to operate and manage Willamette Pass Resort, Ore. The partnership will begin immediately. More. SAM

Telluride Renews Epic Pass Partnership with Vail Resorts. Vail Resorts and Telluride renewed their partnership for an undisclosed number of years. The terms remain the same: Full Epic Pass holders get seven days at Telluride with no blackouts. Four-to-seven-day Epic Day Pass holders with “all resorts” access can also redeem those days at Telluride. More. The Storm Skiing Journal

Pacific Group Submits Top Bid for Jay Peak at $76 Million. Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) made the highest and best final bid to buy Jay Peak, $76 million, following an auction with multiple bidders. More. SAM

No Immediate Changes Planned for Jay Peak. Pacific Group Resorts Inc. (PGRI) does not plan to make any immediate changes to Jay Peak’s pass products, management, or infrastructure for the 2022-23 season. More. SAM

Maine’s Shawnee Peak Returns to its Original Name, Pleasant Mountain. Maine’s Shawnee Peak will return to its original namesake, Pleasant Mountain, a move that honors its 84-year history and the mountain it calls home, said resort officials. More. SAM

Alterra Acquires Ski Butlers Rental Service. Alterra Mountain Company has acquired Ski Butlers, a leading ski equipment rental and delivery service based in Utah. Ski Butlers will remain a standalone business with ongoing operations in 50 worldwide ski destinations while maintaining its current staff and leadership. Alterra hopes to expand the service to more resorts, both within and outside Alterra’s portfolio. More. SAM

Indy Pass Sales Reflect Growth in Partnerships. After adding 40 partner resorts since the end of the 2021-22 season, the Indy Pass now has 96 alpine ski areas on-board offering two days of access each to Indy Pass holders, plus 14 cross-country ski areas. More. SAM

Vail Resorts Plans Mobile Access Feature for 2023-24. Vail Resorts plans to utilize technology that will allow guests to store and use their season pass or lift ticket directly on their phone. The new feature will be tested during the 2022-23 North American winter season, with roll-out to guests expected for the 2023-24 season. More. SAM

“Where There’s Snow, We’ll Go”: This Black Ski Club In D.C. Was One Of The First In The U.S. Black Ski, Inc. has been etching out a supportive space in the powder for jet-setting African Americans in the D.C. area since 1972. Based in the D.C. area, the organization was one of the earliest Black ski clubs in the U.S. More. DCist/WAMU American University Radio via Google Alerts

Vail Resorts Launches Youth Access Program. Vail Resorts will provide more youth of color with the opportunity to learn how to ski or snowboard through its expanded Epic for Everyone youth access program. During the 2022-23 winter season, Vail plans to partner with nonprofit and youth development organizations working to support youth of color to host 9,000 youth across 29 resorts. More. SAM

Season Passes Now Consistently Represent More Resort Visits Than Lift Tickets Nationwide. According to Aspen Daily News, season pass holders have been the dominant form of mountain access since 2019-20 season. In that year, 45.5% of visits were by season pass holders, while only 43.5% were made up by single day passes. Since then, it’s only gotten more severe, with last season seeing season passes representing 51.9% of visits and lift tickets representing only 37.3% of visits (the remaining percentage is represented by employee passes and complimentary tickets). More. Unofficial Networks via Inntopia

Best Months To Ski Colorado Ski Resorts. The short, fill-in-the-blank answer is late February into mid-March. At face value, it seems like a pretty easy question to answer. However, there are particular nuances that the ski enthusiast should be aware of. More. SnowBrains

U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Class of 2022. The inductees include X Games gold medalist, U.S. Open champion and Boarding for Breast Cancer pioneer Tina Basich; America’s first Olympic snowboard medalist Shannon Dunn-Downing; “father of freestyle snowboarding” Terry Kidwell; speed skier C.J. Mueller; freeskiing pioneer Kent Kreitler; one of the U.S. Alpine Ski Team’s most successful coaches, Phil McNichol; longtime Ski Racing International publisher Gary Black (posthumous); Mammoth Mountain and Alterra Mountain  Company leader Alan “Rusty” Gregory; and adaptive snowsports pioneer Gwen Allard. More.  SAM