So much has happened at our favorite resorts since the spring meltdown known as mud season and the glorious green summer that we have a two-parter “what’s new” for you.  Here’s what else you need to know beyond Part One –

Solitude’s Ski Patrol Unionizes

It’s a first, and could be the start of a trend.

After more than a year of talks with resort owner Alterra, Utah’s Solitude Ski Patrol Union (SSPU) ratified a contract over the summer for better pay and benefits and improved working conditions.

The agreement is effective for the upcoming 2025/26 and following 2026/27 season and provides a starting wage of $24 per hour, which is 10% more than before the contract.  Full-time patrollers also get a $100 monthly stipend for healthcare and $1,300 a season for equipment.  The contract also includes an increased budget for training.

Alterra purchased Solitude in 2018 and currently owns 12 US resorts, including Steamboat, Mammoth and Palisades Tahoe.  Some observers predict the Solitude contract will inspire patrollers – and perhaps also instructors – to do the same at other Alterra-owned areas.  And perhaps also those owned by Vail. Stay tuned.

Near-Record Season for Utah

Ski Utah – the trade association which represents 15 Utah resorts – reports last season set a near-record, with 6,503,635 skier visits. While that’s down 3.6% from the 2023/24 season, it is the third-highest number of skier visits in state history and a 3.3% increase over Utah’s five-year average.

The numbers reflect the continued strength and resiliency of Utah’s ski industry, even in a year with more variable weather patterns.

“To hit our third-best season ever and generate $2.51 billion for Utah’s economy is a major win,” said Nathan Rafferty, President and CEO of Ski Utah in a press release. “The ski industry in Utah supports approximately 25,000 jobs, and with the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on the horizon, the eyes of the world will be on us once again. We’re excited about the opportunities ahead and grateful to all who helped make this season a success.”

Colorado Resorts Also Reports Near-Record

Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) – the trade association for 21 Colorado resorts, reports skier visits of 13.8 million for the 2024-25 season. That’s also the 3^rd highest for skier visits and highlights ongoing enthusiasm for skiing and snowboarding in Colorado.

The press release we received highlights these upgrades last season –

Eldora opened its new Caribou Lodge, a multi-use facility that now houses Ignite Adaptive Sports, reinforcing the resort’s ongoing support for adaptive snowsports on the Front Range.

Ski Cooper prioritizes value this season, with $45 midweek lift tickets and all non-peak days priced under $100.

Aspen Snowmass hosted the debut of The Snow League, the first professional snowboarding league created by legendary snowboarder Shaun White. 

Arapahoe Basin welcomed the International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA), drawing top freeride athletes to one of Colorado’s most challenging venues.

Copper Mountain hosted the X Games Street Style Pro and the USASA National Championships.

Whiteface Joins Mountain Collective Pass

The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (Olympic Authority) announces that Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, N.Y., has joined the Mountain Collective Pass, as the newest addition to an alliance of 27 destinations across five continents.

The pass provides skiers and snowboarders with two days at each participating resort, plus 50% off all additional days, with no blackout dates, and expands pass reach in the Northeast and adds a destination known for its Olympic legacy and the greatest vertical drop in the East. The Full Season Pass provides unlimited access to Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre in New York.

Mountain Collective also includes eastern resorts Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine, and Le Massif de Charlevoix and Bromont in Quebec. The western U.S. and Canada include Alta, Aspen Snowmass, Banff Sunshine, Big Sky, Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole, Lake Louise, Marmot Basin, Panorama, Revelstoke, Snowbasin, Snowbird, Sugar Bowl, Sun Peaks, Sun Valley and Taos. World travelers can use the pass in the French Alps (Chamonix and Megève), Japan (Niseko United), New Zealand (Coronet Peak & The Remarkables), Australia (Mt Buller) and Chile (Valle Nevado).

Currently priced at $669 USD, the Mountain Collective pass can pay for itself with visits to just two destinations.

See you on the slopes!

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Evelyn Kanter

Evelyn Kanter is a NYC-based travel and environmental writer and a senior skier who would rather ride a chairlift, river raft or zipline than the subway, and has done so in the more than 100 countries she’s visited, skiing in many of them. In what she calls a “previous life”, she was a TV and radio news reporter for ABC News and CBS News, now a regular contributor to major publications, including airline inflights and AAA magazines, and has written or contributed to more than a dozen travel guidebooks.Her latest are “100 Things to Do in NYC Before You Die”, Fodor’s Essential Germany and Fodor’s New York City. Evelyn's website is www.ecoxplorer.com

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