Mountain Capital Partners Plans Takeover of Chile’s Andacor Family Owned Ski Company, Expanding Footprint Across Andes Mountain Capital Partners (MCP), the largest ski area operator in the U.S. Southwest and current operator of Valle Nevado and La Parva in Chile, has announced plans to acquire a controlling stake in Andacor S.A., a family-owned company that operates four ski areas across central and southern Chile. The proposed acquisition, announced July 2, remains subject to customary corporate and […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | July 3, 2025 0 Comments
Dozens Airlifted After Thunderstorm Triggers Massive Landslides in Austrian Alps View this post on Instagram A post shared by MeinBezirk Tirol (@meinbezirk.tirol) Emergency crews airlifted dozens of people to safety late Monday after a powerful thunderstorm triggered multiple landslides in the Tyrolean communities of Gschnitz and Neustift im Stubaital, local authorities confirmed. The severe storm, which brought intense rainfall and hail to the district of Innsbruck-Land, caused several Murenabgänge—a German […] Martin Kuprianowicz | July 3, 2025 0 Comments
Wild Lotus Yoga Festival to Debut at Palisades Tahoe, CA, July 11–13 The Wild Lotus Yoga Festival is making its Palisades Tahoe debut next weekend, bringing three days of movement, meditation, music, and community to the Sierra. Set for July 11-13, the event aims to connect attendees with nature and one another through a wide range of wellness offerings. Held in Olympic Valley, the gathering marks the second annual Wild Lotus event […] Martin Kuprianowicz | July 3, 2025 0 Comments
German Olympic Cross-Country Skiing Champion Faces Doping Investigation Over Military-Issued Medication Victoria Carl, a two-time Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing, is under investigation after testing positive for clenbuterol, a banned anabolic substance. The positive test, confirmed by Germany’s ski federation, was collected during an out-of-competition doping control while Carl was competing in the Winter Military World Games earlier this year. Carl, who won gold in the team sprint and silver in […] Olympics Martin Kuprianowicz | June 30, 2025 0 Comments
Human Remains Found in Blatten, Switzerland, Following Massive Glacier Collapse Last Month [UPDATED Friday, June 27, at 6:07 pm European Central Time] Human remains were discovered Friday in the debris field above the village of Blatten, more than three weeks after a devastating glacier collapse buried large parts of the valley in rock, ice and mud. According to a press release from the Valais Cantonal Police, the remains were recovered during a […] Martin Kuprianowicz | June 27, 2025 0 Comments
Public Urged to Help Protect 58 Million Acres of National Forest as Trump Administration Moves to Repeal Roadless Rule More than 50 million acres of protected U.S. forestlands could face new threats as the Trump administration moves to eliminate longstanding environmental safeguards. On June 23, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the administration intends to rescind the Forest Service Roadless Rule, a federal policy that has safeguarded vast swaths of national forestland from new road construction, logging, […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | June 26, 2025 0 Comments
2 Survivors Wearing Life Jackets Escape Lake Tahoe Boat Tragedy That Killed 6 Six people are confirmed dead, two remain missing, and two others were hospitalized after a boat capsized in rough waters on Lake Tahoe Saturday evening, with authorities confirming the only survivors were wearing life jackets. Emergency crews responded around 5 p.m. on June 21 after the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office received reports of an overturned boat carrying 10 people […] Martin Kuprianowicz | June 26, 2025 0 Comments
19 People and Dog Rescued After Being Trapped for Hours in Austrian Cable Car Damaged During Storm 19 people and a dog were rescued unharmed Monday evening after spending more than four hours trapped in a gondola suspended high above the ground during a summer storm in western Austria. The passengers were riding the Karrenseilbahn, a popular cable car in the state of Vorarlberg, when severe winds struck the area around 3:00 p.m. local time, pushing two […] Martin Kuprianowicz | June 25, 2025 0 Comments
Trump Administration Rescinds Roadless Rule, Raising Questions for Backcountry Skiing and Forest Access The Trump administration has rescinded the 2001 Roadless Rule, a move that could reshape how 58.5 million acres of national forestland are accessed, managed and developed—with direct implications for the ski industry and backcountry users. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that it will lift the two-decade-old protections, describing the rule as overly restrictive and outdated. The Roadless Rule […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | June 24, 2025 0 Comments
French Alpinist Vivian Bruchez Becomes First to Climb and Ski All 82 of the Alps’ 4,000-Meter Peaks French mountain guide and ski mountaineer Vivian Bruchez has become the first person to climb and ski all 82 summits over 4,000 meters (13,00 feet) in the Alps—a feat that has taken more than two decades, dozens of partners, and an unwavering commitment to both athleticism and alpine ethics. On June 20, Bruchez summited Pointe Marguerite (4,065 meters, 13,337 feet) […] Climbing Martin Kuprianowicz | June 24, 2025 0 Comments
Sugar Bowl Resort, CA, Launches $100 Million Improvement Plan, Largest in Resort’s History Sugar Bowl Resort, one of California’s oldest ski areas, has launched a $100 million infrastructure upgrade, the largest investment in its 86-year history, according to an announcement by the resort this week. The improvements include a complete renovation of the Village Lodge, replacement of the resort’s original gondola, a reimagined day lodge experience, and expanded culinary offerings—all part of a […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | June 19, 2025 0 Comments
Big White Ski Resort, BC, Announces $9.4M Infrastructure Investment for 2025-26 Season Big White Ski Resort will invest $9.4 million in infrastructure improvements ahead of the 2025 winter season, with upgrades aimed at enhancing sustainability, expanding guest services, and modernizing key lift systems. The resort announced the investment Thursday, June 11, calling it a strategic step in its long-term development plan. The focus for this summer includes expanding power and fiber infrastructure […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | June 18, 2025 0 Comments
Historic Beaver Village Lodge Demolished in Winter Park, CO, to Make Way for New Development The historic Beaver Village Lodge, a longtime landmark at the eastern entrance to Winter Park, was demolished last week after standing for more than eight decades. Demolition began June 11 to clear space for a new community clubhouse that will serve as part of the Roam housing development, according to the resort. Known to locals simply as “Beaver’s,” the lodge […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | June 18, 2025 0 Comments
Landslide Closes U.S. Highway 6 Indefinitely Over Loveland Pass, CO A landslide has forced the closure of U.S. Highway 6 between Loveland Ski Area and Arapahoe Basin, a high-alpine route popular with travelers and recreationists in Colorado’s central Rockies. The Colorado Department of Transportation closed the road early Sunday morning around 5:30 a.m. after a section of mountain slope gave way near mile marker 226 on Loveland Pass. The debris […] Martin Kuprianowicz | June 17, 2025 0 Comments
National Weather Service Issues First-Ever Heat Advisory in Alaska For the first time in state history, the National Weather Service has issued an official heat advisory for Alaska, signaling a shift in how hot weather is communicated to residents in one of the nation’s coldest regions. The advisory, issued for the Fairbanks area, is in effect for Sunday, when temperatures are expected to climb above 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 […] Weather Martin Kuprianowicz | June 16, 2025 2 Comments
Veteran Mountain Guide Becomes First Person to Summit Mount Rainier, WA, 600 Times in New World Record Mountain guide Brent Okita reached the summit of Mount Rainier for the 600th time on Friday, setting a new world record for the most ascents of Washington’s highest peak, according to RMI Expeditions. At 64 years old, Okita is now the only person known to have climbed the 14,410-foot mountain that many times. A professional guide since 1986, he completed […] Climbing Martin Kuprianowicz | June 16, 2025 0 Comments
7 Ways to Up Your Game as a Resort Skier Resort skiing is awesome, no matter how you look at it. Chairlifts that float you up the mountainside, hot laps with friends, ski patrol doing all the work so you don’t have to worry about avalanches—skiing inbounds is a vibe, and if you’re like me, you might do it a lot. But if you’re also like me, then you’re constantly […] Brains Martin Kuprianowicz | June 15, 2025 6 Comments
Beartooth Basin Ski Area, MT, to Wrap Up Season This Sunday, June 15 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beartooth Basin Ski Area (@beartoothbasin) One of North America’s most unique summer ski areas is preparing to call it a season. Beartooth Basin Ski Area, perched at 10,900 feet on the Montana-Wyoming border, will close for the year this Sunday, June 15. The high-elevation, lift-served ski area has been spinning chairs […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | June 13, 2025 0 Comments
Facing Housing Crisis, Lake Tahoe Regional Housing Survey Deadline Extended to June 30 to Capture Urgent Community Input In an effort to better understand and address housing challenges across the greater Lake Tahoe region, the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) have extended the deadline for their regional housing needs survey to June 30, 2025. The online survey, available in English and Spanish, is part of an updated housing needs assessment that […] Martin Kuprianowicz | June 12, 2025 0 Comments
Aviation Report: Pilot Lacked Key Training and Lead Ski Guide Had Elevated Cocaine Levels in Fatal Alaska Helicopter Crash That Killed 5, Including Czech Billionaire On March 27, 2021, under the bright, deceptive calm of a blue sky, an AStar helicopter carrying six people—three Czech nationals, two American guides, and a pilot—lifted off from Wasilla Lake, heading for the remote, untouched powder of Alaska’s Chugach Mountains. It never returned. By the end of the day, Petr Kellner, Czechia’s richest man, was dead. So were four others. […] Deep Dive Martin Kuprianowicz | June 11, 2025 0 Comments