Ski Resort Highlight: Copper Mountain, Colorado

With in bounds cat-skiing, the most acreage in Colorado’s famed Summit County, an organized layout that benefits skiers of all levels, and a new indoor park training facility, Copper Mountain has plenty to keep any skier busy. Located 75 miles from Denver, in the middle of all of the I-70 ski resort madness Colorado has to offer, Copper Mountain and its 22lifts and 126 trails still manages to shine.

Copper’s 2,450 skiable acres include 21% beginner, 25% intermediate, 36% advanced, and 18% expert. Its unique layout that separates skiers of different levels by putting beginners on the west side, intermediates in the center and experts on the eastern side, sets a standard for North American ski resorts.  If you are just learning, or are looking for classic burners for a warm-up, don’t miss the wide groomers under American Eagle and American Flyer quads.  Want a little more challenge? Head straight to Spaulding Bowl or Upper Enchanted Forest. And if you are looking for even more, this locals’ favorite has plenty of double black diamonds and bowls on the 12,000-feet plus peaks, Copper and Union. If you head out on weekends, take advantage of the free cat-rides on Tucker Mountain, in Copper Bowl

Copper, which gets an average annual snowfall of 282 inches and has a vertical of 2,601 feet, was opened in 1972 by the famed ski resort conglomerate, Intrawest. It has three base villages, East Village, Center Village, and Union Creek, providing tons of après activity, hotels, restaurants, bars, and shopping.  Copper’s new and ground-breaking indoor park training facility, called Woodward-at-Copper, is the first of its kind in the U.S. and puts this local’s mountain on the map with park rats and jibbers. This resort is family friendly with a great ski school and plenty of beginner terrain, provides enough challenges for the best of skiers, and has a neighborhood village feel, making Copper Mountain definitely worth the trip.

You can find Copper Mountain lift tickets on Liftopia.com

By Katherine Matteson

Ski Resort Highlight: Big Sky, Montana

Located an hour south of Bozeman, Montana, part of the charm, and the draw of Big Sky Resort is its remoteness. Such isolation means that skiers often have most of Big Sky’s (and nearby Moonlight Basin’s) 5,000 acres all to themselves. This means some of the trademarked; “Biggest Skiing in America” can be all yours. Officially, Big Sky Resort has 3,812 skiable acres and a vertical drop of 4,350 feet. That is definitely some big skiing. Mix in an average annual snowfall of 400 inches, terrain variety that any resort would envy, the epic Lone Peak Pass and Lone Peak Tram, 50 degree chutes, wide cruisers, and sunny faces, and Big Sky definitely lives up to its big reputation.

The surplus of skiing and snow doesn’t necessarily transfer to nightlife, so be warned that the nightlife is lacking. Though there is some good lodging at the Summit Hotel and at the Village Center, and tons of quality restaurants to chose from at the base. Still itching for some activity? The hopping college town of Bozeman is only an hour’s drive north, and Yellowstone National Park is only 16 miles away.

But with a longest run, Liberty Bowl, of six miles, long, hard runs like Lenin and Marx, and barely ever a lift line to rest in, the skiing Big Sky you are likely to not even notice. Opened in 1973, Big Sky is located on the 11,666-foot Lone Mountain. Lone Peak Tram, installed 12 years ago and with the ability to zoom skiers to Lone Peak’s summit, expanded the resort’s terrain by 50%. Big Sky has 150 runs on three separate mountains covering 85 miles. On powder days, don’t miss Midnight and Moonlight, and because the tram doesn’t always open during big storms, there’s always powder a few days later. If you are looking for groomers and bumps, check out the terrain under Thunderwolf Quad. Big Sky classics like The Guilles, Big Couloir and the Bavarian Forest are must-hits as well. With 20% of its terrain classified as expert, 40% advanced, 26% intermediate and 14% beginner, Big Sky has skiing for everyone.

You can find Big Sky lift tickets on Liftopia.com.

By Katherine Matteson

Ski Resort Highlight: Revelstoke Mountain Resort

Revelstoke Mountain Resort offers 500,000 acres of skiing. That is half a million acres of some of the best snow in the world for any skier or boarder willing and ready. Revelstoke offers each of these 500,000 acres straight from the base village via cat-skiing, heli-skiing or on the lifts. This makes it the only ski resort to offer all three of these options directly from the base. Revelstoke also has the longest lift-served vertical in North America; you can ski a massive 5,620 feet in one run. That is a heck of a lot to lay claim to.

Located in the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges, 3.5 miles Southeast of the small Canadian town of Revelstoke, a two-hour drive form the Kelowna airport, and 350 miles form Vancouver, Revelstoke Mountain Resort has become somewhat of a Mecca for the ski and snowboard industry. It has a vertical drop of 5,620 feet, a lift-served elevation of 7,300 feet, a summit elevation of 8,058, and currently offers 3,031 skiable acres with about 7,000 more in the future. Offering the fourth highest descent in the world, 52 runs, five bowls (two accessed by lift and three by cat), four lifts, and huge amounts cat and heli skiing, the terrain here in seems endless.

Big storms roll in around December and January, bringing some of Revelstoke’s average annual snowfall of around 600 inches. So on a powder day, follow the locals up the Stoke Quad to the favorite Kill the Banker or to the wide-open bowl of Vertigo. If you want to cruise some rollers, Critical Path offers plenty of thigh burning groomed. Revelstoke’s not-to-be-missed run is Snow Rodeo, 5,580 vertical feet of alpine, glades, and groomed trail. Revy’s longest run is 9.5 miles, so for some real cruising, don’t miss the Last Spike.

Revy presents some pretty stellar amenities as well. The Mid-Mountain Lodge and the newly finished Nelsen Lodge have plenty lodging, dining options, and après locales. Or head into downtown Revelstoke for more lodging and some nightlife.

And the resort isn’t even done yet. Opened in the 2007-2008 season, Revelstoke Mountain Resort will offer 20 more lifts and 100 more runs when development is complete. For now 500,000 acres of cat, heli and lift skiing is more than enough.

You can find Revelstoke Lift Tickets on Liftopia.com

By Katherine Matteson

Open letter to NBC for more Skiing Coverage during the Olympics

I am not sure how many of you were able to watch the coverage of the mens’ downhill last night, but for many, the coverage was surprisingly limited.  This is especially frustrating considering how much skiing is an integral part of the Olympic Games, and how the sport of skiing (which is accessible by many, as opposed to sports that only very few can take part in) is something that many Americans can use to live a healthier, active lifestyle.
Because of this, we have written an open letter to NBC for more skiing coverage the rest of the games.  We kept it short (we know you guys have a lot of feedback!), but hope your coverage will inspire more Americans to live an active lifestyle and enjoy the sport of skiing.

• Dear NBC,

  I am writing to express my encouragement for more downhill skiing coverage during these Olympic Games.

  The Olympics give the general public a wonderful opportunity to gain appreciation and knowledge about a wide variety of winter sports.  Downhill skiing(as well as slalom, GS, etc) is an integral part of the fabric of the Winter Games, and surely deserves more coverage than just a few skiers’ runs, as were shown last night as a part of the coverage of the men’s downhill.

  The Olympics not only allow us to appreciate the athletes abilities, but also give us an opportunity to be inspired to live a more fulfilling, active lifestyle.  Considering that skiing is an activity that many people have access to and can “try out” (as opposed to many of the more obscure sports, which only a small segment of the population can attempt), it seems in the interest of the well being and long term health of the American people to expose them to more of this wonderful sport that they truly can be a part of.

  Please reconsider how much you highlight skiing in your coverage.
  Thank you for your time.

If you would like to ask NBC to cover more skiing these Winter Games, you may email them at:

nbcolympicsfeedback@nbcuni.com

10 Things to say to impress your friends while watching ski racing during the Winter Games

Don’t know anything about ski racing? No problem! Use the quotes below to impress your friends and make them believe you are an expert.

Like any athletic event, the Winter Games are more engaging to watch when you understand the nuances that make the sport unique and can follow the observations made by the commentators. Just like Michael Phelps taught the world the difference between breaststroke and butterfly during the Summer Games, we want to get you prepped for the Winter Games in Vancouver by offering the 10 Things you can say to sound like you know what you are talking about while watching ski racing, even if you’ve never seen snow:

1. When noticing the tree branches scattered and blue paint lines around the race course: Yup, they put the pine boughs and paint on the course to help aid visibility in flat light.
2. When watching anyone who is really fast: Did that guy got a podium spot at the Hahnenkamm?
3. When discussing Bode and the US Ski Team: Bode Miller invited me back to his RV when I ran in to him in Austria, we bad mouthed team sports for a while.
4. When watching Julia vs. Lindsay: I have been following Julia Mancuso since she was the Lange girl in 2006, but Lindsay Vonn was both on the cover of Sports Illustrated AND in the swimsuit issue.
5. When a racer looks as fast as another, but her time is way off: Her skis are running a bit slow, I wonder if they used the wrong wax?
6. When commenting on an athlete’s over-excited celebration: That guy drinks more espresso than Alberto Tomba!
7. When watching slalom: She skied that flush gate perfectly, though she may have washed out on the last few turns.
8. When watching downhill: He pre-jumped that knoll perfectly, it is too bad he caught an edge when he landed.
9. When early skiers have slower times than later skiers: The course ran much slower during gate inspection, the forerunners probably helped make the snow faster.
10. When a skier falls and loses some skis/poles/etc after making a turn: She seemed to lose her edge as she crossed the fall line, which lead to her complete yard sale.

Super Bowl – A great day to ski or snowboard

I dont know about you, but I typically use the Super Bowl as an opportunity to be lazy without excuse, sit around, eat large quantities of food, and prior to that I typically just wait.. to eat large quantities of food.

This year, why not ski on Super Bowl Sunday (February 7th for those of you who aren’t sports fiends). Liftopia is running its 3rd annual Super Bowl Ski Lift Ticket Sale, with discounts to ski resorts all over North America.  While we are highlighting the Top 44 Lift Ticket Deals (for Super Bowl 44), there are even more here.

For many of these deals, there are limited quantities, and they truly are selling out fast.  The way I look at it, why not get out and have some fun on the slopes before you settle in to watch the game.  You can still eat a lot, you just wont feel as guilty. Here is a quick list of the amazing lift ticket savings for Sunday, February 7th:

New England: Up to 48% off (also, did you we now have Stowe lift tickets?)

Colorado: Up to 51% off (going fast, used to be 55% off!)

Lake Tahoe: 41% off at several resorts

Utah: Snowboard or ski for 33% off

New York/New Jersey: over 50% off

Pennsylvania: up to 38% off

Idaho: these are new, 33% off

Michigan: up to 41% off

Montana/Wyoming: up to 52% off

British Columbia: up to 35% off

New Mexico: 25% off

West Virginia: get this, ski for only $17.99

Wisconsin: 24% off

Quebec: save up to 32%

You get the picture, and either way, have fun before catching the game, we’ll see you out there!

Liftopia launches lift ticket deal alerts, use them to win $500 in lift tickets

Hey Everyone,

We have a really exciting new feature on the Liftopia.com site today.  Many many people are searching for discount lift tickets this season, and many of you have asked us “why cant you just let me know when some deals show up for my favorite ski areas?”
Well, here they are, Liftopia Ski Deal Alerts – simply sign up for your favorite regions and we’ll let you know when the best deals show up.

To promote this new feature, we are having a fun holiday giveaway.  Simply email, tweet, blog about, or share the following link and sign up for a ski deal alert on Liftopia.com and you’ll be entered to win $500 in lift tickets on Liftopia.com.  http://bit.ly/513YeA

Happy Holidays!

Best in the West Lift Ticket Deals (post turkey day)

Hey everyone,  hope you had a great holiday, it sure was nice to have some turkey, stuffing, and all things calorie-heavy last week.

While the east coast is still waiting on a cold snap and more snow, there are many areas out west that have great ski conditions, and below are some of the best discount lift ticket deals available this week.  There are a bunch of new resorts, and keep an eye on our site as more will be loading in the next week or two.

Colorado Lift Ticket Deals

• Arapahoe Basin lift tickets – Tuesday 12/01 for $20 (59% off)
• Copper Mountain lift tickets – Tuesday through Friday for $54.99 (15% off)
• Crested Butte lift tickets – All dates until 12/16 for $45.99 (22% off)
• Keystone Ticket + $15 Lunch Credit until 12/20 for $60 (33% off)
• Loveland lift tickets – All dates until 12/11 for $29.99 (35% off)
• Monarch lift tickets – Midweek for $43.99 (18% off)
• Ski Cooper lift tickets – All dates for the next few weeks for $34.99 (17% off)
• Sunlight lift tickets – Friday the 4th for $28.99 (42% off)
• Winter Park lift tickets – Friday the 4th for $75 (18% off)

Utah Lift Ticket Deals

• Brighton lift tickets – Most dates this week for $39.99 (31% off)
• Snowbird Early Bird Special – Most dates through December 24th for $39.99 (44% off)
• Solitude lift tickets – midweek for $49.99, weekend for $52.99 (19% off)
• The Canyons lift tickets – until 12/18 for $54.99 (30% off)

Idaho Lift Tickets

• Sun Valley lift tickets – most dates for $49.99 (11% off)

Wyoming Lift Tickets

• Grand Targhee lift tickets – most dates in Dec, $23-28.99 (42% off)
• Snow King lift tickets – Wednesday 12/9 for $15 (25% off)

New Mexico Lift Tickets

• Angel Fire lift tickets – most dates after 12/12 for $49.99 (15% off)
• Red River lift tickets – 12/4-12/6 for $35 (43% off)
• Sipapu lift tickets – Saturday 12/5 for $15 (62% off)

California Lift Tickets (including So Cal and Lake Tahoe)

• Alpine Meadows lift tickets – 12/5 and 12/6 for $49.99 (28% off)
• Mt. Baldy lift tickets – Tuesday 12/1 for $30.99 (43% off)
• Sierra Summit intro package – Saturday 12/5 for $57 (33% off)
• Homewood – Saturday 12/12 for $29.99 (45% off)
• Diamond Peak lift tickets – Saturday 12/12 for $39.99 (18% off)

Alberta lift tickets and British Columbia lift tickets

• Banff, Lake Louise, and Sunshine lift tickets – most dates through December for $66 (save 13%)
• Big White lift tickets – Saturday the 5th for $55 (18% off)
• Silver Star lift tickets – Saturday the 5th for $55 (18% off)

Have fun out there!

 

First accumulation of ski deals of the season

Hey everyone,

Have you been out on the hill yet? If so, I am jealous and hope you had fun out there.
With several resorts already open, and others to open this weekend (like Copper Mountain), we are starting to see a trickle of 09/10 lift ticket deals on Liftopia.com.  Thank you for your patience while we help the resorts get things loaded, and until then, here is a snapshot of some of the first early season ski deals on our site (some are pretty cheap!).

Colorado Lift Ticket Deals

• Copper Mountain this weekend for $45 (31% off)
• Loveland this weekend for $29.99 (35% off)
• Arapahoe Basin on Monday for $39.99 (18% off) Also, December 1 for $20
• Monarch on November 25th for $43.99 (19% off) Also, December 10th for $12.99, very limited
  
• Winter Park on November 26th for $75 (19% off)
• Sunlight on December 4th for $28.99 (42% off)
• Ski Cooper on December 1 for $34.99 (17% off)

New England: Vermont Lift Tickets, New Hampshire Lift Tickets, Massachusetts Lift Tickets

• Jay Peak on November 27th for $12 (82% off)
• Bolton Valley on December 14 for $15
• Ragged Mountain on November 27th for $12.99 (73% off)
• Wildcat on November 27th for $27.99 (57% off)
• Jiminy Peak on November 27th for $25 (57% off)
• Gunstock on December 4th for $23 (59% off)
• Waterville Valley on December 6th for $32 (52% off)

California Lift Tickets/Nevada Lift Tickets

• Mammoth Mountain on November 7th for $59.99 (13% off)
• Diamond Peak on December 10th for $38.99 (20% off)

Utah Lift Tickets

• Snowbird Early Season Special, most days until December 24th for $39.99 (44% off)
• Canyons on November 27th for $44.99 (43% off)
• Brian Head on December 7th for $24.99 (44% off)
• Brighton on December 1st for $39.99 (31% off)

Idaho Lift Tickets

• Sun Valley on 11/26 for $49.99 (11% off)

Quebec Lift Tickets

• Mont Tremblant on November 22nd for $65 (15% off)

New York Lift Tickets

• Whiteface on November 27th for $29.99 (45% off)
• Gore Mountain on November 27th for $36 (29% off)
• Windham Mountain on December 12th for $40.99 (37% off)
• Plattekill on December 5th for $15 (50% off)

Wyoming Lift Tickets

• Grand Targhee on November 28th for $39 (43% off)
• Snow King on December 9th for $15 (25% off)

Minnesota Lift Tickets

• Wild Mountain on December 3rd for $18 (55% off)

Michigan Lift Tickets

• Caberfae Peaks on December 5th for $12.99 (62% off)
• Crystal Mountain on December 12th for $22.99 (49% off)

New Mexico Lift Tickets

• Angel Fire on December 12th for $49.99 (15% off)
• Red River on December 4th for $35 (43% off)

British Columbia Lift Tickets

• Big White on December 9th for $55 (18% off)
• Silver Star on December 7th for $55 (18% off)
• Big Red Cat Trips on various dates from $297 (up to 17% off)

Wisconsin Lift Tickets

• Devils Head on December 7th for $36 (10% off)

Why arent there more deals on Liftopia right now?

Well hello there!  Judging by how many of you have been emailing us, and how many searches we are seeing come through on Liftopia.com, we figured it might be good to explain why there are only a handful available right now.
This is a funny time of year for all of us in the ski biz.  The weather changes, the snow starts showing up, and in some cases (like Arapahoe Basin and Loveland), you are already spinning your ski lifts to die hard early season skiers. For Lifotpia, resorts load tickets and prices directly into our system, so we do our best to help them do so as easily as possible.

For many resorts, this is the last period of time that they are deciding on what the ticket prices are going to be for the season.  This makes it especially difficult to come up with the “right” prices to offer at this time of year through Liftopia.  Some resorts (aka, the Colorado Ski Resorts already mentioned), already have some ideas on what their on-mountain prices are, but are very busy making sure their early season customers are happy.  Others, like Alpine Meadows in California (who we just talked with today), still have several weeks before they release their on-mountain tickets.

The good news, is we have talked with many resorts in the past few days, and many more will be loading tickets into Liftopia soon, so keep an eye out!  It has been awesome to see, however, the number of people searching for lift tickets on our site already.  This is the first season ever that Liftopia has sold lift tickets in September, and in the first 5 days of October alone, there were 2,500+ searches for lift ticket deals on our site!
Thanks for your patience while we work with our resort partners to load tickets, and we are just as excited as you are to start our season.  For those of you lucky enough to be in Colorado, have fun out on the slopes!