Top Stories

The Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) has been conducting online sessions with its cross country (XC) ski area members since last spring, focused on sharing information about how X-C operations should respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. Discussions resulted in the widespread adoption of plans aimed at minimizing risk of virus transmission for staff and guests.

With a torrent of people hitting the trails and the outdoors across the country, XCSkiResorts.com wanted to give a shout out to hidden gem destinations for cross country (XC) skiing this winter. There may very well be an overflow of skiers at the most popular XC ski trails, so this guide will share some of the lesser-known but excellent destinations.

The ski industry already took a hit in the spring when the pandemic struck and many resorts had to close early, leading to $2 billion in losses and causing layoffs or furloughs of thousands of employees, according to the National Ski Areas Association, a trade group. The industry saw its lowest number of visits, 51 million, since the 2011 to 2012 season, the association said.

The holiday season is upon us and, despite the headwinds of Covid-19, thousands of skiers and snowboarders have been aiming toward the mountains for welcome relief.

A few improvements have sprung up at California resorts this season but, more importantly, state officials said that ski and snowboard mountains can stay open regardless of which Covid "tier" their county falls under.

Like all U.S. resorts, the list of COVID-related changes at Tahoe-area mountains reads familiar: Cashless transactions, masking up, self-grouping for lifts, state regulating size of gatherings, more weekday season pass options, rental shop spacing, group lesson capping,  gearing up in the parking lot, and grab 'n' go food.

It’s never quite made sense that the Country Bear Jamboree debuted in Disney World, located in muggy Florida, a state not particularly known for furry brown bears. But the ensemble of musical bears wasn’t meant for Disney World at all. They were destined, once upon a time, for a stunning alpine-style resort tucked deep in California’s Sequoia National Park.

The winter 2020-21 snow season is quickly approaching. Although skiing and snowboarding are naturally socially distant activities, the social experiences that come with the snow community — such as striking up a conversation while congregating in line to wait for a lift, or grabbing a well-earned apres-ski drink after a long day on the mountain — are shaping up to look different this year. 

After a "brisk" preseason for season pass sales at Sugar Bowl, the northern California resort has hit the pause button to assure safe distancing this season.

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has committed to removing “squaw” from its resort name. “Having our name be associated with pain and dehumanization is contrary to our goal of making the outdoors a welcoming space for all people,” said resort president and COO Ron Cohen in an email to patrons.

Lake Tahoe's Squaw Valley Ski Resort is considering changing its name to remove the word "squaw" — a derogatory term for Native American women — amid a national reckoning over racial injustice and inequality.

Californians love the out-of-doors but COVID has put some reins on that. However, the mountains still beckon as one place that can be safe to go -- and give the sun-and-fun fix they crave.

A well-known Lake Tahoe area ski resort is thinking about changing its name, officials said Friday.

While living at Lookout House, the fun doesn’t stop when the ski resort closes. To end a long day on the slopes, the residents of the Truckee, California property designed by Faulkner Architects simply ski directly into the home’s built-in ski run.

The season is over for most of the continent, but these resorts are spinning their lifts—with some very important regulations. Here’s the deal.

Vail Resorts has announced Breckenridge Ski Resort, Heavenly Mountain Resort, and Whistler Blackcomb will not reopen for spring skiing. 

We’re not here to split hairs about chair placements and tap choices. The selection of a mascot is the single most important choice a ski area can make. Some say a good pick can make or break a resort. To that end, we’ve created a list of the very best ski area mascots and ranked them. If you didn’t make the cut, sorry—this list is extremely selective. Ivy League who?

March is the second-highest revenue-generating month of the ski season after December. It makes sense; many schools are on spring break during that month, and skiers and snowboarders gravitate to the good conditions and sunny skies.

The U.S. Forest Service has approved the expansion of a ski resort on a national forest between Reno and Lake Tahoe, including a skier bridge over a highway as part of a package that also bans commercial development in areas cherished by conservationists and back-country enthusiasts.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Vail Resorts following the early end of the 2019-2020 ski season. The Plaintiff, Brian Hunt, claims that Vail is in the wrong for keeping passholder fees after closing all of their resorts amid the coronavirus outbreak.