Three Upgraded Chairs at Vail
Vail (tel. 970/476-5601; https://vail.snow.com/winter/) has upgraded three high-mountain chairlifts. Two new high-speed chairs on the east end of cut ride times in half. The new Highline Express replaces the old Chair 10 (Highline), serving a trio of steep mogul trails. The Sourdough Express replaces Chair 14 and serves gentle novice terrain and speeds access to Two Elk Restaurant, China Bowl and Blue Sky Basin. Way over on Vail's west end, the Little Eagle beginner chair has been upgraded from a double to a triple.
January is Learn to Ski Month in Colorado
If your New Year's resolution is to learn to slide downhill on snow, plan on coming to Colorado in January for Learn to Ski/Ride Month (www.coloradoski.com/learn). One of the best deals is Steamboat's (tel. 800/299-5017 or 970/871-5375; www.steamboat.com) new Guaranteed Learn to Ski & Ride Package. It offers three full days of lift tickets lessons (with the same instructor) and equipment with "in-room" fitting and lift tickets for $295. If you can't descend comfortably on green runs by the end of day three, lessons are free until you can comfortably do so.
Canada's Revelstoke Poised for the Big Time
Revelstoke Mountain Resort (tel. 888/837-2188 or 250/837-2188; www.discoverrevelstoke.com) on the edge of British Columbia's Selkirk Range has made its first leap into big-time resorthood with a major terrain expansion in what had previously been snowcat- and heli-skiing terrain. Scheduled to open this year, just before Christmas, are an eight-passenger gondola and a high-speed chairlift serving 27 new runs and up to 5,000 vertical feet of skiing/riding. At build-out (about 15 years), the resort anticipates having more than 20 lifts, over 100 runs and 5,000 housing units. Without slopeside housing at this time, accommodations are in the nearby town of Revelstoke. The resort also purchased Selkirk Tangiers Helicopter Skiing, which flies from the mountain base to some 500,000 backcountry acres.
Free Snowcat Transport at Copper
At Copper Mountain (tel. 866/841-2481; www.coppercolorado.com), free, first-come, first-served Tucker Mountain snowcat service delivers skiers and riders to 12,337-foot Tucker Mountain. The cats access the high-alpine adventure sectors known as The Taco, The Nacho and Fremont Glades.
Park City's User Friendly Enhancements
In Utah, Park City Mountain Resort (tel. 800/331-3178; www.parkcitymountain.com) has spent $5 million on a series of improvements that are not individually dramatic but will still enhance the visitor's overall experience. These include a new heated resort plaza, addition of Fast Tracks lanes at King Con lift, expanded snowmaking and environmental initiatives. Additionally, Motherlode Meadows is a newly gladed area beside the Single Jack and Sunnyside runs. Also the new Georgeanna trail off the McConkey's provides low-intermediates an easier route down from McConkey's lift. The redesigned, color-coded trail map displays the amount of terrain for each ability level in each of seven mountain zones.
Grand Targhee Tricks Out Trick Town
Trick Town, the terrain park at Grand Targhee, WY (tel. 800/827-4433; www.grandtarghee.com) has been beefed up with such new features as log rides, picnic table rides and, most importantly, a rocking new sound system. The park has an impossible-to-miss location near the bottom of the mountain beside the Dreamcatcher high-speed quad.
Skiing With the Stars at Aspen
"Powder" might be wishful thinking in the Rockies in early December, but Powder Girls of Aspen (tel. 800/974-2226) is a women's ski adventure with some of America's legendary Olympic and World Championship competitors, Dec. 6-9. Forty women will ski with Picabo Street, Donna Weinbrecht and Jana Mendes. The program includes VIP passes to the women's World Cup (which takes place concurrently), personal coaching with these champs, three-day lift ticket, gift bags and various extras. Powder Girls is a fundraiser for the U.S. Ski Team Foundation.
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