Alterra Mountain Company (Alterra) is launching a capital investment program exceeding $400 million to enhance the experiences of its guests, employees and communities across its winter resorts. The investments are also reported to focus on the “evolution of Deer Valley Resort in Utah, on-mountain enhancements throughout the company’s 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 of 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 and Terrain Expansion
Coming off Steamboat’s “Full Steam Ahead” project in Colorado, Alterra has reportedly begun its next “transformational project” at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort. Last season, the first stage of the venue’s “Expanded Excellence” terrain expansion came to fruition at the new Deer Valley East Village with 20 new runs and three new chairlifts, including the Keetley Express, Deer Valley’s first six-person bubble chairlift, offering direct access to Deer Valley’s existing footprint.

For the 2025/26 ski season, the company reported that 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 see the results of the company’s 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 resort’s total to 10 new lifts and nearly 100 new runs since December 2024.

In addition to the on-mountain investments, last season the company debuted the Deer Valley East Village, featuring day-skier amenities such as a rental shop, complimentary ski storage and ticketing. The Grand Hyatt Deer Valley also opened, offering over 400 accommodations, multiple restaurants and lift access.

When all phases of expansion are complete, Deer Valley will add 3,700 acres of skiable terrain, more than doubling the resort’s size and making Deer Valley one of the largest ski resorts in North America.

Elevated Guest Amenities | Lodges, Lifts and Snowmaking
In addition to Deer Valley, Alterra said it has committed significant capital toward the “transformation of skier services and lodging across Alterra destinations, improving the experience for the 2025/26 season.”

Of note:

  • Shavers Center, a new ski services facility located at the base of Snowshoe in West Virginia, will be an updated version of the original Shavers Center that served the mountain for nearly 50 years. The new 18,000-square-foot space will feature a ski school, 220 dining seats, and event space, along with a large exterior deck equipped with fire pits and additional outdoor seating.
  • For the upcoming 2025/26 season, Alterra has added “premium” lounges at Stratton in Vermont, Palisades Tahoe in California, and Steamboat in Colorado, featuring food and beverage.
  • Heli-skiers and riders will find lodging upgrades at Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing in British Columbia, with several cabins receiving upgraded kitchens and bathrooms, as well as new finishes and furniture throughout the lodge.
  • The Westin Monache at the Village at Mammoth in California will undergo a lobby refresh, featuring new finishes, furniture, a fireplace, an updated restaurant and bar, as well as a new coffee shop and marketplace.
  • The Rainier Express at Crystal Mountain in Washington, known locally as REX, will undergo an upgrade to a detachable quad, increasing capacity by up to 50 percent compared to the current lift, allowing more customers to be transported up the mountain per hour. Replacing a nearly 40-year-old lift, the new lift will serve almost 60 percent 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 new base lodge, as well as numerous ongoing upgrades to Crystal’s infrastructure.
  • To continue to maximize lift efficiency and capacity, the company invested nearly $3 million on modernizing lifts at several 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 two-year rebuild of its snowmaking infrastructure. The company reported that this “investment has 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 said it continues to invest in employee 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.” The company continued to say that “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 its resorts, impacting over 2,000 employees. Career development highlights include Alterra’s co-development of lift mechanic training with Colorado Mountain College and the further expansion of the Responder Alliance training and support program for Ski Patrollers.
  • Seasonal Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC): Alterra launched its first healthcare program for over 14,000 seasonal employees in the U.S., offering affordable medical coverage they previously lacked access to.
  • The company rolled out Peak Leadership Programming to develop Alterra’s talent through a suite of leadership development experiences. Peak Programming emphasizes essential leadership skills, including “emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, effective communication, and problem-solving.”

Employee Housing
For the coming year, Alterra will continue its investment in workforce housing, which includes “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.

Alterra Mountain Company, headquartered in Denver, CO, has brought together global brands, including Steamboat, Winter Park and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Palisades Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort and Snow Valley in California; Stratton Mountain and Sugarbush Resort in Vermont; Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia; Tremblant in Quebec and Blue Mountain in Ontario, Canada; Crystal Mountain in Washington; Schweitzer in Idaho; Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah; CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing in British Columbia.

 Image courtesy Alterra Mountain Company