Local Forecasters Predict Snowy Winter for Mt. Hood Meadows

Annual Winter Weather Forecast Conference forecasters say La Nina returns bringing above average snowfall to the Cascades this winter

Mt. Hood, OR - La Nina will return this winter and bring with it cooler, wetter weather to the northwest – meaning above average snowfall to the Cascades. Five Oregon weather experts agreed that this should be a good ski season, as their forecasts predicted a snowy winter for Mt. Hood Meadows. Meadows has posted a video with excerpts from the conference focused on the mountain weather forecast. A highlight of the conference (and the video) is former Oregon state climatologist George Taylor singing “La Nina”.

Wild Mountain Opens for Riding

Taylors Falls, MN - Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls, MN had a great first day of being open. Opening with 2 runs and a rope tow.

We are proud to keep with our 36 year tradition of being the first area open in the Midwest.

With Ski Season Just Less Than a Month Away, Mother Nature Has Already Turned the Region’s #1 Resort into a Winter Wonderland

Snowshoe, WV - Ski season is just over a month away, with Opening Day planned for November 23rd at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, but Mother Nature must already be thinking winter, as the Pocahontas County, W.Va resort saw another foot of natural snowfall this weekend. More than 20” of natural snow has now fallen in the month of October, an early start to a winter season that typically averages 180” of snowfall at Snowshoe. In addition to the natural snow, Snowshoe took advantage of freezing temperatures, turning on the resort’s region’s most powerful snowmaking system in the early morning hours of Friday, October 28. Saturday’s sustained cold weather allowed for around-the-clock snowmaking in addition to the natural snow that fell throughout the day. With temperatures flirting with the freezing mark on a sunny Sunday morning, snowmaking came to a halt, with several overnight chances in the week ahead to continue building an early season base.

As skiers and snowboarders around the region away the start of a new season, Snowshoe has several new features to offer guests, including a new terrain park, a new winch cat groomer, several new family adventure activities, three new restaurants and a new retail store. And through Monday, guests booking winter lodging or retail products will receive 20% off. Snowshoe Season Passes are also on sale, with early season savings, including a special $249 rate for college students, expiring on October 31st as well.

THE GATHERING Presented By SALOMON RETURNS TO RED Mountain MARCH 23-24, 2012

Rossland, BC - Mark your calendars! The Gathering at RED is back for a 4th year. Presented by Salomon, this celebration of mountain culture features film and video presentations by special guest photographers, filmmakers and pro athletes at western Canada’s original ski area RED Mountain Resort in Rossland, BC. Parties, live entertainment and lots of shredding are also part of the bill. Come join us at RED for one of the best events of the winter!

PHOTO WORKSHOP
To kick-off The Gathering’s main events on Friday and Saturday, a one-of-a-kind Photography Workshop will be offered on Wednesday and Thursday March 21 – 22. Mark Shapiro, the legendary “Godfather of Ski Photography”, will be hosting this interactive workshop. Designed for aspiring sports photographers, participants will learn photography techniques and secrets from the man who pioneered ski photography in the 70’s and 80’s in Verbier, Switzerland. Participants will be lead through an interactive program consisting of on-snow sessions and hands-on shooting with ski models. For the past 35 years Marko has gathered valuable experience, fine tuning his craft and building his reputation at many locations throughout the world.

Each day will include on-snow photo sessions with ski models plus in-depth classroom sessions. Cost is $399.00 for the 2 day workshop including a 2 day lift ticket. A laptop computer with photo-editing software and camera equipment are required. Space is very limited for this unique and educational workshop, so book now! All participants will present their best photos during Friday’s presentation. The Gathering

Taylors Falls, MN - It's getting colder at Wild Mountain. Cold enough to make some snow last night, but not enough to open. It won't be long. Last year we opened Oct. 29th.
These photos were taken early this morning. Check out our FB page for a full photo album of photos including some of the lucky few who went skiing this morning!

More Snow Falls at Snowshoe Mountain

Snowshoe, WV - New powder is starting to accumulate in West Virginia, the season is right around the corner at Snowshoe Mountain Resort.

Expanding Winter Fun

Sugar Mountain, NC - Weather, weather, weather! If Mother Nature cooperates Sugar Mountain Resorts Tubing Park and outdoor Ice Rink will be open for Thanksgiving. New snowmaking machines designated solely for the tubing area will be positioned all season long in the Tubing Park. When temperatures drop, not only will the slopes begin to see their first blanket of snow but the Tubing Park will begin to take shape as well. As weather varies throughout the season, upgrades over the years including the key addition of snowmaking machines in the tubing park will allow for higher efficiency and more consistent conditions.

Ski And Ride All Six North Carolina Resorts This Winter With The Gold Card

Banner Elk, NC - Purchase your North Carolina Ski Areas Association Gold Card and ski or ride at any of the six North Carolina ski areas this winter season. Gold Card holders may ski or ride at any North Carolina Ski Resort during any session regardless of holiday or weekend rates. Only 100 Gold Cards are available at a cost of $795 each winter season. They sell quickly.

North Carolina ski areas include Cataloochee Ski Area, Sapphire Valley Ski Area, Beech Mountain Resort, Appalachian Ski Mtn., Wolf Ridge Ski Resort, and Sugar Mountain Ski Resort.

Arapahoe Basin Open for Season on Thu Oct 13th

Arapahoe Basin, CO - After a great week of snowmaking and several fresh inches of snow, Arapahoe Basin ski area officials announce that opening day for the 2011-2012 ski season will be Thursday, October 13, 2011. The ski area has only been closed 100 days since last season ended on July 4, 2011.

Black Mountain Express will open to the public at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. Skiers and riders can look forward to an 18-inch base on the intermediate High Noon run along with several features in the High Divide Terrain Park. There will be no beginner skiing at this time.

A tribute to Arapahoe Basin founders Marnie Jump and Max Dercum who passed away this year will take place before the lifts open to the public. Opening day adult lift tickets will be available for $59, youth tickets age 15 - 18 will be $49 and child tickets age 6-14 will be $30. The ski and snowboard rental shop, tune shop, food and beverage service, the 6th Alley bar and retail shop will be open to the public. Snowsports lessons will be available on a limited basis. Local radio station, KYSL will be doing a live morning show and giving away lift tickets on-air. KSMT will also be on site in the base area with a live remote, playing music and handing out give-aways.

Whitewater and Schweitzer Become Sister Resorts

Pass Holders Receive Benefits on the Other Side of the Border

Nelson, BC - Whitewater Ski Resort is pleased to announce that they have recently adopted Schweitzer Mountain Resort as its sister resort. Pass holders at each resort will now receive discounts at their sister mountain. Whitewater’s season pass holders will ski free when booking lodging at Schweitzer’s White Pine Lodge, Selkirk Lodge, or condos when they use a special promo code. Schweitzer’s winter season pass holders will receive 50% off lift tickets at Whitewater, making the adult day ticket price $31.25 CAD.

“We couldn’t be happier to add Schweitzer as a sister resort”, said Anne Pigeon, Whitewater’s General Manager of Indoor Operations and Marketing. “The similar core values of each resort along with the resemblance between Nelson and Sandpoint made it an easy decision to become partners”.

Schweitzer and Whitewater are located less than 240 kilometers apart, making the typical drive time around 3 depending on road conditions and border traffic.

“Schweitzer is excited to offer this new benefit to our dedicated pass holder’s”, said Dave Kulis, Schweitzer’s Director of Marketing and Sales. “We look forward to welcoming our friends from Whitewater this winter, and building upon our new sister resort partnership”.

Both resorts will be attending ski shows in Calgary, Toronto, and Seattle this fall. Schweitzer will also be at the Boston, Portland and Minneapolis shows while Whitewater will be at the Vancouver and Denver show. Stop by the booths to learn more about the new sister resort benefits. In addition, the city of Sandpoint, ID and Nelson, BC has had recent conversations about the possibility of a town partnership.

Whitewater Winter Stoke on YouTube

Chuck Ward Named Interim CEO of National Sports Center for the Disabled

Winter Park, CO - The National Sports Center for the Disabled [NSCD] announced today that Chuck Ward has joined the prestigious organization as interim Chief Executive Officer [CEO], effective immediately. Mr. Ward will be based out of the Denver executive offices of NSCD. “I am honored to be part of such a great Colorado institution,” said interim CEO of the National Sports Center for the Disabled, Chuck Ward. “The NSCD is the premier organization providing adaptive sports experience for disabled athletes from our region and around the world. Its reputation for quality and effectiveness of its programs is unmatched and the opportunity to work with this organization is a humbling experience for me.”

Mr. Ward brings 37 years of senior management and business experience to the NSCD team, working for Southwestern Bell, AT&T and Qwest. He was most recently the President of Colorado for Qwest and has a history of community involvement, including serving as Chair of the Executive Committee of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and Chair of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Ward also served on the Board of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Colorado and currently serves on the Board of A+ Denver.

The NSCD is best known for its flagship adaptive ski program at Winter Park Resort. NSCD founder, Hal O’Leary, still works with both world class competitive athletes and those just being introduced to the wide range of activities available. The programs offered by the NSCD span winter and summer sports, including alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ski biking, Nordic Hut trips, snowshoeing, ski racing, golf, rafting, rock climbing, kayaking and so much more. Programs are designed for individuals, families, and groups, and are available for all levels of ability, from beginner to advanced. For 42 years, children and adults with disabilities have looked to the organization for hope and encouragement.

Fall season celebrated for one last weekend at Mont SUTTON

Sutton, PQ - If you think that events and outings for the fall season are already over for this year, think again! Mont SUTTON will still offer activities and festivities for the last weekend of its Fall Festival, on October 15th and 16th.

Several activities are scheduled, in order to end the festival with beauty! For the last weekend of the Fall Festival, Mont SUTTON has scheduled, among other activities, the chairlift ride, hikes, free trials of a zipline of over 130 meters, Saturday jazz with Les Jazz Heads and live singer on Sunday with Dominic Dagenais, BBQ at the foot of the hill.

Before the first snowflakes… Although we know Mont SUTTON as a number one destination for skiing, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter, several other activities are offered in the area before the first snowfall! Here are some of the activities offered: hiking on the Parc d’environnement naturel de Sutton trails, many circuits to be discovered such as the Wine Route and the Township trails, art galleries, a museum and hall to bring a cultural flavour to the escapade.

4" of Snow Kicks of the Season at Snowshoe Mountain Resort

Snow began Friday night and continued on and off throughout the day Saturday. Additional accumulation possible Sunday

Snowshoe, WV - SNOWSHOE, W.Va.- Winter didn’t wait long to kick into high gear at Snowshoe Mountain Resort. The Pocahontas County, W.Va resort saw four inches of snowfall on Saturday. The first flakes of the season were spotted just before midnight on Friday, September 30th and snow continued intermittently throughout the day on Saturday. Additional snowfall is expected through mid-day on Monday, with up to another inch of accumulation possible. Snowshoe is the first ski resort on the East Coast to record measurable snowfall this season.

With ski season just about six weeks away, Snowshoe also took advantage of cold temperatures on Saturday morning and fired up several of the resort’s powerful snowmaking guns. The resort plans to open for the winter season on Wednesday, November 23rd, just in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Regular snowmaking isn’t scheduled to begin until November 1st, but this early test allowed the resort to ensure equipment is in top shape with a new season just around the corner.

Belleayre Mountain to Offer $99 3-Packs at 32nd Annual Fall Festival

Highmount, NY - Belleayre Mountain invites people to participate in the 32nd Annual Fall Festival held at the Overlook Lodge on October 8 & 9 of Columbus Day Weekend. The 32nd year of this classic fall event promises to be as exciting and entertaining as festivals in the past. As always, the Fall Festival will feature the prestigious Craft Fair showcasing local artisans, the Uber Winter Equipment & Apparel Sale for great discounts on skiing and riding gear for the coming season, the Sky Ride to whisk people to the summit for spectacular views of the Catskill foliage, traditional German Oktoberfest Food, an expanded Fair Food Court, an Outdoor Expo and much more.

In addition, Belleayre will again be offering the $99 3-packs of Anytime Tickets to our patrons. These will only be available onsite at the Festival with a limit of two 3-packs per family. ID is required.

Cranmore Mountain Adds More Activities, Invests in Snowmaking and Facilities for This Winter

N. Conway, NH - Cranmore Mountain continues to make major financial investments in the resort with the addition of new activities, base lodge renovations, snow making and grooming improvements for the winter 2011-12 season. This additional investment brings the 18-month total for the resort to over $7 million since it came under new ownership in June 2010. Cranmore announced it will continue to operate its Giant Swing this winter alongside its popular snow-tubing park and mountain coaster. The swing opened in July as part of the resort’s Mountain Adventure Park. The three outdoor attractions, in addition to skiing and riding, will offer visitors to North Conway the greatest diversity of family activities in the region.

Cranmore is opening an indoor activity center, featuring a bungy trampoline, Spider Climb and slide and two bouncy houses. The attractions and activity center will all operate weekends and holidays. Special combination tickets will offer great value for families. Cranmore’s snow surfaces will be better than ever with a substantial investment in new snow guns and snow grooming equipment. 40 new high-efficiency snowmaking tower guns will be added to their ever-growing arsenal. The snow guns are valued at $100,000. Snowmaking and grooming efforts will also be supported by a new Prinoth Bison Groomer. The new snow guns are added to the 150 purchased over the last two winters. The guns produce more snow at a higher temperature with less energy used, allowing for more snow on the slopes earlier in the season. Cranmore is also investing in significant additions to its ski and snowboard rental fleet. Partnering with Rossignol, Cranmore is adding new inventory featuring the brand’s new “Rocker” technology. Rocker technology promises to help skiers turn with less effort, carve more easily and float better through deep snow. The mountain will also offer high-end demo skis from Rossignol in addition to the upgrades to its standard rental fleet. New for this winter, Cranmore will offer the longest day ticket in Mt. Washington Valley, with the introduction of a 6pm close time on Saturdays and holidays from Christmas week until mid-March. Skiers and riders can enjoy 9.5 hours of skiing at no additional cost. Cranmore will also introduce a “Half Day Anytime” four hour ticket, letting skiers and riders pick the hours of the day they want to recreate. Previously the half day ticket was only available from 12:30-4:30pm. This new ticket offers the greatest flexibility for those who can’t fit in a full day of skiing into their plans.