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Cooling off at Bromley. (Bromley/Facebook)

Over the next few months green is the color of travel savings at Jiminy Peak, Cranmore, and Bromley. Visitors can save some hard-earned green on summer package deals.

A green mountain backdrop for Jay Peak's Jeezum Crow Festival. (Jay Peak)

The kids are out of school and it's time to grab your lawn chairs and blankets for some music in the mountains at Vermont ski resorts. Musical offerings range from free outdoor concerts and weekend music festivals to mid-week jams at local bars and restaurants.

Mount Snow takes the first shovels to the ground for the Carinthia Base Lodge. (Mount Snow)

Vermont's Mount Snow has broken ground on a new $22 million lodge at its Carinthia base area that will provide a full suite of modern skier services, replacing the original lodge from the early 1960s when Carinthia was its own ski area.

The Epic Pass now offers unlimited, unrestricted access to Stowe. (Stowe/Facebook)

Vail Resorts has officially closed on the acquisition of Stowe Mountain Resort, adding the iconic Vermont slopes to Vail’s wide-reaching Epic Pass destinations.

Bolton Valley lifts run until 10:00 Tuesday-Saturday. (Bolton Valley)

Vermont’s Bolton Valley returns to its roots as a group of local investors led by founder Ralph DesLauriers and his son, Evan DesLauriers, closed Friday on the purchase of the resort.

Investors in Tram Haus Lodge will receive a full repayment of their investment. (Jay Peak/Facebook)

Exactly one year after securities fraud charges were filed against Jay Peak and Burke Mountain Resort owner Ariel Quiros and resort President and CEO Bill Stenger, financial firm Raymond James Financial, Inc., has agreed to pay a $150 million settlement over its role in the alleged fraud relating to EB-5 projects in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

The Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge is a rite of spring for bumpers and tailgaters. (Killington)

Fans of Bear Mountain at Vermont’s Killington have a revitalized base lodge and housing, as well as a new South Ridge Lift and trail improvements to look forward to. The two-year development plan is estimated to cost $60-70 million, with a resulting retail value of $110 million once construction is complete.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame class of 2016. (Mary Jo Tarallo/Facebook)

Vermont’s Stowe Mountain Resort hosted the induction of nine new members to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame April 8.

Among the inductees were President of the National Ski Areas Association Michael Berry; skiing film legends Dan and John Egan; ski jumping Olympian and coach Jeff Hastings; and Copper Mountain conceiver Chuck Lewis. Also joining the class are athlete and author Ellen Post Foster; freestyle icon Marion Post Caldwell; National Ski Patrol visionary Gretchen Rous Besser; and ski marketing and trade-show impresario Bernie Weichsel.

The new inductees bring the total to 428 Honored Members in the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

“Each member of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016 was a remarkable leader, as either an athlete or sport builder,” said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Chairman Tom Kelly. “So much of what all of us enjoy in our sport today has emanated from these outstanding honored members of the Hall of Fame.”

HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2016

Michael Berry, Colorado: Michael has been President of the National Ski Areas Association since 1993. Under his leadership, the NSAA significantly increased annual visits to resorts throughout North America. Michael’s vision helped create continuity and a sustainable growth model for resorts.

Dan and John Egan, Vermont | New Hampshire: The Egan brothers have starred in more Warren Miller films than anyone worldwide. As pioneering explorers and ambassadors they traveled the globe to put “extreme” in skiing. This dynamic duo set the standard for what is possible in big-mountain skiing.

Jeff Hastings, New Hampshire: Jeff impacted Olympic ski jumping as a competitor and coach. His fourth-place Olympic performance in 1984 in Sarajevo holds as a record in modern U.S. ski jumping. He has continued his work teaching, judging and commentating competitions and advocating for jumping and Nordic combined.

Chuck Lewis, Colorado: A competitor at heart, Chuck is known within the industry for his vision and passion. His dedication and meticulous planning helped to conceive Copper Mountain and a trail design and layout philosophy widely accepted and used to this day.

Ellen Post Foster, D.C.: Ellen touched both the freestyle skiing world as an athlete and the Professional Ski Instructors of America as a model instructor and visionary. Her efforts and passion for snowsport motivated countless youth skiers to hit the slopes. Her contributions continue as an author and advocate of skiing education.

Marion Post Caldwell, D.C.: As a freestyle skiing icon, Marion dominated the sport in the 1970s. Women’s overall champ in ’76 and ’77 and being named Freestyle Skier of the Year are among her accomplishments. She brought skiing to the world stage as an ambassador and pioneer of the sport.

Gretchen Rous Besser, Vermont: While her unprecedented career as a ski patroller and first aid instructor are impressive, her impact as an historian, international liaison and visionary in the world of skiing sets her apart. She generously shares her passion and vast knowledge to better industry organizations worldwide.

Bernie Weichsel, Massachusetts: Known globally throughout the industry, Bernie has done it all. As an advocate, he created an organized freestyle competition circuit. His innovative SKI USA worldwide promotions continue to bring thousands of international skiers to U.S. slopes and his consumer ski and snowboard expos attract tens of thousands of visitors each year.

The mission of the U. S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame is to honor athletes and sport builders for their lifelong national and international achievements in the sport. The National Ski Association of America, now known as USSA, was established in 1905 in Ishpeming, MI, the birthplace of organized skiing. The Hall of Fame Museum, established in 1954, resides in Ishpeming as well.

A national voting panel selects the incoming class in the fall of each year. The class of 2016 will be enshrined next September at the Museum in Ishpeming.

Eastern ski racing fans have had their wish granted as Killington Resort has announced the return of the FIS World Cup to Vermont over Thanksgiving weekend for the next two years.

Attitash charges into spring. (Attitash/Facebook)

April has begun on a wonderful note for Northeast resorts with a foot of snow falling April 1, making conditions so great that several have decided to extend their season.

Sunny riding ahead for Stowe. (Stowe/Facebook)

On the heels of the news that Vail Resorts will be buying Stowe, buyers of the Epic Pass can now count Vermont as one of their destinations next winter. Vermont and the Northeast will be watching how this new pass offering will play out amidst the many other options for skiers and riders looking to maximize their time on the snow.

Sunday River enjoyed a bluebird day in the wake of Stella. (Sunday River/Facebook) 

Northeast skiers and riders got their snorkels out in force this week, with Winter Storm Stella dropping as much as four feet of snow on the slopes. Winter is back and there’s going to be plenty of snow still to be found as we head in to the second half of March.

Here’s the rundown of snow totals from Stella as of 4 p.m. Wednesday for resorts that received two feet or more of new snow. Be sure to check SnoCountry’s latest snow totals to find the goods.

Hunter Mountain, New York: 43”

McCauley Mountain, New York: 36”

Belleayre, New York: 32”

Big Boulder, Pennsylvania: 30”

Elk Mountain, Pennsylvania: 30”

Jack Frost, Pennsylvania: 30”

Middlebury Snow Bowl, Vermont: 28”

Sugarbush, Vermont: 27”

Mad River Glen, Vermont: 26"

Killington, Vermont: 26”

Pico Mountain, Vermont: 26”

Camelback, Pennsylvania: 24"

Woods Valley, New York: 24”

Ski now with your next year's season pass at Loon Mountain. (Loon/Facebook)

With Winter Storm Stella bringing March snow across the Northeast, skiers and riders aren’t ready to put away those boards just yet. Many resorts are now offering 2017-18 season passes at their lowest prices, and each of these resorts are also throwing in free lift access for the rest of the season.

Glenwood Hot Springs Resort includes the largest mineral hot springs pool in the world. (Glenwood Hot Springs)

Looking for a little personality to your ski lodgings, but still don't want to break the bank? Chain hotels are great for a standard room, but these accommodations will put you up in style with a personal touch. Innkeepers will have local intel, and you'll have a few bucks left to explore restaurants and shops in town, too.

First tracks smiles at Sugarbush. (Sugarbush)

Sugarbush’s two base areas, Lincoln Peak and Mount Ellen, offer two Vermont experiences, with locals hitting Mount Ellen for an unfussy and authentic ski day, and families and vacationers using Lincoln Peak for the amenities.

First chair on Black belongs to the kids. (Magic/Facebook) 

Well over $100,000 in repairs and maintenance went into bringing the Black Lift at Vermont’s Magic Mountain back to life. The Black Lift began loading skiers and riders for the first time in three years last weekend, after being certified to operate as a double lift by the State of Vermont Passenger Tramway Board.

Vail's purchase of Stowe will mean more pass options for Eastern skiers. (Stowe)

Northeast skiers and riders can look forward to adding an Epic Pass to their season pass options next year, as Vail Resorts has announced the purchase of Stowe Mountain Resort for $50 million.

A family heads down Village Way (Winter Park Resort/Chris Wellhausen)

Sometimes, you just want to get onto a trail and just go … and go … and go. Fortunately, U.S. ski and snowboard resorts have just the ticket for those who need a leisurely slide down the hill.

Obviously, Europe has us beat hands down, but the U.S. has got length, too. So SnoCountry.com went looking for the longest ski runs in the country -- those under a single name -- and came up with this sampling.

Vail boasts the longest run in Colorado, its famous Riva Ridge trail. Nothing gets you from top to bottom at the Colorado resort more readily than Riva Ridge. It’s mostly blue and black, starting near the summit and winding 4-1/2 miles to the Vail Village base area.

At Snowmass, if you’re at the top of Elk Camp and want a long cruiser at the end of the day, skiers and riders can link several blue runs off Elk Camp summit into a 5.3-mile cruiser to the bottom of Two Creeks chairlift. The run covers East Branch run, which is one of the longest single-named trails on the Colorado mountain.

If you’re at the top of Winter Park and don’t have the legs for anymore blacks or blues, as someone how to get on long and languid Village Way run that starts at the top of Parsenn Bowl. Mostly blue at the top, Village Way winds down more than five miles down onto the main front side of the Colorado resort.

Vermont’s largest resort Killington also claims the East’s longest single run, a 10-mile cruise called Juggernaut. The trail starts at the top of Killington Peak and courses right along the ropes at ski area boundary. Rating begins as a blue but transitions to a green slide to the base of the Sunrise Village triple chair. A recent trip by SnoCountry resulted in a 45-minute trip from top to bottom.

Carinthia is home to annual large-scale terrain park events like Red Bull All-Snow, The C.O.M.P., Carinthia Freeski Open and The Grommet Jam Series. (Mount Snow)

The largest area of freestyle terrain east of the Rockies, Mount Snow’s Carinthia Parks, is home to nine different terrain parks with nearly 150 features spread throughout. Carinthia is a breeding ground for some of the best athletes in snowsports thanks in large part to “progression by design.” This initiative is aimed at getting more people, young and old, into the park by having extra-small features all the way up to extra-large.

So many great choices from the top of Madonna Mountain at Smugglers' Notch. (Smugglers' Notch) 

With a slew of awards for family programming in its pocket, Smugglers' Notch Resort is known as a mecca for groms and their parents who are eager to find fun on the snow. But if you only recognize Smuggs as the place to learn to ski, you’re missing out on some of Vermont’s most challenging and interesting terrain.