SnoNews

While it looks like Colorado’s Wolf Creek Ski Area will win the #RaceToOpen this season, but numerous resorts are also preparing early openings for the 2018-19 season.

So you’ve got a friend – or perhaps a significant other –that you’d love to share you passion for the mountains with. You know that if that friend can have as great a time skiing or riding as you do, he or she will be hooked. Having a fun and successful first outing is key to making sure new skiers and riders will keep coming back for more, so SnoCountry.com picked some great destinations for making those learning days just the beginning of many wonderful days on snow.

With temperatures moderating and the colors beginning to burst across mountain country, fall is a perfect time to get the family out for a hike. Depending on the age and stamina of the kids, suitable hikes abound for everything from an easy stroll to rock scrambles, many with mountain views for mom and dad and the hook of possible nature sightings for the kids.

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.

Picture this: having an entire ski mountain all to yourself. No lift lines, no huge crowds, fresh tracks, and familiar faces all around. That's just what skiers and riders get when they rent New York’s Plattekill Mountain for the day—exclusive mountain use for a range of purposes, from corporate events to birthday parties, or even a "sick day" from work to enjoy the snow with friends.

New York's Whiteface may be a little biased when it comes to their favorite season (WINTER...of course), but this summer has been top notch too.

New York’s Holiday Valley is planning a $3.2 million upgrade this year that include expanded automated snowmaking, a new groomer, a conveyor lift on Slippery Streets, slope work including several “tree trails” for kids and a new shuttle van. 

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.

Riding in style at Windham next year. (Windham)

A new high speed, detachable six-passenger chairlift will be installed at Windham Mountain Resort this summer. The Doppelmayr lift will run from the base area to the summit, replacing the current Whistler Triple, better known as “F Lift.”

Loading the new Belleayre gondi. (Belleayre/Facebook)

Skiers and snowboarders loading Belleayre's new 60-cabin Catskill Thunder gondola can now make it from the lower mountain's Discovery Lodge to the summit in seven minutes. The eight-person cabin can move about 2,000 people per hour, at a maximum speed of 1,000 feet per minute.