The specific promotions described in this article have now passed, but it remains online so that the resources named will be of future use to travelers.
Northstar Solves Parents' Child-Minding Dilemma
Parents who prefer not to put their little ones in childcare at Northstar-at-Tahoe, CA (tel. 800/466-6784; www.northstarattahoe.com) can buy a Parent Predicament Lift Ticket. With this shared ticket, one parent can ski or snowboard while the other stays with the child until they're ready to trade duties. This two-for-one ticket is the same price as a regular full-day adult lift ticket.
On-Line Club is the New Ski Discount Card
The rise of the Internet caused the extinction of old-style, fee-based discount cards that flourished in the 1980s and early '90s. The 21st century is equivalent is the on-line Mountain Sports Club (tel. 303/554-6555; www.mountainsportsclub.com). It offers online lift ticket deals across the snowbelt, discounted equipment and clothing purchases and travel values from lodging to full travel vacations. Basic membership is free. Premium membership ($29.95 a year) accesses downloadable coupons for two-for-one lift tickets, daily discounts of up to $15 and other values.
The New Lodge at Old Dodge
The new 16,000-square-foot Family Lodge at half-century-old Dodge Ridge, California (tel. 209/965-5300; www.dodgeridge.com) debuts with such parent-pleasing features as a covered drive-in portico so that parents can drop youngsters and gear off out of the weather (the area gets up to 500 inches of a snow a year, great for skiing but not for unloading and loading vehicles). The new lodge holds the kids' snow sports school, pre-ski snow play program and commodious family lockers ($15 a day).
Two-for-One Deals, East and West
During non-holiday periods, Mt. Sunapee (tel. 603/763-3500; www.mtsunapee.com) in southern New Hampshire declares "Two Fer Wednesdays." Two adults can ski or ride all day for just $60. Across the country in Oregon, Hoodoo Mountain Resort (tel. 541/822-3799; www.hoodoo.com) offers Tightwad Tuesdays with $19 lift tickets that can be used from 9:00am through 9:00pm and Two for One Thursdays when two people can ski or ride for the price of one. The ski area is closed on non-holiday Wednesdays. The area calls it Weeping Wednesdays, because skiers and riders are sad that the lifts aren't running.
Lodging Giveaways at New Mexico Area
During selected weeks in the course of the ski season, Sipapu, New Mexico (tel. 800-587-2240; www.sipapu.com), adds a free room the night before or the night after skiing with just the purchase of a $39 lift ticket. The area also is running a sweepstakes promotion called "Find It. Ski It. Win It." For vacation packages, lift tickets, lodging, rental equipment, gas money and other prices Sign up on-line.
Silver Mountain Offers Free Skiing to Other Area's Pass Holders
Season pass holders at any ski area who stay two nights or longer at Silver Mountain Morning Star Lodge (tel. 877-230-2193; www.silvermt.com)ski free at this Idaho mountain. The offer is valid through the end of the ski season, except during holiday periods.
New Quad Chairlift in Service at Silver Star
The fixed-grip quad chairlift that replaced the old Silver Queen Chair at Silver Star, BC (tel. 250/542-0224; www.skisilverstar.com) improves access to new ski-in, ski-out accommodations in the new Ridge neighborhood. It has 50% more uphill capacity than the old one serves slightly more vertical than before.
Kitzbühel Installs Eight-Passenger Gondola with Heated Seats
In Austria, skiers ride Kitzbühel's (tel. +011 0043 (0) 5356-777; www.kitzbuehel.com) new eight-passenger Steinbergkogel gondola in speed and comfort. The new lift cuts the ride time to under five minutes from 9 previously and also has heated seats. The gondola also more than doubles uphill capacity from 1,300 to 3,255 people per hour.
Colorado-based Claire Walter is an award-winning freelance writer and author, specializing in skiing, travel and food. She maintains a travel blog at travel-babel.blogspot.com.
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