Labor Day 2012 weekend (Sept. 1-3) means one very important thing to skiers and riders: sales.  

Hardly a flake of snow has yet to fall in the state of Idaho, but skiers and snowboarders already can get set up for the new season.

Canada’s “Big 3” – Mt. Norquay, The Lake Louise Ski Area, and Sunshine Village – have  new offerings for  this ski season in Banff, Alberta. 

Zipline tours are popular pursuits at numerous ski resorts along the east coast and in the western mountains. Around the Great Lakes, you head to Michigan’s Boyne Country to find the Heartland’s only zipline tours. 

A benefit fundraiser on Bolton Valley’s Nordic ski trails will benefit the effort to continue rebuilding the Waterbury, Vt. community following destruction from last summer’s disastrous Tropical Storm Irene.

The snow keeps piling on – higher and higher in Australia and New Zealand. Australia’s Mt Perisher recently received about 20 inches in just two days, while Mt. Hutt, NZ picked up two feet this week. 

It may be the middle of August during one of the hottest Heartland summers on record, but several of the region’s ski areas are currently offering their best season pass deals for the 2012/13 season.

I’ve got another option for you in the lift ticket department if you’re not sure whether to plunk down a grand (or more) for a season pass this year or just purchase individual passes from say, Costco.(see SnoCountry news story).

Once a pipe dream, the idea of a gondola linking downtown Park City with the slopes of Deer Valley Resort may soon be a reality.

Four of the nation’s major western independent ski resorts – Alta, Aspen/Snowmass, Jackson Hole, and Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows – have joined together in a new cooperative that means plenty of dollar savings in passes and lift tickets.

Summer means much more to ski resorts and skiers and snowboarders than warm weather and blue skies. It means that lots of enhancements at New Hampshire’s ski resorts underway as winter looms. Take a run through the state with us…

Northern Vermont’s Smugglers’ Notch has long been a favorite vacation spot for families because of its activity-inclusive packages, variety of condos, convenient village, and so much for the kids to do. 

The Chairman’s Outstanding Service Award from the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority was given to Squaw Valley President and CEO Andy Wirth this week. 

Dave Riley, CEO of Telluride Ski and Golf Resort in Colorado is moving from the mountains to the sea shore, according to an announcement from Chuck Horning, resort owner.

Riley begins immediately as CEO of Newport Federal Financial, a subsidiary of the parent company, based in Newport Beach, Calif. He has been Telluride chief executive for the past five years.

Horning said Riley’s new work will include “acquisitions, strategic initiatives, master planning, development, and transactions involving commercial properties, multi-family properties, resort properties, office complexes, ranches, and raw land.”

Horning said Riley will continue to advise him on Telluride, but will primarily be pursuing new projects across North America and Hawaii.

There appears to be widespread support among Breckenridge town council members as they near a final vote on approving an 80-unit timeshare development at Peak 8. The site is the now defunct Bergenhof Restaurant, known to locals as the “Bergie.”

Record heat is scorching much of the Heartland this summer, so you might consider a quick trip to Big Sky Resort in the Montana mountains, with Yellowstone National Park just down the road.

Colorado’s Summit County bristles with activity this time of year, and Keystone has overnight bargains to entice folks to join in the fun.

Slifer Smith & Frampton, a 50-year-old Vail Valley real estate firm, is reporting the local real estate sector performed well, on average so far in 2012, with “a higher number of sales and less time on the market.

The Slifer Report, an in-depth analysis of local real estate activity, provides a snapshot of the Eagle County real estate market and, by extension, a picture of Eagle County’s economic health as a whole. The current report covers the first six months of 2012.

“We expected that the real estate market in 2012 would outperform last year,” said Jim Flaum, president and managing broker at Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate. 

The report shows sales volume, number of sales, average days on market, and average median sale for both single-family/duplexes and condominium/townhomes in neighborhoods from Vail Village through Gypsum. A price per square foot comparison and sale price versus list price comparison is also included. 

A just-released fall forecast by AccuWeather.com says the Rockies may be the place to be for early and mid-season as temperatures are expected to average 1-2 degrees below normal this fall.

The second annual Adirondack Senior Open will return to the Whiteface Club and Resort at Lake Placid, N.Y. Aug. 27-31. It’s part of the Sunbelt Senior Golf Tour. Senior means age 45 and older in this case. Admission is free.