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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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Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.