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The Ski Season Is Already Underway In Colorado
Many people are still putting the final touches on their jack-o-lanterns, but it’s already time to break out the skis from the storage unit. Winter has arrived extra early in some parts of Colorado this year. Last week a baseball playoff game was canceled due to a little snow and sleet, and the Loveland Ski Area fired up the lifts for the first time this season on October 7. It’s been cold enough and they've had the snow-making machines running at full force to get everything ready for the beginning of the season.
The resort is about 50 miles outside Denver and this is the first time they’ve opened this early in about 40 years—guess there’s no trouble with global warming up on the slopes. Unless some other ski resort sneakily opened their facility without any fanfare, Loveland is the first ski resort to open in North America this year.
Tags: Ski Resorts / Ski Travel / Park City Travel / Hotels / Funiculars / → All Tags
Park City's Upcoming St. Regis To Get Equally Swanky Funicular
Right now, we're a little preoccupied with our summer cocktails and our river tubing spots to begin thinking about the upcoming ski season. Yet we did come out of our summertime haze for just a moment to read this press release about the first funicular to ever open at a North American ski resort. The lucky ski resort? Deer Valley in Park City, Utah.
The funicular, which is nestled at the base of the mountain at The St. Regis Deer Crest Resort’s Snow Park Building and is adjacent to Deer Valley’s Snow Park Lodge, ascends 500 vertical feet in just 90 seconds to the primary hotel building.
The funicular cars will have panoramic windows that are tinted and UVA and UVB-protected. They will also be heated (with AC operating in the summer) with leather seats and a separate area for luggage. Fifteen well-heeled (booted?) skiers can fit into these cars. But unlike other funiculars in the U.S., the Deer Valley cars will function independently so that "demand can be met at the base and top terminals."
The ride is free and the St. Regis is hoping you'll try the funicular on a lark and then of course, pop into their hotel to check out Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s new J&G Grill, a wine bar, or the Remède Spa, or the ski beach overlooking Deer Hollow ski run or the outdoor terrace with its 40-foot long firewall.
A 500-ton crane is installing the funicular as we speak but the St. Regis Resort won't be open until later this year.
Related Stories:
· Park City Travel Guide [Jaunted]
· The St. Regis Deer Crest Resort [Official Site]
· Funicular [Wikipedia]
Tags: Travel News Briefs / Pirates / Hotels / Continental Airlines / Ski Resorts / → All Tags
Somali Pirates Strike Again
With so much travel news raining down on us, we don't always have time to give every story its own forecast. Here's more of the day's news, in brief.
· Hostage Situation: Somali pirates took over a U.S.-flagged ship near the Horn of Africa this morning capturing about 21 American crew members. However, the crew was able to regain control of their ship except their captain is still being held hostage. Story unfolding. [NY Post]
· Continental Airlines Switching to Star Alliance: Continental just received U.S. approval to join the Star Alliance. This alliance, which includes United Airlines and Lufthansa, will allow Continental to offer passengers access to more routes and better prices. So they say. Continental is currently a part of SkyOne which includes Delta/Northwest and KLM Airlines. After a 21-public comment period, Continental then can join the Star team. [Chicago Tribune]
· Kentucky Derby Travel for the Rich Only?: Hotel room rates in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby are averaging about $350 a night with the Hyatt Regency going for $1,130 a night. Reasonable or insane? [HotelChatter]
· Hotelicopter Is Kind of Real: One more from our sister site...The Hotelicopter is real in the sense that it's a hotel booking site, not an actual hotel. Oh. [HotelChatter]
· Ski Season Almost Over Dude: Lake Tahoe is closing up soon and LA Times gives you the closing dates for the ski resorts in the region. [LAT Daily Deal and Travel Blog]
[Photo: LAT]
Tags: Zip Lines / Ski Resorts / Ski Travel / Big Sky / → All Tags
Zipping Through The Mountains In Snowy Montana
No matter the location, zip lines make any travel experience that much cooler. That’s why we’re tingly all over to let you know about the latest and greatest. The newest “zip” takes flight in Big Sky, Montana and will definitely give you a break from hitting the slopes.
The three lines range in length between 350 and 500 feet, and will let you reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour while you are praying that the cable doesn’t snap. Speaking of breaking the cable, you’ll need to weigh in at under 300 pounds to take in the fun, so if your winter workout has consisted of chips on the couch—consider yourself warned. You’ll be whisked over the slopes, and the ride can likely help you get a sense of what runs you’ll want to ski when you return to the ground. Best of all, they’ll pick up your gear at the first zip line, and will have it ready and waiting for you when you finish with line number three.
Make sure you dress warmly as the wind is certainly going to be blowing as you zoom throughout the trees. This is the first ski resort to offer something like this in Montana, and with the whole experience takes about two hours—you’ll be back on the slopes in no time. So strap on a helmet, get cozy with that harness, and try your best to see some wildlife below.
For a video of the experience, go here.
Related Stories:
·Big Sky Resort [Official Site]
·Skiing Is Just The Beginning At Big Sky [Jaunted]
·You Can Fly On Hawaii's Longest Zip Line [Jaunted]
Tags: Ski Resorts / Ski Travel / Skiing / Snowboarding / Big Sky / → All Tags
Skiing Is Just The Beginning At Big Sky
If you’re trying to fill up that US map on the back of the Winnebago with state stickers, you should head to Montana this winter. Besides getting to say you’ve been to Montana, there’s some pretty good skiing at the Big Sky Resort. The resort is only a 45-minute rental car disaster away from the Gallatin Airport in Bozeman. There’s daily service on most of the major airlines, and a couple of smaller ones as well, so you should be all set.
Tags: Zip Lines / Ski Resorts / Active Travel / Winter Travel / → All Tags
Mont Tremblant's Aerial Obstacle Course
Juliana might not have done the zip line at Whistler, but it's hardly the only ski resort with aerial insanity begging us to risk our necks this winter. Along with Heavenly's Flyer, Mont-Tremblant, a Jaunted fave, has a treetop obstacle course connected by zip lines known as the Acrobranche.
The full course will take you 2.5 hours to navigate and the resort sums it up best:
Fly from tree to tree using logs, barrels, bridges, trapezes and zip lines and more. Also try a rock wall followed by a succession of wild zip lines. Harnessed onto a steel cable, fly away for a series of breathtaking zip-line glides.
We'd pay C$39 ($31) for that for sure. If the ice, snow and cold doesn't make it edgy enough for you, try the night trip for C$10 more; après-zip line hot chocolate included!
Related Stories:
· Winter Activities at Tremblant [Official Site]
· Ski Resorts in Summer: Actually Worth Visiting? [Jaunted]
Tags: Whistler Field Trip / Ski Resorts / Canada Travel / Whistler Blackcomb / → All Tags
Skiing The Whistler Blackcomb Mountains
Juliana just took a field trip to the Winter Wonderland that is Whistler in British Columbia, Canada. All this week she'll be reporting back on what to do there this ski season. Remember this place will be jammed up for the Winter Olympics in 2010, so you might want to go now or wait until 2011. Any questions? Let us know.
Just because Whistler is in the Great White North where people are practically born on skis or skates--and the snow is seemingly endless--doesn't mean that only expert skiers need apply. Everyone can ski Whistler.
If you have your own equipment then you're good to go. If not, stand in the middle of Whistler village, close your eyes and point your finger. There's a good chance you will be pointing at a rental shop.
Tags: Ski Resorts / Skiing / Active Travel / Winter Travel / → All Tags
Austrian Slopes Have Us Forgetting About Switzerland
Over Switzerland? We reckon skiing in Austria is just as good, and often not as pricey. Sure, there's a bit less Swiss chocolate but the Austrians still know how to give you a good time going down a mountain.
The Arlberg region in the southwest is one of the most well-known resort areas with half a dozen choices for skiers including St. Anton and St. Cristoph--perfect spots if you feel you need some saintly blessing. If you get there before January 30, low season prices let you ski for three full days for €110 ($147).
Closer to Salzburg in central Austria, Krippenstein is not for beginners but we love the name too much not to recommend it. It's famous for some spectacular off-piste possibilities with huge vertical drops and is home to the Freesports Arena. Three days here run just €86.20 ($115).
If snowboarding is the way you prefer to glide then Hippach is a good spot for you. Close to Innsbruck in the south, Hippach has 45 ski lifts and reliable snow cover--and quite a bit of local fame among snowboarders. A part of the massive Zillertal ski area, you can shred Hippach as well as many other peaks in the region on a Zillertal SuperSkiPass; four full days are €133 ($177).
And before you waste pre-trip time worrying about global warming, don't forget that Austria has put giant blankets on some of its peaks to prevent premature melting.
Related Stories:
· Ski Arlberg [Official Site]
· Krippenstein Skiing [Official Site]
· Zillertal, including Hippach [Official Site]
· Austria's Melting Peaks [Jaunted]
[Photo: rossjamesparker]
Tags: Whistler Field Trip / Ski Resorts / Canada Travel / Whistler Blackcomb / → All Tags
Getting To Whistler Before The Olympics Mania Begins
Juliana just took a field trip to the Winter Wonderland that is Whistler in British Columbia, Canada. All this week she'll be reporting back on what to do there this ski season. Remember this place will be jammed up for the Winter Olympics in 2010, so you might want to go now or wait until 2011. Any questions? Let us know.
As is the case for most ski mountains, getting to Whistler Blackcomb is not easy. Vancouver International is the closest airport but the mountains are still about two hours away. We took a United/Sky West jet from Los Angeles which cost around $275, not including the $15 baggage fee for our first checked bag.
The flight was about three hours long and the plane was small, with two-by-two seats in each row of the CRJ700. The ride was "surprisingly smooth," according to our flight attendant who said the flight is usually much bumpier. That's not to say there wasn't any turbulence. If you forgot your Xanax, the $6 Chardonnay will also do the trick in calming your nerves.
Once we landed, we blew through customs (it was 11 pm), grabbed our bags and schlepped to the rental car area. This is the most popular way to get to Whistler, though taking the bus is much cheaper. We round up both options after the jump.
Tags: Skiing / Ski Resorts / Websites / Travel Websites / → All Tags
Lift Ticket Discounts Thanks To Liftopia
We've already jinxed ourselves with our early winter wishes this year. But since the cold weather is inevitable, we might as well embrace it. This year, finding that ideal mountain and lift ticket is going to be a lot simpler thanks to Liftopia.
Liftopia is similar to other travel booking sites but with a specific focus on lift tickets and other ski related products. There's also a lot of information on what's happening at your favorite resorts, including conditions and trail openings. Users are also welcome to chime in and share their experiences direct from the slopes.
Of course the best reason to search Liftopia is for discounts of up to 70 percent when buying tickets in advance. Right now you can get a lift ticket at Windham Mountain in the Catskills for just $24, just days before Christmas. It may not be the peak of ski season, but, hey, 24 bucks. With more than 80 resort partners and growing, Liftopia's a travel site to keep your eye on.
Related Stories:
· Liftopia [Official Site]
· Windham Mountain [Official Site]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]
Tags: Skiing / Winter Travel / Ski Resorts / Active Travel / → All Tags
Praying For Snow Proven Effective As Another Resort Opens
We already know how things are going in Colorado, and apparently our snow dance has worked. Snowbird Resort in Utah is set to open up the lifts tomorrow. They’ve already had three feet of snow this month and, with the help of a little grooming, they're ready to go.
The main tram as well as the Gadzoom and Mid-Gad lifts will be working out the kinks beginning at 9 am. This is the second-earliest opening in the mountain’s history, and Snowbird appears to be offering a better experience than some of the more forced openings at other mountains.
Even though it’s early in the season, an all-day lift ticket is still going to set you back $62. At least you’ll be enjoying the snow instead of shoveling it off the driveway.
Related Stories:
· Snowbird Opens for Skiing Friday [Salt Lake Tribune]
· Snowbird Resort [Official Site]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: vice48sr5005]
Tags: Skiing / Winter Travel / Ski Travel / Ski Resorts / Active Travel / → All Tags
Bring On The Snow
Time to put fall festivals and Halloween to bed. Screw the cornucopias, pumpkins and earth tones--let's carve through the white stuff!
Just a quick ride from Denver, Loveland Ski Area kicked off the season in late September by firing up the snow making guns. A little warm spell in early October slowed them down, but the weather lately has been wintry, and they've got one lift running and three beginner trails where you can shake out the off-season.
Only about ten minutes away, machine-made groomed snow is also what's available at Arapahoe Basin. They only have a sliver of the action open so far, but one lift is running and there are a couple trails to navigate. Conditions may not be ideal, but where else can you find a resort that's open from October until early June? We'll regret saying this later, but winter can't come soon enough!
Related Stories:
· Loveland Ski Area [Official Site]
· Arapahoe Basin Ski Area [Official Site]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo of Loveland: andrewparnell]
