Alterra Mountain Company just issued a press release highlighting their over $400 million capital investment program. Most of this massive investment is going towards an ambitious expansion and upgrade project at Deer Valley in Utah but there are also some notable changes coming to various resorts in their portfolio including chairlift modernizations and employee housing solutions. Alterra President and CEO Jared Smith stated that the investments underline the company’s commitment to providing the best mountain experience to both guests and employees in the industry.
Press Release:
Today, Alterra Mountain Company, the world’s premier mountain operating company, announces its continued commitment to the guest, employee, and community experience with a capital investment program of over $400 million. The investments are focused on the evolution of Deer Valley Resort in Utah, on-mountain enhancements across the portfolio, and employee benefits.
“The comprehensive investments we are putting into our destinations, including the exceptional Deer Valley East expansion, are a testament to our longstanding commitment to providing our guests and employees with industry-leading mountain experiences,” said Jared Smith, President & CEO, Alterra Mountain Company. “We remain focused on making transformative improvements that will suit the needs of our guests and employees, and allow us to deliver a premium experience for all.”
Deer Valley East Village & Terrain Expansion
Coming off of Steamboat’s transformative Full Steam Ahead project in Colorado, Alterra has begun its next transformational project at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort, already one of the world’s premier ski destinations. Last season, the first stage of Deer Valley’s “Expanded Excellence” extraordinary terrain expansion came to life at the new Deer Valley East Village with 20 new runs and three new chairlifts, including the Keetley Express, Deer Valley’s first 6-person bubble chairlift, offering guests direct access to Deer Valley’s existing footprint.
For the 25/26 ski season, Deer Valley is on track to deliver one of the largest ski resort expansions in history, effectively doubling the available terrain and redefining the mountain experience. This winter, Deer Valley guests will enjoy the results of a multi-hundred-million-dollar investment, including the debut of the East Village Express, a 10-passenger gondola linking the new Deer Valley East Village to Park Peak, six additional new chairlifts, and nearly 80 new ski runs. These additions bring the destination’s total to 10 new lifts and nearly 100 new runs since December 2024, marking another defining milestone in Deer Valley’s transformation.
In addition to the on-mountain investments, last season saw the debut of the Deer Valley East Village with day-skier amenities, including a rental shop, complimentary ski storage, and ticketing, plus the opening of the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley with over 400 accommodations, multiple restaurants, and convenient lift access, all with incredible views.
When all phases of expansion are complete, Deer Valley will add 3,700 acres of skiable terrain, more than doubling the size of the resort and making Deer Valley one of the largest ski resorts in North America, while still delivering the special and personal attention to guests that Deer Valley is known for.
Elevated Guest Amenities – Lodges, Lifts, and Snowmaking
In addition to Deer Valley, Alterra has committed significant capital investment toward the transformation of skier services and lodging across Alterra destinations, improving the experience for the 25/26 season. Of particular note:
- Shavers Center, a new skier services facility at the base of Snowshoe in West Virginia, will be an updated, modern version of the original Shavers Center that served the mountain for nearly 50 years. The new spacious and open 18,000 sq ft space will include ski school, 220 dining seats, and event space, plus a large exterior deck with firepits and additional outdoor seating, offering a comfortable, warm atmosphere for guests to gather, rest, and dine.
- For the 25/26 season, guests can enjoy new premium lounges at Stratton in Vermont, Palisades Tahoe in California, and Steamboat in Colorado that will feature elevated food and beverage experiences in an intimate atmosphere that creates the opportunity to build community with other passionate skiers and riders.
- Heli-skiers and riders will see lodging upgrades in British Columbia at Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing, with several cabins receiving upgraded interior kitchens and bathrooms, as well as new finishes and furniture throughout the lodge.
- The Westin Monache at the Village at Mammoth in California will welcome skiers and riders this spring with a lobby refresh, featuring new finishes, furniture, a fireplace, an updated restaurant and bar, and a convenient new coffee shop and marketplace.
- The beloved Rainier Express at Crystal Mountain in Washington, known locally as REX, will see an upgrade to a detachable quad, effectively increasing capacity of up to 50% from the current lift, moving more passengers up the mountain per hour. Replacing a nearly 40-year-old lift, the new lift will reliably serve almost 60% of Crystal’s inbound terrain. The replacement of the Rainier Express builds upon last year’s opening of the Crystal Mountain Commons, the resort’s beautiful new base lodge, as well as numerous ongoing upgrades to Crystal’s infrastructure.
- In an effort to continue to maximize lift efficiency and capacity, nearly three million dollars were spent on modernizing lifts at a number of destinations, including the American Express Lift at Stratton, the Summit Lift at Sugarbush in Vermont, plus upgrades on the Chinook and Green Valley lifts at Crystal Mountain and Morningside at Steamboat.
- Last season, Winter Park Resort in Colorado began a major, two-year effort to completely rebuild its snowmaking infrastructure from the ground up. This investment has already improved snowmaking efficiency and cut energy consumption almost in half in its first year, and will help ensure both earlier season openings and more early-season terrain going forward.
Employee Benefits
Alterra continues to invest in its employees to help build career-focused opportunities for a wide range of skills, cementing the company’s commitment to skilled professionals and technical trade employees by investing in wages, equipment, and training. These programs are intentionally crafted to drive meaningful growth, elevate performance, and build strong, authentic connections across the enterprise.
- Career Seasonal Professionals (CSP) – Over the last year, Alterra has invested in wages, training, and benefits for key positions across resorts, impacting over 2,000 employees. Career development highlights include Alterra’s co-development of lift mechanic training with Colorado Mountain College and further expanding the Responder Alliance training and support program for Ski Patrollers.
- Seasonal Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) – Alterra rolled out its first-ever health care program for seasonal employees in the U.S., offering over 14,000 employees affordable medical coverage they had not previously had access to.
- Rolled out Peak Leadership Programming to develop Alterra’s high-performing talent through a comprehensive suite of leadership development experiences. Peak Programming focuses on critical leadership capabilities such as emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, communication, and problem-solving.
Employee Housing
Understanding the critical importance of the employee experience as well as its direct connection to the guest experience, Alterra remains deeply committed to supporting its employees, including access to quality, affordable workforce housing. For the coming year, Alterra has committed to continuing its investment in workforce housing. These investments will include critical housing renovations impacting over 300 employees, adding over 200 new beds through acquisitions and master leases, and facilitating ground-up development at Deer Valley, Palisades Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain, Stratton, and Crystal Mountain. In the past year, Alterra invested in renovations that helped improve the lives of over 800 employees across six communities.
Related: Utah Ski Resort July Construction Update
