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Ski Area Management magazine paying increasing attention to summer operations

marzNC

Angel Diva
The magazine/news for ski industry management and staff in the N. America is Ski Area Management (SAM). Starting around 2015, summer operations became an increasingly important topic. About that time, destination resorts in the Rockies and elsewhere that depend on national forest land were starting to get revenue from summer activities such as lift-served mountain biking, alpine slides, ziplines, high ropes courses, etc. In the east and midwest, some ski resorts had been 4-season resorts for decades.

Do you go to any ski resorts for fun during the summer months? If so, do you make use of a pass of some sort or do you just buy a ticket?

June 17, 2022
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
The magazine/news for ski industry management and staff in the N. America is Ski Area Management (SAM). Starting around 2015, summer operations became an increasingly important topic. About that time, destination resorts in the Rockies and elsewhere that depend on national forest land were starting to get revenue from summer activities such as lift-served mountain biking, alpine slides, ziplines, high ropes courses, etc. In the east and midwest, some ski resorts had been 4-season resorts for decades.

Do you go to any ski resorts for fun during the summer months? If so, do you make use of a pass of some sort or do you just buy a ticket?

June 17, 2022
Good thread topic.
 

SkiGAP

Angel Diva
Andorra is pushing summer hard. Lots of hiking, and there is gondola-served golfing and mountainbiking. The season pass can be used for the summer as well for this purpose. To reach the full lift-served mountain bike park is an additional pass - daily or (summer) season
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Andorra is pushing summer hard. Lots of hiking, and there is gondola-served golfing and mountainbiking. The season pass can be used for the summer as well for this purpose. To reach the full lift-served mountain bike park is an additional pass - daily or (summer) season
Do you know when Andorra started making summer as important, if not more, than winter? Was it always that way after the gondola was first installed?

My impression is that all the gondolas and trams in the European Alps are used all year, not just during the ski season.
 

SkiGAP

Angel Diva
Do you know when Andorra started making summer as important, if not more, than winter? Was it always that way after the gondola was first installed?

My impression is that all the gondolas and trams in the European Alps are used all year, not just during the ski season.
Oh it's been a while now. Andorra wants to compete with Monaco and other year-round tourist destinations (interesting drama on getting a casino established in the country). However, skiing was definitely the first focus. Here (or 2 hours from here, as I am in Toulouse at the moment), the gondolas are not year-round. Basically 3 of them run in the summer high seasons - Soldeu (golf), Canillo (nature/lake/activities), La Massana (bike park). The others don't - for now.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
And don't forget, Andorra is in the Pyrenees, not the Alps - it's a whole 'nother thing
Sorry. Having never skied in Europe but only traveled during the summer, not up on the different mountain regions. All I remember from a driving trip in and out of Italy and Switzerland when I was 11 is that there were a LOT of hairpin turns. I stopped counting at 300. My brother was just old enough to have an international driver's license. He was actively looking on the maps for the passes with the most hairpin turns. I do remember being impressed by the scenery in the Dolomites. None of the trips to Europe after that included mountains.
 

DeeSki

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I was in Oberstdorf in the German Alps in winter but locals told me it’s busier with hikers in summer. A few years ago I went to the mountains on the Czech-Polish border in summer. We stayed in Špindleruv Mlyn which is one of the main ski areas and took the gondola up the mountain for a hike to the source of the river Elbe. You could take a bike up but you could also hire electric mountain bikes at the top. Hotel rates were a lot cheaper than in winter but it was still quite busy. We also went to Snezka, the highest mountain in the Czech Republic but didn’t go up the gondola. There were huge lines - everyone wants to go up the highest mountain. The only time I was ever in Jackson was in summer. I didn’t go up the lift there either. As I recall, the lift ticket was expensive and I had just spent a few days wandering around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks so I probably didn’t feel the need.
 

altagirl

Moderator
Staff member
My husband and i have been on half a dozen trips to Whistler over the years but only in the summer for mountain biking. We've still never gone in winter. And even more trips to Winter Park, CO for biking, and have had summer season passes there several times, and less frequent trips to Aspen, Durango, Angel Fire, Brian Head, Mammoth, Mont St. Anne, Bromont, Mt.Snow, and White Pine only in the summer for biking. I've never skied any of those places.

Locally, I've had summer season passes to Sundance and Deer Valley but never have had winter passes there, and have never skied at Sundance.

The list of resorts I've visited for skiing is longer, but the bike tourism is pretty significant.
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Same as @altagirl In terms of Whistler only for summer biking. I taught mountain biking for a few summers but it is not really growing as it could since we alrwady have summer visitors with all the national parks nearby. Summer is the hot ticket as our winters become less snowy and thus less lucrative.
 

scandium

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've only been to a ski field once in summer - that was Cardrona for mountain carting (essentially a luge on dirt, tons of fun but quite expensive).
 

AJM

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Our local Porters has been developing mountain bike trails for the last few years which have been getting more and more popular and Cardrona has a heavy focus on mountain biking as well. Temple Basin, one our clubfields, has always had a sideline in Summer with school outdoor camps, Mountain Safety Council courses and even the Army has used it for training.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Stratton posted about enhancements for both summer and winter activities recently. Nice to read about more than new lifts and snowmaking infrastructure.

June 2022
" . . .
Other resort capital projects include a commitment to the employee experience with a $20 an hour
minimum wage coming for winter 22-23. Three new public resort transportation buses and two new
shuttle buses for the Black Bear Lodge have been purchased to enhance inter-resort travel. The summit
Ski Patrol building is getting remodeled with plans for new siding and interior renovations. Work was
completed on the pool and roof at the Stratton Training and Fitness Center, as well as other interior
renovations. The MOOver will be returning for winter 22-23 as a free public transit system, connecting
Stratton Mountain Resort to the Manchester area, with daily shuttle service increasing mountain access.
Capital Improvements reflect Stratton Mountain’s commitment to continue enhancing the guest and
employee experience by reinvesting in the mountain community across all facets of our business."
 

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