Jaunted - Tag: Ski-Areas-Near-Airports

Lake Tahoe: Near-Record Snowfall at Tahoe

benh — 2008-02-26T10:00:01-05:00

We really like skiing and boarding. But that doesn't mean we want to spend our whole vacation just getting to the mountain. Our Ski Areas Near Airports Map will help you maximize your time on the slopes.

While the rest of the country slogs its way through a long and merciless winter, Lake Tahoe's ski resorts are getting pounded with near-record snowfall. Weekend storms dumped an extra three feet of fresh powder on top of an already high base level--over 12 feet at some spots!

Spring skiing has always been popular at Tahoe, and every year some lifts stay open until May despite balmy temperatures. With the snowpack at the highest its been in decades and La Nina likely to bring abnormally cooler weather, this year looks to be even better.

The North Lake Tahoe Express will get you from the airport to the slopes in about an hour, so those looking for a quick weekend jaunt need not involve an automobile; it'll keep your carbon footprint small, too. Then again, with snow like this, we 're starting to wonder what the hell Al Gore was so worried about.

Related Stories:
· Lake Tahoe Snow Conditions [Official Site]
· Easy-to-Reach Skiing: Squaw Valley [Jaunted]
· Easy-to-Reach Skiing: Northstar-at-Tahoe [Jaunted]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Telstar Logistics]

Bozeman: Easy-to-Reach Skiing: Bridger Bowl

laurenuta — 2008-02-01T13:30:02-05:00

The powder paradise of Bridger Bowl Ski Area is but a twenty-minute drive from Bozeman, Montana. Even better, the town's nearest airport, Gallatin Field Airport, is just eight miles away.

Bridger's average annual snowfall of 350 inches buries the area's 71 trails, which are split pretty evenly between beginner, intermediate, advanced and extreme. If you feel like flexing that health insurance, hit up the extreme trails' 8,700-foot elevation, steep chutes and rocky cliffs. Or, if you enjoy skiing on trails that don't require the use of an avalanche transceiver, take one of Bridger's seven lifts to the area's less daunting pistes.

While Bridger can help guests find lodging, it's not the traditional resort. It's a non-profit mountain, so lift tickets are a reasonable $43 for a full day. You can also get in on some package deals. The PowderHound Package includes four days of skiing and four nights at one of the area's vacation rental homes for the price of three.

Related Stories:
· Bridger Bowl [Official site]
· Ski Areas Near Airports Map [Jaunted]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]
· Montana Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Lillehammer: Easy-to-Reach Skiing: Lillehammer, Norway

laurenuta — 2008-01-10T12:30:01-05:00

Even though it spends months without much daylight, Lillehammer still manages to draw tourists to its slopes every year. Guess that's what happens when you've hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Located less than two hours from Oslo's airport, Lillehammer is the ideal spot for skiers who want slopes more challenging than you usually find in cross-country-loving Norway. Lillehammer's old Olympic complexes give you downhill and has other winter sports, too.

Hafjell Alpine Centre is the largest alpine ski network left from the town's Olympic days, with 30 trails and 15 lifts. Though smaller in size, Sjusjøen Skisenter is the town's newest resort, having opened up in December 2003. Be forewarned: While Hafjell attracts serious skiiers of all ages, Sjusjøen is family-friendly, and we know what that means: too many bunny slopes.

For hardcore cross country trails, start at Birkebeiner Skistadion, the starting point for the sports '94 Olympic races. Want to go all out? Set up a biathlon at Birkebeiner's year-round facility. Get a group together and shoot it out with teams, relay exchanges and even penalties. Just be sure to leave your own gun at home.

Related Links:
· Lillehammer Tourism [Official site]
· Ski Areas Near Airports Map [Jaunted]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]
· Norway coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Forcery]

Boise: Easy-to-Reach Skiing: Bogus Basin

pbb — 2007-12-18T15:08:08-05:00

Bogus Basin is one of only a handful of non-profit ski resorts in the States, which is why its website ends in an o-r-g rather than a c-o-m. And while we find web addresses fascinating, you might like Bogus Basin because it's about 20 miles from Boise Airport.

Now just because the resort is operated by a skiers collective doesn't mean it's shabby. An 1,800 foot vertical drop allows for long, groomed cruisers, and a broad swath of terrain is designed for glade skiing. Bogus Basin catches about 225 inches of snow a year, meaning it usually stays open well into April.

Full-day tickets are a reasonable $46, and Bogus Basin stays open till 10 pm, so you can still get hours of skiing in even if your flight doesn't arrive until the afternoon; night passes are just $20.

Related Stories:
· Bogus Basin [Official Site]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Bogus Basin]

Truckee: Easy-to-Reach Skiing: Northstar-at-Tahoe

pbb — 2007-12-13T16:00:01-05:00

Northstar-at-Tahoe, on the way to Squaw Valley in California, is another one of Lake Tahoe's easy-to-reach resorts with killer skiing. And with four new trails, widened runs on Mount Pluto and expanded snowmaking, even area veterans will have new stuff to ride this season.

While the drive from Reno-Tahoe International is a short one, you can always skip the hassle and book a ticket on the North Lake Tahoe Express. The shuttle bus can get you from baggage claim to resort in about an hour, and you won't have to spend your trip worried that some gaper will ding your rental with a ski pole.

Northstar gives a considerable discount for multi-day passes, so that might be worth investigating. They also have what's called a Parent's Predicament ticket. Parents can divide one lift pass between them, taking turns watching the kid(s) in the lodge.

Related Stories:
· Northstar-at-Tahoe [Official Site]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: milesgehm]

Hunter: Easy-to-Reach Skiing: Hunter Mountain

pbb — 2007-12-12T16:00:01-05:00

Digging around the web while working on a Skybus story, we realized that while Stewart International Airport in Newburgh is about halfway between New York City and Catskill Park. That means if you fly into SWF, it's just as easy to drive to Hunter Mountain as it is to go south into the city.

True, Hunter is known more for its snowmaking than its snow, but it offers 1,600 vertical feet along with a good mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain. And the resort has teamed up with nearby Windham Mountain to offer a great lift ticket discount. The Winter Card gets you two days of skiing or riding at each resort for $119--a considerable savings over Hunter's one-day ticket price of $59.

We're also going to drop Hunter Mountain on our Upstate New York Travel Map, so if you're looking for something to do near SWF besides ski, you'll find it there.

Related Stories:
· Hunter Mountain [Official Site]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: jps246]

Olympic Valley: Easy-to-Reach Skiing: Squaw Valley

ced138 — 2007-12-11T14:45:01-05:00

A scant 46 miles down Interstate 80 from Reno-Tahoe International Airport is Squaw Valley, one of the famed California skiing valley's top resorts.

Friday, inside the resort's Olympic House, is the "Snow God's Ball," a benefit to raise money for the Squaw Valley Avalanche Awareness Education Fund. We can't help that this extremely niche cause reminds us slightly of the time Michael on The Office introduced the "Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run For The Cure."

We're sure we'd appreciate these charities more if we ever encountered a raccoon foaming at the mouth or saw the side of a mountain come barreling toward us. Though we'd also be pretty excited about the event if we took home one of the door prizes, which include a Squaw season pass, lift tickets and a lot of ski gear.

Related Stories:
· Squaw Valley [Official Site]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia]