What was “in” in 2006 in North America
In 2006 the new frontier for skiers and snowboarders were double-diamond trails designated EX. Last year, Colorado’s Breckenridge built North America’s highest chairlift to access Lake Chutes, 400 acres of backcountry terrain. This season, the resort is opening Snow White, 150 acres of previously out-of-bounds terrain off the Imperial Express lift. And Colorado’s Aspen Highlands has cut 180 acres of advanced terrain—featuring tight chutes through aspen groves—served by its new Deep Temerity triple chair.
The other hot new trend was the new Audex jacket from Burton. Skiers and riders can listen to their iPod via the hood’s built-in speakers, and those who are Bluetooth-equipped can field phone calls using the sleeve’s control panel (burton.com; $600).
Ski resorts took action to minimize their environmental footprint. Leading the pack was Aspen/Snowmass, which now purchases wind energy from wind farms to offset 100 percent of its electricity use. Vail Resorts (which consists of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Heavenly), Colorado’s Crested Butte, and Vermont’s Okemo followed suit. On a smaller scale, Vermont’s Killington, Wyoming’s Jackson Hole, and Colorado’s Purgatory at Durango are using biodiesel fuel, which emits fewer pollutants, while Quebec’s Tremblant is fashioning jumps out of dirt to limit the need for man-made snow.
As skiers seek more activity diversification, resorts responded. Colorado Kite Force, in Frisco, teaches snow-kiting, an aerial twist on skiing and snowboarding (coloradokiteforce.com; lessons from $100, including kite rental). Over by Colorado’s Copper Mountain, dogsled outfitter Nova Guides leads tours through the Pando Valley (novaguides.com; from $270 for two, including lunch and snowsuit and boot rental). The Scandinavian sport of skijoring—cross-country skiing with a dog providing the momentum—caught on, and more than 50 ski areas in the country now permit canines. New England Dog Sledding, at the Telemark Inn, near Maine’s Sunday River, provides lessons and dogs (newenglanddogsledding.com; lessons from $75).
Sweden-based Poc’s Iris X goggles blend fashion (the racing-style frames are available in three colors) and function—a thinner frame increases peripheral vision, and the double lens has anti-scratch and anti-fog protectants (pocski.com; $119).
The MP3 player is now a slopeside tool. Last year, Vermont’s Killington launched podcasts with daily snow reports and a weekly DriftCast with staff interviews on mountain conditions and on local dining and après-ski tips (killington.com/podcast). Utah’s Canyons is expanding its podcast inventory by adding mountain tours (thecanyons.com). Wyoming’s Grand Targhee has SkiCasts with instructional guides such as “Wildlife on Snowshoes” and “Powder Skiing Tips” (grandtarghee.com). California’s Mammoth Mountain plans to offer downloadable mountain tours by January 2007 (mammothmountain.com).
For full article please click here
Courtesy of CondeNastTraveler.com
Chitra Mogul
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11