If you've skied this season, you're probably well aware of the virus' effect on the sport — social distancing made lift lines longer, reservation systems were a headache, and even with plenty of well-meaning policies in place, ski areas were busy. Really busy.

“Wow!” That’s the three-letter word that my family repeatedly said over and over again during our two-night stay at the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods. Built in 1902, this hotel boasts not only history, but also luxury. And with a massive two-year expansion just completed, you truly will never want to leave.

A massive storm led to a record-breaking 60-hour shutdown at Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon recently, followed by a day of private skiing exclusively for those already in the area.

Jackson Hole and other popular ski resorts in the West are up and running with varying Covid rules and limitations. For purists, that’s not such a bad thing.

Gigi Girard, an OB-GYN in Louisville, Ky., says she has been to Vail approximately 50 times over the last 20 years. So, over dinner during our overlapping visit this month to Colorado's largest ski resort, I figured she'd be a perfect person to ask about how much her Vail experience during this Covid-19 winter differed from the norm.

It may be easy to imagine you’re out West at a giant ski resort when you visit Snowshoe Mountain, but a closer look underneath the powdery surface reveals a rich local history and a pride for the traditions and people who once called these 11,000 acres in Pocahontas County home.

Now more than ever, people will require a real sense of seclusion while on their ski vacations. Gone for the time being are the après ski parties, the socializing in the lodge during a quick break for lunch and eight-passenger gondola rides. These have been temporarily replaced with such wellness guidelines as chair lift rides consisting of family members only, food trucks as opposed to eating in the lodge and private ski instruction instead of group lessons.

Winter is here and that means ski trips are top of mind. But you may be questioning the merits of hitting the slopes this year. I certainly was before driving up to a handful of Colorado ski resorts for day trips and weeklong excursions. My biggest takeaway? The experience and potential risks vary from mountain to mountain. 

It used to be you’d have to go out west for a top-notch upscale ski vacation, but fortunately, that is no longer true. With a major transformation over the past 10 years, Stowe Mountain and the Spruce Peak Village will truly give you everything you are looking for in a ski vacation.

Cold feet: This was my biggest concern.

Family-friendly terrain, ski and snowboard teaching programs, and a good variety of advanced and expert terrain. Here are five top ski resorts in the Midwest that can keep families of differing abilities happy.

One of the consequences of New England’s restrictive COVID-related interstate travel mandates is altered, long-held habits for skiers and riders. The result is that winter sports enthusiasts are discovering (or re-discovering) new stomping grounds and creating opportunities for properly positioned ski resorts.

Save money skiing by hitting the slopes with a friend, packing your own lunch, buying used gear, and more.

Plan to gather up the kids and head to the hills during the school breaks next winter. No need to head to warmer climes - winter can be snowy, yet mild, and perfect for a family vacation with plenty of activities such as cross country (XC) skiing and snowshoeing. According to the experts, who regularly update XCSkiResorts.com, the nation's top XC ski resorts are exceedingly family-friendly with lots to enjoy together both on the snow and off. What families want and need is exactly what an xc ski vacation delivers: multi-generational participation, quality time and shared memories.

With 220 inches of snow in just in February alone, California’s Bear Valley Resort - nestled between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite - is primed for the spring skiing and riding season.

Colorado’s Telluride Ski Resort has been blessed with massive amounts of snow this season, and the spring skiing and riding season is setting up to be the best in recent memory. Over the past week alone Telluride has received more than five feet of snow and boasts a base depth of more than nine feet!

With a massive snowmaking system, Pennsylvania’s Whitetail Resort often sports a deeper base depth than many resorts that receive far greater amounts of natural snowfall. This week’s SnoCountry/Pepsi Resort of the week can make snow with a flip of the switch to offer fresh turns pretty much every morning that Mother Nature allows.

Big! Powder! Paradise!

There is no other way to describe Utah’s Powder Mountain, which has already received 215 inches of snowfall this season and currently sports a 90-inch base covering more than 8,400 acres of terrain - the most skiable terrain in North America!

Shadowed by the highest peak in Vermont - Mount Mansfield at 4,393 feet - Stowe Mountain Resort offers world-class skiing and riding, and a quintessential Vermont setting for this week’s SnoCountry/Pepsi Resort of the Week.

Since 1946, Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin - or as the locals call it A-Basin - has offered skiers and snowboarders some of the most challenging terrain found at any ski area in North America. But over the years, numerous expansions off the backside of the 13,050-foot summit have opened up additional terrain opportunities for intermediate skiers and riders.