To address these gaps, the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust has announced a $3.2 million investment to support mental health and substance use services across 11 mountain communities in seven U.S. states. The funding will support 12 primary grantees and 33 subgrantees, with a focus on expanding bilingual and culturally responsive care, strengthening prevention and recovery programs and improving data systems to guide local decision-making.

The initiative builds on nearly a decade of investment from the Katz Amsterdam Foundation (KAF), which has contributed close to $30 million toward community-based programs, including more than $22 million dedicated to mental and behavioral health. This latest round of funding emphasizes a community-driven approach, where local organizations identify priorities and design programs tailored to their populations.

To better understand how the funding will be implemented and measured, SnowOps spoke with Beth Ganz, executive director of the KAF, as well as Kelsey Pietraton, senior director of corporate and employee communications at Vail Resorts.

Supporting mental health in mountain communities

How will KAF track and measure success over time for these grants?

BG: Communities track their own strategic efforts via the KAF shared measurement framework data dashboard, a community level measurement tool tracking community, provider, youth and mortality data over time. The goal of this dashboard is to help communities create and maintain impactful mental and behavioral health systems and programs that best serve their residents.

What role do local community organizations and residents play in shaping how the funds are used? Is this a top-down grant, or community-driven?

BG: KAF uses a community-centric approach to grant making, recognizing that communities know best what is needed to support mental behavioral health of their residents. Each year, communities determine their program priorities and request grant funds based on those priorities.

Will there be efforts to share best practices across the more than 11 communities receiving grants, to replicate effective programs elsewhere?

BG: The KAF network regularly participates in shared learning across all communities. This allows for creative and effective programming ideas to spread to support the mental behavioral health needs of people where they live and work. These shared learning opportunities happen through an annual convening in May, a virtual fall forum, community visits and regular webinars and connections of professionals working on similar challenges.

Beyond treatment, how does KAF plan to support prevention, outreach and long-term resilience in mental health, especially for youth and marginalized groups?

BG: Informed by data, KAF network communities are regularly identifying prevention, intervention and treatment needs as part of their strategic mental behavioral health efforts. KAF is pleased to support these efforts.

Is this $3.2 million donation a one-time grant or part of a continuing commitment? What are the long-term plans for supporting mental and behavioral health in these communities?

BG: Since 2016, KAF has provided nearly $30 million to support mountain resort communities, including over $22 million for mental and behavioral health efforts. We are proud of the relationships that we have developed with our partners and value their unique position in providing and supporting wellness. Our list of partners has grown alongside of our commitment to mental behavioral health.

How does this grant initiative intersect with other efforts by Vail Resorts to support housing, employment, or other social determinants of health in mountain towns?

BG: During the 2023-24 winter season, the most recent season for which we have shared data, Vail Resorts awarded $11.2 million to community non-profits supporting shared priorities such as affordable housing, mental health, accessibility and more.

Does KAF plan to expand into other areas besides mental health and substance use, such as broader social services or civic engagement?

BG: KAF is launching a new catalyst grant program in three communities this summer, focused on social servicesthrough direct grant making. We hope these grants will further support the needs of mountain resort communities.

What message would you like to send to community members, local leaders and stakeholders about equitable access to mental health services?

BG: When we speak about supporting mental behavioral health in mountain resort communities, we truly mean supporting the entire community. It is critical to address the barriers of care that exist because of historic and systemic inequality. We are committed to supporting communities as they strive to achieve health equity and eliminate health disparities – so that everyone can truly thrive.

The post Targeting Mental Health Gaps in Mountain Communities appeared first on SnowOps Magazine.

Any alpine skier is familiar with snowmaking and knows it is vital for resorts and surrounding communities to sell tickets, meals and beverages, fill beds, provide jobs, generate taxes and much more.

Snowmaking is less common at cross-country (XC) areas in the U.S. and Canada, although it is present at roughly 70 sites, with the number increasing each year. The most extensive XC systems are generally at venues hosting World Cup and Olympic races such as Soldier Hollow in Utah, Canmore in Alberta, Mt. Van Hoevenberg in New York and Whistler Olympic Park in British Columbia.

Other Nordic operations have made major investments in snowmaking, including Ariens Nordic, MadNorSki and the Birkebeiner trails in Wisconsin, Forbush Corner in Michigan, Tahoe Donner in California, several private schools and colleges with XC teams in New England and clubs like Caledonia Nordic in British Columbia, Bridger Ski Foundation in Montana and Nakkertok Nordic in Quebec.

Curiously, few XC operations owned by alpine ski areas have added substantial snowmaking.

Evolution of XC snow farming

Once upon a time, snow farming in the XC ski world meant doing what you could to keep whatever falls from the sky. In the early 1970s, when trail design and maintenance practices were still developing, snow farming often involved simple, logical and ongoing measures that required significant time and labor. These generally included routing trails to optimize snowfall, removing protruding rocks, trimming overhanging conifers and cleaning debris from trails after storms.

A few sophisticated venues improved trail surfaces with grass or wood chips and installed snow fencing to capture wind-created drifts that could later be redistributed. Operators also mitigated wet areas where melting and ice were concerns by rerouting trails, installing culverts and adding fill when possible. Bridges were often built with railings and kickboards to prevent snow from bleeding off edges while allowing meltwater to drain away. Encroaching brush was removed and snow was sometimes shoveled directly onto the trails.

Grooming crews also learned the value of packing and “age-hardening” snow through machine-grooming it from the moment it fell. In the West, the drought winter of 1976–77 and another miserable season in 1980–81 made the industry more conscious of weather vulnerability. By then, Eastern and Midwestern operations in the U.S. and Canada understood once-predictable winters would be interspersed with periods of melt.

XC snowmaking

Over the years, XC snow-saving technology has evolved to include man-made snow. The earliest snowmaking Wiesel recalls was Weston Ski Track in the mid-1970s (they are still going strong), on a golf course near Boston.

There were some additional areas, but Nordic snowmaking has become relatively frequent only in the past dozen years or so. Olympic sites seem to be the primary exception, with Canmore Nordic Centre probably the earliest, around 1988, and Soldier Hollow in 2002.

Several of these sites include professionally designed trails with snowmaking. Trail planner John Morton of Morton Trails in Vermont has often combined the two. Some of Morton’s projects are Ariens Nordic, Rikert Ski Touring Center (Middlebury College), Vt., Dartmouth College in Oak Hill, N.H., Dublin School, N.H., and Kents Hill School, Maine. Snowmaking companies increasingly see XC as a significant, if smaller-than-alpine market.

The next step: Keeping what you get

The basic principle is that when there’s enough snow (preferably man-made because of its density/longevity), the priority is to coddle it. Rain, sunshine, warm temperatures and especially wind can wreak havoc on piles of snow that could otherwise prolong the ski season.

Roughly 20 years ago, XC operators in Europe – especially those involved with early-season high-level races – started using wood chips and sawdust to preserve snow throughout the summer. This often meant that you could open some trails when your neighbors were still sighing about the weather. Craftsbury Nordic in Vermont, Canmore Nordic Centre in Alberta and Whistler Olympic Park in British Columbia have used wood products to protect piled man-made snow between closing in the spring and opening in the fall.

The three goals of starting operations on an early, predicted date are hosting events, providing on-snow training opportunities for individuals and teams, and drawing recreational skiers. This timing can be vital to both ski operations and their local economies.

Most International Ski and Snowboard Federation and International Biathlon Union XC race venues already use wood chips and/or sawdust. Chips a couple of feet deep insulate very well (summer loss is as little as 12%), but they have several drawbacks – rising cost, limited longevity, disposal, dust and debris rising to the surface, separation from snow in the fall, acidifying soil, leaching runoff, etc.

A Finnish company, Snow Secure, has developed white extruded polystyrene blankets that are now used in Europe for both alpine and XC skiing and that have been heralded for their resilience and sustainability. Snow Secure is being introduced to XC areas in both the U.S. and Canada, with Soldier Hollow in Utah as the first to try it out. Currently, they are working with four alpine resorts in North America, including Sun Peaks in British Columbia and Bogus Basin in Idaho.

Shapes for snow piles are tailored to the site. Ideally, the snow piles are made when temperatures are coldest in winter, providing dramatic savings in water and energy use compared to snowmaking in the fall, which is packed into layers and covered with foam mats. At the XC World Cup venue Ruka in Finland, there are three piles configured like bread loaves, each about the size of a football field – around 220 feet by 110 feet by 25 feet high and formidable looking. That’s about 14,000 cubic meters of snow when produced in the winter.

It generally becomes much denser while stored, approximately 10,000 cubic meters, by the time it’s uncovered in autumn. When spread out in the fall, this can translate into roughly three kilometers of trails covered by one foot of snow by 20 feet wide. These synthetics provide effective insulation even at temperatures as warm as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, even in venues such as Ruka Ski Resort in Finland that have perpetual summer daylight.

Their stored snow is good quality for spreading, grooming and skiing, although the system is not quite as efficient as wood chips for preserving snow. The materials are durable and long-lived (more than a decade). Installation and uncovering the snow is swift and simple, then it’s spread. Unlike wood products, the materials can be collected and routed to recycling or energy recovery.

The future of snow storage

Complexities include cost, finding a convenient summer location for the piled snow and winter storage of the insulating materials. But the word is getting out that there’s an option to losing vital parts of early-season operations. In the next few years, there might be at least a half-dozen more North American XC areas – more and sooner for alpine resorts – that adopt snow storage as a case of “can’t live without it.”

This article was originally published on Jan. 19, 2026 at SeniorsSkiing.com and is reprinted here with permission.

The post First You Make It, Then You Save It appeared first on SnowOps Magazine.

Ski resorts operate in environments where terrain conditions change constantly – from early-season soft ground and thin snow cover to spring melt and summer trail work. In these situations, maintaining access roads, service routes and ski trails can be difficult when conventional graders equipped with pneumatic tires struggle to maintain traction or begin to sink into soft ground.

Mattracks has introduced a breakthrough solution that redefines what road graders can accomplish: the TD300 Tandem Drive heavy-duty rubber track conversion system engineered specifically for road graders operating where tires fail and steel tracks fall short.

Designed for soft, sandy and unstable terrain, the TD300 Tandem Drive grader track system enables full grading capability in environments where wheeled machines typically stall. With a current gross vehicle weight rating of 30,000 pounds (lbs). and engineering capability extending beyond 40,000 lbs for larger platforms, the system opens new operational territory for construction, infrastructure, energy, mining and military support operations.

The TD300 could help address ski areas’ challenges by increasing the grader’s ground contact area and improving flotation on loose or unstable surfaces.

Built because the job couldn’t wait

The TD300 system was developed in response to a real-world challenge. A customer approached Mattracks needing to grade sandy desert terrain where pneumatic tires repeatedly sank, stalled production and compromised surface quality. No viable off-the-shelf solution existed.

Rather than avoid the application, Mattracks engineered one. The result is the TD300 Tandem Drive rubber track conversion, built for road graders, adapting proven industrial track technology to a machine category few manufacturers have attempted.

A Tandem Drive track system engineered differently, on purpose

Unlike conventional track designs, the TD300 Tandem Drive system uses a floating bearing, hub-mounted drive architecture, a configuration rarely used in track systems and not previously applied at this scale for graders.

This design:

• Drives the track from a single axle, eliminating torsional stress and track folding
• Distributes load across both drive axles for improved stability and balance
• Maintains a true hub-mounted, plug-and-play installation
• Preserves grader geometry while dramatically increasing ground contact area

“For grading, flotation and consistency matter more than obstacle clearance,” said Jon Vacura, engineer at Mattracks. “The goal isn’t climbing, it’s staying level, maintaining traction and producing a uniform surface. Increasing the footprint directly supports that.”

Smoother grading by eliminating tire bounce

Beyond flotation and traction, the TD300 addresses another long-standing challenge in grading operations: surface inconsistency caused by pneumatic tire bounce that results in a washboard road. The very condition a grader is designed to eliminate.

Pneumatic tires react to surface depressions by compressing and rebounding. This repeated compression introduces oscillation into the machine, which transfers directly to the blade. The result is uneven grading, reduced surface quality and operators being forced to slow down to maintain acceptable results, ultimately impacting productivity.

Rubber tracks, by contrast, span surface depressions rather than dropping into them. This allows the grader to maintain a more consistent ride height, delivering smoother blade control and a more uniform finished surface.

“In grading, the machine is actively flattening the surface,” said Vacura. “Tracks span depressions instead of reacting to them, which helps maintain a consistent grade and reduces the need to slow down to control bounce.”

Surface quality is also important for ski areas maintaining gravel access roads, service routes and mountain infrastructure corridors. Because rubber tracks span depressions rather than dropping into them like pneumatic tires, graders equipped with a track system can maintain a more consistent ride height and blade control. The result can be a smoother finished surface with less of the washboard effect that often develops when tire bounce transfers vibration to the blade.

Real gains where it matters most

Operators using the TD300 Tandem Drive system can expect immediate advantages, including:

• Substantially improved flotation and traction in sand, loose soil and soft ground
• Reduced surface disturbance compared to tires or steel tracks
• Smoother grading results due to reduced machine bounce
• Extended work windows after rain or in sensitive terrain
• Lower downtime and fewer recovery delays
• Improved access and schedule reliability

Rubber tracks also offer environmental benefits over steel alternatives, delivering controlled compaction and significantly lower ground pressure, critical for solar installations, infrastructure corridors and protected areas.

The increased flotation and traction provided by rubber tracks may also help extend the working window for resort maintenance crews. During shoulder seasons, when thawing ground or wet conditions can limit equipment mobility, a larger footprint and lower ground pressure can help graders continue operating without becoming stuck or causing excessive surface damage.

Lower ground pressure and reduced surface disturbance can also be beneficial in sensitive mountain environments. For resorts managing extensive trail networks and infrastructure corridors for lifts, utilities and summer recreation, equipment that minimizes soil disruption while still providing effective grading performance can support ongoing maintenance that protects the surrounding terrain.

Built to last. Engineered with purpose.

As with all Mattracks systems, durability is engineered into the TD300 design. These industrial track systems are designed for long-term service when properly maintained, with preventive maintenance focused on track tension and storage practices. Safety and reliability are incorporated at every stage of design and production.

“Our focus is on solving the mechanical problem correctly,” said Vacura. “That means designing for the loads involved, choosing materials that hold up in real conditions and making sure the system performs the way operators expect it to.”

Designed for customization, backed by real support

While the TD300 was developed for a midsize grader platform, Mattracks has already quoted solutions for larger graders, including machines exceeding 40,000 lbs.

Customization remains a core capability. If a configuration is feasible, Mattracks will engineer it. If it’s not, the company will say so, clearly and directly. Installation is straightforward thanks to the hub-mounted Tandem Drive design, and Mattracks’ in-house service team is available by phone to support customers during installation and operation.

“After more than three decades in business, we still believe support matters,” Vacura said. “When someone calls, they’re talking to people who understand the product and the application.”

The post Expanding Grader Capability in Soft Terrain appeared first on SnowOps Magazine.

An Austrian engineer spent a full day skiing Schladming without a single session recorded. That afternoon, he rewrote an app.

“The day I lost in Schladming taught me more than any test session I planned,” said Mihajlo Grmaš, founder of the SkiCoach.App. “I had the app running. I was on the mountain. Conditions were good. What I did not account for was the screen locking in my pocket.

"When a phone screen locks (when the display turns off and requires a passcode or face recognition to unlock), the [phone’s] motion sensors (which track movement) suspend. Not throttle – suspend. Everything I skied that afternoon was unrecorded. Hours of data, gone. You cannot get that back.

“That is when I added the wakelock. The app now keeps the screen active during any recording session. It is documented in the onboarding. This is the reason battery mode exists as a feature. It is the most-read line in the setup instructions. One afternoon in Schladming made it non-negotiable.”

Some decisions can only be made on the mountain – details-driven, not by feature requests but by real experience, such as finishing a run with no data to show for it.

What the phone can actually do – and what it cannot

A smartphone cannot measure precise edge angles. It cannot detect pole plant timing. It cannot distinguish powder from groomed. For those measurements, skiers need boot-mounted sensors that make direct contact with the ski. That hardware exists, and it does those things well.

What a smartphone can do – using its gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS and barometer – is measure speed accurately. It can analyze the consistency and rhythm of turns in real time. It can detect high-G fall impacts and track vertical descent. It can do all of this with no internet connection, no server and no account. Every calculation runs locally on the device. Nothing leaves the phone unless the skier exports it.

SkiCoach measures turn smoothness, movement stability and speed control. It produces a 0–100 score and one coaching tip per run. One tip, not five. Giving a skier five things to fix at the bottom of a run is not coaching. It is a list they will forget on the first chairlift.

Why offline matters operationally

Any coaching tool requiring a live data has reliability baked in as a problem. With SkiCoach.App, there’s no sync step, upload or login: the instructor hands the student a phone, the student presses start and at the run’s end, a score and tip are waiting regardless of the network.

I built this because the problem was real and the existing solutions were more expensive and complicated than the problem required.

Mihajlo Grmaš, SkiCoach.App

For ski schools, the operational case is clear: they get consistent, objective progress data without hardware rentals, IT infrastructure or per-student subscriptions.

Fall detection: the feature that was never behind a paywall

Fall detection has been included for free since the app’s first public release. The threshold is a 3G+ (three times the force of gravity) impact event. When triggered, the app displays a “Are you OK?” prompt and can notify emergency contacts.

The numbers, plainly

The app launched on iOS and Android with no paid marketing. By early 2026, it had more than 1,000 downloads across 15 countries, 40 paying customers and a four percent free-to-paid conversion rate. Apple independently verified the app as zero-data-collection, a reviewed status shown in the App Store privacy label.

For operators with GDPR obligations or guest data commitments, that verification means something specific. There is nothing to disclose, no data processor agreement to sign and no breach scenario involving guest skiing data. The data never existed on any server to begin with.

What comes next

A snowboard module is next. It will have the same sensor architecture but different movement patterns. After that, he plans the B2B version: a white-label platform for ski schools and indoor venues. Indoor facilities are a particular case. A venue with no mountain infrastructure has the same connectivity constraints as a backcountry slope.

“Offline-first is not a design preference for those environments. It is a requirement,” Grmaš. “I am an engineer. I built this because the problem was real and the existing solutions were more expensive and complicated than [necessary]. The Schladming afternoon is still the clearest design brief I have ever had: make sure it records, no matter what the phone is doing in the pocket.”

The post No Hardware, No Cloud. Just the Phone in Your Pocket appeared first on SnowOps Magazine.

It’s no secret that winter in North America is no longer what it used to be.

In the U.S., the most recent winter ranked among the warmest on record. In fact, it was the second-warmest since records began in 1895. Average temperatures were about five degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term winter average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Dry conditions were also widespread across much of the West and South.

In Canada, the winter of 2024–25 was the fifth warmest on record, with national average temperatures 6.7 degrees Fahrenheit (3.7 degrees Celsius) above the 1961–1990 average, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Warmer-than-average conditions were recorded across most of the country, and several regions experienced below-average snowfall and reduced snowpack.

While all of this has made life easier for the average person, it’s been a much different story for members of the snow grooming community. The warmer temperatures and lack of snowfall in many regions have made their job far more challenging than it once was. “I mean, it’s just all over the place,” said longtime snow groomer Brandon Dodds of the recent changes to weather patterns.

Grooming in an era of unpredictable snow

Dodds works for The Stomping Grounds Projects and has been involved in preparations for several high-profile events, including the Winter X Games and the most recent Rockstar Energy Open, which was held Dec. 19–21, 2025, at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado.

It’s to the point now where you can’t waste a snowflake.

Cory Ross, Buttermilk Ski Resort

“We’ll have seasons where we get an abnormal amount of snow, and it’s hard to keep up with digging the stuff out and keeping up with the amount of snowfall. And then we’ve had the complete opposite where it’s warm and we have a lack of snow, and that usually means we also have a lack of snowmaking temperatures, which a lot of our stuff relies on,” said Dodds.

Cory Ross, terrain park grooming lead for Buttermilk Ski Resort in Aspen, Colo., agrees that the work he and his snow grooming counterparts perform has become far more challenging due to the unpredictability of the changing winter weather patterns. That’s especially true when it comes to staging events such as the X Games, the U.S. Grand Prix and the FAT Ice Race, which he’s been a part of.

Building an event with almost no snow

This year’s FAT Ice Race, held Feb. 27–28 at Moonlight Basin near Big Sky, Mont., was a perfect example of that. The event is a two-day celebration of car culture, highlighted by a driving competition on an ice track featuring some of the top professional drivers from around the globe.

Ross, who also owns his own Frozen Circuits grooming company, built the track for the event. With just 10 days before the race, there was barely any snow on the ground, and there were large patches of bare dirt where the racetrack was supposed to be. “Honestly, we were at the point where we just had to laugh. It was like, ‘I can’t believe this,’” he said.

The lack of groundcover forced Ross and his crew to work overtime to make the snow needed to build the track, safety barriers and viewing areas required for the event. He estimates that 90% of the snow used at the venue was man-made.

Making things even more challenging was the fact that the mountainside flat dirt shelf that had been dug for the track wasn’t even, which meant some parts required only six inches of snow while others needed as much as 18 inches. That snow had to be compacted, then flooded using a 2,000-gallon water truck, and leveled for racing. Temperatures were so warm in the days leading up to the event (55 degrees Fahrenheit or 13 degrees Celsius) that the ice turned to slush and the track had to be redone the night before.

The good news is the race went off without a hitch, and the feedback Ross and his crew received was largely positive. “It was as good as we wanted it to be if we’d had perfect conditions,” he said. “A few days out from the event, we’d been telling them, ‘Guys, we might be down to bare dirt halfway through the first day.’ There were 103 cars [racing], and half the cars were running on anywhere from a two-millimeter to seven-millimeter studded tires, so you can imagine what the tires do to a snow and ice surface. But it held up great.”

When every snowflake counts

Ross says the below-average snowfall has forced ski areas and event organizers to rely far more heavily in recent years on man-made snow to stage events like the Winter X Games. They’re also focusing more on stockpiling snow and farming it to ensure they have enough to suit their needs. “It’s to the point now where you can’t waste a snowflake. It’s like every snowflake is accounted for, for the most part,” he said.

The lack of snow is often compounded by warmer-than-usual temperatures. Dodds says that means there are fewer days suitable for snowmaking, and grooming teams have to work even harder on the days that are.

It seems like some of the best skiing now is late in the season, not early in the season.

Brandon Dodds, The Stomping Grounds Projects

“With snowmaking, if it’s cold enough, you can kind of count on getting that supplemental snow. You can make up for the lack of natural snow. What we’re seeing now a lot of times … is we’re not getting the snowmaking temps to produce snow,” he said.

“For the building [of features], we’re having to adjust more on the fly. As far as grooming … a lot of times, the first seven to 10 days, we don’t have our tillers on. We’re just bulk pushing and shaping. And with the warmer temperatures and lack of snow, we have to be really careful that we’re not burning out the run and finding all the dirt spots.”

Reinforcing vulnerable terrain

Some sections of ski terrain require reinforcement to prevent erosion and maintain slope stability. Steep areas, drainage crossings and locations with heavy water flow can be especially vulnerable to soil movement. In these locations, resorts may install erosion control measures such as rock armoring, retaining walls or reinforced drainage channels. These features help stabilize the terrain and protect slopes from damage during heavy rain or spring snowmelt.

Geotextile fabrics and other erosion-control materials are sometimes used beneath the soil surface to improve slope stability. These materials reinforce the ground and reduce the likelihood that trails will degrade over time. By strengthening vulnerable sections of terrain, resorts can avoid costly repairs and maintain safer conditions for winter operations. Stabilized slopes are less likely to develop ruts or obstacles that could interfere with grooming equipment or pose risks to skiers.

Timing the work to the snow

Warmer temperatures and low snowfall totals can mean groomers have to pay even more attention to the clock than usual. In the case of FAT Ice, Ross and his team had to shift to a nighttime schedule because it was simply too warm during daylight hours to process the required snow. Dodds says the key to building and grooming in such conditions is finding just the right sweet spot. That means getting to work when the snow is like “butter” and can be easily smoothed out before it freezes.

“As soon as it snaps freeze on us, it becomes really difficult to maintain the shapes that we’re trying to maintain just because the snow consistency gets so different,” he said.

Planning and technology help fill the gaps

Ross and Dodds both agree that while the recent changes in weather patterns have forced groomers to become more adaptable, planning ahead is still a critical part of the job.

Dodds says event sponsors and organizers often require a detailed plan as part of contract negotiations. For an event like the X Games, that can mean submitting a sketched-up plan and 3D model as early as the previous summer. That also gives a fabricator time to produce items such as metal sliding rails and install them prior to the competition.

Technology is helping groomers deal with some of the uncertainty caused by Mother Nature. Several newer snowcat models now come with snow radar. That means calculations of how much snow is needed for a particular feature or area can be determined using 3D modeling, which can be downloaded directly to the machine and its operator. The best part is that data can be stored for future use.

What the future may hold for winter events

Dodds and Ross acknowledge that the fluctuating weather patterns are causing some uncertainty among members of the snow grooming community regarding the future of events like the X Games and the Rockstar Energy Open. Can they continue and, if so, how will they need to adapt to survive?

“It’s one of those things where we need to wait and see. Is this a fluke or more of a trend? But it’s in the back of everyone’s mind. What’s it going to take to keep pulling these off?” asked Ross. He says ski areas must be adaptable if recent weather patterns continue. “For me, personally, in the back of my mind, I’m always kind of thinking [about] another option if something doesn’t work. We need to find different ways to do things. We’ve got to be able to change,” he said.

Dodds says that uncertainty could mean some early-season events normally held in late November or early December might be shifted to later in the winter.

“I’ve been in Tahoe for 28 years. It seems like winter doesn’t start now until early or mid-January. It’s getting really difficult to guarantee a big event in late November or even December,” he said. “It seems like some of the best skiing now is late in the season, not early in the season.”

The post Changing Weather, Changing Plans appeared first on SnowOps Magazine.

When skadii was formed in 2019 as a start-up with the High Technology Industries (HTI) Group in Telfs, Austria, the idea was simple: hardware needs software.

As a global leader in ropeway and alpine infrastructure, HTI recognized that ski resorts need a dedicated digital solution to manage increasingly complex operations, from lift maintenance and inspections to grooming schedules, snowmaking coordination and staff communication.

“skadii was created as an in-house software platform with the goal of building one central digital hub – a single workspace that connects systems, data and workflows across the entire resort,” said skadii software specialist Deb Hoefer. skadii uses native applications and integrates third-party software through a standardized data interface, bringing information from different systems into one platform.

“We started with a small team and a start-up’s enthusiasm to create solutions the industry truly needed. Early on, there were many trials and errors, but we quickly learned the value of developing closely with our customers and the R&D teams of our sister companies – Prinoth, Leitner-Poma of America and Poma. Today, skadii is a mature company with thousands of daily users. More than 500 companies worldwide rely on our platform every day. We continue to grow in market presence, mindset and team,” said Hoefer.

Headquartered in Austria, the company has 30 employees across its offices in Italy, France, India and North America.

“When hiring software engineers, developers, designers or product owners, skadii focuses on candidates’ background, motivation and passion for delivering the best digital solutions. The goal is to build software that is simple, user-friendly and makes customers’ daily work life easier,” Hoefer said.

Main applications offered

As an all-in-one digital platform built to streamline ski resort operations, skadii connects key infrastructure, such as ropeways, snow groomers, fleet vehicles and snowmaking systems, into one intuitive interface. Operators can monitor assets in real time, manage maintenance, assign tasks and replace paper logbooks with fully digital documentation.

As an open platform, skadii integrates with industry partners like Bluecime, giving resorts instant access to powerful analytics and tools right inside the skadii dashboard. The result is smoother operations, smarter decisions and more efficient mountain experience.

Across the industry, she says most software solutions tend to address only one or two specific functions at a time. What sets skadii apart is its ability to integrate all key operational assets and planning needs in one place. This all-in-one approach gives resorts a more complete and efficient way to manage their mountain operations.

“skadii brings all resort operations into a single, unified workspace, eliminating the need for operators to jump between multiple software tools just to access the data they rely on for both day-to-day and long-term decision making. All data is securely stored, and user permissions ensure that individuals see exactly what’s relevant to their role, whether that’s a focused, task-specific view or a broader, resort-wide operational picture,” Hoefer said.

The inspiration behind bringing many systems into one dashboard came from noticing HTI Group’s customers used different hardware for different operations.

"We want to provide a digital solution that is simple and intuitive. No more switching between apps, multiple logins or scattered data."

Deb Hoefer, skadii

“We want to provide a digital solution that is simple and intuitive. No more switching between apps, multiple logins or scattered data. From the start, our vision was to create one platform that brings everything together. A key benefit is that skadii is an open platform, making it easy to integrate third-party data and truly deliver a single, unified solution,” Hoefer said.

While skadii is primarily used by ski resorts, it also supports urban ropeway systems and crawler carriers, providing monitoring, maintenance workflows and digital logbooks, and can be applied to fleet and vegetation management vehicles in the same way resorts use it for groomers.

“While the environments differ, the core use cases are consistent – customers want immediate visibility into the status of their assets and a streamlined, digitized workflow that replaces paper-based processes with efficient, data driven operations,” Hoefer said.

Success between customers

SNOW Partners, owners of Mountain Creek Resort and Big SNOW American Dream, have been using Prinoth Connect Fleet Management, powered by skadii, for maintenance overview and task management for many years.

“skadii is used to help track scheduled maintenance, which ensures that service tasks are performed at the proper intervals, reducing wear and tear on a machine. They value the ability to make data-driven decisions and provide training opportunities to their grooming teams. Managers and team lead review reports from skadii, which allow them to see what happened during each shift and communicate easily among the managers, grooming operators and technicians,” Hoefer said.

She adds that at SkiStar Åre in Sweden, skadii centralized real-time monitoring of ropeways, snow groomers and vehicles, snowmaking systems and weather stations, enabling maintenance teams to prevent downtime and make proactive decisions. Since adopting skadii, SkiStar has created over 2,000 tasks across more than 150 users, saving significant time while reducing idle resource use by 17%, improving operational efficiency and cost savings.

Hoefer says many resorts still rely on pen-and-paper logbooks to track maintenance notes, shift changes, grooming priorities and operational challenges, often with teams working in silos. In today’s environment, that approach no longer reflects how documentation and operations are typically managed.

By using a digital operations management platform like skadii, operators are not only able to communicate, schedule and coordinate their daily workflow, but also achieve greater visibility between departments, offering operational insights across the resort.

skadii’s growth strategy continues to focus on the global ski industry, with expansion in North America playing an especially important role. “Real-world data drives efficiency, safety and smarter decisions,” Hoefer said. “Managers gain visibility into groomer location, operator behavior, grooming efficiency, fuel use, idle time and safety documentation.”

The post Connecting the Modern Mountain appeared first on SnowOps Magazine.

When winter arrives at a ski resort, the condition of the terrain is often judged by snow depth, grooming quality and the reliability of snowmaking systems.

But long before the first snowflake falls, much of the work that determines winter performance happens in the summer and fall. Trail maintenance, erosion control, drainage improvements and vegetation management all play a crucial role in protecting ski terrain and preparing slopes for consistent winter operations.

For mountain operations teams, summer trail work is not just routine maintenance; it is an investment in winter performance. Properly maintained terrain requires less snow to open, supports safer grooming and snowmaking, and helps resorts maintain consistent conditions throughout the season.

Managing water before winter

A key goal of summer trail work is controlling water on ski slopes. Uncontrolled runoff can damage trails, wash away soil and expose rocks or roots that later become hazards for skiers and equipment. Ski resorts use drainage ditches, culverts and angled water bars designed to divert water off ski runs and into designated drainage channels. Proper drainage prevents water from flowing directly down the slope and eroding the trail’s surface.

Stormwater management is a major focus in mountain infrastructure planning because ski slopes often function like roadways for water flow. Without adequate drainage, heavy rain or snowmelt can carve ruts into trails and destabilize soil, leading to uneven surfaces that are difficult to groom once winter arrives.

By directing water away from ski runs, resorts can preserve the shape and stability of their terrain. This reduces erosion during summer and helps slopes freeze more evenly once temperatures drop.

Creating a smooth base for winter snow

Another key part of summer trail maintenance is grading and surface preparation. Many ski resorts periodically re-grade trails using heavy equipment to remove rocks, stumps and other obstacles.

Grading creates a smoother and more uniform base across the slope. This is important for ski areas that rely on grooming and snowmaking because a consistent surface allows snow to accumulate evenly and reduces the amount of snow needed to cover hazards.

Research on ski slope construction has shown that graded slopes often open earlier than slopes where vegetation and obstacles remain. When the ground surface is smooth and free of protrusions, ski areas can establish a safe base layer of snow more quickly early in the season.

For grooming operations, smoother terrain reduces wear on equipment and allows snowcats to operate more efficiently. Grooming blades can maintain consistent contact with the snow surface, producing more uniform corduroy and better trail conditions for skiers.

Summer grading is especially important in areas used for terrain parks, race courses or high traffic trails where consistent surfaces are essential for safety and performance.

Stabilizing soil with vegetation

While some ski trails are cleared and graded, vegetation still helps protect mountain terrain. Plants stabilize soil, reduce erosion and maintain slope integrity between seasons.

During summer, resort crews manage vegetation by trimming bush, removing invasive species and reseeding areas where soil has been disturbed. Grass and other low vegetation can anchor soil, reducing the chances that rainstorms will wash sediment down the slope.

Vegetation management also contributes to winter operations in subtle ways. In areas where wind moves snow across the mountain, vegetation can help trap snow and improve natural accumulation on trails. Maintaining healthy ground cover supports both environmental protection and operational performance.

Reinforcing vulnerable terrain

Some sections of ski terrain require reinforcement to prevent erosion and maintain slope stability. Steep areas, drainage crossings and locations with heavy water flow can be especially vulnerable to soil movement.

In these locations, resorts may install erosion control measures such as rock armoring, retaining walls or reinforced drainage channels. These features help stabilize the terrain and protect slopes from damage during heavy rain or spring snowmelt. Geotextile fabrics and other erosion-control materials are sometimes used beneath the soil surface to improve slope stability. These materials reinforce the ground and reduce the likelihood that trails will degrade over time.

By strengthening vulnerable sections of terrain, resorts can avoid costly repairs and maintain safer conditions for winter operations. Stabilized slopes are less likely to develop ruts or obstacles that could interfere with grooming equipment or pose risks to skiers.

Designing terrain for long-term performance

Modern ski resorts increasingly approach trail maintenance and construction with long-term performance in mind. Terrain shaping, contouring and slope design can influence how snow accumulates, how water drains and how easily trails can be groomed.

Some resorts use trail-building techniques from the mountain biking industry, such as contour shaping and bench cutting, to improve drainage and create more sustainable terrain. These techniques help reduce erosion while maintaining natural terrain features that enhance the skiing experience.

Well-designed terrain can also improve snow distribution across the slope. By shaping trails to manage wind and water flow, resorts can reduce areas where snow blows away or accumulates unevenly. The result is terrain that is easier to maintain throughout winter. Grooming teams can work more efficiently, and snowmaking systems can produce more consistent coverage across the mountain.

The hidden work behind winter operations

For guests visiting a ski resort in winter, the condition of the slopes often appears to depend on weather and snowfall. The quality of winter terrain is heavily influenced by months of preparation during the off-season. Summer trail work protects ski terrain by managing water, stabilizing soil and maintaining smooth surfaces that support snow coverage. These efforts reduce hazards, improve grooming efficiency and allow resorts to operate more reliably throughout winter.

As climate variability continues to affect snowfall patterns and winter temperatures, the importance of summer terrain management is likely to grow. Resorts that invest in maintaining and improving their trails during the off-season will be better positioned to adapt to changing conditions and deliver consistent skiing experiences.

In many ways, the success of a winter season begins long before the first snowfall. On ski mountains around the world, the work done during the quiet months of summer ultimately protects the terrain and enables winter operations.

The post Summer Work, Better Winter appeared first on SnowOps Magazine.

Ski area managers are already thinking about. In March and April, maintenance schedules are being tweaked, and retrofit ideas are being floated. And of course, the resort’s balance sheets are getting a long, hard look. Operators are voicing the same issues: aging lift systems, maintenance demands, safety expectations and energy costs.

At the heart of all these operational questions is the technology driving the lifts. This focus connects the current industry challenges to wider technical trends seen in sectors like cranes, hoists or heavy machinery, where a shift is underway from older direct current (DC) setups to modern low-voltage alternating current (AC) motors, often equipped with variable frequency drives (VFDs). The motivations behind that transformation closely mirror what ski area managers face today.

Maintenance, noise and reliability

Maintenance remains a central concern for ski area managers, especially in short seasons where every operating day counts. Here, AC technology brings incremental but important advantages. Without brushes or commutators, AC motors eliminate a whole class of consumable parts and associated inspections. Bearings and windings remain critical, of course, but those are well-understood elements with long-established monitoring and service practices.

HDP motors are deliberately designed for straightforward installation, with attention to accessible connection points and compatibility with common accessories such as encoders, temperature monitoring devices and forced-cooling units. Noise and vibration are also reduced when mechanical commutation is replaced by electronically controlled AC operation. Quieter machines are not only more pleasant for guests and staff – lower vibration typically means less fatigue, supporting longer service intervals and lifetimes. HDP motors are also available with special, lower-noise blowers to further enhance the idyllic mountain experience for guests.

Because AC drives now dominate most heavy industries, there is also a broader ecosystem of technicians and service providers familiar with their commissioning and troubleshooting. For operators in remote mountain locations, that wider skills base can be a significant factor in supporting their machinery in the long term.

Regenerative braking and power quality

Lifts are inherently regenerative systems: descending loaded carriers can help power ascending ones. The key question is what happens to excess energy. Many existing installations manage this with braking resistors, which turn electrical energy into heat. On days with heavy traffic, those resistors can run extremely hot, shortening their life and placing additional demands on ventilation and cooling. The electrical energy itself is simply lost.

AC technology takes a different approach. Instead of dumping braking energy into resistors, regenerative drives feed power back into the grid whenever the lift operates in a generating mode. In container terminals and automated warehouses, where lifting and lowering cycles are constant, this has delivered meaningful energy savings, lowered temperatures and reduced failures.

There is also the issue of power quality. Regenerative drives are typically designed to maintain low current distortion (harmonics) and a power factor close to unity at the point of common coupling. That can reduce or eliminate the need for separate harmonic filters or large capacitor banks, and may allow more efficient use of existing transformers, cables and switchgear. For ski areas operating at the limits of available utility capacity, or in locations with weaker grids, these characteristics can be as important as the direct energy cost savings.

Bringing industrial lessons to ropeways

Ropeways remain a specialized domain, governed by their own standards and certification processes. Any modernization of motors and drives must be engineered and validated within that framework, in close cooperation with OEMs, consultants and regulators.

Nevertheless, the building blocks available today are proven in other safety-critical lifting applications. As this ski season winds down and operators review the condition of their older systems, it may be time to consider a transition. Applying the best of industrial motor and drive practices on the mountain could help ensure that, when next winter arrives, the lifts are ready to turn smoothly, safely and efficiently for many seasons to come.

The post From Crane to Slope appeared first on SnowOps Magazine.

A grassroots initiative called She Grooms is working to change that.

Founded in 2023 by experienced operators and grooming managers, She Grooms builds technical skills, confidence and career paths for women in snow operations, from grooming to heavy equipment and snowmaking. The program brings together operators, manufacturers and mentors for several days of training, networking and hands-on experience with mountain equipment.

The 2026 She Grooms Conference will take place May 5–7 at Mt. Hood Meadows in Oregon, continuing a program that has grown quickly since its first gathering. For organizer and Schweitzer Mountain operator Sabrina Straszewski, the idea began as a way to create a supportive space for women in grooming and mountain operations.

“What it was really trying to do is bring female operators together to bounce off each other’s ideas of learning ways to deal with their peers, how to move up in their jobs and be a resource for them if they felt timid asking anybody else in the workplace,” said Straszewski. “That’s kind of where it started. Pretty small thought that blew up rather quickly.” From snowcat fundamentals to welding and lift maintenance, She Grooms offers hands-on training for the next generation of operators

A small thought that quickly grew

The first She Grooms event was small, but organizers quickly realized demand was much greater than expected. “There were around 15 or 20 attendees the first year, and it’s doubled in size. We learned very quickly how popular this was and how needed it was,” said Anna Holgate, marketing director at Mt. Hood Meadows.

Holgate adds that participants quickly connected over shared experiences. The conversations revealed that women in mountain operations often faced similar challenges, confirming that the program was filling an important industry gap and helping the conference grow internationally.

Bringing the industry together

While the event supports women in operations, collaboration with the broader ski industry – manufacturers, suppliers and experienced operators – has been key to its success. They contribute to the conference’s training and mentorship. Straszewski says building those connections was always part of the vision.

“The need was also for more ski industry professionals to jump on board,” she said. “With Prinoth, PistenBully and other companies in the industry that jumped on, it really made it more known [that] this isn’t just operators getting together and going out and racing snowcats around.”

The conference has become a professional development environment, connecting participants with industry professionals and opening doors to careers beyond seasonal resort work. “We are creating operators, we’re creating industry professionals that want to move on,” said Straszewski.

“Here they’re coming, they’re getting the networking, and they’re learning this is possible – ‘I can go across the country and work at a different resort or out of the country.’ They can go to [industry leaders] and ask for recommendations of where they think they could fit in or move to or try something new.”

Showing a path to a career

For many entering the ski industry, mountain operations can feel like a temporary job rather than a career. Ben Finn, who manages demo and training programs for Prinoth, says the seasonal nature of resort work can make it hard for newcomers to see long-term opportunities. That’s where She Grooms makes a difference.

“When you bring in the snowcat manufacturers, the lift companies and snowmaking and all the industry professionals, people [who] have made a career out of working in the ski industry, [it shows] people who are new that there is a path toward making a career out of working in the ski industry and not just being a seasonal employee,” he said.

Supporting the industry’s workforce

For industry partners like Prinoth, supporting She Grooms is also about strengthening the future workforce of ski resorts. "Much of mountain operations happens behind the scenes,” said Rachel Templar, marketing manager at Prinoth. “You wouldn’t have skiers if you didn’t have grooming.” Supporting programs like She Grooms introduces new people to behind-the-scenes careers and allows women to explore roles they may have hesitated to pursue.

“We’ve had people email us to get on the waitlist and say, ‘Hey, I work in IT (or marketing or guest services), and I’ve really wanted to try this for so long,’” Holgate said. “Growing the industry is taking somebody who may have been in guest services for five years but always wanted to be part of mountain ops and giving them that opportunity.”

Allies and mentorship

Another important aspect is the involvement of seasoned operators, many with decades of grooming and terrain park experience. Straszewski says mentorship is essential. “We would not be able to do what we do if it weren’t for men like Paul [Kirkland] and [Finn] in the industry,” she said.

Seeing male industry leaders support the program helps participants feel like they belong in mountain operations. “A lot of the women come to this and are like, ‘Why are men here?’” Straszewski said. “Why are they coaching us and not women? They want to provide for us, too, and they want to be part of what you are doing.”

Learning from experienced operators ensures participants get world-class instruction. “These guys doing the coaching have years of experience building and grooming the very best,” Templar said. “As a woman, I want to learn from the best so I can be the best.”

Kirkland, a sales and demo specialist with Prinoth, says he wanted Prinoth involved with She Grooms as soon as he heard about it from Allison Marriner, a grooming manager at Mt. Hood Meadows and founder of She Grooms. “We had to be involved in this at some level and just to help coach these women and give them the knowledge that they don’t get internally at some of the resorts,” he said. “The more knowledge we can download on them, the better operators they’re going to end up being.”

Programs like She Grooms address broader workforce challenges since many resorts lack consistent training. “There’s a whole generation of cat operators [who] are retiring now, and a lot of the knowledge isn’t being passed on very well,” he said.

Hands-on technical training

High turnover and seasonal employment make it hard for resorts to invest in training programs. “A lot of resorts aren’t willing to invest a lot of time and money into training people because they don’t expect them to stick around very long,” Finn said. This makes foundational training opportunities even more valuable.

While networking and mentorship are central, She Grooms also delivers practical technical training, including grooming fundamentals, snow science and terrain park building. Straszewski says many participants already had some snowcat experience but wanted to expand their skills. Training also includes basic mechanical troubleshooting. “So, if they’re out on the hill and something breaks down, they have an idea of what’s going on and how to deal with it,” she said.

The conference now includes dozer and excavator operation, with sponsors providing equipment for hands-on training. Training covers welding clinics and introductory snowmaking and lift maintenance. This foundation helps participants build confidence, develop their skills at home resorts and stay engaged in the industry.

“If they’re not feeling appreciated or trained or looked after, they don’t come back,” Kirkland said. “So to give them some excitement to want to come back the next year and the year after that, that’s a big one.”

Looking ahead

Despite rapid growth, organizers plan to keep the conference relatively small to maintain hands-on training. “We really like the intimate feel of it,” Straszewski said. Attendance is limited to 35-40 participants to ensure meaningful access to equipment and instructors. “We want to make sure that people are getting what they came for,” she said. “That one-on-one, that comfort level of being able to ask the questions they don’t feel like they can ask.”

Future plans include expanding technical training in areas like lift maintenance, snowmaking infrastructure and heavy equipment. The core mission remains creating a supportive community where women can learn, grow and build careers in mountain operations. For organizers and mentors, seeing the program’s impact makes the effort worthwhile. “It’s been awesome to see the stoke from the ladies during the event and what they’re getting out of it,” Kirkland said.

Holgate agrees that the program’s passion is one of its defining features. “The amount of time that [Straszewsk] and everyone have put into this is pretty awesome,” she said. “Just seeing how much people love what they do and wanting to share that with another generation, it’s really special.”

The program has begun creating its own cycle of mentorship, with past participants returning as coaches to guide new operators. “They’re kind of moving through the generation of She Grooms,” Straszewski said. For Finn, the continued demand for the conference is a strong sign that it is meeting a real need within the ski industry. “To see the number of women [who] have returned every year – and the waiting list of people who want to be there – I think that really speaks to the event itself and how well received it is,” he said.

As the ski industry looks ahead, initiatives like She Grooms help ensure the next generation of operators has the skills, confidence and connections needed to keep mountains running smoothly.

For more information on She Grooms, go to skihood.com/explore/she-grooms.

The post Where Women Learn to Run the Mountain appeared first on SnowOps Magazine.

This issue takes a closer look at how resorts are extending the life and value of their infrastructure well beyond winter. I had the opportunity to speak with Karl Emond of Doppelmayr Canada about how summer lift use and the maintenance considerations required to ensure both safety and a high-quality guest experience. See how operators can include lift operations part of a year-round strategy.

We also discuss a challenge that continues to shape the future of mountain operations: climate variability. Warmer temperatures and reduced snowfall are no longer distant concerns, they are current realities. One insight that stayed with me came from a resort operator who noted that strong ski conditions are increasingly happening at the end of the season rather than the beginning. As patterns shift, resorts are being forced to adapt quickly, raising important questions about the long-term future of winter sports and mountain communities. Read the full article.

We also highlight She Grooms, a conference dedicated to empowering women in mountain operations. In a field that has traditionally been male-dominated, initiatives like this are creating space for women to build skills, confidence and lasting careers. The event brings together both women and men who are committed to building a more inclusive and supportive workforce. Learn more about how this growing movement is shaping the next generation of operators.

And while innovation and adaptation are top of mind, this issue also reminds us of something equally important: the people behind the operations. A demanding winter season can take a toll on resort staff, and mental health is becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation. See how the Katz Amsterdam Foundations is supporting mountain communities with mental health resources.

As always, don’t forget to check out our events calendar and industry news for the latest updates, and stay connected through our LinkedIn and Facebook pages and monthly e-newsletter. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these stories or any initiatives you’re seeing at your own resort. You can reach me at editor@snowopsmag.com.

Until next time,

Ligia Braidotti
204-953-2195
editor@snowopsmag.com

The post The Work Between Seasons appeared first on SnowOps Magazine.