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

Halloween Skiing!?

Can you say Cataloochee three times?! How about Halloween skiing?! Well, Hurricane Sandy has brought snow and an early ski season opener to Cataloochee and Sugar Mountain in North Carolina!  Both mid Atlantic ski resorts will open for skiing on Wednesday Oct. 31, 2012 thanks to significant snow from the "Superstorm Sandy" or what some are calling "Frankenstorm" given the timing just prior to Halloween!

Last year it was Killington and Sunday River that both opened Oct 29, 2011 for Halloween skiing following Hurricane Irene and what we called "Snowtober"!

Ironically, this huge storm system Sandy brought tropical temperatures to the North East, no snow, just rain and high winds. Well, props to North Carolina for their early season snow show for a change!

Killington has already opened for skiing October 14,2012 for one day of limited skiing on that Sunday on K-1 for passholders only, taking advanatage of their impressive snowmaking power and a cold snap earlier in the month. Killington is reclaiming their Beast of the East title.

So who will open next? My money is always on Sunday River - they blow the competition away with their snowmaking efforts. Loveland and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and Squaw Valley in California have already opened for limited skiing out west. Thee early season ski resorts are perrenial favorites, all on our Top Early Season Ski Resorts list.

Next week is the Boston Ski Show, a kick off to the New England ski season excitement. So it's time to go in the basement, hoping that it didn't flood during Sandy's serious rain, and find your ski and snowboard equipment - cause winter is on its way.

This year Heather Burke will be blogging about skiing here, on Boston.com, Liftopia, FamilySkiTrips.com and LuxurySkiTrips.com plus facebook, twitter and Google + so keep tuned in and keep your skis tuned up!


Happy Trails!