Party! There's probably a good reason this party scene from Sunday River is a little fuzzy. At least with slopeside lodging, no one needs to drive. (Sunday River photo)

A week of partying, skiing, riding, and partying some more. Sounds like an awesome Spring Break, but who can wait for that? Good thing College Week is coming up for many east coast mountains. The ski bum lifestyle is one of the perks of going to college in the northeast, and it only comes this cheap once a year.

Check with this list to see which of your favorite mountains are offering cheap getaways. Just as with the college season passes, you must present a valid student ID with a picture to take advantage of the prices.

PS. I’ll be at the Killington collegiate extravaganza and would be happy to meet up with anybody who needs a ski buddy.

Hunter Mountain (Hunter, NY)

Jack Frost Big Boulder College Week (Blakeslee, Pennsylvania)

Dates: January 2-6

Price: $15 “snow pass,” $10 rentals, and drink specials at local pubs to top it off.

Mount Snow College Week (West Dover, VT)

College Week means friends chillin at Mount Snow. (Mount Snow photo)

Dates: January 2-6 and again January 9-13

Price: $282 for five days of skiing or riding, lodging, parties, and more.

On Thursday, lift tickets are $29.

Learn to ski or ride for free at 9:30 and 11:30 all week long

Sugarloaf Mountain Snowfest Week (Carrabassett Valley, ME)

Dates: January 1-6, 2012

Price: $299 for a five nights of lodging, skiing, and events.

Glass Half Full--but that can be remedied quickly (Sunday River/McLain photo)

Sunday River College Week (Newry, ME)

Dates: January 1-6

Price: $309 for five days and nights of skiing or riding, lodging, parties, music, and more.

$89 for one day of skiing or riding and a one night stay

$39 lift tickets for a day of skiing or riding

*Sunday River’s College Week is sponsored by Red Bull, so it should be pretty awesome!

Killington Resort Collegiate Snowfest and Collegiate Winter Games (Killington, VT)

Snowfest dates: January 1-13

Winter Games dates: January 2-6

Price: Lift tickets are sold at a regular rate. However, the Collegiate Winter Games are free to participate in, restaurants along the Killington Access Road will be offering discounts, and bars will have free cover.

*Collegiate Winter Games is a part of the Collegiate Snowfest and is a chance for college students to go toe warmer to toe warmer in a series of competitions like Mountain Ops, King of the Mountain, and the Sledding Derby.

Smugglers’ Notch College Adventure Break (Smugglers’ Notch, VT)

Dates: January 1-6 and again January 8-13

Price: $69 for a day of skiing or riding, team challenges, races, entertainment, and more.

Tremblant CollegeXBreaks (Tremblant, Quebec, Canada and Montreal, Quebec, Canada)

*CollegeXBreaks sounds like a few of the wildest parties on the east coast. They have a few different options to check out.

Dates: January 1-5

Price: $484  for lift tickets, lodging, and party access.

Dates: January 5-8

Price: $414  for lift tickets, lodging, and party access.

Dates: January 8-12

Price: $484 for lift tickets and party access.

Read carefully. Some of the requirements for getting a pass are a little weird— for example, getting a Higher Ed Pass requires a letter from your school’s registrar’s office with a raised seal. Every pass requires a school ID with a photo, preferably of you. Also, don’t forget that a sales tax applies to some of the prices.

Other deals are out there other than the season passes. Try bookmarking Liftopia on your Internet browser and checking in regularly to get last-minute discounts on lift tickets. Liftopia also lets you search for discounted lift tickets in advance both by a specific date or a flexible date range.

Tear ‘em up this season!

Passes to multiple mountains

College New England Pass
States: Maine and New Hampshire
Mountains covered: Sunday River (Newry, ME), Loon Mountain (Lincoln, NH), and Sugarloaf Mountain (Carrabassett Valley, ME)*Bonus! Discounted lift tickets at Boyne Resort’s Western Mountains (Michigan)
Price: $349 until November 30
Requirements: Must be carrying 9 credits or have a letter from the registrar’s office.

SOS Pass
States: Vermont and New Hampshire
Mountains covered: Stratton (West Wardsboro, VT), Okemo (Ludlow, VT), and Sunapee (Newbury, NH) *Bonus! 25% discount on multi-day lift ticket rates 7 days a week at Crested Butte (Crested Butte, CO).
Price: $299 until December 19.
Requirements: Full time college student between the ages of 18 and 29.

Triple Major Pass
States: Vermont
Mountains covered: Jay Peak (Jay, VT), Boulton Valley (Richmond, VT), and Mad River Glen (Fayston, VT)
Price: $289 before November 7. $429 after.
Requirements: Letter from the registrar.

College Breakout Season Pass
Mountains covered: Wildcat Mountain (Pinkham Notch, NH), Gunstock (Gilford, NH), and Sunapee (Sunapee, NH)
Price: $259 until December 18.
Requirements: Must have a college ID and a signed and sealed letter from the registrar.

Higher Ed Pass
Mountains covered: Mount Snow (West Dover, VT), Attitash (Barlett, NH), Crotched Mountain (Bennington, NH), Wildcat (Pinkham Notch, NH), Jack Frost Big Boulder (Blakeslee, PA)
Price:$319 until December 12.
Requirements: Full-time student carrying 12 or more credits. Must bring a letter from the registrar on a school letterhead (with a raised seal).

Young Adult/College Full Season Pass
Mountains covered: Whiteface (Lake Placid, NY) and Gore (North Creek, NY)
Price: $385 until November 15. $475 after.
Requirements: Must be a student age 22 or younger.

4-NH College Pass
Mountains covered: Bretton Woods/Mount Washington (Bretton Woods, NH), Cannon (Franconia, NH), Cranmore (North Conway, NH), and Waterville Valley (Waterville Valley, NH)
Price: $289 before November 30. $309 after December 1. *Bonus! $50 for a Nordic Excursion Pass. 10% off resort retail outlets, and save $15 on one full-day, Bretton Woods all-mountain lift ticket per day.
Requirements: Proof of full-time enrollment.

Single mountain passes

Catamount Ski Area (border of South Egremont, MA and Hillsdale, NY)
Price: $239

Jiminy Peak Resort (Hancock, MA)
Price: $299 for full-time students. $239 for part-time students for twilight skiing. Buy before October 15. *Bonus! This pass comes with too many other great discounts to list!
Requirements: Class schedule.

Killington Resort and Pico Mountain (Killington, VT)
Price: $352
Requirements: For full-time students carrying at least 12 credits during both the fall and spring semesters.

Pat’s Peak Ski Area (Henniker, NH)
Price: $339 before November 6. $389 after. *Bonus! Discounts at Mount Sunapee in NH, Burke Mountain in VT, and Jay Peak in VT.

Seven Springs Mountain Resort (Seven Springs, PA)
Price: $299 for weekday skiing (excludes Christmas week).

Shawnee Peak (Bridgton, ME)
Price: $199

Smugglers’ Notch (Smugglers’ Notch, VT)
Price: $279 before October 31. $399 after for full-time students. *Bonus! Check out the website for extra discounts on equipment rentals, lessons, etc.

Stowe Mountain (Stowe, VT)
Price: $399 for full-time students. $599 for part-time students.
Requirements: Signed letter from the registrar, embossed with the school seal and stating your status.

Sugarbush Resort (Warren, VT)
Price: $319 for students. $219 for Mt. Ellen only. Buy before November 1.

Wachusett Mountain (Princeton, MA)
Price: $199 buys UPass; night skiing any day of the week, and full-day skiing during weekdays. $10 off lift tickets on weekends and holidays.

Then, inexplicably, on a beautiful Sunday in March, I somehow found myself driving into New Hampshire with Sam, my boyfriend and favorite snowboarding companion, on our way to go skiing at Waterville Valley Resort . I was a little nervous at the thought of putting on skis again, but knew I couldn’t be more nervous than Sam, who was going to try skiing for the first time ever.

My anticipation grew as we wound our way alongside the Mad River into the vast White Mountain National Forest, and up to Waterville Valley. The parking area was abuzz, a testament to the mountain’s popularity, but we had no problem finding a parking space and making our way to the Sport Thoma ski shop where we met Bobby Foster, the mountain’s director of operations, who told us a little about the mountain and resort area.

At the top of the High Country Double Lift, we gazed in awe at the White Mountain National Forest spread out around us. (Caroline McDonald photo)

The mountain was first opened in 1966 by Olympic skier Tom Corcoran, and has changed ownership a couple times since. Throughout the years, it’s hosted World Cup alpine races and, apparently, was a favorite destination of the Kennedy clan. Another political family, the Sununus, purchased the resort before the 2010/11 season began and are investing some local TLC into the mountain’s operation. But it’s not just the 25 new snowmaking guns or renovated bathrooms that show how much love is being invested. Where it’s really evident is in the people.

Bobby introduced us to our instructors, Lisa and Clarence, who took us around to get our rentals. Sam and I were impressed by the genuinely friendly folks we met on the way—from Mike in rentals who told us about the variety of equipment available to Joe, the tall Austrian man who helped us properly fit our boots. (“No pant cuffs in the boot. Make sure your heel is all the way to the back.”) Everyone was helpful and made the rental process as simple as possible. Before we knew it, we were headed to the bunny slope with skis tossed (very carefully!) over our shoulders.

Snowboarder rehab: Clarence teaches Sam how to click in to skis for the very first time! (Caroline McDonald photo)

These weren’t the long, straight skis I remembered  from my early years, but shaped skis, no taller than my shoulders. Now, I know Sam and I look youthful, but surely they realized we are full-grown adults! Lisa and Clarence explained the rationale behind the 124cm skis I was using. Ski technology and the way skiing is taught nowadays has changed for the better. With a shorter, shapelier ski, beginners can make easier turns and become comfortable with equipment that might otherwise feel pretty awkward.

Furthermore, we weren’t just given the skis and pushed off the top of a bunny slope. Lisa and Clarence introduced us to the most fundamental techniques before we even put the skis on. We learned that good skiers rotate their legs in their hip sockets and minimize upper body movement, and that weight is evenly distributed in the middle of the foot to use the whole edge of the ski. After practicing this for a bit, we were finally ready put our skis on.

Clarence and Lisa are both snowboarders as well as skiers, so they adjusted our ski lesson to use snowboarding concepts we already understood. Lisa, who is the assistant snowsports director and head of the ski school, explained that all lessons are customized this way whenever possible. Instructors adjust to the students’ comfort levels, so whether you’re just starting like Sam, or want to brush up on techniques like me, the ski school at Waterville can accommodate you.

For me, clicking into skis again felt  comfortable, like coming home. It seemed like I’d never “gone over to the dark side.”But the best part of my day wasn’t going on to nail the half-pipe or conquer one of the bumped-up black diamonds (although that would have been very cool!). The best  of my day was discovering what a joy it is to be with someone else as they learn to ski. The excitement someone else feels when they connect those first two turns and burst into a proud grin is infectious. Clarence and Lisa seemed to feel the same way I did as we watched Sam weave back and forth across the bunny slope, proving himself to be a natural skier.

Us with our fabulous instructors, Lisa and Clarence. (Caroline McDonald photo)

We spent another half hour on some tougher green slopes (lessons typically last an hour and 45 minutes) before we said goodbye to Clarence and Lisa, and took a well-deserved break. There are two restaurants at the base and another lodge halfway up the mountain. We opted for Buckets, Bones and Brews at the base, where we sat on the deck to enjoy the perfect weather and watch skiers and riders come down the mountain.

After refueling, we headed up the White Peak Express Quad to see the rest of the mountain. Although we stuck to the blue trails, the mountain offers a variety of terrain. There are plenty of wide, sweeping slopes, but also enough narrow, tree-lined trails to keep diehard New England skiers happy. Every trail felt different. There are also plenty of tougher blues interspersed with black diamonds, particularly at the top of the mountain , which Sam and I decided to leave for another day.

The snow quality was consistent and held up well despite the sun, with only minimal icy patches. A few trails were left  ungroomed, but most of what we skied was groomed. The bottom of the mountain really softened up as the sun continued shining in the afternoon, and made turning easy. Wearing only a shell, I was reminded of how pleasant spring skiing is.

Waterville has 12 lifts and more than 50 trails. We didn’t come close to skiing the entire mountain. Ideally, we would have stay in Waterville for a week or so, not just a day. Spring lift tickets are only $25 Monday through Friday, and they are currently offering one of the best lesson packages I’ve ever heard of—only $35 for their Learn to Ski & Ride Special!. To snag a good deal on Tuesdays, keep up with Waterville’s Twitter page, as they base the day’s ticket price on the predicted temperature posted there. Friday, April 1 will be the best day, though. Tickets will only be one dollar. (That’s $1. No joking!)

Should visitors somehow tire of skiing, the White Mountains also offer cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking. The town center close to the mountain’s base has a variety of lodging accommodations, restaurants, shops, a spa and even a hockey rink!

If we can’t make it back before the ski season ends, Sam and I definitely plan to make a trip up this summer. There’s camping, mountain biking and all sorts of activities for families. In fact, Waterville is the perfect place for my family from Tennessee to visit to see what the Northeast is all about. New Hampshire’s White Mountains would provide a wonderful break from Tennessee’s notoriously humid summers. It’s also an easy, quick getaway for Boston-area residents like Sam and me. At just under three hours, the drive lands you in a different world. Winter at Waterville (on skis!) was wonderful; and summer fun, here we come!

Here are two ways to save during vacation weeks (and all season long!)

Ticket Packs

Many areas sell blocks of three, six, or more anytime tickets.  Yes you pay more up front than you would for one day, but the tickets are good for a whole season, they are often transferable, and buying in blocks offers significant savings.

They seem particularly popular in New Hampshire and here are some examples:

Gunstock in Gilford, N.H. is a good example: with their 6-packs you get 6 tickets for the price of 5 and  their Baker’s Dozens get 13 tickets for less than the price of 10! These are anytime, fully  transferable tickets. An adult 6-pack is  $340, Baker’s Dozen is $675

Cannon Mountain in Franconia, N.H.has the 10 any-day, adult, transferable tickets good all season for  $569, which saves over $100 off the regular window price of $67/day.

Crotched Mountain in Bennington, N.H. offers a 10 pack of tickets for $449.  They are transferable and valid all season long.

Mount Sunapee in Newbury, N.H. has 6 – Packs which can be pre-purchased for the price of 5. Only two tickets can be used per day Dec. 25  through March 6. All six can be used in one day before or after those dates

Pats Peak in Henniker, N.H. has PIC-A-PAC anytime transferable Tickets, a 6 Pac ($336) saves $42,  a 12 Pac ($672) saves  $120, and an 18 Pac ($1,008) saves $216.

Waterville Valley in Waterville Valley, N.H. sells 5 Packs of any-day, non-transferable tickets which $10 a day off the regular ticket price.

Whaleback Mountain in Enfield, N.H. has a 4 pack ($120) for the price of 3, saving $40. (Yes, Whaleback’s weekend/Holiday all day lift tickets are $40 . . . )

There are more deals like this in other states, but you get the idea. If you want to ski several days or with several people over the holiday, this might be your best way to save.

Loyalty Cards:

At this time of year, if you don’t ski enough to justify a season pass but still want to save money, your best deal at many areas is a skier loyalty card. You buy a card up front (some come with a lift ticket) and it gets you a significant discount every time you ski. Some include discounts on lodging, meals, and resort services. Usually they pay for themselves in two or three visits. After that, it’s all savings all the time. Last week we looked at multi-mountain cards. Here are some examples of savings at individual resorts:

Ski Sundown in Canton Center, Connecticut has an $89 Savings Card that gets discounts up to 50% on lift tickets.

Jiminy Peak in Hancock, Mass has a $45 Value Card that saves you $15 off  every ticket and 7th visit free.

At Gunstock in Gilford, N.H. the Take 50 card ($130) cuts the price of a weekend/holiday adult lift ticket to $34.

Hunter Mountain in Hunter, New York offers the  $45 Big Lift Cards which saves 25% on Weekend & Holiday Tickets, 50% on Mid-week Tickets and four free Sunday lift tickets!

Bromley Mountain in Peru, Vermont has the $69 Sun Mountain Card which gets a free lift ticket and $10 off every lift ticket for the season.

Jay Peak in Jay, Vermont has the $99 581 card (named for their average annual snowfall in inches) which gets one free lift ticket and $50 adult tickets for the rest of the season

Killington in Killington, Vermont has the $79 Express card which saves 25-50% on tickets all season.

Mount Snow in Dover, Vermont has the $79 Fan Fare Card that gets 50% off midweek tickets, 10% off weekend/holidays.

Smugglers Notch in Jeffersonville, Vermont has the $89 Bash Badge which gets $25 lift ticket or $15 afternoon tickets all season.

The $79 Stowe Points Card at Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vermont earns points for each dollar spent at the resort, redeemable for lift tickets.

Stratton Mountain Resort, in Stratton, Vermont offers the $79 X2 direct-to lifts card that pays for itself with the first use, gets $30 off weekday tickets, $20 off Weekend tickets and $10 off holiday tickets.

Single Resort Passes

In Great Barrington, MA, tucked in the Berkshire Mountains is Ski Butternut Resort. This season, Ski Butternut entices college kids with $35 lift tickets on weekends and holidays ($25 savings over the regular price!) and $20 lift tickets Monday through Friday, which is $20 less than a regular ticket. Their $18 tubing sessions are only $10 for students, too. To take advantage of these sweet deals, fill out this coupon and bring it and your valid college ID to customer service to get your cheap thrills!

Catamount Ski Area on the border between South Egremont, MA and Hillsdale, NY is cheap and easy: bring your valid student ID and pay $229 for a full season of unrestricted skiing and riding.

Jiminy Peak Resort in Hancock, MA offers up two deals for two kinds of college students; full-time students pay $299 for an unlimited season pass or part-time students can get in on their twilight/midweek pass for only $229. The twilight pass is good anytime Monday-Friday and after 3 pm on weekends and holidays. You need to bring your class schedule showing 12 credits for full-time and 6 for part time and your school ID to get in on the fun.

Pat’s Peak Ski Area offers a unique service to Boston students. They are bussing students twice a day on Saturdays starting January 15 directly from Beantown to the resort in Henniker and back once the ski area closes. The bus ride plus a lift ticket to ski or ride from 8:30am to 4pm is only $59, so call (781) 849-0200 book in advance. Pat’s Peak also offers a standard no-ride-included unlimited college pass that goes for $319 before November 11 and $369 after with a letter from your registrar and valid photo ID.

Stowe offers two options for part- and full-time students. Full-time students (defined by Stowe as at least twelve credits) can get the Unrestricted Stowe 7-Day Plus Access pass before October 31 for $399 and part timers (at least six credits) pay $599.

Sugarbush Resort is flexible with their college plans: you can get an all mountain pass for $319 plus tax or a Mt. Ellen only option for $219. College students can also become reps for Sugarbush and sell passes on-campus. If you sell ten passes for them, you’ll get one for yourself free and a $15 commission on every pass over ten sold. Plus, if you buy a pass from your friendly campus Sugarbush rep, you’ll get a $10 gift card when you pick up your pass.

Smugglers’ Notch kindly gives poor college kids a break with their pass which includes 20% off at their sport and equipment shops and 50% off single and multi-day group lessons and equipment rentals. The pass itself is $319 before Halloween and $419 after for fulltime students that present their ID.

Shawnee Peak in Bridgton, ME offers something a little different; their $199 college pass is open to full-time, part-time, graduate, online and medical resident students. Shawnee opens December 11.

In Rangley ME, Saddleback Mountain offers a super-inexpensive $99 college pass for a full season. Opening day at Saddleback is December 11.

Wachusett has the UPass which is a little more work for a lot less money. The pass is $189 before October 11 and that gets you a season of any night of the week from 4pm-10pm and Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm. With the UPass you also get $10 off lift tickets if you feel the need to shred on weekend days and holidays. You do need to present your valid college photo ID when you buy.

Multi Resort Passes

In New Hampshire, three areas have teamed up to offer the College Breakout Season Pass. Ski and ride Wildcat Mountain, Gunstock Resort and Mount Sunapee with one pass! Wildcat opens December 18, Gunstock opens December 3 and Sunapee opens November 26. Before December 18, the three-for pass is only $259 for full time students with your valid ID and signed and sealed letter from the registrar.

Mount Sunapee went all-out this year. Not only are they contributing to the awesome College Breakout Season pass, they teamed up with Okemo and Stratton to offer the SOS (get it?) Pass. Full-time students up to age 29 pay $279 before October 11 and $315 after for an unlimited season pass to all three mountains.

The  Higher Ed pass is a four-in-one: for $299 (and a letter from the registrar) , that lets you ski and ride all season at Mount Snow in VT, Attitash and Crotched Mountain in NH, and Jack Frost/Big Boulder PA. Go right to the lifts at Attitash and Mount Snow; bring your pass to the ticket window at Crotched Mountain and Jack Frost/ Big Boulder. Each Higher Ed Pass comes with a subscription to either Freeskier or Snowboard magazine and two discounted $40 Bring A Friend lift tickets that are good Monday through Friday non-holidays at Mount Snow.

Jay Peak teamed up with Mad River Glen and Bolton Valley to offer the Triple Major pass, pay $289 before October 11 and $399 after to hit all three all season. You can also get a Jay Peak-only pass for $269 before October 11 or $329 after. Bring your original registration showing twelve credits and student ID with photo and you’re all set!

In New York, students up to age 22 can hit both Whiteface and Gore all season for $375 (price goes up to $475 after November 19, so get moving!)

Okay, put down your pencils and pick up your wallet. Class dismissed!

Attitash

Season passes, go to full price on October 11. For more information on all the deals go here.

Ski Butternut

Before December 1, buy a 2010-11 Season Pass for: $275 Adult, $225 Jr., $100 Kids, $500 Corporate.

Cranmore Mountain Resort

Cranmore’s Season Passes are $179 for Juniors ages 6-12, and Adult limited Happy Trails passes are $339 (with holiday blackout dates but valid weekends!) These prices are valid through November 30.

Gunstock Mountain

The $259 College pass for Gunstock, Wildcat and Sunapee, has no blackout dates.

These  passes are discounted through November 7: Prime Time Adults  $499; Prime Time Teen  $409; Prime Time Child and Prime Time Senior  $279;  Night $229; Mid-Week $299.

Jay Peak Resort

If you buy before October 11, you’ll get Jay’s best  Season Pass Deals. An Adult Unlimited pass is $629 ($1179 per couple), Seniors are $479 (55-69, $199 for the over-70 crowd). They also have a variety of kid and family-pass options.

The Triple Major (college pass with Jay Peak, Mad River Glen and Bolton Valley ) is $289 if purchased before November 8.

Jiminy Peak

October 15th cut off date for season pass and Value Card savings.  Find all the pass deals here

Loon Mountain Resort

Before Columbus Day Weekend (October 11) season passes valid at Loon Mountain,  Sunday River,  and  Sugarloaf  start at $410 for an adult Bronze Pass, $669 for an adult Silver Pass and $975 for an adult Gold Pass. College passes are also available for $339 through November 30.

Mad River Glen

The MAD CARD ($139 until December 15)  gets you 3 transferable day tickets good any time during the 2010-11 ski season, $5 off any additional full day lift ticket purchased throughout the season (Limit: 1 per Mad Card/Day), buy a Midweek Private Adult Clinic and Bring a Friend Free (not available during holiday periods).

The FAMILY MAD CARD ( $189 before October 15) gets kids ages 12 and under (as of 1/1/11) FREE  SEASON PASSES and all other Mad Card benefits. Go here or call 802-496-3551 for details.

Mount Snow

October 11 is the deadline to save $150 on all Mount Snow  passes
The Noreaster Pass includes Crotched Mountain, Attitash and Jack Frost/Big Boulder in PA for $1049, the Classic Pass (Mount Snow only with holiday blackout dates) is $699 and mid-week passes are $549.

The Higher Education season pass (College Pass) is only $299 and includes Mount Snow, Attitash, Crotched Mountain and  Jack Frost/Big Boulder.

Mount Sunapee Resort

Mount Sunapee has a variety of season pass options, all on sale until October 11.

The Ultrapass includes, Sunapee, Okemo, Stratton and Crested Butte  for $1555 for adults. The adult Peak Pass (Mount Sunapee and Okemo) is $959. There are a variety of cheaper midweek, kid and senior options.

The unlimited SOS College Pass (Sunapee – Okemo – Stratton) is $279.

Okemo Mountain Resort

Okemo has a variety of Season Passes are on sale until October 11 including:

The $1557 Ultra pass for Okemo, Stratton, Sunapee and Crested Butte CO, the $741 Value Pass Plus for Okemo, Stratton and Sunapee with blackout dates, and the $1240 Peak Pass for Okemo and Sunapee.

Sunday One-Day Season Pass $299 for adults ($359 after October 11). This direct-to-lift season pass has four blackout dates, but is valid all other Sundays throughout the season.

Frequent Skier Flex Card $99, plus tax (prior to November 15 and $119 afterward), save: 50 percent on weekday, non-holiday (Monday through Friday), single-day lift ticket rates; 25 percent on weekend and holiday single-day lift ticket rates; 50 percent on single-day lift ticket rates every day in November, and from March 21 through closing day in April. Fifty percent savings will also apply on select Sundays in January and March. Flex card benefits are available at  Mount Sunapee Resort, in N.H. (days, dates and discount values may vary)

Okemo’s 8-Pack and 12-Packs are on sale until November 16. The  8-Pack is a pre-purchase of eight unrestricted, single, full-day lift tickets for the price of seven. The 8-Pack is valid every day of the 20010/2011 season with no restrictions and it is transferable. It may be applied toward the purchase of one or two tickets per day. Pricing is: Adults $557; Young Adults/Seniors $487; Juniors/Super Seniors $375. The Okemo 12-Pack is 12 unrestricted, single, full-day lift tickets for the price of ten. : Adults $790; Young Adults/Seniors $690; Juniors/Super Seniors $530. As an added bonus, 8-Pack and 12-Pack holders can present their valid packs at the Crested Butte, Colo., lift ticket window to save 20% on multi-day lift ticket rates all season long.

Pats Peak

Saddleback is offering a 10-year season pass for $5,000 this season!

Other passes  on sale  include their popular Peak Pass for Honor Roll Students ($59 for Maine residents, $99 for others), Adult Season Pass:   $649,Locals Pass:  $549 . Military personnel and First Responders also get huge discounts on Saddleback passes. For complete information, go here.

Shawnee Peak Resort

Buy College Student Season passes at Shawnee Peak for  $199.

Stratton Mountain Resort

Early Booking Offer: Book any winter 2010-2011 lodging by October 30, 2010, and save 30 percent off midweek, 20 percent off weekends and 10 percent off holidays. Also enjoy special savings on lift tickets, snow school and rentals too. With price protection and a relaxed cancellation policy, it’s all the reward without the risk.

The X2 Card $69 ($79 after November 23) offers a free day of skiing or riding plus $30 off midweek (non-holiday), $20 off weekends (non-holiday), and $10 on holidays.

Sugarbush Resort

College and Graduate passes are discounted through November 1.

College Students and Recent Grads pay $319 for all-mountain passes, $219 for Mount Ellen.

Sugarloaf

Before Columbus Day Weekend (October 11) season passes  good at Sugarloaf, Sunday River, and Loon Mountain start at $410 for an adult Bronze Pass, $669 for an adult Silver Pass and $975 for an adult Gold Pass. College passes are also available for $339 through November 30.

Wildcat Mountain

You can see all of Wildcat’s season pass deals here.

An expert telemark turn requires practice...and expert instruction! (EMS photo)

If there’s any one area of snowsports that’s hotter (yeah, I know, lousy pun) than the others, it’s Telemark.  “Free The Heel” campaigns have caught on, and it’s common to see expert Telemark skiers on all trails on most mountains, not just the flatter ones.  Equipment has progressed to the point where not only are telemark turns possible, but at need, parallel turns can be made (trust me, since I haven’t YET mastered the Tele turn!).

So, to make the sport more accessible, Cranmore Mountain in North Conway has partnered with Eastern Mountain Sports for a series of lessons, from “Telemark 101″, which is a basic introduction to the technique, to a course for idiots like me who can’t figure out how to stop doing parallel turns (yes, that’s” Telemark 102″), to the more advanced “Telemark 201″ for those who have progressed beyond me and have all of the basics down.  There are specific dates and times for these courses; you can find the details here, or call 1-800-310-4504.  Cost is $75 per lesson which includes the rental equipment, but does NOT cover the cost of your lift ticket (if you aren’t a season’s pass holder, obviously).

EMS has been selling Telemark gear for a long time, so they’ve had plenty of time to learn what works for people and what doesn’t, and what questions neophytes will ask.  This is a great opportunity to take advantage of that expertise, at a conveniently located mountain, at a VERY convenient price!

Jay Peak's new Tram Haus has all the amenities, plus mountain or valley views! (Jay Peak photo)

While Jay Peak has been making improvements on the trails, and has built some beautiful slopeside condos in recent years, the hotel lodging up there has lagged behind.  This year, that changes dramatically with the opening of their new state-of-the-art Tram Haus.  The not-quite-yet-open hotel has all the right stuff…three restaurants in different styles, indoor heated parking (but you still need your emergency kit!), fitness/spa facilities, fireplaces…even all-day daycare!  With studio, 1BR and 2BR suites, there’s a setup to please almost everyone.

Best of all, a limited number of rooms is being opened up for Christmas week at a discount price.  From the 25th through the 31st, packages will be starting at $225/person…and these aren’t stripped down.  Mountainside lodging (oh, the view!), lift ticket, breakfast & dinner…sorry, you’ve got to buy your own champagne.  If you want bragging rights with the “in-skier” crowd, how better than to say “ah, I stayed at Tram Haus the first night.”  They don’t even have to know that it was a discounted price!

Lovely suites, fireplaces, views...relax! (Jay Peak Photo)

Of course, there’s always the snow question.  Even with the rotten weather in November, Jay Peak has 15-20 inches at the top, with around 10 inches at the base.  This coming week, nighttime temps at the base are forecast to be in the teens, with daytime temps at or below freezing.  Can you say “constant snowmaking”?  Mother Nature may even oblige with some of the real thing.  There’s probably no mountain in New England where you can be more certain of good natural snow at the end of December!

If you want to take advantage of this deal, call them at 800-451-4449 (or 802-988-2611 if you’re in VT), and tell them we said to say “HOLIDAY”!

We  just got word from Ski NH that they still have some of their  “Ski NH Anywhere Anytime” ticket packages left.  These are a great deal! Here’s how it works: Buy a total of 12 tickets for at least 2 of the areas in their list, with no more than 50% of the tickets at any one area. You save an average of 20% on those tickets!  Tickets ARE transferable, so you can buy for yourself, your family, a work group, whatever.  There are NO blackout dates.

Most discount packages are for weekdays, Sunday afternoons, things like that.  Not these…if you want to use them to ski or ride on  a Saturday during President’s Week, go for it!

Click the link above for more information, but don’t delay . . . they don’t have all that many of them left and once they are gone, they are gone . . .