Though most of the lifts in North America have stopped spinning, there are plenty of skiers and riders who aren’t quite ready to put away their skis and boards. Fortunately, the ski resorts in Chile and Argentina are currently gearing up for their winter season in the Andes. If you need to get your fix between now and November, here is a sample of the fun and exciting events happening in South America this “summer.”

Valle Nevado, Chile

• New for the 2013 season, Valle Nevado welcomes the first six-person gondola in Chile, which will conveniently transport passengers more than 1,000 vertical feet to the top of a 10,500-foot summit.
• Ski.com is offering several great promotions in Valle Nevado this summer, including 50% off every second guest from September 13 to 28. Enjoy a seven-night stay, lift tickets, and meals from $1,029 per person based on double occupancy.

Portillo, Chile

• Wine Week XII – August 3 to 10 – Wine Week brings together renowned Chilean Vineyards and winemakers who share their knowledge and history with guests.
• Family Weeks – July 6 to 13 and July 20 to 27- Dedicated to creating a real family vacation, these weeks are filled with non-stop fun, including tubing, karaoke, theme parties, dance classes, wine tastings, fashion shows and more.

Portillo trips start at $890 per person and include seven nights of lodging, four meals per day, and lift tickets.

Las Leñas, Argentina

• Fashion Week – dates TBD (ask your Mountain Vacation Specialist) – Combining the glamour of fashion with the beauty of the majestic mountain setting, this event attracts models, designers and celebrities from around the world.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can ski in South America and experience an endless winter at these resorts or in Bariloche, Argentina and Termas de Chillán, Chile, visit the South America section of the Ski.com website.

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Ski top-to-bottom terrain at Mammoth Mountain through Memorial Day!

As many ski resorts prepare for closing-day celebrations, Mammoth Mountain is just getting into the SPRING of things! With more snowfall this season than any other resort in North America, 300 sunny days each year and an impressive line-up of spring events, Mammoth is the place to be in April and May. Ski top-to-bottom terrain through Memorial Day. Conditions are prime with a 6.5-foot base at the Main Lodge and a 14.5-foot base at the summit!

If snow, sun and late-season fun aren’t enough reasons to start planning your trip, we’re offering 15% off lodging when you book two nights and 20% off when you stay three or more nights. Check out the ski vacation deals online or call one of our Mountain Vacation Specialists at 800-299-0656 to book your trip today.

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Growing up in Michigan, my first few times skiing took place at a small resort less than an hour’s drive from my parents’ house. If I remember correctly, the skies were always cloudy, the temperatures were very cold, the chairlift rides were long and the runs were short. The overall experience, however, was life changing. Because of my brother’s and my new shared interest in skiing, my parents were kind enough to take us on our first family ski trip to the big leagues. The destination: Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Taking a family ski trip is definitely not the easiest or the most affordable type of family vacation. Frankly, I think it took some guts from my parents to make it happen. But they did, and that ski trip—and the subsequent ones after that—are and always will be some of my fondest memories of time spent as a family.

If you’re weighing the pros and cons of taking your family on a vacation this season, I think the New York Times addressed it best in an article they published last winter.

“Because, like generations of skiers before us, we will eventually push off, leaving behind not just all that schlepping, but the weight of Newton’s laws as well. Gravity becomes our friend. The sullen teenager lights up, the 8-year-old stops whining, and your spouse is no longer a parent, but a fellow skier. We will each take our own route, but we will go down the hill together.”

Decide to take a family ski trip this year and let Ski.com make it easy for you. From helping you choose the right resort to making sure everything you want in a vacation is included and within budget, Ski.com and our experienced Mountain Vacation Specialists are here for you. Get started by checking out our deals online and below. At any point in the planning or booking process, give us a call at 800-299-0656 to speak with one of our Specialists.

We look forward to seeing you (and yours) out here,

D.S.

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Though Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, you don’t need to use that as an excuse to head to the mountains this winter for a romantic getaway. Combine your passion for the slopes with your passion for each other and break up the winter days (and nights) by traveling to a romantic mountain destination. Escape the normalcy of everyday life by skiing or riding your favorite mountain, taking in some majestic scenery, enjoying hot toddy by a roaring fire and soaking in a hot tub under a blanket of stars.

At Ski.com we always love to give our own personal recommendations for places to eat, stay, visit, explore and experience. Here are a few of our favorite picks in a few of our favorite categories.

Romantic Dinner Spots:

• Beano’s Cabin - Beaver Creek, CO
• Pine Creek Cookhouse - Aspen, CO
• Waldhaus Restaurant - Banff, Alberta

Romantic Hot Tubs:

• BlueSky Breckenridge - Breckenridge, CO
• Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - Banff, Alberta
• Independence Square - Aspen, CO
• Snake River Lodge and Spa - Jackson Hole, WY

Romantic Fireplaces:

• Northstar Village - Northstar, Lake Tahoe, CA
• Park Hyatt Beaver Creek - Beaver Creek, CO
• Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe lobby - Northstar, Lake Tahoe, CA

There is something inherently romantic about being in the mountains. Whether you decide to book your mountain getaway for a special occasion, like Valentine’s Day, or you just want to spice things up in an otherwise dull winter, Ski.com is here to make sure you have the best experience possible – and at a great price. To start the process, take a look at our deals online and below or speak with a love doctor Mountain Vacation Specialist by calling 800-299-0656.

We’ll keep the hot tubs warm until you get here.

D.S.

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January 1, 2013 Inside Track

In the last seven days, Aspen/Snowmass has received nearly two feet of snow just in time for the season to kick into high gear. Proud to call this world-class ski destination our home, we’re excited to share some new tidbits you can expect to see on your next Aspen/Snowmass visit.

What’s New:

• Snowmass debuts a new mid-mountain restaurant, Elk Camp, located adjacent to the top of the Elk Camp Gondola featuring Friday night Ullr nights.
• Snowmass’s Burnt Mountain opens 230 new acres this season.
• Element 47, The Little Nell’s newest gastronomical experience
• Chefs Club by FOOD & WINE at St. Regis Aspen Resort featuring the country’s Best New Chefs as named by FOOD & WINE Magazine
• Hotel Jerome unveiled a multi-million renovation.

Additionally, there are exciting events coming to town in 2013:

• ESPN X Games Aspen – Jan. 24 – 27, 2013: More than 200 of the world’s best athletes in skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling throw down over four action-packed days of competition for the most coveted medals in action sports. X Games Aspen is completely FREE so don’t miss your chance to witness legends and Olympians including Shaun White, Gretchen Bleiler, Lindsey Jacobellis and others live at Buttermilk. To top it off, Aspen/Snowmass will host a FREE Bud Light Hi-Fi concert at the base of Aspen Mountain on Saturday, Jan. 26.
• 13th ANNUAL BUD LIGHT SPRING JAM AT ASPEN/SNOWMASS – March 21 – 31, 2013: The 13th annual Bud Light Spring Jam, the premier spring festival in the Rocky Mountains, will bring two weekends of competitions, downtown concerts and parties to Aspen/Snowmass.
• Bud Light Hi-Fi CORE Party: March 29 – 30, 2013: As the most anticipated outdoor concert of the season, CORE Party will double up this year and feature two days of free concerts in downtown Aspen. Friday, March 29 will feature “Marchfourth Marching Band,” and March 30 will feature “Grouplove.”

To help get you to Aspen/Snowmass this winter we’re offering a great promotion called the Powder Play Package. Travel between the dates of March 1 – 18, buy one lift ticket package and receive the second one at 50% off. Additionally, you will enjoy a one-hour Quick Tips private lesson with an Aspen/Snowmass professional. Call one of our Aspen-based Mountain Vacation Specialists at 800-299-0656 to learn more! Also, be sure to check out some of our lodging and lift ticket deals below and online.

Happy New Year!

B.W.

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December 26, 2012 Inside Track

Book your trip to Snowmass, Colorado with Ski.com, and every third person flies free!

Now through February 1, book five nights’ accommodations in Snowmass and four days of Aspen/Snowmass lift tickets and every third airline ticket on your reservation is on us!

Visit our Snowmass Fly Free page to learn more about this exclusive promotion and start planning your trip today!

Happy holidays!

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December 11, 2012 Inside Track 

Like a kid on Christmas Eve anxiously awaiting what the morning would bring, I went to bed Saturday night with giddy anticipation. What seemed like a few minutes later, I woke up to a text from Aspen/Snowmass stating, “Time to explode out of bed. We have more than a foot of new snow!” Instantly, before even looking out my window, I knew it was going to be a good day. Mother Nature delivered a healthy serving of snow over the weekend, and I have the sore legs and perma-grin to prove it. Our hometown of Aspen/Snowmass has reported 19″ in the last week, while Winter Park had a seven-day accumulation of 18″, Beaver Creek received 22″, Vail reported 20″, Breckenridge had 17″ and Crested Butte counted 15″. And the snow continues to fly…

Elsewhere, Jackson Hole received nearly 30 new inches over the last five days and opened the tram, gondola and the brand new Casper lift last week. There are 35 trails now open at Northstar, and Whistler has opened much more terrain thanks to a 60″ base. Alta is skiing well after 12″ fell in this last storm while its Utah neighbor, Park City, was graced with 9″ in 72 hours. Red Mountain opened last week with what they’re saying is, “So much snow, you’ll think it’s February.”

If you’re waiting to see what the snow is doing before booking your trip, the wait is over. Or, if you’re waiting to win a trip this winter, remember to visit our Facebook page during the month of December. We’re giving away a vacation to one of the most picturesque places on earth: Banff and Lake Louise. To enter to win, submit your best mountain photo now, and then rally your friends and family to vote for your submission starting on Dec. 17. In early January, we’ll get together with some Banff Lake Louise Local Legends to select a winner from the photos with the most votes. The lucky photographer will then be on their way to enjoying three nights at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, three nights at the Fairmont Banff Springs, five-day lift tickets for two, roundtrip airport transfers from Banff Airporter and a full day photography session and photo shoot with professional photographer Callum Snape.

In the meantime, keep doing those snow dances because they’re working! Reap the benefits and get your next ski vacation started by checking out some of our deals online and below or give one of our experienced Mountain Vacation Specialists a call at 800-299-0656.

See you on the slopes!

B.W.

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