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Sun Valley Becomes America's First Dark Sky Certified Ski Resort
Sun Valley, Idaho has become the first ski resort in the United States to earn certification through DarkSky International's Approved Lodging & Resorts Program, recognising its outdoor lighting practices, environmental stewardship, and habitat protection. To mark the achievement, Sun Valley is running a Perseid Meteor Shower event on 12 August, with a 125 US dollar ticket covering a gondola ride up Bald Mountain, food and drinks, and guided astronomy programming.
U.S. Forest Service Approves 694-Acre Expansion at Grand Targhee Resort, Wyoming
The U.S. Forest Service has approved a 694-acre boundary expansion at Grand Targhee Resort in Wyoming, clearing the way for new terrain in Teton Canyon and a summit restaurant on Fred's Mountain. The decision follows a five-year review process and comes with wildlife protections, architectural restrictions, and a pair of objection windows before construction can begin.
Kelly Canyon to Extend Snowmaking to Top of Goldrush Lift Ahead of 2026-27 Season
Kelly Canyon in eastern Idaho is pushing snowmaking infrastructure to the top of its Goldrush lift this summer. The project aims to improve early season opening, snow coverage across the mountain, and overall season length ahead of the 2026-27 winter.
Western U.S. Ski Resorts Close Early as Warm Weather Compounds Poor Snow Season
A heat wave hitting the western United States has forced dozens of ski resorts to close early or abandon their seasons entirely. With below-average snowpacks across the region, the warm spell has ended operations at over 40 resorts from Arizona to Montana.
Sun Valley Replacing Two Key Lifts on Bald Mountain
Sun Valley has secured federal approval to replace the Lookout Express and Christmas chairlifts on Bald Mountain, with construction beginning April 2026. The Lookout Express quad will become a six-pack, while Christmas remains a quad. Both upgrades aim to increase uphill capacity and reduce ride times on the Idaho resort's primary mountain.
Inbounds Avalanche at Silver Mountain Raises Questions After Fatal 2020 Slide
Two skiers were caught in an inbounds avalanche on a double black diamond run at Silver Mountain Resort in Idaho, despite patrol conducting avalanche mitigation earlier that day. Both escaped without serious injury, but the incident raises questions about a resort that permanently closed terrain following a fatal 2020 slide.
Tamarack Resort Season Pass Pricing: What the Numbers Actually Mean
Tamarack has opened sales for its 2026-27 season pass at $499, claiming it's the best deal of the year. We break down whether the early-bird pricing represents genuine value or standard industry tiering tactics, and what the cap on pass sales really means for access.
Tamarack Resort Opens with Limited Terrain After Late Season Start
Tamarack Resort in Idaho has opened for the 2025-26 season on December 22, running three lifts with upper-mountain-only access. The delayed opening follows limited early snowfall, with skiers restricted from accessing lower mountain terrain as operations teams work to expand coverage.
Sun Valley Adds Multi-Day Adult Ski and Snowboard Camps for 2025-26
Sun Valley has launched four multi-day camp programmes for adult skiers and riders, including an all-women's intermediate camp. The structured packages aim to capture a growing segment of the lessons market, though the pricing and value proposition remain unclear.
Tamarack Resort's World's Best Award: Marketing Coup or Earned Recognition?
Tamarack Resort in Idaho has been named a Top Resort in Travel + Leisure's 2025 World's Best Awards. But what does this accolade really mean for skiers and riders considering a visit?
Sun Valley Resort Proposes Lift Upgrades, Are They Needed?
Sun Valley Resort's plan to replace four chairlifts faces regulatory hurdles and raises questions about long-term sustainability and guest experience impacts.
American Airlines Boosts Flights to Major Ski Resorts for 2025-26 Season
American Airlines announces new routes and expanded services to popular ski destinations for the 2025-26 winter season, including Sun Valley, Santa Fe, and Aspen.
Sun Valley's New Luxury Hotel: The Harriman Opening in 2026
Viceroy Hotels & Resorts announces plans for The Harriman, a new luxury hotel in Ketchum, Idaho, set to open in June 2026. The hotel will feature 73 rooms, 12 penthouse residences, and amenities including a spa, restaurant, and rooftop bar.
Idaho Ski Resort Closing Dates for 2025 Season
As spring approaches, Idaho ski resorts announce their closing dates for the 2025 season. Bogus Basin, Brundage, Tamarack, and Sun Valley share their final operating days and special events.
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More from the SnowStash desk
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.
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.
Levi and Ruka Confirm October 2 Opening on Farmed Summer Snow
Finland's Levi and Ruka open for the 2026-27 season on October 2, more than seven weeks before most of Europe sees a lift turn. Neither resort is waiting on autumn snowfall - both are skiing on snow buried since last spring, insulated through the Finnish summer and dug back out for opening day. It is not a shortcut. It is a decades-old system now spreading from the Arctic Circle to Idaho, Utah, Vermont and Colorado. Here is how snow farming actually works, and why it is catching on.
Sölden's Old Einzeiger Chairlift Gets a Second Life in Montafon
Silvretta Montafon is replacing its ageing Freda chairlift - but not with something new. The resort is having a 1999 four-seater chairlift, retired from Sölden, dismantled, shipped to Vorarlberg and rebuilt with new electronics, cable and clamps. It has to be running before March 2027, when Silvretta Montafon hosts the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships - the biggest winter sports event Vorarlberg has staged. Here's how a reused lift ends up cheaper.
Nassfeld Invests €13 Million in New 6-Seater Chairlift for 2026/27 Season
Nassfeld is putting €13 million into a new 6-seater chairlift, the Tressdorfer Almbahn, connecting Sonnleitn with the Tressdorfer Alm from December 2026. It replaces three ageing drag lifts and will run through summer too, from June 2027, moving up to 2,500 people an hour on the roughly three-minute ride. It's the latest step in Carinthia's largest ski resort building out a genuine year-round offering, following last year's Gartnerkofelbahn gondola.
Stelvio Glacier Suspends Summer Skiing, Leaving Continental Europe Without a Lift-Served Slope
Italy's Stelvio Glacier has pulled the plug on summer skiing from August 15. It was the last lift-served ski option left standing in continental Europe, and now there's none. Operator SIFAS pointed to persistent heat, storms, and a snowpack that simply wasn't refreezing overnight anymore. The cable car keeps running. Whether skiing comes back later this summer depends on the weather turning - and right now, nobody's promising anything.
Maverick Mountain's Only Chairlift Destroyed as Sand Creek Fire Tears Through Montana Ski Area
Firefighters saved every base building at Maverick Mountain, Montana, but the resort's sole chairlift didn't survive the Sand Creek Fire. Owners Erik and Kristi Borge say the lift is "most likely" out for the 2026/27 season after flames tore through the mountain on August 8. The wildfire has since grown past 27,700 acres with zero percent containment. It's a gutting result for the tiny, one-lift operation near Dillon - though the lodge, groomers and equipment all made it through untouched.
Fairmont Niseko: New Luxury Resort Revives Stalled La Plume Site for Early 2028 Opening
Fairmont is bringing its second Japanese property to Niseko, and this one's got history. The 165-room resort will rise on the site of the stalled La Plume project, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before J-Will Partners bought the site for redevelopment. Set between Mount Yotei and Mount Annupuri, it's slated for an early 2028 opening - putting it in play for the 2027/28 season. Expect two restaurants, a spa, onsen bathing, and a kids' club, a short drive from Niseko Village and Hirafu.