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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.

Close to the Vermont-N.H. border, nonprofit Whaleback Mountain continues to do whatever it takes to keep the sport accessible to its youngest community members.

On the third weekend of January, somewhere in the backcountry glades of Braintree Mountain Forest, shots rang out. It wasn’t a hunter after coyotes but a life-long Vermonter protecting his property from a backcountry skier. Though the land was posted with ‘No Trespassing’ signs, skiers sometimes ignore them as they pick fresh lines down from a trail near the home. When this skier, also a life-long Vermonter, crossed over onto the private land, the landowner had enough and fired a few warning shots.

With thousands flocking to the slopes from states with high rates of infection, Vermont’s 1,300 registered ski patrollers – like everyone else – are having to figure out how to do their job safely.

Bundle up as SnoCountry heads north into some of the coldest climes in America -- northern Vermont and New Hampshire -- to continue its Road Trip series for skiers and riders with an Indy Pass.

With ski season in full swing, vacation rental search engine HomeToGo compiled a list that revealed some of the most affordable ski resorts in the country.

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.

Much is different for the 2020-2021 season, and one of them is the preference for driving to a ski and snowboard mountain rather than hitting the airways. To fit with that tendency, SnoCountry will embark upon a series of Road Trips this winter. Each will be linked to a multi-area season pass or resort partnerships.

Prior to the start of this year’s ski season, which began for many resorts in early December, questions lingered throughout the ski industry concerning just how many people would come to the slopes considering the current environment. From all reports, those questions have been answered emphatically. People want to ski, and they have been packing the resorts while at the same time adhering to strict social distancing guidelines.

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.

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.

Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan powered to the top of the overall FIS Tour de Ski standings, finishing a historic 1-2 in Sunday’s 10k freestyle pursuit in Val Müstair, Switzerland. 

Cross country (XC) skiing dates back 6,000 years depicted in cave drawings and recently there have been some significant transformations in XC skiing to the benefit of everyone who does it.

Some ski resorts are operating at limited capacity inside their base lodges or asking guests to gear up in their car as a response to COVID-19.

Cold feet: This was my biggest concern.

And the winner is... Ragged Mountain, New Hampshire with 40" of snow from Thursday's Nor'easter.

While the northeast watches the forecast closely for a weekend nor'easter, the West soaks in the sunshine and bluebird days. Watch and read this week's SnoCast as we highlight where to find the best conditions. 

Just as winter was about to start, the state instituted a stricter quarantine and test requirement for visitors, and the snow-sports economy is bracing for the impact.

Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, and part of POWDR, will kick off the 2020-21 winter season at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, November 20, 2020, becoming the first New England resort to open for skiing and snowboarding.

A lack of early snowfall has forced multiple resorts to push back their opening dates for the 2020-21 ski season in the Rockies and throughout New England.