Skiing

Skiing

"Up until this season, there were two ways to save on lift access at our mountain resorts-you could either purchase an Epic Pass or Epic Day Pass pre-season for a huge value, or save a smaller amount on lift tickets by purchasing online at least seven days in advance-our goal is to fill that gap," Rob Katz, the CEO of Vail Resorts, said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure.

Anticipation is a fickle feeling, a jittery mix of adrenaline and hope. Early winter used to make me excited, no matter where I lived in the West. I'd track storms coming in from the Pacific, waiting for Colorado's high alpine ski resorts to battle to be the first to open or watching the snowline creep lower in the Pacific Northwest.

Skiing These snowy mountaintops are the perfect getaway for any skiers. The Pocono Mountains welcomed the first-ever commercial ski area in Pennsylvania in 1946 and have since been known for their perfect snowmaking abilities, stunningly groomed trails, and slopes of every level ever since. The Poconos offers 6 ski resorts, all of which have ski gear available for rent. For more information on skiing in the Poconos, check out their website, poconomountains.com.

Every ski trip starts with a deceptively simple question: What do you really need to bring, and what's smarter to rent? After years of traveling to ski mountains with friends, I've learned that the right ski and snowboarding gear strategy can really transform a trip. And with resorts updating rental fleets, shops offering seasonal packages, and online reservations making ski lodge pickups effortless, choosing wisely is about more than saving moneyit's about maximizing time on the slopes, true comfort, and safety in every regard.

Home to the White Mountains, New Hampshire has a vibrant ski culture that few places can match. "The best things about skiing in New Hampshire are the authentic skiing vibes and its variety of great resorts within a stone's throw of each other, allowing adventurous people to explore multiple resorts while on one trip-an experience very similar to what you would find in Lake Tahoe,"

Originally scheduled to open its lifts on Nov. 26, Palisades Tahoe announced in a Sunday afternoon blog post that the resort will have to open on a later date due to "limited natural snowfall and short, inconsistent windows for snowmaking." Last week's early-season storm brought only light snowfall, the resort said, and the weather conditions needed to maintain a reliable snow base - even an artificial one - are simply not present.

"We had some unseasonably warm temperatures heading into the last week," said Cole Zimmerman with Vail Resorts, Tahoe Region.

Every winter, I carve out time for a ski trip-a reset I look forward to as much for the snowy terrain as I do for the ritual of gearing up. I'm selective about what I bring into the mountains, and I'll only invest in pieces that perform, last, and feel good in motion, both on and off the slopes. Vuori has earned my trust over the years for consistently getting the activewear balance right: technical capability without the unnecessary bulk, and design that stays sharp

But to overlook the South is to overlook Boone, North Carolina, the "Ski Capital of the South." Not only does Boone have three nearby ski areas, each within 19 miles of the next, but it's beautiful to get to: The town is tucked just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, aka "America's Favorite Drive," which runs for 469-miles through the Appalachian Mountains.

The Ski Utah Interconnect Tour plays on Utah's ski notoriety by guiding riders on an epic one-day traverse of the Wasatch Mountains, stopping at six of Utah's most legendary resorts. The journey includes time spent in the backcountry and turns in untracked terrain. This experience is "not designed for the timid" and should only be booked by advanced and expert skiers.