Every ski resort in the U.S. on one list originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Utah ski resort on the auction block originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The best travel deals don't happen on Black Friday. Instead of rushing out to the nearest big box store to do battle with the other crazy shoppers, pull the trigger by November 20, and get a trip to Keystone, Colorado. Book your stay for between December 19 and 26, and you could score rates as low as $101 a night -- 50 percent off the usual rate! The deal works at Keystone Lodge & Spa and the Inn at Keystone, not to mention the condos at Lakeside, Evergreen, Soda Ridge and Aspen Ridge (from studios to two-bedroom suites).

This is a sweetheart deal. For skiers, booking a room for Christmas week by November 20 is a no-brainer, and non-skiers can have a blast, too. Ice skating, dining and shopping are available, and the complimentary Adventure Passport provides free and discounted access to plenty of activities on and off the slopes.

Keystone offers a better alternative to holiday shopping originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: REI snow report app for the iPhone and iPod Touch

REI Snow Report brings detailed ski reports to your iPhone originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Explorer hopes to visit "three poles" in one year originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As excitement for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver builds, most people who haven't planned ahead are looking for last minute accommodations for the event and finding rates to be quite pricey. During the Games, costs will be as high as the demand, but it seems that in the weeks leading up the event, there are plenty of deals to be had.

Right now though December 17, Whistler-Blackcomb, the official Alpine Skiing venue for the Games, is offering the third night free at many of its best resorts and hotels. The average nightly rate with the promotion works out to just $66 (CAD) for many properties in Whistler Village. Package deals that include two nights of lodging and two days of lift tickets start at $103 per person per night through December 21.

Travelzoo has put together a comprehensive list of the other discounts available in the area and the deals don't stop at accommodations and skiing. Flights, shuttles, and activities like snowmobiling are also on sale.

The games run February 12-28, and chances are they'll be even more discounts announced between now and then. So if you've got your heart set on a winter wonderland vacation in Vancouver but don't have a fortune to spend, plan your visit just before the Olympics to take advantage of these great deals.

Score deals to site of 2010 Olympics now originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Kids fly free to Vail this winter originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Patriot Hills Antarctic base opens for 2009 season originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What's the happiest place on Earth? Well, Disney claims that title, but here's the problem: Utah does, too. If they were in different countries, no conflict would exist, but since they do, we have to sort this out.

A Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index recently released ranks Utah highest among all states in happiness. And, if that's not enough, Men's Fitness magazine ranked Salt Lake City fittest in America. So, the endorphins are firing, and Utah is thrilled. Want to get a little taste of this happiness?

The Gold Medial Podium Package celebrates Salt Lake's Olympic legacy. Skiers and snowboarders can hit the slopes while taking advantage of some great deals. Book a four-night vacation by December 15, 2009 -- including a Ski Salt Lake Super Pass -- at any of the 22 participating hotels, and your fourth day on the slopes and your fourth night in the hotel are free.

Eat, drink and ski happy in Salt Lake this winter originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

World Cup snowboarding is coming to Telluride! Check out the Visa U.S. Snowboardcross Cup from December 17 to 20, 2009 at the Telluride Ski Resort: this is the only stop in the United States fro the International Ski Federation's (FIS's) Snowboard World Cup. Both snowboard cross (SBX) and parallel giant slalom (PGS) competitions will be held in what is the second in a series of five Olympic qualification events for the two disciplines.

Ryan Mackey, snowmaking and grooming manager at Telluride, says, "Snowmaking is off to one of our best starts in years with the cold weather, and the new snow we have received in the last couple of weeks is a great bonus." He continues, "Currently we are making snow on Upper Village Bypass, Lower Boomerang into the Mountain Village, Meadows and Lower Misty Maiden (especially for the World Cup)."

U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley calls Telluride the perfect western home for an World Cup stop early in the season. "With the early start on snow happening at Telluride we are getting really excited to get there," he says. "We can't wait to show the athletes from around the world how great Telluride is and let them experience a real world class course," Foley adds.

Continue reading World Cup snowboarding comes to Telluride

World Cup snowboarding comes to Telluride originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Veteran's Day is next Wednesday, November 11th, and to celebrate the National Park Service has announced that they will once again waive all entry fees to every national park, forest and monument across the U.S., giving travelers the opportunity to experience hundreds of amazing places for free.

This past summer the NPS offered several fee free weekends, which were extremely popular with visitors everywhere. In fact, those weekends were so popular that they helped several parks, such as Yellowstone, to set new attendance records.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar made the official announcement on this Veteran's Day celebration, saying "The Department of the Interior is honored to offer this fee free day to thank our nation's service men and women," He went on to say, "The sacrifices and achievements of the brave men and women of our armed forces can never be understated. We invite all of our visitors to enjoy this fee free day and take time out on this national holiday to remember our service men and women who are currently serving overseas in harms way."

Join in on the celebration for yourself by finding a park near you. Then head out to enjoy the best natural resources the country has to offer on Wednesday.

National parks free for Veterans Day! originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Outside Magazine lists the best ski resorts in North America originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Skiing, like polo and yachting, is a rich man's(or woman's) sport. The equipment is expensive, and in order to participate, you need to go to a specific place. In the case of skiing, this means paying ski lift fees and traveling to a pricey ski resort. The costs can add up and make it prohibitively expensive for less affluent ski enthusiasts.

But there are some less expensive ski resorts. Ski.com has put together a list of the top ten affordable ski spots in North America.

Keystone, near Denver, makes the list because of the many extras it offers, such as night skiing included with a lift ticket on the day of arrival, plus access to nearby resorts like Vail and Breckenridge. Steamboat in Colorado is on the list thanks to affordable ski-in/ski-out lodging and convenient shuttle services. And Winter Park, also in Colorado, is praised as catering to a "moderate demographic, no luxury properties."

Whistler-Blackcomb, near Vancouver, is normally a very pricey destination. But in an attempt to lure visitors before the Olympics, it is offering some fantastic deals right now. Airfare to Vancouver can be expensive, depending on where you fly from, but you can save money by flying into Seattle and taking a train to Vancouver.

Jackson Hole (Wyoming), Banff(Alberta, Canada), and Lake Tahoe round out the western top ten with plentiful deals, discounts, and special offers that help keep prices low. On the east coast, Stowe(Vermont) and Lake Placid in New York offer excellent mid-week prices.

The 10 most-affordable ski spots in North America originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the interests of disclosure and transparency, I don't ski. I did a little bit of snowboarding 15 years ago, but it didn't amount to much. So, when I write about the ski deals that come across my desk, it's not lost on me that some people don't hit the slopes. The latest package from The Lodge at Vail, a RockResort, has something for those of us who don't stumble down the mountain. The "Spa, Savor & Snowshoe" deal is for everyone else. Guests can work up some hunger while snowshoeing, get those taxed muscles rubbed down at the spa and tie off the day with a three-course dinner at the Wildflower restaurant.

At $423 a night, the savings is around 25 percent, but you need to book a three-night stay. You'll get a $300 spa credit, half-day guided snowshoe tour and daily breakfast for two (along with the dinner at Wildflower).

It looks like you don't need to be a skier to enjoy winter in Colorado!

Alternatives to skiing: spa, anyone? originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Circle October 30, 2009 on your calendar. Do it twice. That's the date the Telluride Ski Resort 2009-2010 season pass sale closes - you have until Friday to lock in a savings of up to 50 percent. With plenty more people hitting the slopes this year, expect demand to be high, so you'd be out of your mind not to lock this in early.

To pick up the biggest win, buy a 4Pass, which cuts the season pass price in half at a cost of only $998 a person. And, if cash is tight, only half the amount is due up front. If you're going solo, the price of a pass drops from $1,850 to $1,198 - still a pretty steep decline.

If you plan to spend a lot of time out at Telluride this year, jump on this deal - by Friday.

Last chance for Telluride deal closing in originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The travel market may be in the tank, but things are looking good for Vail Resorts. Season passes for their slopes were up 13 percent last month. Sure, some of the deals have probably helped, but the market has definitely changed over the past year. In 2008, travelers were feeling the fresh sting of the financial crisis, and job cuts were looming. Everyone became more cautious, because they didn't know if they'd fall victim to the cruel lottery to come.

Now, it looks like the worst is behind us (though nobody can be sure), and we're all looking for a little bit of relief. For skiers, this means biting the bullet, paying what's necessary and hitting the powder. Mark Kelley, a 59-year-old skier and real estate broker from Denver put it best: "I have always gone skiing, even during difficult times." He continued, "I am more inclined to cut down on my spending on the mountain than to not go skiing at all."

Ski resorts are predicting an increase in bookings this season, thanks to eager skiers who were stuck at home in 2008. And, since flights are still fairly inexpensive, they hope to draw city-dwellers from across the country. Vail Resorts, which has five ski properties, is hoping they'll succumb to their urges.

Continue reading Skiers eager to return to Colorado slopes

Skiers eager to return to Colorado slopes originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Become an official ski bum!

Become an official ski bum! originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ski season officially begins today! originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In addition to months of free skiing, the Keystone Wedding Pass Promotion includes a free one-night resort stay with champagne and strawberries, the services of a dedicated wedding coordinator, discounted room rates for guests, and a special cake on the couple's one year anniversary. There are several different packages to choose from. All include rental of chairs, tables, linens and serving ware, rehearsal space, and shuttle service around the resort for guests.

Multi-course dinners with open bar range from $75 to $150 per guest and there are all several venues available. Venues hold anywhere from 80 to 350 guests and include a majestic lodge overlooking the mountains or an intimate gourmet restaurant reached by gondola.

The resort opens for the season on November 6 and offers trails for skiers and snowboarders of all levels.

Get married at Colorado's Keystone Resort and get free season ski pass originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ski resort adds mandatory helmet rule originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.