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Latest in Montana
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.
Bridger Bowl Compensates Staff After Early Season Closure
Bridger Bowl's early season closure due to low snowfall impacted hundreds of workers. The resort's board approved extra payouts to compensate, a rare move in the ski industry.
Delta Adds Year-Round Austin to Bozeman Service From Winter 2026-27
Delta Airlines will extend its Austin to Bozeman route to year-round service from late 2026, providing direct access to Big Sky and Bridger Bowl during the ski season. The move is part of Delta's push to establish a stronger presence in the Texas market against competing airline hubs.
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.
Pacific Northwest Ski Resorts Just Got Buried — March 2026 Snow Report
Washington's ski resorts have just received a serious dump, with several areas recording over 50cm of fresh snow in a single 24-hour period. Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie, and White Pass are all showing big numbers, and the broader Pacific Northwest — including Oregon and Montana — has copped a solid hit too. Here's what the data is showing right now.
Boyne Resorts' 2025-26 Plans: Upgrades or Marketing Spin?
Boyne Resorts has announced various projects across its North American ski areas for 2025-26, but are they truly enhancing the guest experience or just keeping up with industry trends?
Big Sky's Kircliff: Glass Summit Experience Raises Questions
Big Sky Resort announces Kircliff, a glass observatory atop Lone Peak. While impressive, this latest development prompts scrutiny of the resort's priorities and environmental impact.
Boyne Resorts Unveils New Season Pass Options for 2025-26
Boyne Resorts introduces two new season pass options for the 2025-26 winter season, offering unlimited access across all their North American ski resorts.
Big Sky Resort Raises $162,600 for Local Nonprofits Through Chair Sale
Big Sky Resort's sale of 125 Explorer 2 chairs raises $162,600 for three local nonprofits, showcasing community support and marking the end of the historic lift's 51-year service.
Whitefish Mountain Resort Nears Record with 497,000 Skier Visits in 2024/2025 Season
Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana reports a successful 2024/2025 season with 497,000 skier visits, approaching their all-time record. The resort credits early snowfall and consistent storms for the strong performance.
Bridger Bowl Ski Area Reveals Ambitious 2025 Master Plan
Montana's Bridger Bowl, America's second-largest non-profit ski area, has unveiled extensive development plans including three new chairlifts, expanded beginner terrain, and enhanced facilities. The proposed 2025 master plan aims to improve accessibility and variety for the growing Bozeman community.
Big Sky Resort Unveils World's Longest Eight-Pack Bubble Chairlift
Big Sky Resort strengthens its position as North America's most advanced lift network with the opening of the Madison 8, the world's longest eight-pack bubble chairlift. This latest addition, replacing the Six Shooter lift, doubles uphill capacity while reducing ride times by 30%.
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More from the SnowStash desk
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.