Hunter Mtn: free skiing for any season pass holder

Planning a jaunt to New York in the next couple of weeks? Hunter Mountain, just a couple of hours from the city, is accepting season passes from any mountain in the world on 25 March.

So whether you have a pass for Vail, Val d'Isere or Glencoe, the generous folks at Hunter will give you a free lift ticket. (As long as the pass is valid for the 2006/7 season of course.)

And from 19 March until the end of the season, they'll give you 50% off mid-week tickets and 25% off weekend tickets if you flash your season pass from another mountain.

What's more, winter is showing no signs of abating in New York state. Hunter has reported a massive 21 inches of the fresh stuff in the last 24 hours! (The pic here was taken at about 4pm local time yesterday when the snow was starting to fall.)

Check out the details of the special offer.

Image credit: Hunter Mountain

Heavenly powder

Early last week, Heavenly, California received...wait for it...SIX FEET OF SNOW in 48 hours! That is a humungous amount.

Watch the video of all the happy skiers and boarders.

Check out the latest Heavenly snow report.

Women's week in Whistler

I know I keep bleating on about Whistler, but come on, it's already beaten its average annual snowfall and we're still only in February (64cm in the past seven days ain't bad). And now there's Women's Week to look forward to.

This girlie celebration kicks off on 3 March and packs in nine days of feminine fun, from Burton and Roxy all-girl snowboard camps to special shopping deals, spa chill-out sessions and a Le Chateau fashion show. Check out the full calendar of events for the week.

Another date for your diary: Whistler's Telus Ski and Snowboard Festival runs from 13-22 April and promises to be another unmissable bash, with 50 free concerts to choose from and the chance to watch some unbelievable ski and snowboard stunts.

Image credit: Tourism Whistler

Earlybird passes on sale in New Zealand

Earlybird season passes covering the New Zealand resorts Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt are now on sale.

A joint pass to all three mountains will set you back NZ$749 if you buy online before 8 March.

If you're only going to be kicking around Queenstown, go for the Queenstown pass (Coronet Peak and The Remarks only), which costs NZ$649.

These are a great deal and worth buying even if you're only planning on a couple of weeks' riding in NZ. Individual passes for each resort are also available.

Image credit and further information: www.nzski.com

Orange snow falls in Russia

Orange and yellow snowflakes fell in the Omsk region of Russia on Wednesday according to Russian officials.

The snow is said to have felt oily to touch and gave off a rotten smell. Scientists are investigating the cause of the usunusally coloured snow, which fell over an area of more than 1,500 sq km.

The local environmental prosecutor, Anton German, said he was waiting for the results of chemical tests. Another local official reported the snow had four times the normal levels of iron in it.

Omsk is in western Siberia where oil is the main industry. About 27,000 people live in the area affected by the snow. Residents have been advised not to use the snow for household tasks or to allow animals to graze on it.

Giant countdown clock for Vancouver 2010

Vancouver is kicking off the three-year countdown to the 2010 Olympic Games by installing a giant countdown clock.

The enormous clock will be unveiled at Vancouver Art Gallery on 12 February and will count down the remaining days, hours, minutes and seconds to the 2010 Opening Ceremony.

The clock design will represent Canadian and West Coast themes.

Free cat boarding at Copper

Copper Mountain is offering free snowcat access on Tucker Mountain.

According to the mountain' s website: "This is as close to a backcountry, big-mountain experience as you'll find in-bounds at any resort."

The cats have been in operation since 2 January and run from 10am to 1.30pm every day. Tucker Mountain closes at 2pm. It's first come, first served, so get there early.

Photo credit: Copper Mountain

Vail extends season

Vail has decided to extend its winter season by a week thanks to this year's epic snowfalls.

The Colorado resort was originally due to close on 15 April, but will now stay open an extra week, closing on 22 April.

The end of the season is celebrated with a massive spring bash, "Spring Back to Vail", which includes free concerts by top US bands, as well as deals on lift passes and lodging and the chilly-sounding World Pond Skimming Championships.

Photo credit: Vail Resorts

Another record for Whistler

Whistler snowfall hit a record high yet again this week after the latest dump brought this season's accumulation to 875cm.

That's the biggest total by this time in January since records began 27 years ago.

It won't take much for Whistler to beat its annual average snowfall of 10m.

The weather's currently clear and sunny, but another frontal system could bring more snow on Wednesday.

Photo credit: Whistler Blackcomb (webcam showing The Roundhouse restaurant, 14 January 2007)

Auf Wiedersehen Alpine skiing

Skiing and boarding in the Alps could be history within 45 years according to a new report on climate change.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development predicts that 75 per cent of Alpine glaciers will melt within this period, causing avalanches and floods and forcing ski resorts to close.

Only the highest resorts, such as Tignes (2,100m) and Val Thorens (2,300m), are expected to survive.

The reports will be handed to European governments this week.

This follows a poor start to this year's Alpine winter season. Despite a decent snowfall at New Year, mild temperatures since mean many low-level resorts are still lacking snow.

Read the full story on The Observer website.

Snow in Stowe for holiday weekend

Stowe, Vermont has been thanking the snow gods for the 10 to 18 inches (25 to 46cm) of white stuff it's received over the past week.

The fresh pow arrived just in time for the US holiday weekend. The resort also opened the Sensation Quad on Upper Spruce Peak on Friday 12th, meaning all four peaks were open in time for the holiday rush.

Stowe currently has the highest percentage of runs open in Northern Vermont, and conditions look pretty sweet on their home page video at www.stowe.com.

Photo credit: Stowe Mountain Resort

Sake and snow monkeys in Japan

The Christmas stockings are back in the drawer and the tree is shedding its last needles (unless it's one of those fancy no-drop ones of course).

The only proper way to cheer up is to book a holiday, and what better place to consider for your next snowboarding trip than Japan, this year's hot ski destination.

Check out my feature on 10 reasons to ski/board in Japan on the World Travel Guide.

Photo credit: JNTO

Free skiing at Red

There's no catch. If you're kicking around BC this week, turn up at Red Mountain on Friday 22 December and just ask for your free lift ticket.

That's right - the mountain will be handing out complimentary lift tickets to all skiers and riders for one day only. Ski and snowboard instructors will also be on hand to offer tips. Lifts will be open from 9am to 3pm.

If you're hanging around over Christmas, join Santa for a run on Christmas Day. Meet him at the Paradise Lodge.

Photo credit: Red Mountain Resort

Huge dump forecast for Whistler

OK folks, get yourself a flight out to Canada. Zoom, Air Canada, BA, whoever - find a seat. Whistler is expecting 65-110cm of fresh stuff over the next few days.

While the Alps have been basking in balmy 20-degree temperatures, the epic start to Whistler's season keeps going and going. To top it off, the new Symphony Express chair opens on Whistler this Saturday (16 December), providing access to over 1,000 acres of terrain.

If you're in Whistler this week, you can win a golden ticket for a seat on one of the first chairs. All you need to do is find an orchestra conductor (wearing a black tux) on Whistler mountain and ask for a Symphony Express golden ticket. As I write, there are nine tickets left.

Map credit: Whistler Blackcomb

More Canada openings

November's record snowfall in western Canada has brought legendary opening day conditions for yet more resorts.

Red opened on 1 December, followed a day later by fellow BC resort Kicking Horse. The latter's 350cm+ snow accumulation meant the mountain opened two weeks ahead of schedule, though it will open on weekends only until 15 December.

Meanwhile, across the provincial border in Alberta, Canada Olympic Park in Calgary was forced to close for three days at the end of November after icy conditions swept through the city.

You might not imagine there's much skiing in Manitoba, but the prairie province received a welcome 15-25 cm the other day and Asessippi ski area plans to open on 8 December.

And for those 'back east' in Ontario, Horseshoe Resort near Barrie opens on 6 December.

Photo credit: Red Mountain Resort

More early openings for Canada

The huge storms pummelling Canada's west coast means more early openings for local ski hills.

Apex opened today, while Sunshine opened up Goat's Mountain, the earliest ever opening for that section of the resort.

Silver Star opens tomorrow, followed by Big White on Saturday.

Vancouver Island isn't missing out on the snow either. Mount Washington has announced plans to open a week early on 30 November.

Brent Curtain, spokesperson for Mount Washington, said: “The amount of snow up here is unbelievable! This is only our third November opening in the last 15 years and it looks like it may be one of the best openings we’ve seen in the resort’s history."

Record snowfall for Whistler

Blackcomb is opening tomorrow (23rd) and it couldn't come sooner for boarders in Whistler, where over 300cm of snow has fallen since the beginning of the month - the most ever recorded in November.

Thankfully, as mentioned below, Whistler opened last weekend and has received a whopping 70cm in the past 48 hours alone. The base is already a respectable 153cm.

The plan is to have around 5,000 acres open this weekend, so check out Zoom's website and see if you can find yourself a deal.

Burton designs snowboard run

Being the most successful snowboard manufacturer clearly isn't enough for Jake Burton, who has now designed his first snowboard run at Northstar-at-Tahoe.

Burton has helped snowboarders build The Stash, a run featuring trees, jibs and road jumps constructed from wooden logs and other local materials. The new run is due to open on 15 December.

The Stash will also include pillow lines, natural rail slides built from massive logs, and the CK Cabin (named after legendary rider Craig Kelly), which riders can jib or gap.

Check out the promo video at www.thestash.com. (Note: It takes a while to load.)

Northstar-at-Tahoe is scheduled to open on 22 November.

Whistler opens early

Whistler Mountain opened early yesterday, thanks to a handily timed winter storm.

The mountain's been blessed with a healthy 129cm of snow in the past seven days and is boasting a 129cm base too. Judging by today's murky-looking webcams, snow is falling as I write.

It's a bit like 'pass the parcel' though: you only get to unwrap a bit at a time. Both Whistler gondolas are running, but skiers and riders are limited to Emerald and Red chairs once in the Alpine. Those cheeksters at Whistler Blackcomb are holding off opening the Peak, Harmony and the eagerly-anticipated new Symphony chair. Wouldn't want to waste too much snow on staff and locals...

Blackcomb opens on Thursday 23rd November. Check out the latest snow report at www.whistlerblackcomb.com.

Snowy start for Sunshine

Sunshine Village has opened early thanks to a healthy dump of powder last week.

The resort, which kicked off its season on Friday, is boasting an 80cm base and has received a not-too-shabby 26cm in the past two days. Even better, it's still snowing and the forecast is for more of the white stuff.

Seven out of 12 lifts are open, plus 44 out of 107 runs. If you're into early season bargains, this could be a good bet - tickets are currently going for C$49.95.

If you want to check out conditions before booking your flight, Sunshine's installed some new high-res webcams this year. Check 'em out here.