Western resorts prepare for upcoming season

MONTANA: Big Sky and its two-year-old neighbor, Moonlight Basin, will offer a joint pass and lift ticket. Combined, the two trail networks cover 5,300 acres served by 23 lifts and a vertical drop of 4,350 feet.

Montana has a total of 16 downhill ski resorts, and nine national forest areas have cross-country ski trails; details at http://wintermt.com/, where you can order a free winter vacation planner for the state, or call (800) 847-4868.

NEW MEXICO: A new triple chair at Ski Santa Fe will take snowriders to the top of Deception Peak, 12,075 feet, and will serve six new trails.

At http://www.skinewmexico.com/ or (505) 982-5300, you'll find information on ski packages at destinations that include Sipapu, Red River, Pajarito Mountain and other places.

UTAH: Deer Valley's Sultan chairlift has been replaced with a high-speed detachable quad that adds 1,000 feet of vertical.

There are also new lodges at Alta, Snowbird and Solitude, along with grooming machines at other Utah resorts and improved terrain parks for snowboarders. For the 2006-07 season, Snowbird is building a 595-foot, European-style tunnel high on its mountain to move skiers along a conveyor belt to the resort's back side at Mineral Basin, avoiding steeper slopes.

As for this season, if you can't get out there before February, don't worry. Snowbird was open until July 4 this year, its longest-ever season with 53 feet of snow. Details at http://www.skiutah.com/ or (800) 754-8824.

WYOMING: At Jackson Hole, a new lift, the Sweetwater, will take skiers from beginner slopes to intermediate runs for those who like groomed terrain. The resort will also close its 39-year-old aerial tram after this season, which means a new tram or chairlifts will have to be used to get to some of Jackson's most storied expert terrain.

Jackson Hole is also offering a new "Wild West Woods" theme for children on some of its beginner ski slopes, with teepees, bridges, life-size animal figures and a warming hut that looks like an old-style settler's tent. The trails also offer educational and environmental features, such as tree identification and displays on the science of snows.

Jackson Hole and two other major resorts nearby, Grand Targhee and Snow King, are among a dozen ski resorts in the state. For details, go to http://www.wyomingmade.com/ski.htm or call (800) 225-5996.

DEALS: If you plan to ski regularly in one state, consider getting a pass like those available in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico that let you sample most or all resorts statewide.

Also, ask individual resorts about package deals on airfare, lodging and lift tickets. Jackson Hole has a deal in which kids fly free, stay free and ski free with a fare-paying adult on certain flights; details at (888) 838-6606 or click on "Specials and packages" at http://www.jacksonholewy.com/. A similar offer exists for skiing in Crested Butte, Colo., in conjunction with American Airlines' "Kids Fly Free!" program, Jan. 2-Feb. 16; details at (800) 814-8893 or http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/.

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