Breckenridge Resort

Breckenridge, Colorado has a long-standing reputation as being one of the top U.S. ski locales, mainly due to its sheer size and variety of challenging slopes.
The Breckenridge Resort sits in a valley of the Ten Mile Range of the Rocky Mountains, surrounded on all sides by the deceptively serene majesty of America’s largest mountain range.
Hidden behind the pine-scented splendor of the tree line of the basin is a veritable wonderland of formidable slopes for every level of downhill expertise. In addition to its legendary ski offering, Breckenridge also boasts a bustling nightlife and shopping scene in its downtown area. The Breckenridge Resort offers visitors access to all of this multi-faceted area’s many offerings. To learn more about the Breckenridge Resort visit Breckenridge Resort.

Chestnut Mountain Resort

Located in northwestern Illinois, Chestnut Mountain Resort is the midwest’s prime skiing destination. Chestnut Mountain Resort offers visitors an expansive 120+ room lodge, an array of challenging runs and full equipment rental services, all set against the picturesque backdrop of the Midwest.

The resort sits just outside the quaint town of Galena, whose cobblestone streets are reminiscent of the early 1900’s that marked the birth of downhill skiing. Galena offers an array of apres-skiing indulgences, from local wineries and an assortment of enchanting eateries, to a surprising amount of sophisticated art galleries and antique shops.

To learn more about this singular resort visit Chestnut Mountain

Bad Gastein, Austria

The Austrian Alps have long been considered an equally challenging and dignified destination for skiers around the globe. Along with Switzerland, France, Italy and the Spanish Pyrenees, the resorts on the Austrian Alps have consistently ranked on various top ten European ski destination lists.
Nestled in the ancient forests that edge the mountainsides are a vast array of quaint, secluded villages and resort-towns. One of the most luxurious of these is Bad Gastein. Once considered a premier destination for spa-goers, the Bad Gastein Valley has made a name for itself as a skier’s paradise, in the last half-century. To read more about the Bad Gastein valley, visit: Bad Gastein

Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine

April Lenoir takes us on a review of the Banff ski area including Lake Louise Ski area. Mt. Norquay is the pioneer resort of Banff National Park and Sunshine Village is Canada’s highest elevated ski resort. Learn more about these resorts and the ski opportunities they provide.

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Boyne Mountain

Northern Michigan’s Boyne Resorts has become a mecca of Midwest winter sports destinations. Comprised of three resorts, ski enthusiasts will have plenty of turf to ski. Read more about this Midwest ski destination.

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Ski Destination: Sugarbush Resort

Sugarbush Resort offers ski groups great terrain, plenty of ski trails for all levels and distinguished lodging. Tucked in the Mad River Valley of Central Vermont, Sugarbush has a vertical drop of 2,600 feet and nearly 600 skiable acres. The resort is equipped with multiple lodging options and is a ski enthusiasts paradise.

Learn more about Sugarbush Resort.

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Top European Ski Destinations For Groups

Directski.com, the UK’s fastest growing winter holiday company, have come up with their pick of the top ten ski destinations, for families, skiers, non-skiers and groups.

1. Best beginners’ skiing – Arinsal, Andorra
60% of Brits fall into the `beginner’ category so an unpretentious resort like Arinsal, away from the glare of Europe’s superior skiers and prices that are among the best value in western Europe is ideal.

2. Best group ski resort – Soll, Austria
The Tyrolean resort of Soll is a great choice for a group of skiers travelling together. There is a good selection of properties that take groups and they vary from half board hotels to self catering apartments. All offer fantastic value for money. As well as this you can enjoy the lively apres ski while taking advantage of the short transfer to resort and the 250km of marked piste.

3. Best family ski resort – St. Johann, Austria
St. Johann is a great choice for a family, it’s main advantage being its location, just a little over an hour from Salzburg airport, with centrally located hotels, excellent English speaking ski schools and creche facilities . The ski lifts, ski school and ski creche, which operates in conjunction with the adult ski school, are all located within 100 metres of the centre.

4. Best value skiing – Pas de la Casa, Andorra
The prize for best value ski holidays and best value apres ski has to go Andorra for its duty free pricing, inexpensive, great value resorts. The happy hours, discos, lively cafes and restaurants also give the Andorran resort of Pas de la Casa its reputation as one of the liveliest resorts in the mountains.m

5. Best advanced skiing – Val d’Isere, France
Val d’Isere is a traditional village that is now a world famous draw for skiers from around the world. Home to the men’s downhill in the 1992 Olympics it offers extensive, world-class skiing, amazing powder and great opportunities for off-piste adventures.

6. Best apres ski – Livigno, Italy
Start early and finish late in the tax-free Italian resort of Livigno, with its reputation for great skiing, lively apres ski and numerous watering holes. The resort has access to over 100kms of pistes and even more bars, clubs and reasonably prices restaurants.

7. Best ski & spa – Bad Gastein, Austria
The Austrian spa town of Bad Gastein is world renowned for the healing powers of its natural thermal waters. Its snow record is pretty good too, which makes it a perfect ski and spa combination for those looking to relax after pounding the slopes.

8. Best glacier skiing – Tignes, France
Tignes is one of Europe’s premier destinations for glacier skiing with the Grand Motte glacier dominating the surrounding area giving it one of the longest ski seasons in Europe. The resort is served by the large well linked L’Espace Killy ski area and offers access to over 300km (190 miles) of pistes.

9. Best ski weekend – Lillehammer, Norway
The former Winter Olympic ski resort of Lillehammer has all the ingredients of a great ski weekend, with guaranteed snow from November through to April, great skiing, lovely hotels and a short airport transfer. Non-skiers can enjoy tobogganing, luge, sleigh rides, ice-skating and snowy walks.

10. Best non-ski activities – Zell am See, Austria
For non-skiers and those wanting to take a break from the slopes Zell am See has masses to offer, including tobogganing, bowling, a sports centre with indoor pool, ice-skating, snow shoeing, sleigh rides and cinema.

Midwest New and Noteworthy

Michigan:

Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls is celebrating 60 years of winter fun throughout the 2008/09 season. A big improvement at Boyne is replacement of the Meadows Chairlift with a higher speed, fixed grip, conveyor load lift. This lift not only travels faster than the original, it’s easier to load thanks to a conveyor belt system, giving riders a seamless transition from snow to seat. The new lift also extends further down the slope requiring less traversing from the south end of the mountain. Boyne Mountain has added additional Boyne Low E Fan Guns. These snowmaking guns will make more snow as well as a higher quality snow with less moisture content, all this while using less energy.

In addition, Boyne built an all-new facility for the SnowSports Academy children’s programs, select junior rental equipment and Playcare at the base of Boyneland. The ski area expanded glade skiing terrain north of Disciples and Superbowl trails. Precision select-cutting over the last two years has created over seven acres of additional tree skiing/riding terrain. Contact: 800-462-6963, boyne.com.

Rated one of the “Top 10 Ski Resorts in the Midwest” by SnoCountry, Shanty Creek Resorts in Michigan has completed a $10-million renovation and redecoration project involving the hotel’s guest rooms, public areas and function space. The renovations temporarily closed the Summit Mountain slopes during the 2007-2008 season. Summit Mountain’s 12 slopes will be open this winter with several upgrades to the mountain taking place, including terrain upgrades and equipment upgrades. The Summit Mountain’s most popular slope, Greenway, was widened and expanded for the season’s opening. Summit Mountain will also have more snow this winter with all-new snowmaking equipment.

At the nearby Schuss Mountain, the halfpipe was moved and enlarged, increasing the overall length and width of the pipe. The tubing park was moved to the backside of Schuss Mountain and enlarged with more and longer lanes. Located on 4,500 acres, Shanty Creek offers 49 downhill skiing slopes on two mountains and 21 kilometers of Nordic ski trails, seven miles of maintained mountain bike and nature trails, and snowboarding and tubing parks. Contact: 800-678-4111, shantycreek.com.

The owner of Indianhead Mountain Resort in Wakefield, Mich. has announced plans to acquire the assets of nearby Big Powderhorn and Blackjack ski resorts. The deal combining three of the best known ski resorts in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is expected to close by year end.
Barry Bolich, general manger of Indianhead, said, “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to operate these resorts as a single business. We already have the best snow, and together we would have the best terrain and the most runs, and the ability to offer all of this in a seamless one-ticket package.”
Indianhead Mountain is an “upsidedown” ski resort with its village and facilities located at the top of the mountain.
“Our guests love the fact that they do not have to wait in line or ride a lift to take the first run of the day,” Bolich said. “They usually pause to take in the view and then head down the mountain.”

The resort’s Sky Bar and Grille takes full advantage of the 35-mile panoramic view with large windows and a deck looking out over the Ottawa National Forest. Guests can also take in the view from many of the lodging units.

Indianhead Mountain Resort is a four-season resort offering 29 downhill skiing slopes, snowboarding and an average of 17 feet of snow per year. Contact: 906-229-2200, indianheadmtn.com.

Big Powderhorn this year brings back regularly scheduled racing, with Sundays the day to race, for a modest fee, against the clock, a friend or the whole family. Group racing arrangements can be made for other days.

The resort last year added some features to its terrain parks and will be adding a few more new items this year. Last year Katie’s Catwalk became the newest, steepest, and narrowest downhill trail at Big Powderhorn and the resort has bought a special snow gun just to blow snow into this tight area. A popular option at Big Powderhorn are the three cozy trailside huts for private lunches or get-togethers on the mountain during the ski day. The resort provides the fire, grill, charcoal and staff to transport the food to the huts (for a fee of $20). Contact: 800-501-7669, bigpowderhorn.net.

Wisconsin

Granite Peak in Wausau has an all-new ski area. With seven new lifts, including the Midwest’s longest high-speed chairlift, Granite Peak has become one of the top ski resorts in the Midwest. A state-of-the-art snowmaking and groomer fleet, new terrain park, more tree skiing glades, children’s area and demo center give visitors additional options.
Contact: 715-845-2846, skigranitepeak.com.

Ski News- Spring 2009

Michigan

Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville recently opened Crystal Spa, which offers a full menu of services including massage, body treatments, facials, manicures and pedicures. Other features include a meditation lounge and outdoor meditation garden with hot tub (available year-round), manicure and pedicure area, and locker rooms with heated floors, steam rooms and infrared saunas that use less power while providing deeper tissue penetration than traditional saunas. The 18,500-square-foot, LEED-certified facility also has a fitness center with state-of-the-art cardio and strength-training equipment, indoor pool with lap lanes, hot tub, and an indoor and outdoor motion studio. The spa has 12 treatment rooms and a variety of treatments to choose from. Contact: 231-378-2000, crystalmountain.com.

Minnesota

Lutsen Mountains in Lutsen has made some recent new additions. A new triple chair lift increases the uphill capacity on Eagle Mountain by 30% and provides express service to Eagle’s North Face expert runs. The Plunge, the near vertical drop on the North Face of Moose Mountain, has re-opened and is the steepest run in mid-America with a 90% slope and winch-cat grooming. Eagle Ridge Resort has added a two-bedroom, one-and-a half bath luxury suite with convenient ski-in/ski-out access as well as 12 new one-bedroom luxury condos with upgraded features such as Silestone countertops, steam showers, stainless steel appliances, fireplaces and private balconies. There are also three new spas in the Lutsen area that offer a variety of services, including massages and other treatments. Contact: 218-663-7281, lutsen.com.

Wisconsin

The remodeled Historic Stone Chalet at Granite Peak, at Rib Mountain State near Wausau, features a new upstairs lounge area with mountain views, two stone fireplaces and weekly entertainment. The chalet also has additional downstairs eating, plus new changing areas and restrooms. Also new at Granite Peak is the large outdoor patio with a fire ring and an outdoor grill serving bratwurst on Saturday nights and holidays. A second high-speed lift is planned for 2009-2010, with ski-in/ski-out resort lodging planned for 2010-2012. Contact: 715-845-2846, skigranitepeak.com.

WEST

California

North Lake Tahoe businesses and organizations are planning a large-scale, season-long celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1960 Olympic Winter games held in Squaw Valley and along Tahoe’s West Shore from Homewood to Tahoma. The Olympic Heritage Celebration, which takes place Jan. 8-17, 2010, will have planned events including races, celebrations, parades, interpretive tours and reenactments. The anniversary event will also provide awareness and fundraising for the Squaw Valley Olympic and Winter Sports Museum, which is in the planning stages. Contact: 1960winterolympics.com.

Northstar Resort in Truckee has made many improvements for skiers and riders. Enhancements include an extension of ski trails and the express quad lift on Lookout Mountain, new snowmaking systems, tree thinning for improved glade skiing, increased lift capacity, and the widening of the ski area boundaries which increases the resort’s acreage by 414 acres to a total 2,904 acres. Also available for guests at the resort are 150,000 square-feet of retail space at the Village at Northstar, which has 35 unique shops, galleries and dining options. When guests want to wind down, they can visit Balance Holistic Health at the Village, which offers services including massage, aromatherapy, yoga, thai chi and other wellness therapies and classes. Contact: 800-466-6784, northstarattahoe.com.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort in Kirkwood has added two new lifts that will give access to 700 acres and 1,350 vertical feet of skiing and snowboarding. There is also a lift for beginners called the Wonder Carpet lift in Timber Creek Base Area, which helps newcomers learn how to ski at their own pace and is a great place for the family to ski together. Contact: 800-967-7500, kirkwood.com.

Canada

Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) in British Columbia is offering visitors a deal for the 2010 season. If guests book with a deposit by June 15, 2009, they will receive a guest lodge credit of CAN $100/day booked. For example, if a guest booked a seven-day trip, he would receive a credit of $700. The credit can be used for anything visitors choose, including the bar, massages, extra heli-skiing meters and the shop, and is good at 11 of CMH’s 12 lodges. Contact: 800-661-0252, canadianmountainholidays.com.

Colorado

Telluride Ski Resort recently unveiled its Revelation Bowl and Lift on the east side of Gold Hill. The bowl is for advanced and expert skiers and riders and offers a vertical drop that is now one of the largest in North America, at 4,425 feet with 3,845 vertical feet lift-served. Along with a 400-acre expansion this year, there is a new Bear Creek Overlook observation deck at the base of the bowl where skiers and riders can relax and enjoy the view of Telluride Valley. The resort has also opened two new luxury hotels, the Lumière Telluride and Capella Telluride, as well as several new restaurants. Contact: 970-728-6900, tellurideskiresort.com.

Idaho

Sun Valley recently relocated its Sun Valley Nordic Center to the new 58,000-square-foot Sun Valley Club in the backyard of the world-famous Sun Valley Lodge. The new center offers cross country skiers a number of new features, including a restaurant, indoor and outdoor bar, men’s and women’s lockers and lounges, equipment storage, repair and rental. There are also two outdoor heated pools, ice-skating, elegant dining, exclusive shopping and village ambiance. The Sun Valley Club is located one mile east of the Sun Valley Village; free bus service is available. Contact: 800-786-8259, sunvalley.com.

Utah

The Canyons Resort in Park City has made several improvements for this season. A new ski lift called the Frostwood Pulse Gondola transports guests staying in the Frostwood area to the base of the Flight of the Canyons gondola. As part of the Iron Mountain expansion plans, the new Timberline Lift will go from the base of Tombstone to a half mile below the DreamCatcher lift and will be used to access Tombstone from the DreamCatcher area at the end of the day. In order to open up more tree skiing and riding, trees will be gladed in areas such as Mystic Pines off of Peak 5. Snowmaking will be increased by 30%, and the grooming fleet has increased by 25% with an upgrade of snowmaking and grooming equipment. In the next year the resort will begin construction on an 18-hole golf course. Contact: 435-649-5400, thecanyons.com.

Wyoming
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Teton Village opened its highly anticipated aerial tram in mid-December. Better known as “Big Red,” the tram can carry 100 passengers and soars 4,139 vertical feet in the air in nine minutes until it reaches the 10,450-foot summit of Rendezvous Mountain. The tram comes after two years of construction and claims the longest continuous vertical rise in North America. At the summit, hiking trails can be found in every direction, and Corbet’s Cabin will be open all summer, with beverages and snacks available to enjoy on the deck while taking in views of the Snake River Valley below. A new viewing station at the top will allow for 360 aerial views of Wyoming and Idaho. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will open for the summer season on May 23. The aerial tram will operate daily until Sept. 27. Contact: 888-333-7766, jacksonhole.com.

EAST

Maine

Mt. Abram Ski Resort in Bethel has more than doubled its skiable terrain with a new policy called “Boundary to Boundary.” Skiable and rideable terrain has gone from 250 acres to 650. There are groomer trails for every level rider as well as 400 more forested acres packed with powder stashes, steeps and cliff drops. The new policy means riders and skiers can’t lose their ticket for skiing off the trails in the trees. Contact: 207-875-5000, mtabram.com.

Vermont

Stowe Mountain Lodge recently opened and is located at the base of Spruce Peak Mountain in Stowe. The lodge offers skiers and snowboarders the opportunity to take advantage of the slopes without having to wait in any lines. Guests are able to send their equipment from home through the resort’s ski valet service and have it waiting for them when they arrive. The resort will also bring up the equipment to the chairlift or gondola whenever guests are ready to ski. Other services include “ski sherpas” heating ski boots and tuning equipment as well as lift tickets, lessons and rentals being secured in advance. Contact: 800-253-4754, stowemountainlodge.com.

Airboarding takes slope-sliding to a whole new level at Smugglers’ Notch Resort, “America’s Family Resort.” A-shaped and similar in size to a water raft, an airboard is an inflated sled steered by shifting body weight from side to side, thereby engaging the urethane grooves on the underside that act as edges. A wrist strap keeps the device connected to the rider in case of a tumble. Legs and feet can also influence the airboard’s downhill path. There are sizes for adults and kids. The afternoon family activity at lift-served Morse Highlands starts with a short instructional class. Guests must be 10 years old, 48 inches tall and wear a helmet. Smugglers’ Notch is consistently rated No. 1 in family programs by SKI magazine. Contact: 800-419-4615, smuggs.com.

New and Noteworthy: East

Skiers considering a visit to Mount Snow in Vermont will enjoy the benefits of recent additions to its snowmaking system. Now skiers and riders can take advantage of earlier opening and later closing dates with more terrain and more homemade “powder days” in ideal conditions, thanks to 101 energy-efficient Polecat fan guns from SMI Snowmakers, Inc. Not only do these fan guns provide better skiing for visitors, but they are also environment-friendly, requiring less compressed air than traditional guns and less energy. This considerable investment gives Mount Snow the most fan guns in New England. Contact: 802-245-7669, www.mountsnow.com.

For the first time in 10 years, Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort in Snowshoe, W. Va, has added new trails to its existing slopes. Serviced by the Soaring Eagle Express high-speed quad, all three runs are marked for expert skiers. Visitors to Snowshoe who stay in the new South Mountain neighborhood now have ski-in/ski-out access to the trails from the gated community.

Although these new trails are not suitable for beginners, Snowshoe has enhanced the experience for novice skiers with a new Magic Carpet lift that will increase the mountain’s uphill capacity by 1,500 skiers per hour. Contact: 877-441-4386, www.snowshoemtn.com.

Changes have been made to the intermediate terrain at Lake Placid’s Whiteface Mountain in New York. Paron’s Run and Excelsior saw considerable transformation with corners and trails widened between the two for easier transitions, and a new connector to Lower Cloudspin was made to increase visibility and leave more space for maneuvering the slopes.

Whiteface also added a lift-serviced half-pipe and for kids, a more convenient connector between the Bunny Hutch Triple Chair and Kids Kampus Bronze Trail, complete with more snowmaking. Contact: 877-754-3223, www.whiteface.com.

A number of ski resorts in New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington Valley are beginning new green initiatives to reduce carbon footprints, including Jackson XC in Jackson Village. It has a new half-million-dollar grooming system that makes more efficient use of natural snowfall while potentially extending its ski season and reducing overall fuel usage.
Adjacent to Mt. Washington Valley, Shawnee Peak in Bridgeton, Me., recently announced a plan that will offset 100 percent of the 1,800 tons of carbon emissions it produces each year through wind power, carbon sequestration, recycling and more. Its new snowmaking pump delivery system contributes to the conservation program by increasing uphill water capacity by as much as 40 percent while saving energy through automatic pressure controls, start/stop sequencing, programmable logic controllers and variable speed technology.

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