Western resorts prepare for upcoming season

By ROBERT WELLER

updated 2:54 p.m. ET Nov. 17, 2005

DENVER - Winter doesn't officially start until Dec. 21, but resorts around the West are starting to open, and skiers are getting ready for their favorite time of year. Here are some of the new features for the upcoming season around the West, along with contact information and ideas to help you plan a trip.

CALIFORNIA: Alpine Meadows has added a high-speed quad lift in its Sherwood Bowl area. Kirkwood has added a high-speed quad, the TC Express, that will serve a beginner area and provide a quick return route from the popular advanced terrain of the Palisades.

The state's 34 downhill and cross-country ski resorts include Heavenly, Mammoth Mountain, Squaw Valley, Sierra, Mount Rose, Kirkwood, Boreal, Sugar Bowl, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. Information at http://www.visitcaliforniasnow.com/ includes interactive maps showing resort locations, or call (800) 862-2543.

COLORADO: Snowmass has replaced the Fanny Hill lift with a six-passenger high-speed lift that will deposit skiers at Sam's Knob, eliminating one lift ride. Aspen Highlands' new Deep Temerity lift will offer access to some of the steepest terrain in the state. At Breckenridge, a new high-speed quad lift will reach the top of Peak 8, at 12,840 feet the highest lift-served terrain in North America. Mary Jane (Winter Park) is replacing the four-seat Summit Express with a six-seater.

Colorado has 24 ski resorts, but winter destinations and pursuits also include including ski biking at Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort; Vail's Colorado Ski Museum; ice-climbing at the Ouray Ice Park, opening mid-December, and natural hot springs where you can warm up after an afternoon of snow sports. Call (800) 265-6723 or visit http://www.coloradoski.com/ for details.

IDAHO: Tamarack, in its second year of operation, is adding a third high-speed quad, 10 new alpine trails and 1,700 additional vertical feet. Sun Valley has replaced its grooming fleet with 10 new machines, while Northern Idaho's Schweitzer Mountain is opening 400 new acres of terrain including five new runs for advanced, intermediate and expert skiers and riders. Schweitzer Mountain has also been chosen to host the World Cup Telemark Finals March 10-12, the first World Cup Telemark event to be held in the United States in three years.

Other winter destinations include Smoky Mountain Lodge, which claims to be the only fly-in heli-ski lodge in the lower 48; Boise's Bogus Basin Mountain Resort, offering lighted night skiing on a Nordic trail this year; and Silver Mountain Resort, which has an expanded terrain park and two new runs. For more information on skiing in Idaho, go to http://www.idahowinter.org/ or call (800) 847-4843.

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