In the past three days Loon Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire, has received over eighteen inches of fresh snow! Over eighteen! Add that to a base depth between 18-30 inches, and you have got some amazing snow conditions!

With forty-five new trails open, 274 acres open, 21 miles open, 3 parks open, and the weather being not too cold and windy– the conditions are looking good for one of New Hampshire’s biggest resorts.

I have a college pass. At a low $329 for unlimited skiing at Loon, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf, this is probably the best deal you could ever get at mountains like these but not everyone is fortunate enough to be in college. If you are not someone who is looking for an unlimited ski pass because they do get a little pricey, one way to save a lot of money is to invest in a Frequent Skier Pass. You can get them at any time, and they are definitely worth the cost of one. All you have to do is go skiing twice, and you already have made back your money! At around $90, this pass is valid for one free ski or snowboard pass. After that, it becomes a discount card.

What happens is on weekends you can receive a lift ticket for $15 off by presenting a card and a valid form of identification. During the weekdays you can get $25 off. So, just by going skiing on one weekend day and one weekday day, you have made your money back! This, of course, is assuming that the lift ticket you buy is around $75–which it probably will be.

The frequent skier card is perfect for someone who knows that they will go skiing or snowboarding a handful of times. However, if you are a college student like I am, buying that college pass is the best decision you ever could make!

Note: This article is focused on Mont-Tremblant, the mountain itself as a ski resort. For more about the surrounding pedestrian village, visit our sister site, GoodLifeReview.com.

In English, “Mont Tremblant” translates to “trembling mountain”. With a peak of 875 meters, Mont Tremblant is one of the tallest mountains in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Canada, making it an ideal mountain for the Mont Tremblant Resort. This past weekend, my family decided to make the drive there. (It’s about a 1.5 hour drive from Montréal.) My final reactions to the resort are a bit muddled.

Before visiting Mont Tremblant, I only had heard great things about the mountain. I heard that the trails were awesome, and the surrounding village was quite cute. My experience on the mountain was quite different. A large portion of the trails was closed, and the majority of the open trails were simple greens and blues. I realize that going during December vacation, without any recent precipitation (aside from rain), explains my less than positive reaction to the mountain. The conditions were less than ideal. I can imagine that with another layer of snow, this mountain would be tremendous fun; however, the ice I dealt with was not.

Though the views are incredible, those strictly looking for a solid mountain to ski or snowboard on should look elsewhere. The lodging and dining around the mountain is extremely expensive; this certainly would be considered a luxurious, if not extravagant, destination. Experienced skiers will find themselves quickly running out of interesting options when most of the difficult trails are closed.

The lifts are quick, and the overall atmosphere is pleasant, but I would not go back unless I knew that the conditions were considerably improved. The lesson learned from this experience is that, even if a mountain has been consistently, positively reviewed, bad conditions can sour the visit quickly. If you do decide to ski or ride at Mont Tremblant or any other expensive ski resort, you should check to see if the conditions are fair, and that most of the trails are open, before you book.

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, skiing season has started in New England!  I am a skier and thought I should do an article to help start kids’ skiing.

Now, if you are a parent with kids who ski and you need a way to get them skiing, as you are too busy, I would suggest using school ski programs to get kids skiing.  They are really helpful, as they take the kid skiing, let him/her hang out with friends, and teach them new things.  When I started skiing, I started via my school’s ski program.  My program bussed us to Pat’s Peak, a medium mountain (good for beginners), offered lessons, and took us home at 8 o’clock.  Rentals had a reduced price though the program, and there was a similar meal program.  Also, we got one free day there and two free days at other mountains.  We were allowed to travel around the mountain without chaperons, but there were still strict rules preventing unruly behavior.  Most ski programs are similar.

Now if your child does ski, he/she needs gear.  If they belong to a program, it is easy to rent but having your own gear is nice.  In the case of kids, buying used is best, as we tend to outgrow it (less so in the case of helmets, goggles, and coats).  I have my own gear, and when I outgrow it, we can trade it into a swap program, where it is much less.  Many ski stores have a way into the swaps.  Do, remember, don’t go crazy expensive, we are kids.

Traveling in groups is very fun as kids.  We like to roam mountains in herds.  So, when your kids (teens!) want to go skiing, let a friend or two come, especially if you are a parent who doesn’t ski.  That way, your kid can go off with a friend while you stay warm in the lodge, sipping hot chocolate.  Also, going around in groups is safer, and you learn from each other.

Skiing is a fun sport, and there are many cost effective ways for kids to take part.  Let them have fun, especially with friends!

When the clock turned 5:22pm on September 22nd I think I may have been the only one celebrating the end of summer at my work. Some people looked at me as if I were crazy for wanting summer to end, and others just looked at me as if I were crazy. In any matter I was extremely excited for summer to end so that fall could hurry up and pass by. Yes, yes, the leaves’ changing colors is always a glorious sight to see, but being a New Englander, I have gotten used to the fall foliage, and it is not too exciting any more.

What is exciting, however, is that with fall underway, this means that ski season is fast approaching! I probably started looking into buying a season pass to Sunday River back in July, but maybe that is not something that I want to admit.

Anyway, here are some of the deals that you are going to want to look out for at Sunday River this season.

First of all, I think I am more excited for ski season to start than Sunday River is because their lift-prices are still up from 2008/2009. They still have their deals up where from “now” until April 26th you can ski for very cheap prices. They are also offering their “cute”  Sunday River Affair deal where Sunday through Friday for the “rest of the season” you can show a valid 2008-09 season pass from another resort, and you can purchase a lift ticket that day for $39. I guess those are deals to look out for in the way distant future?

In any case, here is the deal on season passes for the 2009-2010 season. They are offering their New England Pass this year; this pass enables you to hit up the slopes at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire, Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine. If you want to purchase a pass, whether it be gold, silver, bronze, the best time to do so would be before October 12th because the prices get hiked up after that.

However, the best deal still is the college student ticket; if you know you can get up there this season, buy it. It’s unlimited skiing at three amazing resorts for $329! Who could pass up that deal?

Quiz: What trail is eleven miles long, nearly flat, and perfect for pedestrians, bicyclists, inline skaters, wheelchairs, and cross-country skiers alike? Hint: It passes through the towns of Ayer, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable (all in Massachusetts). Answer: You guessed it, the Nashua River Rail Trail. (Okay, maybe having the answer as the article title made that a bit too obvious.)

In the late 1800s and early 1900s many railroads were constructed to connect cities around Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Nashua River Rail Trail was once the Hollis branch of the Boston and Maine Corporation railroad. Probably due to the rise in automobiles, many of these plans were abandoned, and many of the lines that were completed stopped running. The Hollis branch saw its last run in 1982 and was purchased by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in 1987. Mass Highway worked to convert the track to a 10-foot wide paved surface that officially opened as the Nashua River Rail Trail on October 25, 2002.

This trail is really perfect for a leisurely ride or stroll because it is incredibly flat due to the requirements of the trains that formerly passed through. No motor vehicles are allowed, thus the atmosphere is generally quiet or bubbling with casual conversations. Because the trail is wide, those looking to ride quickly can do so without endangering other travelers.  From Dunstable to the Groton Center there is an additional five-foot-wide gravel equestrian path.

The official access points to the trail are Ayer Center, Groton Center, Groton Sand Hill Road, and Dunstable (which is right on the border of Hollis, New Hampshire). It can feel quite accomplishing to travel it end to end, and you can reward yourself by stopping for some ice cream in Pepperell. The trail offers many scenic overlooks and rest stops. The foliage season is around the corner, and this is a particularly wonderful time to appreciate the landscape that the Rail Trail has to offer. This trail is great for groups of family or friends but equally satisfying for any individual. For a pleasant afternoon outdoors, the Nashua River Rail Trail is the perfect solution.

If you are looking for the best trails or locations for outdoor activities, like biking, boating, camping, hiking, fishing, or climbing, NH Outdoors is a very valuable Website.  The aesthetics of the site, I will admit, definitely could use some work. When I first saw the site, I hesitated to follow the links, fearing it might be one of those trap advertisement sites. Nevertheless, I followed the links and was surprised by the great selection of information.

NH Outdoors is organized by the type of activity or location in which you are interested. For example, golfing,  skateboarding, skiing,  and biking are among the many topics listed under the category “Activities.” Follow the link, and you will be brought to a page that shows all of the courses, rinks, mountains, and trails, respectively, divided conveniently by their locations in New Hampshire. You also can find information on locations, like beaches, fairs, or farms.

Directed especially toward tourists, there is a great page that details the location of all of the famous covered bridges in New Hampshire. In addition to that, there are pages for our state parks, lodging, and area attractions. The benefit of the simple site layout is that the information you are looking for is extremely easy to locate. It takes only a couple seconds to scan the home page and find the exact activity or type of destination you are interested in. Immediately, you are immersed in all the information for which you could possibly ask, which, in a sense, is very ergonomic.

If the sponsors of this Website could renovate it, the overall appeal of it would be much greater, but as they say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” NH Outdoors provides a very thorough supply of New Hampshire’s finest options. It is a terrific resource for anyone interested in experiencing the great outdoors that New Hampshire has to offer.

Right now, I am just rounding up my thoughts from my first year of skiing.  Quite frankly, I fell in love with skiing.  I love the feeling of cold wind whipping against my coat, hearing snow crunch beneath my poles, and seeing my skis glide over powder.  There is, well, nothing like it.  I have a few more thoughts that I’ll share below.

Here are some of what I thought were the best things.  First off, I thought doing my school’s ski club was awesome!  There is nothing like skiing with a ton of your friends!  Often we skied in groups as large as 20 or 30 people.  It is so fun ’cause we would race each other down and the back up the mountain.  Other times, we traveled in smaller herds of adolescents.  Also, we got to go a lot.  We went 5 Fridays from 1:00 to 8:00 at night.  We went to Pats Peak, in Henniker, New Hampshire, which has a great mountain, an excellent lodge (with great food), and good prices.  Also, the ability to rent my gear was nice, because I didn’t own any, being a first time skier.

Below, I have some of the rookie mistakes I made and some helpful tips.

• First off, probably the biggest mistake I made: trying to do a glade on my first day!  I went off one of the jumps, landed too hard causing my right ski to come off, which in turn made me hit myself in, well, an unmentionable area with my ski pole.
• Also, many times, I went wayyyy too fast and lost control.
• Finally, watch where you’re going!!!  Once, I wasn’t looking and fell on my friend Heather.

So, here are my top 3 tips:

1. Watch where you are going,
2. Don’t over estimate yourself,
3. And never, ever go above your level of capability.

If you don’t ski, you should try it today!!! (Or whenever the slopes are ready where you live.)

Now here’s something that I hope to do sometime in the near future. Are you like me, and are in search of backcountry powder? Well, there are a few mountains that offer opportunities like this, but one that I am certain about is Mt. Abram. Mt. Abram, located in Greenwood, Maine, just off Route 26 and right after Norway, is a great place to be on Wednesdays. For only $10 you can sign in for safety purposes, leave a phone number, and then hike up as far as you would like until you reach a point when you want to ski down.

Some of the paths only take 30 minutes while others take 45 minutes. Of course, this isn’t the same as going into the backcountry of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, but Mt. Abram is a great little mountain that will allow you to make multiple hikes in one day. Hiking up the mountain to ski down is called “skinning”, and it is an appealing sport to us skiers who will do anything for that fresh powder. Don’t get me wrong, I do love East coast skiing at places like Sunday River, but this side of the country tends to have skiing that is groomed, marked, cleared, and cut- it’s hard to find all natural terrain. Places like Mt. Abram are working as much as they can to offer all natural skiing by doing things like closing the mountains to lift-riders on Wednesdays.

Unfortunately this opportunity was only open to skiers until April 5th. However, skiers still are welcome to hike up and ski down at their own risk. Last year, people were skiing until May, which was when the snow cover finally melted.

Backcountry skiing sounds like so much fun. Not only do you exercise by hiking and skiing, but it’s all natural skiing. You won’t hear the sounds of lifts, pulleys, and more. It’s just you, other skiers, and Mother Nature. How perfect does that sound? Sounds picture perfect to me!

Sunday River ski resort in Bethel, Maine, still is rocking out on 100% of their terrain! That is so exciting! For the past few years that I have been out there in February they have had most of the trails open, but never have I seen all of their 8 peaks 100% open!  Last February a huge snow storm had dumped a ton of snow on the mountain while I was visiting and even that wasn’t enough to open every single trail, but conditions this year have been amazing! Another surprise to me is the fact that the Oz lift is open–I think I’ve seen that open maybe 1/3 of the times that I’ve been up to Sunday River. Of course, most of the Oz trails are accessible via the Jordan Bowl lift, but I have not been able to experience the tops of the trails and the trail under the lift called Ruby Palace, in at least five years!

Even more exciting is the fact that the Chondola is now open! A combination of a chairlift and gondola, this lift runs from the  South Ridge base area to the Peak Lodge on North Peak. This new lift has turned what was a 20-minute trip on two separate lifts to a single ride of just under seven minutes. It also brings skiers and riders to a point from where they’ll have direct access to six of Sunday River’s eight peaks in a single run! This lift allow has allowed Sunday River to open 12-hour skiing and riding on the weekends! That’s right, you can ski until 9pm!!

With twelve-hour skiing, you won’t have to worry about getting the most “bang” for your buck. You’ll be able to take that hour long lunch break and not think to yourself that you are paying too much to be sitting in a lodge. Of course, the whole mountain isn’t open, but a decent part of the lower mountain is. Serviced by the Chondola, the South Ridge Express and the Sundance Surface Lift, this lift allows access to a handful of beginner trails. An image of the area open to night skiing is shown in this article.

Congrats on being 100% open Sunday River, I’m so excited to ski there soon!

There are countless beautiful ski destinations in the world. Some of them are unexplored and only a few skiers are able to take advantage of their wonders. But by and large, certain destinations are at the top of the mind of every skier when thinking of skiing. This is because these locales are among the best in the world. Below are the top 3 ski resorts you should visit in your lifetime:

Aspen, Colorado

Aspen is, of course, a very popular skiing location for the rich, famous, and talented. It is noted particularly for its four mountains and steep slopes for advanced skiers. The ski resorts located within the area feature excellent views of the mountains. In addition, the terrain can accommodate skiers of all ability levels so no one will feel left out. However, the main disadvantage of Aspen is that it tends to be expensive because most of its tourists are “well-off”.

Cortina, Italy

Ever since it hosted the Olympic Games in 1956, the popularity of Cortina has been unstoppable. Life in Cortina is very charming, and it revolves around its beautiful environment. Cortina’s resorts can match the very best in the world. Aside from its natural wonders, this locale is also home to some of the most stylish Italians.

Stowe, Vermont

Stowe is one of the most picturesque resorts in the world. It has the traditional small town charm while having modern conveniences. Set against the biggest vertical backdrop in the vicinity, Spruce Park and Mount Mansfield are easily two of the favorite ski resorts among travelers. There is a also a lift-link that connects one resort to the other.