The Spring of 2010 will be remembered in Mammoth as one of the best in years. There have been several large pacific storms that have DUMPED mountains of snow on Mammoth. At the end of April, the base is 9 to 13 feet. We will be skiing well into May! Enjoy a weekend trip to Mammoth. It's easy to get to the Mammoth Lakes area. With recent improvements on highway 395 it is only a four to five hour drive from the greater Los Angeles area. If you drive from LA, a good tip is to stop in Mojave and again in Lone Pine. This will break up the trip into thirds. Mojave has numerous gas stations and fast food joints. There are some good dining options in Lone Pine. My personal favorite is the Alabama Hills Cafe & Bakery. They offer great tasting food, good service, large portions in a down-home setting. It's a great place to take a break on the drive from Los Angeles to Mammoth Lakes.

Don't put away your winter clothes just yet! Ski season in a number of western states has been extended due to continuing snowfall. If you want to fit in some time on the slopes before the fresh powder melts away for good, mark your calendars and check out these end-of-season deals.

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The closing of the season at Copper Mountain is a sad time of the year, but it doesn't have to be that way. There is no better way to cheer up a crowd than free music, loads of fresh powder, and beautiful Spring mountain sunsets at Sunsation. A lot of skiers don't realize that the Copper Mountain in the springtime, is actually one of the more enjoyable times to hit the slopes. The locals are busy preparing their yards for summer. The regulars are busy exchanging their snow skis for golf clubs. What this means to the die hard skier is no lines at the lift, more untrammeled snow to conquer, and of course some killer package deals that you would never get away with during the height of winter. And if you think the end of the season means less quality snow, last years celebration dropped record numbers of fresh snow during Sunsation.

Copper Mountain's Sunsation is one of the top rated festivals in Colorado and for good reason. One, it offers some of the best skiing and snowboarding across its 2,450 acres of steep, slopping terrain. Two, its lodging rates and package deals are almost unmatched during this time of the year so why not book your hotel or vacation rental? Lastly, their free concert series features top notch talent, and we're not just talking about one group for one day, but several groups over the course of days. A few of the highlighting concert appearances at Sunsation have been Michael Franti & Spearhead, De la Soul, Galactic, Keller Williams, John Popper Project, North Mississippi Allstars, and The Original Wailers (from Bob Marley and the Wailers).

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If you like snowboarding and you have never been to the Cooper Mountain Rocky Mountain Series, you have certainly been missing out. The series takes all disciplines of snowboarding, including slopstyle, boardercross, alpine, and superpipe, and combines them into the biggest amateur snowboard series for all of North America. The series lasts five weekends (December – March) of every ski season, and is concluded by the USASA National Championships. The Rocky Mountain Series has been hosted in Copper Mountain for 23 years, with the USASA National Championships reaching its 20th year now.

The Venues of the Rocky Mountain Series include the Main Vein Superpipe, Vein Glory Boarder Cross Course, the Catalyst Terrain Park, and Bittersweet. After the conclusion of the Rocky Mountain Series, the 2010 USASA Nationals will kick-off in early April. The Nationals are the chance for the nations fiercest competitors to come head to head for six days of Slopestyle, Superpipe, Slalom, and Giant Slalom. This years competition will begin on April 5th, with the closing award ceremonies concluding the evening of April 10th, 2010.

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Photo Credit: Lawlescon

Talk to any Utah ski advocate and they’ll quickly make you excited about your trip to the slopes. “The Greatest Snow on Earth” is found on Utah’s mountain ranges. From outstanding ski and snowboard lessons to convenient lifts and spacious terrain, Utah is the place to be for a complete snow sport experience.

Park City Mountain Resort is one of 13 ski resorts located in the state. It’s continually ranked as one of the top 10 family ski destinations in the country due to its Kids Program. The signature program limits class size to five students or less, providing unparalleled ski and snowboard instruction. The family-friendly Park Plaza Resort is just a short shuttle ride away from the slopes. This welcoming resort features suites that sleep two to six guests. Exploring the shops and restaurants on Historic Main Street Park City is the perfect complement to a day out in the snow.

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Photo Credit: Brian T. Bailey

Heavenly Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe will begin upgrades this summer. Although the renovations were originally put on hold due to the recession, the Associated Press reports that the project will now continue as planned.

Improvements to the mountain resort will include a new lodge, a club in Heavenly Village with lockers and a spa, and updated chairlifts. The announcement of the additions to the California-Nevada ski destination is in line with recent IbisWorld research that shows that ski resorts are increasing profits despite the recession. Modern upgrades to Heavenly should only make Lake Tahoe an even more desirable vacation spot for travelers.

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Photo Credit: jrm353

What recession? Ski resorts continue to prosper amidst the rocky economic climate of recent years, according to IbisWorld research. It seems that the only climate concern of avid ski lovers is how many inches of snowfall have recently graced their Rocky Mountains! IbisWorld data reported by the New York Times states:

"Even in 2009, as most industries were in a recessionary trough, ski resort revenue rose 2.3 percent from the year before, IbisWorld says. Revenue for 2010 is forecast to rise almost 6 percent, to $2.72 billion."

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The 2010 American Ski Classic, heads back to Vail from March 18th through the 21st. The Ski Classic is the original Pro/AM celebrity ski event, and always includes some of the biggest names in racing history. The way the event works, is Friday, March 19th marks the Volvo Legends of Skiing Giant Slalom, where the old rivalry's between Olympic, World, and World Cup Champions are rekindled in an all out battle.

Last years celebrity/legend guest list included the likes of: Jim "Moose" Barrows (U.S. Ski Team), Brenda Buglione (NCAA All-American Skier, Host of Snow Motion on Fox), Billy Kid (First U.S. male to win an Olympic medal), Franz Klammer (25 World Cup downhill victories), Brigitte Oertli (10-year veteran of Swiss women's team), and Fritz Strobl (2002 Olympic gold medalist).

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Support the Lake Tahoe special needs athletes with a star struck winter event that will be fun for the whole family. The 2010 Celebrity Winterfest will be held at the Heavenly Ski Resort right on the border of California and Nevada in the Lake Tahoe area. Company athletes will compete for the winning title in events such as cross country skiing, showshoeing, snowboarding, and other to raise money for the Special Olympics Organizations.

This is your chance to show your encouragement for the courageous men and women of the Special Olympics as well as get up close and personal with some of your favorite stars from film and television. This high profile winter event is a great way to learn unforgettable team building values as well as make closer friends with those that you work with. Competing companies will have the chance to provide a spectacular year for the upcoming events that will take place for the Special Olympics Athletes. Even if your company will not be competing in this yearly event spectators are welcome and encouraged.

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Photo Credit: Dan Maudsley

It's early February: prime time to take those winter vacations out to the mountains, but before you go, make sure you are up on the new statistics that prove just how important ski safety can be.  In a recent research  development that analyzed the data from over 12 studies around Europe and Asia, they concluded that wearing a helmet while skiing cuts down the risk of injury by 35%. That's a substantial enough number to make just about anyone think twice before hitting the ski slopes without the proper head gear.

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