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Vail Resorts Counts the Cost of a Thin Winter as Pass Sales Slide Further
A historically poor western winter cut Vail Resorts' annual net income from $280 million to $147.5 million and skier visits by 13.4 per cent. Now 2026-27 pass units are down 12 per cent as of 18 September, worse than the 10 per cent flagged in spring. Vail blames the weather and thinks some buyers are simply waiting, and it forecasts a rebound if the snow behaves.
Michael Fulton
Why a Lift Ticket Costs $356 at Vail and €76 in Austria - And Almost Nobody Pays the American Price
A lift ticket at Vail hit $356 US this season. In Austria, a day at Kitzbühel still costs around €76. At Perisher, which Vail bought in 2015, the window rate has roughly doubled against inflation in a decade - while just across the Tasman, where Vail owns nothing, prices stayed put. Same sport, same snow, wildly different outcomes depending on who owns the lift. We went through the SEC filings, the court records and the pass math to work out why. Full breakdown below, video included.
Michael Fulton
Vail Resorts Hires Defence Bankers as Billionaire Pushes to Buy Park City Mountain Resort
Vail Resorts has quietly engaged takeover-defence bankers to assess its vulnerabilities, as pressure builds from multiple directions - a rough winter, union tensions, and a persistent billionaire who wants to buy Park City Mountain Resort. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince has gone public with a $500 million offer and says activist investors are calling him. Vail's CEO isn't selling.
Michael Fulton
Vail Resorts Q3 Fiscal 2026: Bad Winter Out West Hits Revenue as Pass Sales Fall 10%
Vail Resorts has reported its Q3 fiscal 2026 results, and the numbers reflect what anyone skiing the Rockies this past winter already suspected - it was rough. Net income fell from $389.7M to $314.4M, visitation dropped 15%, and early pass sales for 2026/27 are down approximately 10%. The one bright spot? Epic Australia Pass sales are up 26% in units and 31% in revenue. Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham head into the southern hemisphere season with real momentum behind them.
Michael Fulton
Vail Resorts Backs Down on New Hampshire Sales Tax After State Investigation
Vail Resorts has created tax-free pass options for New Hampshire residents after the state attorney general launched an investigation into sales tax charges in a state with no sales tax. The company now offers New Hampshire-only passes without tax, though its flagship Epic Pass products remain excluded from the arrangement.
Michael Fulton
Vail Resorts Reports 25% Drop in Rocky Mountain Skier Visits
Vail Resorts has disclosed a 25% decline in skier visits across its Rocky Mountain properties through April 2026, attributing the drop to historically poor snow conditions. The company's North American portfolio saw visits fall 15% overall, with several resorts closing weeks ahead of schedule.
Michael Fulton
Vail Resorts Closes Crans-Montana Early Despite Great Snow, Drawing Anger From Swiss Locals
Vail Resorts has shut down Crans-Montana's 2024-25 ski season on Easter Monday despite strong snow conditions, sparking a backlash from local businesses, ski schools, and residents. A Change.org petition gathered over 1,200 signatures calling for an extension, but the American operator stuck to its scheduled closing date. Other resorts in the same Swiss canton are staying open - some for weeks longer - adding fuel to growing frustration with Vail's management since acquiring the resort in 2024.
Michael Fulton
Vail Mountain Names Shaydar Edelmann as New COO After Beth Howard's 41-Year Career
Vail Mountain has announced a leadership change at the top, with Beth Howard retiring after 41 years and Shaydar Edelmann stepping in as the new Chief Operating Officer. Howard's career shaped much of what Vail Resorts looks like today - from signature dining to major lift upgrades. Edelmann arrives with 25 years in the snow sports industry, most recently running Heavenly Mountain Resort, and a CV that stretches across California and back to New Zealand.
Michael Fulton
Vail Resorts Reports Mixed Results for 2024-25 Ski Season
Vail Resorts has reported a decrease in skier visits but an increase in revenue for the 2024-25 winter season, highlighting the strength of their season pass program amidst changing visitation patterns.
Michael Fulton
Park City Ski Patrol Strike Hitting Vail Resorts Where It Hurts
The ongoing ski patrol strike at Park City Mountain Resort has created significant operational challenges for Vail Resorts during peak season. With patrollers demanding higher wages and only 50 of 350 trails initially open, this labor dispute highlights broader challenges facing one of North America's largest ski resort operators.
Michael Fulton
Park City Ski Patrol Strike Disrupts Operations at Vail's Largest Resort
The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association's strike has entered its fifth day, severely impacting operations at Park City Mountain Resort. With approximately 200 patrol members striking for better wages and benefits, Vail Resorts faces mounting pressure as limited terrain access and long lift lines frustrate guests.
Michael Fulton
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More from the SnowStash desk
Four Dead After Avalanche Near Ski Portillo in Chile
A large avalanche struck near Laguna del Inca adjacent to Ski Portillo on Saturday afternoon, killing four people and injuring four others. The group were day visitors mountaineering in the backcountry after reportedly being warned about elevated avalanche risk by resort staff.
18 Oct 2026
Europe Ski Resorts Open Now: What Is Skiable in Mid-October 2026
Europe’s ski season is open, technically. After a record-warm summer, glaciers in Austria, Switzerland and Italy are running a few pistes apiece, Sölden, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn started late, Titlis has pushed back to 24 October, and Zermatt reopens a few lifts on 14 October after more than two months shut. Finland’s Levi and Ruka are skiing on stored snow. Here is what is open, and what you actually get at each.
14 Oct 2026
Zermatt Plans World Cup Downhill Return on the Gornergrat for 2028
Zermatt is having another crack at a World Cup downhill, and this time nobody has to cross a border. Around 13 million Swiss francs is going into rebuilding the Gornergrat piste, including a jump fed by a roughly 300-metre in-run across the roof of the Gornergrat Railway gallery, with the Matterhorn lined up behind it for the TV cameras. First men’s race is pencilled in for March 2028, pending FIS homologation.
14 Oct 2026
Mt. Rose Begins Snowmaking for the 2026-27 Season at Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation is paying off early: Mt. Rose has started making snow for 2026-27 after the first flurries and a cold snap. The Nevada resort is backing it with nearly US$2 million in upgrades, including a replacement snowmaking main line, a new PistenBully groomer and restraint bars on every lift. Opening day is yet to be confirmed, though Heavenly and Northstar are already eyeing 20 November.
13 Oct 2026
Utah Ski Resorts 2026-27: What’s New at Alta, Deer Valley, Powder Mountain and More
Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.
13 Oct 2026
Mt Hutt Invests NZ$12 Million in Base Area, Tripling Its Sun Deck
Mt Hutt is getting busier, and its base lodge is about to catch up. NZ$12 million goes into a heated sun deck roughly three times the current size (430 m² to 1,300 m²), plus a new toilet block, heated steps down to snow level, extra storage and a new food and beverage outlet. Building starts after the 2026 season, with everything due for winter 2027.
11 Oct 2026
Vermont Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Few Dates Set, Killington Waits on the Cold
Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.
9 Oct 2026
Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships President Resigns Ahead of Fraud Hearing
Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.
9 Oct 2026