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Trying to get ahead of the popularity of videoing from remote-controlled drones, many Western resorts have banned their use – citing safety issues and both FAA and U.S. Forest Service concerns.

The summit of Hidden Peak at Snowbird can be a cold spot, but this season there’s an oasis for tramway riders to warm their toes and get a bite to eat before heading downhill.The new Summit Lodge -- all 23,000 square feet of floor space and seemingly acres of glass windows -- will be ready once the Snowbird Tramway starts running for the new ski and snowboard season.

Minnesota’s Afton Alps and Michigan’s Mr. Brighton are both part of the Epic Pass, which offers unlimited access to all of Vail Resorts western ski areas as well as both Midwest resorts. It offers as much slope time for diehard Heartland skiers and riders as they want.

The irony isn’t lost on locals. Four comparatively miserable winters and yet Utah ski resorts spent millions on “improvements” this summer, raising the cost of lift tickets and season passes yet again, all in the hopes of attracting more visitors.

Many American towns adopted the popular Munich festival of Oktoberfest due to their German immigrant populations. Ski resorts have followed, offering celebrations with traditional Bavarian music, dancing, beer, food, and activities. Most offer free admission and lodging specials. 

Construction crews at Utah's Snowbasin have built a new reservoir on the mountain this summer to solidify snowmaking at the northern Wasatch resort.

The snow's coming in less than 100 days. The colors are about to turn, so it's your last hurrah to jump in a mountain lake, hike high peaks with the pooch, cycle amid the wildflowers. 

Talk about time sneaking up on you. If you’re close enough to consider a season pass to Utah resorts, it feels like just a few months ago we were debating whether the Mountain Collective should be the only pass you purchase. 

As the summer wanes here in Park City, Utah, here are five things to do before the snow flies. 

The waters are warming in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, signaling that El Niño is on his way – and so should above-average snowfall across the West and Southwest.

The sounds of $50 million in on-mountain upgrades echo across Park City this summer, as new owner Vail Resorts gets down to the business of creating the largest winter resort on American soil.

I swear one of these summers I’m going to get in the water and spend all day there. The 2015 Summer Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City  kicked off with the annual demo day at Pineview Reservoir near Ogden, Utah, and once again I looked longingly at all the bodies paddling but kept my distance.

The scenic chairlift ride, the downhill mountain bike run and the alpine hiking trek have long been standard fare at summer mountain resorts – but the focus has moved off-mountain lately.

Park City celebrated Utah’s Pioneer Day or (Pie and Beer day as non-Mormons call it) a bit differently this year. Christening the new High West Whiskey distillery July 24 not only toasted the historic arrival of Mormon settlers but the tasty beverages they brought with them.

Utah’s controversial Mountain Accord plan got off the ground in July with the unanimous endorsement of a quartet of proposed land swaps between Utah ski and snowboard resorts and the U.S. Forest Service. The land exchanges at Alta, Snowbird, Solitude and Brighton signal a commitment for backcountry conservation among elected officials, government agencies, and representatives of private business and non-profit organizations.

Treasure Mountain, Park City Ski Area, Park City Mountain Resort, PCMR. Now there’s a new name on the 50+ year-old ski area’s business card -- Park City Mountain. The rebranding (the first since the mid-1990s) will go full-bore public later this month. 

It’s easy to find a restaurant in Park City. There are more than 100 to choose from. The real issue is finding an “affordable” one or one that at least feels like you got what you paid for. You’re in a resort town paying resort prices. 

The Summit Express at Solitude Mountain Resort has been both the lift of choice for black-diamond powder hounds … and somewhat of a hassle to get to.

Recreation during the summer in the mountains above Salt Lake City is still within an hour’s drive of the city – and the resorts continue to add more things to do.

To make sure everyone knows that you can get a drink in Park City, Utah, the semi-annual PC Cocktails Contest is back.