Shaydar Edelmann Is the New Vail Mountain COO and He Comes With 25 Years of Credentials Vail Mountain has announced a major leadership change at the COO level. Beth Howard, Vice President and Vail Mountain COO since 2019, is retiring after a 41-year career that helped define the modern ski and hospitality experience across Vail Resorts‘ flagship mountains. Shaydar Edelmann has been named her successor, appointed Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. The announcement marks a […] Industry News SnowBrains | April 8, 2026 0 Comments
Rob Katz Buys $5 million in Vail Stock on Monday with No Plan to Fix Reputation Issues It is no secret that Vail Resorts’ stock price has been struggling for years. After peaking in November 2021, the stock price is now worth roughly a third of what it was after a relentless five-year decline. Vail Daily reported that Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz recently purchased roughly $5 million in Vail Resorts stock, bringing his holdings to almost […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | March 19, 2026 0 Comments
How The Epic Pass Changed Skiing: A Data Driven History of Vail Resorts Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts, recently gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal where he discussed Vail’s strategic shift from day tickets to season pass revenues, and the subsequent rise in ticket prices and crowding across Vail’s wide collection of ski resorts. The story of the megapass revolution has been told several times over, but details remain murky […] Brains Zach Armstrong | March 13, 2026 2 Comments
Western Ski Resort’s Struggles Continue as Vail Mountain, CO, Records Lowest Snowpack in 47 Years Vail Mountain has recorded its lowest snowpack in 47 years, with just 67 inches of snow so far this season. It has been a tough season so far for many resorts located in the Rockies and out West. “We experienced one of the worst early-season snowfalls in the Western U.S. in over 30 years,” Rob Katz, Chief Executive Officer, said […] Industry News Gregg Frantz | January 19, 2026 1 Comment
Vail Resorts Hit Hard by Historic Snow Drought: Skier Visits Plunge 20% Vail Resorts Inc. reported a sharp decline in early-season skier visits across its North American resorts, as historically poor snowfall in the western United States limited terrain openings and weighed on visitation and ancillary spending. Vail Resorts released its early-season metrics on January 15, which include data from the start of the ski season through January 4, 2026. According to […] Industry News Press Release | January 15, 2026 2 Comments
The Top 10 Longest Ski Runs in North America If you are in the market for long and leisurely cruisers, check out some of these runs known for their extreme length and stately views at resorts throughout the North American West. These mostly groomed beginner or intermediate cruisers are known purely for their significant length, testing the endurance of most skiers and riders. Traversing across multiple mountain areas and […] Brains Luke W. Smith | December 22, 2025 6 Comments
Top 8 Most Expensive Lift Ticket Prices this Holiday Season in North America The holiday season is upon us. This is the time of year when individuals and families plan their big trips to their favorite resorts. It is also the time of year we usually see resorts fully opening all available inbounds terrain. However, with irregular snowfall totals for some of the usual heavy-hitters, this year is different. While some legendary resorts […] Industry News Greg Wedow | December 19, 2025 0 Comments
Vail Mountain, CO, Ranked Most Climate-Resistant Ski Resort in the World Climate Change is widely considered the most significant threat facing the ski industry. This winter is already highlighting the disruptive nature of changing weather patterns. Some western resorts have pushed back opening dates, while the East Coast is experiencing a banner start to the season. Related: Arizona Snowbowl Has Defied the Season with a Blockbuster 57 Inches of Snow While the […] Climate Greg Wedow | December 3, 2025 0 Comments
SnowBrains Forecast: 2 Storms Will Dump Up to 15” of Snow on Colorado Resorts on Thanksgiving Weekend Source: maps.weatherbell.com The Rocky Mountains have received well below-normal snowfall so far this season, and Colorado is no exception. The snowpack across the Northern half of the state is currently at about 25% of normal, while the Southern half of the state is performing only slightly better, at about 65% of normal. The snowpack has suffered as a result of both […] Weather WeatherBrains | November 27, 2025 0 Comments
Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz Shifts Focus To Day Lift Tickets For 2025-26 Season Amidst reports of slowing Epic Pass sales, Rob Katz, who recently returned to the top job at Vail Resorts, has announced that the company will be focusing more on day ticket pricing this year. With six of their resorts at over $300 per day, many skiers will wonder what “a focus on day ticket prices” exactly means. Related: Why is […] Industry News Zach Armstrong | October 16, 2025 6 Comments
Vail, CO, Hikes Parking Rates to $50 on Peak Days Ahead of 2025–26 Ski Season The town of Vail is adjusting its parking program for the 2025–26 ski season, increasing the maximum daily charge in its parking structures from $40 to $50 on peak days, as reported by Vail Daily. Beginning November 14, visitors will pay $10 per hour for up to five hours, with peak pricing in effect Friday through Sunday and on major […] Industry News Brent Glogau | September 23, 2025 0 Comments
SnowBrains Forecast: Multiple Inches of Snow Incoming for Parts of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming Several inches of snow forecast for the high peaks of the Rockies this weekend. Source: maps.weatherbell.com Fall is right around the corner, and nothing makes that more evident than some high mountain snow over the Rockies. A trough is currently enveloping much of the western United States, and will continue to move west-to-east across the Rockies this weekend. This is […] Weather WeatherBrains | September 12, 2025 0 Comments
The 5 Best Ski Resorts in Colorado for Families Colorado is a favorite for skiers and snowboarders of all ages. In the heart of the Rocky Mountains, it’s known as one of North America’s best destinations for anyone from first-timers to experts. The “Centennial State” has both big mountain resorts and family-friendly ski hills, many of which are only an hour or two from Denver International Airport. Related: The […] Brains SnowBrains | September 7, 2025 0 Comments
Best Ski Towns in North America to Visit if You’re Not Skiing or Snowboarding Ski towns across North America offer a large variety of activities off the slopes. From fine dining and nightlife to spas, festivals, and art galleries, and everything in between, both the U.S. and Canada’s ski towns offer a little something for everyone. Some towns, however, pull well above their weight in off-slope activities year-round. From coast to coast, the continent […] Brains Joseph Kaufmann | August 2, 2025 0 Comments
Summit County Launches Affordable Housing Project for Colorado’s Essential Workers The Town of Frisco, Colorado, is partnering with the National Housing Partnership Foundation (NHPF) on two significant affordable housing projects at 602 Galena Street and 101 West Main Street. These developments are designed to address the severe shortage of housing for essential workers and low and middle-income families in the notoriously expensive area. The project is a direct response to […] Industry News Joseph Kaufmann | July 31, 2025 0 Comments
The Best Places in the U.S. to Ski During the Day and Gamble at Night After a long, action-packed day on the slopes, sometimes a little after-hours action at a casino is just what one needs to keep that adrenaline going. While many people might think of casinos and picture the deserts of Las Vegas, or the ocean beaches of Atlantic City, there are plenty of places you can roll the dice or spin a slot machine […] Brains Joseph Kaufmann | July 11, 2025 0 Comments
Top 7 Most Unexpected Animals Seen on the Slopes Like any outdoor activity humans participle in, from time to time we tend to come in contact with the original inhabitants of the area we choose to make our playground. Many ski resorts are on national forests, and in those dense, often remote areas one can run into some pretty striking wildlife. In fact, Colorado’s White River National Forest is […] Brains Joseph Kaufmann | July 9, 2025 0 Comments
The Income Needed to Own a Home in Top U.S. Cities Close to Skiing Skiing and affordable are two words that aren’t generally used in the same sentence. While ski towns across the U.S. are famously expensive, such as Aspen, Colorado, and Park City, Utah, these types of towns generally don’t offer the same career opportunities that larger metro areas do. As a result, many professionals prefer to move to larger cities that offer […] Brains Joseph Kaufmann | June 9, 2025 1 Comment
Vail Resorts Q3 2025 Results: Higher Pass Pricing Leads to Increased Lift Revenue Despite Dip in Skier Visits Vail Resorts posted its fiscal third-quarter 2025 financials yesterday, reporting a solid financial performance despite a dip in skier visits across its North American resorts. The company’s mix of mountain businesses and careful spending helped offset the drop in visitors, as the ski industry adjusts to new trends in travel and recreation. The results come just a week after a […] Industry News SnowBrains | June 6, 2025 0 Comments
The 9 Most Expensive Daily Lift Tickets in the USA Last Season Three-hundred-dollars. 300 big ones. A week’s pay or more for many full-time laborers in America—workers in the very same ski towns that charge these exorbitant prices for a day lift ticket. How do these honest people afford to go skiing? Or do they? Related: Understanding Dynamic Pricing in the Ski Industry It’s happening; daily ski ticket prices are reaching unprecedented […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | May 12, 2025 30 Comments
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