Williams, AZ – The owners of Arizona Snowbowl near Flagstaff have announced their acquisition of the 37-acre Elk Ridge Ski Area near Williams. Plans announced for Elk Ridge, which first opened in the 1960s but has operated only sporadically in recent years, call for upgrades to surface lifts, installation of a chairlift, and expanded snow … Continue reading Snowbowl Owners Purchase Another Arizona Ski Area
Alta, UT – On what should have been Alta Ski Area’s opening weekend on Saturday, a handful of skiers burned wooden skis in a sacrificial offering to the Norse god of winter, while skiers and riders hit a homemade kicker built on a strip of man-made snow above the resort’s Wildcat base. They were all celebrating Ullr’s overdue return … Continue reading Warm Autumn Frustrates Western Skiers
Flagstaff, AZ – High above Flagstaff, Arizona Snowbowl is installing its first high-speed lift, and the first six-seater in the state: the Grand Canyon Express. The annual monsoonal rains of August slowed daily construction progress, but crews have been working long days and weekends to make up for any lost productivity and keep construction on schedule. The lift line … Continue reading New High-Speed Six Rises at Arizona Snowbowl
Jackson, WY – Mountain Rider’s Alliance (MRA) has launched its latest initiative, the Mountain Playground Group, designed to assist community and independent ski areas to be more viable. The consortium of geographically diversified, like-minded ski areas will band together to reduce expenses while increasing efficiencies and profits. “Our organization has been studying the challenges facing smaller … Continue reading Independent Ski Areas Form Marketing Alliance
Washington, DC – In the arid western U.S., water rights are a valuable commodity often fought over by competing interests. So in 2011, when the U.S. Forest Service sought to transfer the water rights of ski resorts operating on Forest Service land to the federal government, the agency encountered a ferocious backlash from the ski industry … Continue reading Forest Service Abandons Plan to Take Ski Areas’ Water Rights
Salt Lake City, UT – For the start of this ski season, the continent remains split, with more resorts in the West announcing openings ahead of schedule while resorts in the East are having a hard time getting started. That trend, evident over the past several weeks, is continuing with several more western resorts indicating … Continue reading More Early Openings, More Delayed Starts
Flagstaff, AZ – Northern Arizona land company Babbitt Ranches has purchased Flagstaff Nordic Center, a cross-country ski area 15 miles north of Flagstaff, in a deal approved yesterday by the Coconino National Forest. With an expanded focus, the facility will be renamed Northern Arizona Nordic Center and Backcountry Adventures. Babbitt Ranches says it wants to create more recreational … Continue reading Arizona Cross-Country Ski Area Sold
