Mountain Makeovers

Jesse Huffman

If you're like us, you've been jealously monitoring the interweb and holding back tears as reports of first snowfalls roll in. Or maybe you're lucky enough to have already had a chance to break in that new board or pair of skis--either way the new season is right around the corner and so is the need to plan your big trip to the mountains.

Where to take yourself, your friends and your travel duckets is a big decision, so we've highlighted new developments at five of the top resorts around the country. You'll recognize the names--they are established players in the winter sports biz, and they're shaking things up with new lifts, terrain and the topic du jour--new environmental initiatives.

EAST

Mountain Creek can now claim biggest park in the East--60 acres, or nearly 50 percent more freestyle action than the closest competitor. South and Bear Peaks will be all-park, all the time, and the South base lodge is getting an action sports facelift, complete with a free board and ski check, a café and bar with nighttime DJ and murals by NYC street artist Faro.

On-hill, the Creek's park expansion includes eight districts, grouped by skill level and terrain style. Progression is a critical focus here, and all levels of riders will find challenging jibs and kickers to step to. We'd tell you what the Creek's JibLab has in store for Proving Grounds, the pro-level park, but they wouldn't spill the beans, even to EXPN. As of press time, that shiz is "Top Secret."

ROCKIES

Any local will tell you that Vail is big on the green. But more than a blazed-up gondola, this Colorado legend has re-written the books on making skiing environmentally-friendly. This year, 61 resorts around the country are offsetting a portion of their energy use by purchasing renewable energy credits--Vail is in the top tier, running 100% of their operations on wind power credits.

Racking up state and international accolades for their environmental programs isn't the only thing Vail has up its sleeve. High-speed quad upgrades to chairs 10 and 14 halve the wait time, and seasoned riders will be happy to find Vail's signature log-jibs still up. Vail's park designers have goodies cooked up for 2007/2008, but like Mountain Creek, they're keeping it quiet until the season opens.

Another Rocky Mountain resort that's stepping up their commitment to the park riding frenzy while garnering notoriety for its progressive stance on environmental impact is Utah's Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR). Identifying snowmaking as a huge area for possible energy savings, PCMR installed 20 new fan guns, which are 60 percent more efficient than the old guns and will conserve 2,000 tons of CO2--the equivalent of powering 250 households a year.

But don't get hung up on a nickname like PC--this resort is packing more than just hippy enviro-initiatives. 2007/2008 also brings new gladed tree skiing between the Single Jack and Sunnyside runs, called the Motherlode Meadows. The resort didn't slouch on their namesake commitment to jibs, jumps and half-pipes either. All the award-wining terrain park features are back for 2007/2008, along with several new rails that'll keep even the most fickle urban shredster happy.

WEST COAST

The new Cloud Nine Express at Mammoth can run in higher winds and stormier weather, meaning more runs on those whiteout blizzard days when your tracks fill in after each lap. Plus, the addition of the new Wonderland Park for beginners expands Mammoth's renowned terrain park by 15 acres to almost 90 acres of jibbing, jumping, thrashing and boosting.

With a name like Mammoth, things could only get bigger, but in one way, Mammoth is shrinking. A fleet-wide implementation of bio-diesel finds the fossil-fuel alternative being used in all of the resort's groomers and busses, as well as construction and snow removal equipment, yielding a significant reduction in carbon emissions.

CANADA

You might've heard about the ambitious Peak-to-Peak gondola that is under construction, linking the vast terrain choices of Blackcomb and Whistler mountains together. This project comes hot on the heels of the Symphony Express lift on Whistler, which was new for the 2006 season and opened up 1,000 acres of intermediate-level backcountry bowl and tree riding.

By adding to the existing 40 acres and 150-plus features in their park system, Whistler/Blackcomb has dropped $40 grand on refurbishing and building new rails, adding a grip of new snowmaking capacity and widening the Ptarmigan run (the latter in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics). But in the meantime it'll be perfect for some high-speed cruiser laps.

It's no secret that global warming has lit a spark under the arse of the ski industry--can't run those lifts without snow, now can we?

Now that you have the knowledge, exert your power! Slap on some sunscreen, suit up, buckle in--do whatever you have to do to get ready, because things are heating up, and there's no time to get after it like right now. Get up to one, some or all of these destinations and take advantage of all the sick new features...while you still can. Winter sports aren't going anywhere, and neither is global warming. It's about time we learned to live with each other.