Heh

This is from the www.vailtrail.com

Comparing ski towns (from the Tahoe News)

This looks interesting. I'll keep adding links as they put them up. These may need registration to log into. Try my email and college nickname to get yourself in.

Tahoe News Preface

Park City, Utah articles from the TDN.

Park City 1
Park City 2
Park City 3

I've always thought PC was a pretty great place.

Here are their pieces on Telluride (added Friday). It's darn hard to get there. All these proposals seem to suggest lots and lots of governmental intervention.

Telluride 1
Telluride 2
Telluride 3
Telluride 4

Some info on Jackson Hole.

Jackson Hole 1

Those charming ski maps

If you've ever wondered who creates and illustrates most of the trail maps for the ski industry, read about cartographer James Niehaus. His work is quite something; the work above is of my beloved Okemo.

CNN article on Niehaus

Excerpts from the Crime Blotter of Summit County (4/25/06)

(these are shamelessly filched from the Summit Daily News, link below) I suppose being a cub reporter on a small town newspaper must require some creativity, to wit:

Poached pants
A sheriff’s deputy was called to a condo clubhouse in Dillon Valley to speak to a woman who was missing a pair of pants from the dryer.

The woman said she’d been doing her laundry and discovered a pair of her boyfriend’s pants didn’t come of the dryer with the rest of the clothes.

She viewed the clubhouses surveillance tapes and saw a man take said pants, but she didn’t know who he was. However, she did know where the alleged thief lived. She led the deputy to the suspect’s apartment and he handed over the trousers he had taken from the laundry room. The man explained that he thought the pants were his, but couldn’t provide the brand of the pants. The deputy cited him for theft.
Ready for the consequence
A sheriff’s deputy driving on Highway 6 recently witnessed a vehicle make a turn without signaling, so he pulled over the driver, who had slurred speech, watery eyes and had great difficulty locating his vehicle registration and insurance card.
When asked, the driver said he’d had four beers, and agreed to a sobriety test.
He failed.

While en route to the jail, the man admitted, “I deserve this. I’m not drunk now, but I’ve driven drunk so many times, I deserve this.”

He also requested to be booked into a cell with the biggest man “named Bubba in the jail.”

No word on whether his wish was granted.

More exciting police blotter stories on
Crime Blotter

I'm dubious, but wish them well

Trying to develop Burke Mountain

Burke is way up in the Northeast Kingdom part of VT, far away from anything except Canadians and polar bears. I'm not sure that either can afford expensive lift tickets and slopeside condos.

But hey, I wish them well. More ski areas is better.

A trip report from The Big Mountain in MT

This has to be the most exhaustive, well described ski trip report ever.

I am highly jealous. Kudos to the creators!

TBM trip report

Sounds great out west....

Where to go now

Lots of snow at the Bird

Another cool pair of links

One a skiier serving in Iraq

Skiier in Iraq

and two, a great deal on a season pass at Copper Mountain in Colorado

What a deal on a Copper pass!



Also an old colleague from work sent us some pictures from his Easter jaunt to the Stubai glacier in Austria. I've attached one picture from his set. It's a tricky engineering problem to build lifts on glaciers as the "ground" is shifting and you don't have much to anchor the lifts into.



Spring is here, and its getting to be time to put away those sweaters.

Real estate sales still going crazy at Okemo

I think this is crazy money to spend for property that CAN NOT be a primary residence. What is even more unfair is that their taxes are higher than residents...and they can't even use the schools. Vermont has been sticking it to the second home owner (especially out of staters) for a long time. One more thing - by prohibiting residency that also stops the owners from being able to legally vote in that jurisdiction. Much easier to tax folks who can't vote, eh?
----------------
Buyers commit to $38.5M in Okemo housing

April 14, 2006

Rutland Herald Staff

LUDLOW — Potential stakeholders in Okemo's latest growth were given their first taste of Jackson Gore II real estate last weekend.About 100 people paid a $5,000 deposit to participate in Saturday's real estate selection event hosted by Okemo Mountain Resort owners Tim and Diane Mueller at the Jackson Gore Inn's Coleman Brook Tavern.Four hours later, the Muellers walked away with a $38.5 million commitment to the purchase of 65 new, whole-ownership residences at Jackson Gore II.This is the first time in more than a decade whole-ownership residences are being offered by Okemo.The Jackson Gore Phase II project consists of three residential buildings — the Adams, Coolidge and Bixby Houses.The Adams Building is a fraction-ownership property and offers a quarter share for one week a month, but Okemo public relations director Bonnie MacPherson said the resort wanted to offer an alternative. "We wanted to open up the market to a different clientele based on demand and what the market would bear," she said.In terms of construction, single ownership requires less need for locker and storage spaces.However, single owners will not be allowed to occupy the residence on a full-time, year-round basis as the Act 250 permit for Jackson Gore II stipulates.This was put in place so the Jackson Gore II facility did not place a burden on the area's municipal or educational services — a concern expressed during the Act 250 hearings by watchdog group Mount Holly Mountain Watch."It can't be someone's primary residence. That's very much intact," MacPherson said.A giant floor plan of the Coolidge House, with 35 units, and the Bixby House, with 30 units, was presented, and interested buyers were able to select residences at pre-construction prices.

The residences vary in size from studio to three-bedroom condominiums, and commitments ranged in price from $378,000 to $2.2 million.MacPherson said the Jackson Gore II residences feature high-quality craftsmanship that demand a higher price.The selection process was a first for Okemo, and followed the success of a similar event at the Mueller's Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Crested Butte, Colo. Formerly, residences were offered through real estate listings and other traditional means.A 120-person capacity fitness center and a 500-person capacity conference center also are being built as part of the development.Construction on the Adams House and the fitness center is under way. Construction on the Bixby House is scheduled to start in early August.

End of the line

By Joel Stonington (Aspen Times)

April 16, 2006

The Silver Queen Gondola is getting a face-lift after 20 years, and today is the last day to ride on the old cars (unless you buy one on eBay).

By July 4, new gondola cabins will be in place.

"It's kinda sad," said Sally Kleiner, of Colorado Springs, riding up on Saturday.

That just depends on your point of view.

"Frigging gondola ruined that mountain, if you ask me," Tony Vagneur said. "All those improvements they did around '86. Skiing Aspen Mountain was more of an adventure. Now it's like being at a roller rink."

Vagneur said getting to the top changed with the new gondola.

"It could be a 45 minute ordeal," he said. "It used to be the easy way up was up Little Nell, went over and got on 5, then you had to ski down and get on 3 to get to the top. You had to wait in line three times, basically. It was a long ordeal."

When the Silver Queen went in, it was the longest single-stage gondola in North America. But there were gondolas at Vail and Steamboat, so it wasn't hugely new. Just hugely different for Aspen.

"A lot of people were skeptical," said Don Boyer, maintenance lift manager for the Aspen Skiing Co. and an employee since 1969. "Some of these guys that had skied Aspen for years and years said, 'Wow, we can ski top to bottom.'"

Boyer said workers have already started taking gondolas off the lift and are currently running at about three-quarters capacity.

"We have to make some changes in the terminals," he said. "We have to tear up the floor in the top terminal and do some other stuff so the cars can get in there. The speed will be about the same. This will be phase three of what we've been doing. This spring is the final phase."

The gondola will be wheelchair accessible, so the entrance to each cabin will be flush with the ground.

"I think it'll look really sharp for the city," Boyer said. "Fireworks will be unbelievable shining off those new cabins."

Changes afoot in Sun Valley & Ketchum ?

Sun Valley seems to be trying to radically change their main downtown, in Ketchum. Here's the Adobe presentation on it.

Ketchum master plan

News article on it as well


And here's what they are trying to do to the mountain over the next ten years, from plans filed with the Forest Service.

Forest Service Filings

News reports on filings

Another good ski blog

Another ski blog - season ending report

Utah catching up to Vermont in ski biz (AP)

Associated Press
April 10, 2006

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah's skiing governor, Jon Huntsman, hit the slopes Saturday as industry officials gave an early assessment of the 2005-06 season, saying the total number of skier visits was fast approaching 4 million.Utah, the No. 4 skiing state, could move up a notch and replace Vermont, which usually tops 4 million skier visits but suffered from a shortage of winter snowfall, with many of its ski areas opening late and closing early this season.Ski areas in Utah's Wasatch Range, by contrast, have had about 50 feet of snow since October, with three feet falling last week. The mountain snowpack is 171 percent above normal, the National Weather Service reports. The resorts got even more snow last winter, when Snowbird had skiing for 205 days straight.The resorts could match last winter's record of 3.9 million skier visits, up 12 percent, even with a shorter season, said resort executives and Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah.Snowbird, about 18 miles east of Salt Lake City, had its busiest March for skier visits and lodging, resort spokeswoman Laura Schaffer said.Executives at other Utah resorts said their numbers were up, too, although for competitive reasons the 13 independently owned resorts don't release figures. Ski Utah compiles and releases a single figure for all resorts at the end of the season.Rafferty said Utah's final numbers will depend on traffic in the final weeks of the season.Most Utah resorts will close next weekend, except for Snowbasin, which plans to stay open until April 23. Snowbird, a year-round resort, will offer skiing until the end of May.The resorts don't close for lack of a snowpack but for interest, as skiers switch to playing golf, riding bicycles or mowing lawns. Even as they lose customers, resorts stay open for weeks, just to show they can, said Gary DeSeelhorst, president of Solitude Mountain Resort, which is staying open until April 16."April will be a bummer financially. There's no question," he said.

Stealing from Colorado?Overall, Utah resort officials think they're taking traveling skiers from No. 1 Colorado, which logged 11.81 million skier visits last winter, but industry officials in Colorado say they're not seeing any losses."Certainly we're looking at a record year," said Molly Cuffe, communications director for Colorado Ski Country USA. "Right now we're on track to hit 12 million skier visits - we've gotten close to that number in the past, but it's always eluded us."Half of Vermont's ski areas closed weeks ago. Mad River Glen ski area, a cooperative owned by skier-shareholders, had its worst winter in a decade and shut down March 13, Mad River's President Jamie Wimble said."We are definitely in the red for this year," Wimble said. On the plus side, "we have no debt and a low overhead."At Solitude, about 18 miles east of Salt Lake City, skiers were cruising on slopes with 14 feet of packed snow on Saturday.Huntsman said the secret was getting out, thanks in part to the 2002 Winter Olympics - that Utah resorts have good skiing, abundant snowfall and quick access from Salt Lake City's airport. Eight resorts are within a 45-minute drive of the airport. Huntsman said the ski industry contributes nearly $1 billion to the Utah economy."How is it that we can have it so well?" he asked.Huntsman rates himself an intermediate skier but was seen racing down the slopes ahead of his bodyguard and other companions. Rafferty said he barely had time to buckle his boots on the first run before Huntsman took off."He skis like a rocket," Rafferty said.

A collector of vintage ski gear

Article on Collector

Here's their web site

Their collecton of reproduction posters is most impressive.

Greatest dog day ever

There were more people saying "sit," "down," and "good dog" all in one place Saturday at Buttermilk than at any other time of year. And the hundreds of doggies were running around sniffing each other, barking, chasing balls, licking things and enjoying the sunshine.Yes, another successful Canine Uphill (the 11th annual) at Buttermilk.Emmy, Wren, Oliver and Grace were there with their owner, Mary Kobey. The four poodles each had on a frilly collar. "It's probably very silly," Kobey said, "but we thought it would be fun. They're a handful, but poodles are smart, easy dogs."Indeed, Emmy, Wren, Oliver and Grace were not barking their heads off like some of the dogs there. They were just chilling out, sniffing interesting things and looking stylish.For some, it was just an average dog day, but a major idea behind the uphill is to spread consciousness about abandoned dogs."We raise a substantial amount of money for dog food and that sort of thing [for shelters in the area]," said one of the organizers of the event, Greg Gissler. "Dogs get abandoned in bad situations. This is about taking care of animals in the valley."Hence, the Animal Rescue Foundation brought 10 or so dogs to be walked and hopefully adopted, Valley Dog Rescue brought another 10, and some people drove over to the Aspen Animal Shelter to pick up a dog for the day. Leila, from the Aspen Animal Shelter, got to walk with Kerek Swanson of Blue Lake. Before the race, Leila, a small terrier/lab mix, was sitting on Swanson's lap looking around, ears perked, happy as a clam. "It's a way I can have a dog without having one," said Swanson, who mentioned he doesn't have the ability to adopt a dog right now, "plus, it gets him out of the kennel for a day."Courtney Sorrell, of Aspen, lucked out and ended up with Reno from the Animal Rescue Foundation. Reno was the winner of last year's event."I told him, 'I'm not racing, I'm walking,'" said Sorrell, to somewhat ashamed and hurt looks from Reno.Yeah, just like the people, some of the dogs there had that competitive spirit and some just didn't. All the competitive types gathered up front for the beginning of the race, while the recreationals stayed behind. For a few minutes, while everyone was standing there, dog barks filled the air and leashes were pulled tight. Then the race began, and 20 seconds later the bottom of Buttermilk was silent. Looking up, all that could be seen were hiking people and wagging tails. The race was followed by a raffle and barbecue."With hot dogs," Gissler said, "of course."
(from the Aspen News)

3 Die in Mammoth Ski Patrol Accident

Two men fall into a volcanic vent while fencing it off. A rescuer also is killed and seven are hurt. Resort's death toll this year hits eight.

By Amanda Covarrubias and Doug Smith
LA Times Staff Writers

April 7, 2006

Three ski patrol members were killed Thursday at Mammoth Mountain ski area when they fell into a geothermal vent that they were working to fence off. Seven other ski patrollers were injured in the incident.

The deaths bring the total this year to eight at the popular Eastern Sierra ski resort, which broke its all-time snowfall record Tuesday. This winter season has been a deadly one for California, with at least 13 skiers dying.

In the wake of a blizzard, four patrollers had been working Thursday morning on the barrier around the natural vent — a crevasse through which toxic subterranean gases escape — to keep skiers from the dangerous opening. Mammoth, which rises to 11,053 feet in an active volcanic area, has several such vents, also called fumaroles.

"The gas levels were very high, and when the patrollers first went to fence it off, there was a lot of snow, but the opening was quite small," Mammoth Lakes Mayor Rick Wood said. "There was a 12-foot-wide cave, 22 feet deep. What happened is two of the four patrollers fell through the hole and the snow gave way. Two went in after them, and only one survived."

Members of the ski patrol, firefighters and paramedics responded. The seven injured patrollers — six of whom responded to the accident — were taken to Mammoth Hospital in Mammoth Lakes, where most were expected to stay overnight, Wood said.

The names of two of the dead ski patrol members, all men, were being withheld until family members could be notified. The Mono County coroner has not determined whether they died from the fall or from inhaling toxic fumes.

One of the dead was Charles Walter Rosenthal, a researcher for UC Santa Barbara who jumped in to help his two fellow patrollers who had fallen into the vent. University spokesman Paul Desruisseaux said Rosenthal, a married father in his 40s, worked at the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Laboratory in Mammoth Lakes. He was the president of the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and an expert in snow hydrology and remote sensing of snow.

Mammoth Mountain officials, skiers and ski patrollers were still trying to absorb the latest tragedy to hit the community about 300 miles north of Los Angeles, a snow sports destination that draws 1 million visitors a year, many from Southern California.



Earlier this year, five people died at Mammoth and a member of the Mammoth ski patrol was killed in an avalanche nearby. In a normal season, three people die in accidents or from natural causes at the resort. Last season, only two people died.

"Whenever you have something like this in a small town, it touches everyone," said Craig Stadtmueller, pastor at Grace Community Church of Mammoth Lakes. "Even though I'm new here, I can't help but be affected by this because everyone I know is affected."

Ski patrol members, who are trained in rescue and first aid, respond to accidents, trigger avalanches to release built-up snow and erect barriers to hazards.

Michael Fanelli, the National Ski Patrol's director at the Northstar ski area in Lake Tahoe, said fatal ski patrol accidents are extremely rare. Before the death of the off-duty Mammoth ski patroller this season, Fanelli said he knew of fatal accidents only in the Rocky Mountains.

"In the last 10 years, I have not heard of any patrollers killed in California," he said.

Jeff "Jake" Smith, 27, who patrolled at Alpine Meadows, was killed in 1982 as he tried to warn skiers to flee a danger zone. An avalanche smothered him and five other skiers. In 1985, a 9,000-foot peak above Lake Tahoe was named Jake's Peak in his honor.

At Mammoth on Thursday morning, the ski patrollers were moving the fencing around the vent near the Christmas Bowl on the upper mountain when the accident occurred at 11:29 a.m. The area where the accident occurred had been closed because of heavy snowfall. As of Wednesday, Mammoth Mountain had recorded 632 inches, or 52 feet of snow since October. The previous record of 617 inches was set in 1992-93.

David P. Hill, the scientist in charge of the U.S. Geological Survey's Long Valley Observatory in the Mammoth area, said the accident occurred at a well-known geologic feature called the Mammoth Mountain fumarole, a vent that releases water vapor and carbon dioxide from deep within the earth. There are a couple of other, smaller fumaroles on the mountain.

The vents, which emit a slight rotten-egg smell, are relatively harmless in summer when the gas dissipates into the atmosphere. "The problem comes in the winter when the snow builds up and covers this thing," Hill said. Hill said the heated gas can melt a cavity below the surface snow.

The area had already been cordoned off so that skiers would not inadvertently cross over it. "They were trying to move the fence further back from the fumerole to protect skiers because they knew it was dangerous," said Hill, who talked to Mammoth Mountain officials. "They were doing the right thing. They were just unlucky."

Mammoth Mountain stands on the southwest rim of the Long Valley Caldera, part of a volcanic chain that extends to Mono Lake. High concentrations of carbon dioxide have been seeping to the surface since a 1989 earthquake and have killed more than 100 acres of trees on Mammoth Mountain.

Volcanic gas emissions are believed to have caused at least two California skiing deaths. In 1998, a 58-year-old cross-country skier from Torrance in good physical condition died in nearby Horseshoe Lake. He was found face down, and he was believed to have died from "carbon dioxide toxicity," according to the Mono County coroner. In 1995, a cross-country skier fell into a fumarole in Lassen Volcanic National Park and survived a week before succumbing to the effects of inhaling toxic fumes.

After blizzard conditions Wednesday, Thursday was a beautiful, clear day on the mountain, with temperatures in the 50s.

Skiers in line to board the gondola to the top first learned that an accident had occurred after a lift attendant suddenly announced, without elaborating, that "the top of the mountain was closed." But within seconds, a skier in line got a call on a cellphone and then told a friend that a ski patroller had died.

Word spread quickly, and the accident was the talk of the slopes, though details were scarce. Skiers saw the emergency vehicles staging at the base of the mountain.

The deaths were another blow to the well-regarded ski patrol, which lost Sara Johanna Carlsson, 31, a native of Sweden, in January when she was killed in an avalanche skiing off-duty near Bridgeport with two other Mammoth ski patrol members.

"When you have folks doing what they are paid to do and falling into a vent, it's close, it's personal and it ripples throughout the community," said Wood, the Mammoth Lakes mayor. "There's a collective feeling of devastation you cannot measure. These are the unheralded heroes who make the mountain work. They're the guys who make it an enjoyable, safe place to ski."

Mammoth to honor fallen patrol

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Times staff writers Steve Hymon, J. Michael Kennedy and Hemmy So in Los Angeles and Jeffrey M. Johnson in Mammoth Lakes contributed to this report.

Four seasons of skiing at A-Basin

I had a great day skiing Arapahoe at Eastertime some years ago. For those of you who are able, it's not far from Denver at all. If you are prone to altitude sickness, the Basin is pretty high up. I remember feeling light headed there.
--------------------------
Four seasons of skiing at A-Basin

DAILY NEWS STAFF REPORT
March 6, 2006

Arapahoe Basin gets better with age, and after nearly 60 years in business, The Legend, as it is affectionately known, is still going strong.

The ski area has managed to stay true to its down-home tradition while changing with the times. In recent years, the Basin has added a terrain park and snowmaking to stay up-to-date with the changing ski industry.

But one thing that doesn’t change is the terrain. It’s mostly above treeline and varied enough to satisfy all ability levels yet challenging like no other.

The steep and bumped-up Pallavicini area is a playground for experts, while A-Basin’s lower east side offers mellow cruisers for beginners and intermediates.

The famed East Wall looms higher up the mountain. It usually opens in February or March, when the base depth covers the rocky terrain. Peaking at more than 13,000 feet, the wall serves up rock chutes and steep faces as well as powder stashes for those willing to hike to the top.

It’s thrilling terrain that earns its legendary status.

Let’s not forget that A-Basin has the longest ski season in the country, opening in October (now that the snowmaking guns are pumping it out) and closing after the summer solstice most years. Arapahoe shoots for July 4 as a closing date.
Those spring and summer days are part of the ski area’s story as riders and partiers alternate runs with burgers and beers at the base of the mountain — which has come, over the years, to be known as the Beach.

SKI magazine on a day at the Beach

Snow at Okemo...in April ?!?

It snowed 2"-4" up at Okemo.... picture from this morning

Maybe with luck I can get a few runs in!

Doug Coombs killed in La Grave on Monday

Some of you may remember how he was expelled from Jackson Hole a few years ago, made permanently persona non grata for going outside the ropes. He moved to La Grave, starring in all kinds of lunatic Warren Miller-esque films. Even though I would/could never even contemplate his camps or the terrain he purveyed -- I got a vicarious thrill in hearing about his exploits over the years.

Master of the Steeps killed in fall

Summit Article on the Deaths (reg required)

Interview with Coombs

Denver Post's article

Powder's Tribute

Here is a fairly signature pix of him, going down a chute that goats would be foolish to attempt.

Rest in Peace.

Late Season Secrets

(from the current SKI magazine)

Being in on a secret makes you feel smart. Acting on inside info means you are smart. Let others wind down their ski season in the spring: Smart skiers know that the best is yet to come.

Best Spring Powder:
Alta, Utah
Why: Alta spring powder? That’s redundant. Last season hit 697 inches—including 165 in March (that’s 5.32 inches per day). And the real beauty of any Salt Lake resort is accessibility: about an hour from baggage claim to the lifts.
How: Follow the forecasts, and sniff out lastminute airfare deals: You can wake up on the East Coast and be snorkeling untracked off Devil’s Castle by lunch. Bring (or plan to rent) fat skis.
Local tip: Wasatch Powderbird Guides (powderbird.com) delivers the goods days after a storm. Sometimes you’ll have to settle for perfect corn (sigh), but spring rates (after March 20) are hot ($595–$665 per day). And call to see if there’s a cheap seat due to a noshow or a cancellation.
Other options: There’s nearby Snowbird, where the lifts were open on July 4 last year. And keep an eye on the Northwest, where spring dumps often push season totals past the 600-inch mark on the volcanoes—Baker, Bachelor, Hood—and are often followed by something rarely seen during the winter: blue skies.
Don’t miss: Last run of the day on High Rustler. Pause to admire the sunset, lay down some sweet arcs, then study them from the lodge over an après beer.

Best Spring Festivals:
Whistler/Blackcomb, B.C.
Why: The TELUS World Ski and Board Festival is the biggest on-snow party on the globe. The annual bacchanalia jam 10 days (April 14-23) with skier – and boardercross competitions, film and art events, more than 50 concerts and, of course, Whistler’s rockin’ nightlife.
How: Stay close to the action at the refurbished Sundial Boutique Hotel in Whistler Village. Their Spring Ski package gets you four nights in a onebedroom suite and two three-day lift tickets for $1,760 (800-661-2321; sundialhotel.com).
Local Tip: Head to Down Under (formerly Maxx Fish) to groove with the cool crowd. Located in Whistler Village, under the Amsterdam Café.
Other Options: Copper Mountain, Colo.’s Sunsation Festival, April 1–2, 8–9 and 15–16, caters to the twin-tipped set with hip-hop-heavy concerts and the requisite Eenie- Weenie Bikini Contest (coppercolorado.com). At Squaw Valley, Calif., spring is sprung with Spring Jam 8 (April 15–16), and with on-mountain events such as the stripped-down Undie 500 (squaw.com).
Don’t miss: The Pro Photographer Showdown on April 19. Five action sports shooters each assemble a nine-minute show of their best images. Judges pick a winner.

Best Spring Culture:
Killington, VT
Why: Nobody things up more excuses for a spring fling that Killington: Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge (April 1-2) and Sunshine Daydream (April 15), for instance. And nobody is the East has better late snow. Why? Good planning. Starting around Halloween, Killington lays down 20 feet or more of snow on Superstar, just so you can bash corn bumps in the spring sun.
How: Ray-Bans and sunscreen are a good idea. Screaming cold beer, too. Pick a sunny day and break out your ultrasoft skis. Check the temperature. If necessary, wait till the sun softens things up.
Local Tip: Arrive early on a sunny day and score a Killington Road parking space within feet of the Superstar Quad. Meet many new friends.
Don’t Miss: The Spring U.S. Freestyle Championships, March 23-26, on Bear Mountain. Post-Olympics, watch the U.S. freestylers fly high.
Other Options: You can’t camp overnight at the beach at Arapahoe Basin, Colo., any more, but it’s still pretty damn fun during the day. At Whistler, the action on Horstmann Glacier heats up as the days grow long.

Best Midwinter Conditions:
Big Sky, Mont.Why: At Big Sky, spring tends to arrive sometime in early summer. This lets winter work the room for just about all of ski season. Calendar pages are flipped, but the conditions beneath your skis almost always feel like January. Dirt patches? Rocks to avoid? Mud? Don’t make Big Sky skiers laugh. “We always run out of skiers before we run out of snow,” a resort worker says. How: Book five nights in any Big Sky resort property, and two adults ski for free, April 1–16. Prices start at $440 per person (800-548-4486, bigskyresort.com).Local tip: Overdress. The summit tops out at 11,150 feet, and high temperatures in March can stubbornly stay below 20 degrees. And with Big Sky boasting one of North America’s longest vertical drops—4,350 feet-—you don’t want to ski to the bottom to pick up an extra layer.

Other options

Jay Peak, Vt., boasts the East Coast’s only tram, reports the region’s biggest snow and regularly hosts conditions that defy global warming.

Sunshine Village, Alberta, remains open until May 22—for good reason.Don’t miss: Ambush Glades off the Ramcharger high-speed quad. Even the local hardcores can’t resist skiing the Lone Peak Tram, so head to the other side of the mountain.

Best Secret Solitude:
Vail, Colo. Why: One of spring’s best-kept secrets is that maxed-out megaresorts go mini in late spring, as crowded slopes you avoid like taxes in midwinter open up late in the season. During the last week in March, Vail averages three skiers per acre. That drops off to two skiers per acre in early April and only one person sharing your personal space by month’s end. To top it off, prices fall and the mountain often closes with some of the best conditions of the season.How: Get four days’ skiing and lodging in a two-bedroom condo for $248 per person during Spring Back to Vail weeks, April 3–16. Want silence and solitude at Vail? Boogie down Blue Ox in April.Don’t miss: Experience the frontside like you can’t in January: with room to roam. Appreciate the old-school lines of Riva Ridge and the classic bumps on PPL (Prima, Pronto and Log Chute) without a critiquing audience looking down their noses from above and below.

Other options:

Stowe, Vt.’s clientele grab golf clubs, not boards, in late spring, opening up the slopes for smart skiers.

Join the locals on the snows of Squaw Valley, Calif., as the San Fran drivers and shakers move on to warmweather pursuits.

Local tip: Shoulder a small backpack and throw in a water bottle and an extra layer to wear on the lifts. With Vail’s 5,289 acres, there’s a lot of heating up and cooling down.

Best Spring Tradition:
Tuckerman Ravine, N.H.Why: Diehard skiers have been hiking into Tucks since pine tar first hit hickory boards. Now it’s a rite of spring passage for the earn-your-turns set, who gather annually to send winter off with gusto—and two runs of super-steep corn turns.How: Carefully! Tucks can be tame as a kitten or quite menacing, depending on weather and snow/avalanche conditions. Check out tuckerman.org for both. And be ready for a 3-mile hike to the base of the ravine. Dress in layers, wear real hiking boots, and bring a good pack to haul your skis, boots and gear.

Other options:
Stowe’s Sugar Slalom (April 1–2) always draws a big crowd for all-ages racing and syrup-onsnow.
Sugarloaf’s Reggae Festival (April 6–9) draws upwards of 10,000.Local tip: If the weather’s nice, consider a push from the lip of the ravine to the summit of Mt. Washington, where you’ll find gentler snow- fields and spectacular four-state views rarely matched in the East.
Don’t miss: In a deep snow year, you can ski from the floor of the ravine back down to the Visitor’s Center on the Sherburne Trail, a CCC creation and one of the nation’s oldest ski trails. Beats the heck out of down-hiking.

Best Corn Snow:
Kirkwood, Calif.Why: Kirkwood serves up the sweetest corn this side of a Jolly Green Giant can. The recipe: Mix 500 annual inches with nearly 300days a year of sun. Veteran skiers know that the only buzz to rival a powder rush is the ego blast from ripping long, uninterrupted lines of corn snow.How: Harvesting spring corn is all about timing. Start with a few let-’emrip runs down Eagle Bowl, then follow the sun over to Palisades and Lightning. Grab a deck lunch at The Wall and enjoy the views. Reheat your legs on Lost Cabin and Monte Wolfe before putting a bow around the day on Saddle Chute.Don’t miss: In the afternoon, hit The Wall, a steep, big-vert heartpounder that is, frankly, a handful in midwinter hard-snow conditions. But in the spring, the corn sets up perfectly, your edges hold like Super Glue and you can arc down the fall line, top to bottom, just like in the good ol’ days.

Other options:
Colorado’s Durango Mountain Resort is a natural terrain park. In the spring, it’s a natural terrain park covered with ego snow.
In California, Mammoth Mountain’s feel-good spring snow is as grippy and inviting as a third date.
Idaho’s most famous crop after potatoes? Sun Valley Corn.
Local tip: Don’t ski in a T-shirt. You’ll be skiing fast and feeling bulletproof. Expect a few full-body slides. Long sleeves prevent snow rash.

Best Spring Deal:Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, Beaver Creek, Colo.Why: The Ritz is the essence of luxury in the mountains, and room rates melt away every April. (That $650 room in January goes for $275 in late spring.) Beautiful on the inside and out, the hotel counts service and amenities as its mission.How: The hotel’s Late Winter Ski Package features a room and two three-day lift tickets from $315 per night (four-night minimum stay required).Local tip: Check out the martini menu on the slopeside deck of the Beaver Creek Chophouse.Don’t miss: Dinner at Zach’s Cabin, located on Bachelor Gulch and accessed by snowcatpulled sleigh (reservations required, 970-845-6575).

Other options:
In Deer Valley, Utah, the Bronze package at the Stein Eriksen Lodge gets you a room, lift ticket and spa visit for $259 per person, per night (steinlodge.com).
At Aspen’s Hotel Jerome, the Ski Deal package includes a room, lifts and shuttle service for $320 per room, per night (hoteljerome.com).

An even better way to "road trip"

Roadtripping from Jackson Hole to Targhee to Sun Valley in an RV

And thoughts on the scary Teton Pass (what one has to take to get to/from Targhee and Jackson)

People whining about Teton Pass

Closing time

Highlands, Buttermilk call it a year
By Chad Abraham April 3, 2006

After a bluebird day with fresh powder, the lifts at Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands went silent Sunday.The closing days at the family ski area and the locals' Mecca could hardly have been more different. Some 32,000 Corona beer bottles were expected to be quaffed at Highlands, a bartender said.Things were quieter at Buttermilk. A few minutes before 3:30 p.m., when the last lift of the season rose up lower Tiehack, lift worker Juan Francisco Rubio and two colleagues were busy putting the finishing touches on their craft for today's Cardboard Downhill. The race, part of Buttermilk's employee ski day, will be at 10 a.m. today.Just after 3:30, Melissa Torcivia, another lift worker, called up to the upper lift shack with the number of the last chair of the season holding a person.Lift supervisor Joey Woltemath of Carbondale occupied Chairlift No. 21. After 12 years at Snowmass, this winter was her first at Buttermilk."We're all glad it's over; we had a really great year," she said. "When we have snow, it makes our job a lot easier."Buttermilk closed with 5 inches of fresh powder atop a 48-inch midmountain base.The ski area, while in the shadow of its three sister resorts, "is making a move," Woltemath said. "Our skier days have gone up this year."And the annual ESPN X Games "puts us on the map," she said. "You see a lot more families coming out here and it's great to see the kids. Today, we didn't think we'd be as busy as we are, and it's all families."After her lift ride, Rubio pressed a red button to stop the lift, and the machinery inside the lift tower rumbled to a stop. Silence engulfed Tiehack as an orange mesh strap that said "Lane Closed" was strung near the lift's entrance.A skier descending through the slush soon broke the silence. Taking off his boots in the parking lot, Billy Shank of Carbondale said he normally skis Aspen Highlands on closing day. But the party has grown too large, he said."It's gotten to be such a zoo. Looking from atop [Tiehack], it looked like it was crawling with ants," he said.

Over in the ticket office at Buttermilk's main base area, Pat Otte and Marsha Breudlinger were busy stocking away supplies for next winter."We've been busy, customerwise. It's been very constant," Breudlinger said.She said she had mixed emotions about closing day."Not seeing our foreign students makes you feel really sad," she said. "As far as quitting working, we're all happy about that. Same way you'd be."At Highlands, hundreds and hundreds of patrons kept bartenders in a frantic state, forgoing individual bottles of beer for six-packs, pitchers and shots.Around 5 p.m., bartender Gaston Figueroa of Corrientes, Argentina, said Iguana's had sold about 500 cases of beer.Highland Bowl seemingly had about as many people. Atop the bowl earlier in the day, a man in a lizard leotard passed around champagne.Around 5:15 p.m., ski patrol set off explosives on the ridge above the base area to mark the final day.Dogs peed on skis on the hill just above the bar, and the colorful crowd cheered the first ski patroller who skied down, his fists thrust triumphantly in the air.