Pre- Halloween skiing?

Bretton Woods opened today for top to bottom skiing, the day before Halloween. best of all lif tickets were free ... all treats, no tricks or gimmicks on this sunny but brisk October 30 ski day. Skiing and Riding on Range View trail is for today only service by the Zephyr high-speed quad from 9am- 4pm.

Bretton Woods is New Hampshire largest ski resort, and first in New Hampshire to open this season. So far for early season skiing in New England, Vermont's Killington and Maine's Sunday River both opened to the public Saturday, Oct 26. Killington has remained opened this midweek, and will offer Halloween skiing October 31, their early season lift ticket is $49.  

In the Rocky Mountains, Loveland and Arapahoe Basin are open for skiing and riding. In Europe Austria's Solden is open, in fact US Ski Team Teg Ligety already won his first World Cup there (Bode Miller finished 19th - former Director of Skiing at Bretton Woods - btw). Switzerland's Saas Fee and Zermatt are open for glacier skiing. Time to plan your family ski trips now, this is going to be a big snow winter.

Enjoy those early season turns! Any skiing in October is a bonus... So is watching the Boston Red Sox in the World Series Game 6! Go Sox... Go Skiing!

Family Ski Trips and Luxury Ski Trips

100 Days to Sochi & US Ski Team #Winning

We are 100 days away from Sochi 2014 Winter Games. NBC and the Today Show want you to know, as they bring you their throw down show down countdown. US Ski Team's Ted Ligety is in New York City today, Oct. 29, accepting the U.S. Olympic Committee's Olympic SportsMan of the Year Award exactly 100 days out from the Winter Games.

Befitting since the handsome, humble Ligety already won the ski season opener World Cup last weekend in Solden Austria, a promising start to his ski racing season. Bode Miller raced in Austria too, but couldn't catch Ligety split in his best GS event, Ted has won this GS three years straight on the Rettenbach Glacier in Solden Austria. Bode Miller got 19th, his first World Cup race since Feb. 2012.

U.S. Ski Team women Mikaela Shiffrin and Julia Mancuso placed sixth and 27 in Solden.  Lindsey Vonn did not compete in Austria, she was in NYC on the Today Show yesterday and late night with Letterman. Tiger's girlfriend (for now- remember I predicted she cut the Woods out come ski season)  is expected to return to the snowy gates Nov. 29 - Dec. 1 at Beaver Creek, Colorado's World Cup.

NBC is building up to  their coverage of the  XXII Olympic Winter Games from Sochi, Russia, which begins Feb. 6, 2014. In 100 days, NBC will kick off the first night of Olympics with the debut of men's and women's snowboard slopestyle in the Winter Games, starring my favorite snowboarding ginger Shaun White. The following night will be the Opening Ceremonies, in a change of format and formalities. Look for more NBC human interest stories, brought to you by Bob Costas, on alpine skiers, snowboarders and winter Olympic athletes on their Road to Sochi, Russia.

Meanwhile enjoy  The World  Series, get out and ski at Killington, Arapahoe Basin & Loveland, and check back here for World Cup news!

Go Red Sox, Go US Ski Team!

Skiing before Halloween!

Sunday River and Killington both opened for skiing to the public Oct 26, 2013. These two snowmaking super powers continue to dominate early season skiing in New England.
Killington had opened two day prior for season pass holders only - a nice pass perk, for sure! Sunday River has suspended midweek operation until next weekend, so no Halloween skiing there this year, but skiers and riders will be able to make tracks Nov 2-3.

The Big K, Killington remains open this week with the K-1 Express Gondola and North Ridge Triple accessing skiing on Great Northern and Rime trails, uploading and downloading from 9:00 a.m-3:30 p.m. Halloween skiing in Vermont, stay tuned for any costume discounts, as Killington has been charging $49 a day for lift tickets since opening.

Another early snow storm is hitting the western Rockies. California's Heavenly and Squaw Valley are getting snow, as is Big Sky Montana. So far only Arapahoe Basin and Loveland are open for skiing in The Rockies. 

Time to get you gear out and get ready to ski! #Winteriscoming! See more on Family Ski Trips and Luxury Ski Trips to plan your winter alpine assault!

 

Beast of the East 1st to Ski in the East

It's official, Killington Resort in Vermont opened today, October 24 at 1:30 first in the East for skiing. The Big K for the third consecutive year, spins the first lifts, the K-1 gondola ahead of all other New England resorts. Killington opened exclusively for season passholders and Express Card members today & Friday- making the pass privilege very real! Last season Killington gave their pass holders the longest ski season by opening first Oct 14 and staying open thru Memorial Day weekend!  Killington will open skiing to the public Saturday Oct 26, 2013 for $49 lift tickets, and some pre Halloween skiing in Vermont while the fall foliage still clings to the trees. The K-1 Express Gondola will offer uploading and downloading with advanced and expert skiing on the Rime trail. The KBL, Killington Base Lodge, will be open with skier service, food and bar. Killington's new summit Peak Lodge is not scheduled to open til December of 2013.


Who will open next for early season skiing in New England? My money is on Sunday River in Maine. They just announced they will open Saturday October 26, 2013  on Sunday River's T2 and Upper Punch. Speaking of Upper Punch, If The River opens an hour earlier to the public than Killington (8am in Maine versus 9am in Vermont), does that mean Sunday River scooped the Big K on their big public opening day?! I love the battle of snow guns, don't you?!

Out west in Colorado, Arapahoe Basin opened October 13, 2013 and Loveland nearby opened the following week on Oct 17, 2013. These Colorado high elevation resorts are perennial favorites for first tracks in the Rockies


Time to hit  those early season ski swaps and sales, get your family's ski gear ready to roll and do those leg squats - #winteriscoming! The Farmers Almanac is predicting a real snowy cold winter. You can be skiing before Halloween, costumes and all! Boo ya!

See you on the slopes !  For more tips on family skiing and for planning a luxury ski trip... check out our ski sites!

Columbus Weekend at Ski Resorts!

Don't you love this time of year? Autumn & anticipation... Fall foliage, brilliant red maples in New England or golden aspens out west, ushers in the promise of winter as the next season on tap.  Already the Almanac is promising an exceptionally cold and snowy winter for skiers and riders. The snow flurries have begun in Idaho and Montana - confirming I made the right pick booking a January ski trip to Big Sky & Moonlight Basin- the biggest skiing in America! How about you? Have you planned a ski trip out west? Have you invested in a ski pass? Bought new ski gear? Tick tock...

Columbus Day weekend many ski resorts take advantage of the three- day holiday to build winter anticipation with fall foliage festivals, ski sales and season pass promos.

Sunday River has a fun fall festival with chairlift rides, Maine food tasting, a craft fair and their zany must-see Wife Carrying Competition! Peak foliage in the Maine mountains is capped off with couples competing in a down and dirty obstacle course for the wife's weight in beer and some serious cash.

Sugarloaf hosts homecoming weekend with fun, food and foliage and an Uphill Mountain Climb as well. Mt Abram and Attitash host Oktoberfest - pre season parties with beer and the best deals on passes and gear.

These are all great reasons to head to the mountains, chill with your ski peeps - some of whom you haven't seen since March or April. Time to get stoked for the fast approaching ski season. You can ride chairlifts, drink beer at the base lodge and even wager on which New England ski resort will open for skiing first? Will it be Killington again, or Sunday River? Halloween skiing? Out west, will the first chair go to Loveland, Arapahoe...or who knows? Give me your best prediction for ski season 2013-14! 

 

See on the slopes very soon...follow us on Facebook & Twitter until then! 

- Heather Burke, Family Ski Trips & Luxury Ski Trips