Men’s stop with super-G, America’s Downhill added to North American tour for coming ski season

THE STATE OF THE SKI INDUSTRY:
NSAA Reports Record Visitation in the 2021-22 Season

LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) reported record visitation at U.S. ski areas for the 2021-22 season, a total of 61 million skier visits.

The Indy Pass announced today that its primary pass will be rebranded as the Indy Base Pass, and will provide two days at each resort subject to a reduced number of blackout days at 27 resorts. The Indy+ Pass will remain unrestricted at all resorts.

Eighty of 81 resorts from last season return to join three new unrestricted downhill resorts: Ski Bluewood-WA, Kelly Canyon-ID, Ski Sawmill-PA, and two cross country resorts: Rikert Nordic Center-VT and Enchanted Forest XC-NM. Ski Marmot Basin, AB is not renewing.

"We are thrilled to welcome five new resorts from some of our strongest regions, said founder Doug Fish. By adding density in the Pacific Northwest, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, Indy pass holders have even more uncrowded and affordable skiing and riding options. We're also thrilled to welcome our first resort in New Mexico."

Kelly Canyon Resort - Ririe, ID
Located in the Targhee National Forest, Kelly Canyon features 1200 vertical feet and four chair lifts to go with 200 inches of fluffy Rocky Mountain powder. The resort is family-focused and adds incredible value for locals and travelers who can sample five other Indy resorts within a three-hour drive.

Ski Bluewood - Dayton, WA
Explore nearly 400 acres and 1100 vertical feet of lift-served terrain at the second-highest base elevation in Washington. Enjoy 24 trails, three terrain parks, best-in-class tree skiing, and snow-cat-accessible powder runs. You'll also find multiple dining options including a grill, coffee bar, pub, and a yurt at the summit. 

Ski Sawmill - Morris, PA
Ski Sawmill is a family-run resort in north-central PA with five lifts, tubing, a terrain park, and night skiing, plus onsite lodging with jacuzzi rooms. The area features 550 acres and nearly 100% snowmaking across its 13 trails. Ski Sawmill is less than three hours from five other Indy resorts in Pennsylvania and Western New York.

Rikert Nordic Center - Ripton, VT
Explore more than 55 km of terrain perfect for skate and classic skiing, snowshoeing, and fat-biking at Rikert Nordic Center. Located in the heart of the Green Mountains, just 20 minutes from Middlebury, Rikert has picturesque trails featuring forest, farm fields, stone walls, and even Robert Frost’s summer cabin. Enjoy trails that have trained national champions and generations of family skiers.

Enchanted Forest XC - Red River, NM
Enchanted Forest is New Mexico’s premier destination for cross-country skiing. With 33 km of trails, 15 km of snowshoe trails, and 5 km of “dog-friendly” trails, this charming area also has great access to miles of backcountry terrain. Enchanted Forest has a rich history of bringing skiing to New Mexico dating back to 1970 and continues to offer great conditions and varied trails for all cross country skiers.

Fewer Blackouts Simplified into Four Periods

Total blackout days on the Indy Base Pass have actually been reduced by 7% compared to last season. All blackouts have also been consolidated into four intuitive periods.

• December 24 - January 2 (21 Resorts)
• January 14-16 and February 18-20 (23 Resorts)
• Saturdays: December 24 - March 11 (11 Resorts)
• Sundays: December 25 - March 12 (5 Resorts)

For a complete list of resorts and their corresponding blackout days please visit: 

Indy Pass 22/23 Blackout Dates by Resort

"We decided to rebrand the Indy Base Pass to help distinguish it from our unrestricted, premium Indy+ Pass, said founder, Doug Fish. All of our regions enjoy 100+ days per season and with our growing list of 92 resorts, Indy Base Pass holders have numerous opportunities to enjoy uncrowded slopes using the lowest-priced pass on the planet."

21/22 vs. 22/23 Blackout Comparisons

Dropped All Blackouts (16 days each)

• Saddleback Mountain, Blacktail Mountain, Sundown Mountain
• Added Blackouts (# of blackout days added)
• Berkshire East (6), Catamount (6), Eaglecrest Ski Area (10), Pats Peak (16) Suicide Six (6)

Still NO Blackouts

• Jay Peak, Bolton Valley, Tamarack Resort, Spirit Mountain, plus 59 more.

ALERT: Next Indy price increase could hit $50

In order to maintain our uncrowded slopes and lodges and provide a minimum per-visit payout for our partner resorts, Indy Pass prices will increase by $20 to $50 depending on the volume of total early-bird sales through May 17th. New pricing will be announced on May 18th.

The Indy Pass is adding cross country skiing to its resort lineup for the 2022-23 ski, snowboard, and cross country ski season.

Bristol Mountain and U.S. Ski & Snowboard are excited to announce that the Toyota 2022 U.S. Aerials Freestyle Championships have been rescheduled to Sunday, March 13, 2022. Four Olympic Medalists are planning to compete in the event including three Olympic Gold Medalists Chris Lillis (former Bristol Mountain Freestyle Team Member), Ashley Caldwell, and Justin Schoenefeld and Olympic Bronze Medalist Megan Nick. The event was rescheduled to accommodate athlete schedules. 

We know there’s nothing better than a week spent slopeside. But there’s no denying that actually getting to the mountain (and returning home) is the worst part of any ski vacation.

Shaun White arrived at Mammoth Mountain hoping to lock in a spot on his fifth Olympic team. The snowboarding superstar left it with his ankle hurting and work still left to do.

Encore Renewable Energy and Bromley Mountain Ski Resort announced the completion of a 615kWdc solar project on land owned by Bromley Mountain in Peru, Vermont. The new project, jointly developed by Encore and Tangent Energy Solutions, will generate clean, locally generated solar power and help Bromley reach their sustainability goals. The energized solar array will generate enough electricity to power 70 average households per year and offset the emissions of 120 passenger vehicles annually. 

The Kancamagus 8, the most technologically advanced chairlift in the eastern United States has debuted at Loon Mountain Resort.

Lutsen Mountains, the largest ski resort in the Midwest, is in the final stage of a seven-year application and review process seeking approval of a Special Use Permit with Superior National Forest to allow ski area expansion on adjacent Forest Service land. Designed to improve the overall skier experience at Lutsen Mountains, the project will significantly increase the amount of skiable terrain, expand the terrain variety available to skiers and snowboarders of all levels, and offer new and improved experiences for resort guests. 

You could say Winter Park Resort’s excitement level is off the charts because for the third time USA Today readers named the ski resort the best in North America. Winter Park beat out 19 other nominated North American resorts for the coveted title.

Brundage Mountain Resort is excited to share early details of a cohesive new plan for future improvements at the independently owned McCall, Idaho ski resort.

After several dry seasons, many Lake Tahoe ski resorts rejoiced when they were hit with early snow that kicked off the ski season in October.

Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America and part of POWDR, announced the entertainment lineup for the 2021 HomeLight Killington Cup. Taking place November 27 and November 28, the return of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup will bring the fastest women’s technical alpine skiers in the world ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics together with music, events, camaraderie and more. Tickets to the HomeLight Killington Cup are available at www.killington.com/worldcup.  

Following the challenging winter of 2020-2021 when ski areas implemented measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic - including limited seating capacity on chairlifts - this season's outdoor operations will look much like they did prior to the pandemic. Ski areas plan to return to full chair lift capacity for 2021-2022.

Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, and part of POWDR, will kick off the 2021-22 winter season at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 5, 2021, becoming the first Eastern resort to open for skiing and snowboarding.  

Thanks to more than three feet of snow, California's Mammoth Mountain and Palisades Tahoe will open for the season on Friday, Oct. 29.

As temperatures begin to shift, Ski California resorts are gearing up for the 2021-22 winter season with investments in infrastructure, facilities improvements, and technology that will continue to allow for fast, contactless lift access, reservations and payment, and high-quality experiences.

Boyne Resorts has announced its purchase of Shawnee Peak ski resort located in Bridgton, Maine.  Adding to the company’s portfolio of eleven North American resorts and attractions, Shawnee Peak joins Sugarloaf and Sunday River in Maine and Loon Mountain Resort in New Hampshire as its fourth resort in New England.  

Autumn in Vermont is hard to beat. Fall foliage, brewfests and flannels make for the quintessential New England experience. Many of Vermont's ski areas will be hosting brewfests and Octoberfests as well as providing scenic chairlift rides for leaf peeping.