After only 36 hours of snowmaking, Sunday River Resort was able to open for the 2018-19 season this morning at 10:00AM with terrain on Locke Mountain. Opening day terrain included T2 and Upper Sunday Punch trails, serviced by Sunday River's Locke Mountain Triple chairlift. This quick opening is credited to 2-3 inches of natural snow on Wednesday night, as well as renovations to Sunday River's snowmaking system that allow for a 15 percent increase in water capacity for producing snow. This improvement will eventually double the resort's snowmaking capacity with future upgrades. All open terrain is recommended for advanced skiers and snowboards only. Lift tickets are $30 for all ages, and the resort plans to open on Saturday and Sunday at 9:00AM, weather permitting. Sunday River will update its online Mountain Report again tomorrow morning by 8 a.m. with all open terrain and indicate any grooming and/or new snowmaking. Guest services are currently offered out of Barker Lodge, including l...

The brand new, high speed, detachable six passenger chairlift being installed at Windham Mountain Resort now has a name. Westside Six will be open for the 2018/2019 winter season, transporting skiers and snowboarders from the base to the summit of the resort's west peak in under five and a half minutes. It will also be referred to as "F Lift", replacing a triple chair, which had been in place since the 1980's. With a slope length of 5,105 feet, and an uphill capacity of 3,000 people per hour, "Westside Six will transport the same number of passengers as the old triple chair, and Whirlwind Express, our high-speed quad, combined," says Ted Davis, Director of Mountain Operations at Windham Mountain Resort. "The project kicked off with the removal of the old lift this past spring, then we poured concrete footings for towers and terminals in early summer. While the footings cured, the tree line was widened to make way for the size of Westside Six, and electrical and communication cables wer...

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced that the Company has closed on its acquisition of Triple Peaks, LLC, the parent company of Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont, Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire and Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado. The Company purchased Triple Peaks from the Mueller family for a final purchase price of approximately $74 million, after adjustments for certain agreed-upon terms. As part of the transaction and with funds provided by Vail Resorts, Triple Peaks paid off $155 million in leases that all three resorts had with Ski Resort Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Oz Real Estate. Okemo Mountain Resort and Mount Sunapee Resort join Stowe Mountain Resort in Vail Resorts' northeastern network of resorts, providing even more options for skiers and snowboarders in the region. Okemo, approximately three hours from Boston and four hours from New York City, sits just above the Vermont village of Ludlow and has developed a reputation for superior guest serv...

After taking the first steps towards doubling the resort's snowmaking capacity this summer, Sunday River completed its annual fall systems test this morning starting at 6:15 a.m. The Maine resort typically opens for skiing and snowboarding on or around Halloween, and this morning's cold temperatures provided the perfect opportunity to put the new equipment to the test on the Lower Downdraft trail. Sunday River recently completed a project to replace the existing pipeline from its namesake river to the resort's snowmaking pump house at Barker Mountain with two miles of new high-pressure ductile iron pipe, and also added a new 600-horsepower pump. These investments have provided the resort with an immediate 15 percent increase in water capacity for making snow. With future upgrades to the on-mountain infrastructure, Sunday River will be able to double its snowmaking capacity. Although the resort has not yet set an official opening date, this test gives Sunday River's snowmakers the go-ah...

Vermont's Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, and part of POWDR, is scheduled to kick off its 2018-19 winter season at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, October 19, 2018, becoming the first Eastern resort to open for skiing and snowboarding. The first turns of the season, on Friday, October 19, will be reserved exclusively for Season Pass, Express Card, Beast365 and Ikon Pass holders. The resort will open to the general public on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. Killington's operating schedule for the remainder of the week will be updated in real time at www.killington.com/conditions. "Mother Nature played her role, giving us cool temps, but this summer's snowmaking enhancements as a part of our $25 million dollar capital investment really gave us a leg up," says Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort and Pico Mountain. "Killington is on track to, once again, be the first ski area in the East to open and, for the ...

Vermont's Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America and part of POWDR, has begun snowmaking in advance of the 2018 Audi FIS Ski World Cup on November 23-25, 2018. Killington Resort was the first Eastern American ski mountain to open its season to the general public in 2017 and last to close in 2018, in part because of the resort's advanced snowmaking and grooming prowess. While there is no confirmed window for Opening Day at this time, snowmaking lit up on Killington and Skye Peaks just before dawn Tuesday, October 16. Snowmaking crews began building stockpiles on North Ridge trails which will be open to the public, and on the legendary Superstar trail which will host the approaching Killington Cup races. Killington has dedicated a snowmaking team to specifically build the race venue where the women's slalom and giant slalom races will take place. Killington's powerful snowmaking system has the ability to pump more than 720,000 gallons of water in...

Earlier this fall, Tremblant challenged its facebook followers to propose names for one if its new glades. Last weekend, those who made a suggestion or voted for the winning trail name got together to mount the sign on-site: Taïga. On this occasion, Station Mont Tremblant proudly presents the new trail names appearing on this season's trail map. Edge Extension ‒ An actual extension of the glade called Reaction, this new name came naturally, especially since it fits in well with the other Edge trail names. North Side Taïga ‒ Suggested by the public, this name refers to a coniferous forest and lichens found in a boreal zone. Les Vallons ‒ This name refers to the mountain's actual topography, featuring rolling terrain. Dynagriffe ‒ Located between the Dynamite and La Griffe, this trail name is in fact a forged word that combines two parts into one. Archipel ‒ This North Side glade's name offers a wink to its assorted islets of vegetation, reminiscent of a cluster of islands in an ocean ar...

Always keen to provide its clients with an optimal winter experience, les Sommets has made substantial investments in Sommet Saint-Sauveur and versant Avila in preparation for the 2018-2019 ski season. You will find below a description of new services and features to expect this winter; details and photos are contained in the appendix. INVESTMENTS When it came to investments in Sommet Saint-Sauveur, no stone was left unturned in our quest for the best – and all for the enjoyment of snow-sports enthusiasts. New snow line and addition of 48 powerful new snow gunsLatest-generation snow groomer with a more eco-friendly engineOne Mercury ski tuning robot (skis/boards)La boîte à ski, a new, permanent buildingNew garage for the lift maintenance crew versant Avila at Sommet Saint-Sauveur has also seen some major upgrades: Complete renovation of the sanitary facilities in the main pavilionAddition of two new yurts for snow tubing guests NEW PROGRAMS Les Sommets continues to distinguish itself w...

From opening date, skiers and riders are sure to enjoy a flurry of new installations and upgrades enhancing their on-mountain and pedestrian village experiences at Tremblant, voted #1 Ski Village in Eastern North America a solid 19 times by SKI Magazine readers. $17M On-Mountain Investment : High-speed quad lift ‒ On the North Side, the Lowell Thomas Express now boosts lift capacity by additional 600 skiers/hour.New trail + 5 new glades ‒ The North Side and Edge faces offer 90 acres of fresh skiable terrain.Expansion and renovation of le Grand Manitou ‒ The main summit chalet seats an extra 400 skiers and riders, with a complete makeover of its foodservice area.Upgrades to la Fourchette du Diable ‒ The North Side base chalet now has a permanent structure at the north end of the building, and increased user comforts.The Ikon Pass offers access to a number of iconic ski destinations around the globe ‒ In addition to Tremblant, ski Alta Ski Area, Aspen Snowmass, Jackson Hole Mountain Reso...

Peak Resorts, Inc., a leading owner and operator of high-quality, individually branded U.S. ski resorts, announced today that construction on its projects at Mount Snow in Vermont and Hunter Mountain in New York is progressing on schedule ahead of the 2018/19 skiing and riding season. These projects, which combined represent approximately $32 million in upgrades across the two properties, have set a number of milestones for the Company, including its largest-ever base lodge and the Eastern United States' largest ski area expansion in over 15 years. Jesse Boyd, Vice President of Operations at Peak Resorts, commented, "The Hunter North project at Hunter Mountain and the new Carinthia Base Lodge project at Mount Snow each represent a significant undertaking and our ability to accomplish both in one summer is a great testament to the dedicated teams we have in place at our resorts. It's been amazing to watch these two projects evolve and we can't wait for our Peak Pass holders and guests t...

Vermont's Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America and part of POWDR, announced today continued enhancements to the way guests will experience the mountain this winter. The $25 million investment will make Killington easier to access, and provide more and higher-quality snow surfaces for skiers and riders to explore. "Our entire team is continuously focused on improving the guest experience and over the last few years we've made tremendous progress having improved our guest survey score by 100%, "says Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort. "I'm especially excited to showcase this season's improvements as our next step in the evolution of redefining the Killington experience to be the best version of ourselves." Last spring Killington announced $16 million in upgrades which included: New Snowdon 6-Person Bubble ChairliftThe new Snowdon Six Express, 6-person high-speed bubble chairlift manufactured by Leitner-Poma, featu...

Capital projects totaling $10 million will enhance the Stratton experience throughout the year, with a new high-speed Snow Bowl lift topping the list of investments for 2018-19. Now part of the Alterra Mountain Company family, Stratton skiers will enjoy the ride on a new Doppelmayr lift designed and situated to minimize the impact of wind and inclement weather while providing easier access to beginner terrain from the summit of southern Vermont's highest peak as well as to signature trails including the double-black diamond World Cup, which hosted Vermont's first ever World Cup races in 1978. With today's announcement, Alterra Mountain Company, created in 2017 and comprising 12 mountain destinations spread throughout five states and three Canadian provinces, reinforces its commitment to growth and investment in its family of destinations, including Stratton, by announcing significant capital improvements at each. The investment plan totals more than half a billion dollars over the next...

Sunday River Resort's snowmaking system is undergoing major renovations to lay the foundation for doubling the water capacity that can be pumped to the ski area from its water source, thereby making snow more quickly and efficiently. Phase one, which will be completed at the end of this summer, includes nearly two miles of newly-engineered ductile iron high-pressure pipe and a new 600 horsepower pump for an immediate 15 percent increase in capacity for the 2018-19 season. The pipeline runs from the resort's namesake river to the snowmaking pumphouse located in the Barker Basin. "It's a game changer," says Resort President and General Manager, Dana Bullen. "We've always had the advantage of our location at the base of a huge natural watershed, but we've been limited by the capacity in our snowmaking infrastructure. This new pipeline solves that issue, and anything we do to our snowmaking system from this point forward exponentially improves how fast we can make snow." Sunday River has c...

With $3.2 million invested in upgrades, Holiday Valley is making plans for an exceptional winter season. The crews are spending the summer making improvements on their automated snowmaking system, installing a conveyor lift on the beginner's slope, completing slope work including building several "tree trails" for kids and purchasing a new groomer and shuttle van. $250,000 is dedicated to automated snowmaking improvements. Holiday Valley began installing HKD Klix automated snowmaking in 2011 and has been expanding the system each year. Holiday Valley has the largest and most powerful HKD automated snowmaking system on the East Coast. Automation has the advantage of quick startups and shut downs, so even if favorable snowmaking temperatures exist for just a couple of hours, the system can make snow efficiently. The Klix system also has weather stations that monitor temperature and humidity so the guns can automatically and individually adjust to changes. The result is a better quantity ...

Mount St. Louis Moonstone continues to focus on terrain and building mountains! This summer work crews removed the Venture Quad chair, moved 170,000 cubic metres of earth in just 60 days and raised Venture slope a total of 50 vertical feet. The resort prides itself on a unique and powerful snowmaking system and MSLM dropped another $800,000 to freeze solid its slogan to GO WHERE THE SNOW IS. This includes 3,000 feet of new ductile snowmaking pipe on Venture, Easy Street and Crescent Slopes, along with 40 new Techno Alpin automated snow guns that were added to the authoritative fleet: 6 x TF10s and 34 x V3 Lances. These machines will help to cover 2 slopes in less than 36 hours with snow. The resort also purchased 4 x Wide Track Ski Doo Skandic machines for the snowmaking department's transportation. Snowmakers need to get around! MSLM installed SnowSat technology in 2 more of its Pisten Bully 600s so that the commanding armada of groomers now totals 6 of 7 machines operating this incre...

The Fall Festival of Mont SUTTON begins this Saturday September 15, 2018 and will continue every weekend until October 14. On the agenda: Sutton Challenge race, chairlift ride, initiation to mountain bike, mini obstacle courses for children, yoga on the mountain, live music, ski and gear mega sale and much more! The complete fall festival program is available at montsutton.com/fallfest. We like: Mont SUTTON has also published a fun fall bucket list on its blog. Clients are even invited to identify their "fall personality". Mont SUTTON Fall Festival video at youtube.com/montsutton ​Source : Mont SUTTON

It's with great pride that Sommet Saint-Sauveur launched its all new thrill ride, the SPUTNIK, on June 29th. The Parc F.U.N. was filled with a festive and cosmic-themed atmosphere as it highlighted this outstanding addition. Management members, visitors, employees, partners, as well as PINSO, our favorite penguin, gathered in order to officially launch Sputnik's first summer season. Children had a great time at this cheerful event, as they partied alongside a clown, makeup artist, DJ and exotic animals. From left to right: David Dufour, Operations director, Béatrice Hébert, ambassador, PINSO, mascot, Louis Dufour, board president, Louis Philippe Hébert, CEO and Michel Colavita, Engineering director during the June 29th launch. This new addition will surely deliver a touch of thrills to the more adventurous visitors. Its movements and simultaneous rotations will make one turn upside down in an exciting way! Fainthearted, be warned! The Sputnik, as well as the new terrace at Parc F.U.N.,...

All through July, Tremblant will be humming with lively events taking place in rapid succession ‒ like the 25th edition of the Tremblant International Blues Festival, and the 15th edition of Rythmes Tremblant. Adding to a mountain of pleasure are lively street buskers, entertainment and activities for the whole family such as Tonga Lumina ‒ Moment Factory's signature night walk experience ‒ and the return of Banzaï. Here is a quick peek at what vacationers can expect in July: June 30 - July 1 - Canada Day Long Weekend Providing quality family time, the free long weekend program includes street buskers, the Canada Day flag-raising ceremony and parade followed by cake and come nightfall, an exciting fireworks show in addition to outdoor performances by Carter & The Boomers, The Heads and Québec's top ukelele player, Matt Laurent and the Lucky Ukes. July 3 to August 29 – Banzaï Set under the starry skies to the beat of tam-tams, families are invited to meet up on Place des Voyageurs f...

Outdoor enthusiasts will be glad to know that it is now easier to start mountain biking! Mont SUTTON now offers mountain bike initiation packages to learn the basics. For their part, those with mountain biking experience can now try the new guide service to discover the trails. Mountain biking is part of Mont SUTTON's offer for the second year, thanks to the trails created in collaboration with Plein air SUTTON / MTB. There are 30 km of cross-country trails, single track and double track, for beginners to experts. The Boutique Expérience SUTTON will be open all summer for mountain bike rentals, purchase of access tickets and snacks, and to relax in the new spa. ​Source : Mont SUTTON

Vermont's Killington Resort, the largest mountain resort in Eastern North America and a POWDR company, today announced the opening of the Woodward WreckTangle on Friday, June 22, 2018 when the Snowshed Adventure Center goes to a 7 day a week operation for the summer season. The WreckTangle, a proprietary ninja obstacle challenge named after its rectangular shape, is designed with an edge only Woodward can provide. The WreckTangle has ten obstacles, which can be swapped out and changed, including a quarter pipe finish. The thrilling obstacles are designed to be achievable and fun for kids and adults. Aspiring ninjas use skill, strength, creativity and determination, and build confidence and camaraderie with friends as they conquer each new challenge. "The vision behind WreckTangle aligns well with our vision to inspire every human being with cool experiences in awesome places, making it a natural addition to the Snowshed Adventure Center," says Mike Solimano, president and general manag...

Sunday River Resort's summer operations will hit full steam ahead with the opening of its Mountain Park on Thursday, June 28, 2018. Located in the western mountains of Maine, the resort's Mountain Park boasts scenic chairlift rides, lift-serviced downhill mountain biking, hiking, an 18-hole alpine disc golf course, zipline tours and twin zips, as well as a climbing wall and bungee trampoline. Guests can purchase tickets for each of the resort's summer activities or save with an Adventure Pass, both available from the Sunday River Sports in South Ridge Lodge. Adventure Passes provides unlimited all-day access to scenic chairlift rides, twin ziplines, the bungee trampoline, and climbing wall. Cost is $25 for ages 13 and older and $22 for ages 6-12. A Disc Golf Add-On is available for just $10 more. Sunday River's Mountain Park is open Thursday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., through September 2, and then Friday through Sunday from September 7 through October 7 unless otherwise...

Proudly continuing the tradition of having the longest ski season in Quebec, Sommet Saint-Sauveur was able to welcome true ski and snowboard enthusiasts until May 27th. While ski centres in other tourism regions have shut down a few weeks ago, the Laurentians "glacier" has given an extraordinary spring skiing experience and a really unique end of the season yesterday. Boasting an excellent layer of snow and meticulous grooming by operations crews, the ski station rolled its chairlifts every weekend of May – to the great delight of its loyal skiers. And to celebrate the end of the season, Sommet Saint-Sauveur opened its "glacier" one last time on May 27th, before bidding farewell to the 2017-2018 after 180 days of operation.  Clients, friends and employees reunited to celebrate the ending of ski season 2017-2018 on May 27th. Moreover, this was a first for Sommet Saint-Sauveur, by ending its season on May 27th and being the very last ski resort opened in all Eastern North America. F...

 Sunday River Resort will celebrate its other favorite season in the Mountains of Western Maine with the opening of its L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools on Monday, June 4, followed by the opening of the its Mountain Park on Thursday, June 28, 2018. Mountain Park and PassesBased out of the resort's South Ridge Lodge, Sunday River's Mountain Park boasts 20 miles of lift-serviced downhill mountain bike terrain, an 18-hole alpine disc golf course, hiking, zipline tours and twin zips, scenic chairlift rides, a bungee trampoline, and climbing wall.  Now through July 2, guests can take advantage of a summer-long bike park pass for just $99 (all ages). Adventure Passes, which are day passes available to purchase all summer long boast unlimited use of the resort's scenic chairlift, climbing wall, bungee trampoline, and twin ziplines for just $25 (ages 13+) and $22 (ages 6-12). Open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, through September 2, then Friday-Sunday, September 7 throug...

Summer at Mount Snow means outdoor exploration, celebration, and adventure, with great programs and events for the whole family. With old favorites like the Mount Snow Brewers Festival, and new additions, including the Angry Orchard: Rock The Roots Tour, and Spring Into Summer BBQ, Mount Snow continues to build on a decades-long tradition of summer festivals and events in Southern Vermont's Deerfield Valley. After the success of Minus Zero Festival in April, Mount Snow is pleased to bring a new live music festival to the Green Mountains, with the July 7th stop of the Angry Orchard: Rock the Roots Tour. This one-day festival of cider and music will feature big names such as Sublime with Rome, Dirty Heads, Lupe Fiasco, Pepper, and Matisyahu. More than just another concert, this full-day experience includes the Angry Orchard Arcade, lawn games, and much more. Tickets available now at www.angryorchard.com/rocktheroots Fun for the whole family can be found this summer at Fireworks for Freed...

Vermont's Killington Resort, the largest mountain resort in Eastern North America and a POWDR company, today announced the closing day of the 2017-18 season will be Saturday, May 26 for winter operations while summer operations will open that same day. "Killington was the first to open and the last to close in the East with 187 days of skiing and riding and it wouldn't be possible without our snowmaking and grooming teams. They are the heart of the resort and the reason we are able to host the Audi FIS Ski World Cup over Thanksgiving weekend with record breaking attendance two years in a row," says Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort. Guests can get a taste of the new Beast 365 All-Seasons Pass this weekend. For $99, adventure seekers will have unlimited access to skiing, golf, Adventure Center and mountain bike lift, trails and rentals from Friday to Monday. Guests who take advantage of this promotion can apply the $99 towards the year-long pass throughou...