SnoNews

Hunter Mountain is the closest major ski resort to New York City, and thanks to a $9 million expansion for the 2018-2019 season, skiers and riders have another great reason to take exit 20 on the New York State Thruway.

“Wow, that’s inspiring but I don’t think my knees will last that long!” exclaimed a thirty-something dude on the chairlift.

I had shared that I had just photographed members of the 70+ Ski Club racing, including some in their eighties and nineties.

Thanksgiving weekend will be especially tasty in the western United States and Canada with multiple helpings of snow storms.

Whether you want to find a quieter time on the slopes or like to sleep in on the weekends, there’s no reason you can’t still enjoy the mountains on a Sunday - and do it on the cheap - with these New York resort Sunday deals.

While we’re waiting anxiously for the snow to fly, resorts across the Northeast are celebrating fall foliage season with fun, food, music and stunning views of the mountains. Here are SnoCountry.com’s top picks for Oktoberfests this year.

More skiing and riding terrain coming to Hunter. (Hunter/Facebook)

A $9 million expansion is a go at Hunter Mountain for the 2018-2019 season, adding five new trails and a high-speed six-person detachable chairlift.

Excitement for this snowy March continues at Okemo. (Okemo/Facebook)

How about this start to March? We’ve already had two nor’easters to kick off the month and another may be around the corner.

Speeding down the track in a tube at Keystone. (Keystone/Facebook)

Ski and snowboard resorts across the country continue to up the ante for activities beyond hitting the slopes – and tubing is a growing staple at many of them.

Tubing centers typically sprout up near the base area and utilizing beginner lifts like conveyors – though there’s a few up on the hill. 
Most have height and age minimums, charge per session (two hours typical), offer group rates, and sometimes require viewing ticket. Often there’s a warming hut with food and drink nearby; lighted, after-dark tubing common.

Keystone puts tubing hill at top of gondola with top-of-the-continent views. Park has six lanes, conveyor lift, and is open after dark during evening ski-snowboard hours.

Tubing at Soda Springs Mountain Resort ramps up to 20 lanes and a 400-ft surface lift. The curious but not brave can buy a pedestrian ticket to watch.

Highlight at Mount Hood SkiBowl’s tubing park is Cosmic Tubing with lane lighting, laser shows and music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting at 5 p.m. on lift-served kiddie and hike-up extreme hills.

At Summit at Snoqualmie, tubers’ best option is to buy two-hour tickets in advance online and show up early. Eight-lane tubing hill is 550 feet long with 40-foot drop, located across from Summit Central.

Upstate New York’s Hunter Mountain boasts biggest park – 20 chutes 1,000 feet long served by conveyor. Overlapping two-hour sessions up capacity on weekends.

Another with after-dark tubing is Killington, which runs Fridays and Saturdays (plus holidays) until 7 p.m.

Night owls will love Boston Mills-Brandywine in northeast Ohio. The Polar Blast goes till midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

For Wisconsin’s largest, head to Sunburst Ski Area in Wisconsin, with its 40 lanes and two conveyors.

Oktoberfest at Snowbird Signals the start of perfect weather and beautiful scerney in Little Cottonwood Canyon. (Snowbird/Facebook)

You might not be able to make it to Munich this fall, but annual celebrations of German culture can be found at resorts across the United States. Grab your lederhosen and dirndl and get ready to enjoy music, beer, bratwurst and pretzels with stunning fall mountain foliage as your backdrop.

The “Snow Making Capital of the World,” Hunter Mountain in the Catskils of New York, has announced its sale to Peak Resorts, owners of a dozen resorts in the Northeast and Midwest. Hunter's impact has been enormous on the nation's skiing development.

Peak Resorts, Inc. announced Monday it has entered into an agreement to purchase Hunter Mountain in the Catskill Mountains for $35 million plus the assumption of two capital leases estimated at approximately $1.8 million. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

If your true love is skiing and riding and you’re lucky enough to have a partner whose passions align, some of the best conditions of the year are waiting for you and your loved one on the Valentine's Day slopes of the Northeast.

As the long-dubbed “Snow Making Capital of the World,” Hunter Mountain opened earlier than usual thanks to even more snowmaking upgrades. Hunter debuts a partnership with 686 Technical Apparel to host a rail jam series and improvements to the children’s programs to make learning to slide on snow all the more fun.

“Happy April,” exclaimed Gore Mountain’s Emily Stanton to SnoCountry.com. “We are open daily through Sunday (April 6). We’re asking people to visit our website or check ahead regarding the schedule for next week. We’ll have events throughout April.”

New York State will offer “I Ski NY” busses to bring visitors to upstate ski areas from New York City and Toronto beginning next season.

If you’ve circled Feb. 14 to “spend the day with your sweetie,” here’s a sampling of how East Coast resorts can help you make the most of it.

Winter Storm Hercules hit the east coast with all the strength of the mythological Greek figure, and eastern resorts are enjoying the wallop.

Eastern skiers and riders, who are just a day’s drive from scores of resorts, will have lots to choose from this holiday season.

The first major snowstorm of the 2013-14 winter season rolled through the Northeast this past weekend, dropping up to two feet of snow on ski areas from Pennsylvania through Maine. 

A recent spate of cold weather has enabled Whiteface Mountain, Gore Mountain, and Maple Ski Ridge to become the first New York areas to open for the new season. More are on the way to an opening day.