Ep.11 - Brendan Hickey and Grace Hornbeak of Mt. Shasta, California

Less Hype, More Fun. How To Win With Honesty And Keeping It Real

What if the most powerful thing you could do as a ski area… is just tell the truth?

This week on Selling Snow, we head to Northern California to a truly magical place in the shadow of a massive volcano, to return to the roots of what makes skiing fun.

In the Northern California region, lovingly referred to as “Almost Oregon,” we connected with 

Brendan Hickey and Grace Hornbea from Mt. Shasta Ski Park—an independent mountain that’s carving out its own unique lane in a world of mega passes and crowded resorts.

We get into how they’ve built a brand around being approachable, affordable, and human—and why leaning into honesty, instead of hype, is actually driving stronger connections with their guests.

Because at the end of the day, what people really care about, is having fun with friends, being outside in a spectacular location, and feeling something real.

From turning fixed-grip chairlifts into connection time… to building tight-knit communities through twilight skiing… to showing up authentically in their content—this episode is packed with ideas and learning  for ski areas that want to stand out by being themselves.

Grab your crystals, watch out for bigfoot, UFO’s or Lemurians, and let’s head to Mt Shasta Ski Park in Northern California.

We pulled 12 Actionable Insights from this episode you can use to up your own marketing game.

1. Radical Transparency Beats “Marketing Spin”

Mt. Shasta InsightTransparency—not hype—was their highest-performing marketing shift.

How Mt. Shasta Uses It: They show real conditions (wind, closures, bad snow) in real time via social and video, even when it hurts the sale. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It: Don’t just “be honest”—operationalize transparency as content:

• Film patrol decisions, wind holds, grooming constraints

• Turn “why we can’t open” into a recurring content series

• Build a trust flywheel: honesty reduces refund friction, increases repeat visits

  
  

👉 The key move: use transparency to reduce post-purchase regret, not just attract visits.

2. Under-Promise Is a Revenue Strategy (Not Just a Value)

Mt. Shasta Insight“Under promise, over deliver” drives return visits more than flashy snow reports. 

How Mt. Shasta Uses ItThey deliberately avoid overselling conditions—even in marketing.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItApply this tactically:

• Downgrade your public forecast slightly vs internal ops forecast

• Surprise = perceived value → higher NPS → more referrals

• Works especially well for mid-tier resorts competing with mega-resorts

👉 Smart twist: Build campaigns around “better than expected days” instead of “epic days.”

3. Value Days Should Target the Right Behavior, Not Just Fill Volume

Mt. Shasta Insight$40 Wednesdays drove massive increases—not just tickets, but rentals + F&B. 

How Mt. Shasta Uses ItThey placed the promo on their lowest-demand day and attracted beginner/value skiers.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItDon’t just discount—engineer guest mix shifts:

• Target first-timers midweek (high ancillary spend)

• Bundle with rentals/lessons subtly (not obvious packages)

• Track: revenue per guest, not just visits

👉 The clever play: Use discounts to reshape your demand curve AND guest profile simultaneously.

4. Beginners Are a Strategic Positioning, Not a Segment

Mt. Shasta InsightThey’ve leaned hard into being approachable, not “lesser than big resorts.” 

How Mt. Shasta Uses ItEverything—from pricing to terrain to messaging—supports first-timers.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItStop treating beginners as an entry funnel—treat them as your core identity:

• Design terrain flow for progression (not just isolate bunny hills)

• Market confidence, not just lessons

• Build “return loops” (2nd and 3rd visit triggers)

👉 Insight: The real money isn’t in converting beginners—it’s in keeping them from defecting to bigger resorts later.

5. Terrain Expansion Should Solve Experience Gaps, Not Just Add Acreage

Mt. Shasta InsightGray Butte wasn’t just expansion—it added different terrain feel (backcountry-style). 

How Mt. Shasta Uses ItThey designed it for variety, exploration, and lower crowd density.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItBefore expanding, ask:

• “What experience are we missing?” (not acreage)

• “What skier emotion does this unlock?”

👉 Smart move: Build contrast terrain, not more of the same—it increases perceived size without huge capital.

6. Solve Friction with Experience, Not Infrastructure

Mt. Shasta InsightInstead of building lifts, they added a snowcat shuttle (“Lemurian Express”) to connect terrain. 

How Mt. Shasta Uses ItThey turned a logistical problem into a novel experience.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItLook for friction points (walks, transfers, parking) and:

• Turn them into branded experiences

• Add storytelling (names, identity, ritual)

👉 Key idea: Don’t eliminate friction—reframe it into something memorable.

7. Twilight Skiing = Community Engine, Not Just Extra Hours

Mt. Shasta InsightNight skiing builds tight-knit, recurring user groups. 

How Mt. Shasta Uses ItThey see consistent “micro-communities” forming during twilight sessions.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItDon’t treat night skiing as overflow:

• Build leagues, recurring meetups, after-work rituals

• Target locals with predictable weekly patterns

👉 Advanced play: Use twilight as your retention product, not your revenue product.

8. CRM Segmentation Reveals Hidden Demand (If You Act on It)

Mt. Shasta InsightCRM helped identify value-seeking, low-experience skiers as a major opportunity. 

How Mt. Shasta Uses ItThey’re now doubling down on that segment.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItGo beyond segmentation:

• Tie segments to specific operational changes (pricing, hours, terrain)

• Build campaigns that align with behavior, not demographics

👉 Key insight: CRM isn’t for emails—it’s for restructuring your business around real demand.

9. Expansion Messaging Must Lead with Downsides

Mt. Shasta InsightThey under-communicated a required walk to new terrain → backlash. 

How Mt. Shasta Uses It (Lesson Learned)Now they would lead with the challenge and frame it positively.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItWhen launching anything:

• Lead with the “objection” first

• Then reframe it (e.g., “short hike = fewer crowds”)

👉 This flips the narrative: you own the downside before guests weaponize it.

10. Content Works Best When Leadership Is Visible On-Mountain

Mt. Shasta InsightThe GM became recognizable from social content and interacted with guests in person. 

How Mt. Shasta Uses ItThey film updates on the hill, not behind a desk.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItMake leadership part of the product:

• GM updates from lifts, storms, patrol meetings

• Show decision-making live

👉 The deeper value: it humanizes pricing, closures, and tough calls.

11. “Recharge” Is a Stronger Differentiator Than “Ski Quality”

Mt. Shasta InsightThey market calm, uncrowded, wellness-oriented skiing—especially to urban visitors. 

How Mt. Shasta Uses ItThey target Bay Area skiers tired of crowds and stress.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItReframe your product:

• Sell how people feel, not just snow stats

• Compete against stress, not other resorts

👉 This is huge: You’re not competing with Vail—you’re competing with burnout.

12. Alternative Experiences Extend the Mountain Without Snow Dependence

Mt. Shasta InsightBackcountry huts, weddings, tubing, and touring diversify the experience. 

How Mt. Shasta Uses ItThey give guests multiple ways to “experience the mountain,” not just ski.

How Other Ski Areas Can Use ItBuild non-lift-dependent revenue + engagement:

• Overnight experiences (huts, cabins)

• Event-based offerings (weddings, retreats)

• Guided “soft adventure” products

👉 Strategic edge: These products are less weather-sensitive and higher margin per guest.