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    Alterra's $300 Million Ski Resort Upgrades: Experience Elevating Investments

    Michael FultonMichael Fulton·6 Sept 2024
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    Alterra's $300 Million Upgrade Plan Transforms North American Ski Resorts Alterra Mountain Company, the powerhouse behind the Ikon Pass and numerous renowned ski resorts, is taking a giant leap forward with a $300 million investment in on-mountain improvements. This substantial capital injection aims to enhance the experience for skiers and riders across several of their North American ski resorts.Jared Smith, President & CEO of Alterra Mountain Company, emphasises the company's commitment to providing premium experiences at all their destinations. The focus is on visible improvements that benefit all guests, with special attention given to iconic properties like Steamboat and Deer Valley. “At Alterra, we continue to believe our guests deserve a premium experience at every one of our beloved destinations and we are continuing to concentrate on investments that make that a reality. During this significant capital investment cycle, we have been focused on making improvements that all of our guests will see, while reimagining and doubling down on some of our most iconic properties like Steamboat and Deer Valley.” — Jared Smith, President & CEO of Alterra Mountain Company The investment plan covers a wide range of upgrades, including new and refurbished lifts, improved snowmaking systems, summer activities, and overall resort infrastructure. Here's a breakdown of the major improvements:Deer Valley's Expansion:Three new chairlifts, including the 6-person Keetley ExpressOver 300 new skiable acres and several new runs500 additional day-skier parking spotsNew East Village area with essential amenitiesOnce completed, Deer Valley will add a total of 3,700 acres, more than doubling its size and becoming one of North America's largest ski resorts.Enhanced Guest Amenities:Crystal Mountain's new 25,000 sq ft Mountain Commons LodgeMammoth Mountain's Woolly's Adventure Summit improvementsSteamboat Grand Hotel's complete overhaulWinter Park's new Sundog Taproom Lift Upgrades:Mammoth Mountain: Replacement of Broadway Express with a high-speed 6-person chairBig Bear Mountain Resort: New high-speed 6-person chair replacing two existing liftsSugarbush: New 4-person Heaven's Gate liftVarious lift modernisations at Mammoth Mountain and StrattonSnowmaking Improvements:Winter Park's $37 million snowmaking infrastructure rebuildEnhanced coverage at Mammoth Mountain, Palisades Tahoe, Big Bear Mountain Resort, Stratton, and SugarbushThese upgrades focus on energy efficiency and reduced water usage, aiming to improve the guest experience while minimising environmental impact.As Alterra Mountain Company rolls out these improvements, skiers and riders can hopefully look forward to shorter lift lines, more efficient snow production, and enhanced overall experiences at some of North America's most popular ski resorts.

    Brian Head Resort Is Utah's First Ski Resort to Open for 2024-25 Season

    About the author

    Michael Fulton

    Michael Fulton

    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    50+ resorts visited15 years skiing

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    Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business

    Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business

    Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.

    25 Aug 2026
    Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed

    Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed

    I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.

    23 Aug 2026
    Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola

    Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola

    The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.

    23 Aug 2026
    Two Confirmed Dead as Search Continues After Swiss Alps Fire

    Two Confirmed Dead as Search Continues After Swiss Alps Fire

    The death toll from Thursday night's fire at Restaurant Beverin in Thusis, Switzerland, has begun to firm up. One Swiss outlet, citing Graubünden Cantonal Police, reports that two of the five people initially reported missing have now been confirmed dead, leaving three unaccounted for. The building's collapsed stairwell and structural instability have slowed recovery efforts throughout. Here's what's changed since the fire broke out, and what's still unconfirmed.

    22 Aug 2026
    Selwyn Snow Resort Closes Early as Rain Ends Its 2026 Season

    Selwyn Snow Resort Closes Early as Rain Ends Its 2026 Season

    Selwyn Snow Resort has called an early end to its 2026 season, a day after Victoria's Mount Baw Baw did the same. Rain on Thursday stripped what was left of the snowpack, and the cold nights needed to rebuild it through snowmaking never arrived. It's a rough result for a resort that only just found its footing again after being burned to the ground in the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires and a multi-year rebuild. Here's how the season fell apart, and where Selwyn's been since the fire.

    22 Aug 2026
    Mt Baw Baw Becomes First Australian Resort to Close for 2026

    Mt Baw Baw Becomes First Australian Resort to Close for 2026

    Mt Baw Baw is calling time on its 2026 season this Sunday at 5pm, becoming the first Australian resort to close for the year after warm spells and rain wore through its snowpack. Lifts stop, but the resort stays open, entry fees get waived, and there's one last Bollywood Weekend before the lights go out. Fifty-seven days after opening, here's how the season ended and what it means for the rest of Australia's struggling snowpack.

    21 Aug 2026
    Arosa to Replace 40-Year-Old Hörnli Lifts With New Gondola and Chair

    Arosa to Replace 40-Year-Old Hörnli Lifts With New Gondola and Chair

    Arosa's Hörnli sector is getting its biggest overhaul in decades. The 1986 gondola and 1994 chairlift linking toward Lenzerheide are both being replaced, with capacity up, tower count down and a new base station lower on the hill. At roughly CHF 67 million, it is the largest single investment Arosa Bergbahnen has ever made - and the target opening has already slipped a year, to December 2028. Here is what is changing, and why the timeline moved.

    20 Aug 2026
    Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter

    Sundance Mountain Resort Is Getting a New High-Speed Quad and More Back Mountain Terrain This Winter

    Sundance Mountain Resort's back mountain is finally getting a proper lift. The Electric Horseman Express opens for 2026-27, unlocking a new bowl next to Bishop's Bowl and three expert gladed chutes across roughly 105 fresh acres - on top of the Storyteller ridge run that debuted in preview form last season. It's Sundance's biggest expansion since 1985, and it turns a three-lift slog into a single six-minute ride to Bearclaw Summit.

    19 Aug 2026