Greetings, Rocky Mountain sliders!

Though we have yet to get that huge dump of the champagne powder for which our Colorado is so famous, the snow is unbelievably good, the resorts are open, and the chutes, glades, and bowls are beckoning. The deals are equally as beckoning. Make a New Year's resolution to stop procrastinating, and take action by making plans to get to the mountains this weekend. Why wait till after the New Year starts?

Congratulations to this week's winners of the Random Sliding Pick:
 dreinberger [at] yahoo.com
 davidsontim [at] msn.com
 assetgrow [at] mediaone.net
 mattgummisu [at] yahoo.com (Boy, would I like the stories behind some of these e-mail addresses˙˙˙˙˙)

Tip o' the Ski Week: Want to snowride for free? Give us a V! Give us an O-L-U-N-T-E-E-R! What's that spell? VOLUNTEER! Your time is worth a lift ticket to almost any CO resort as a mountain host, DSUSA instructor, or all-around happy person on the hill. Do a search at your favorite resort website and check out the employment links to see what they're willing to do so you can ski for free.

Airline news: Frontier Airlines is the latest, greatest, lowest-fare airlines these days. This no-frills, big-bellied bird-in-the-air-lines still has fares for less than what it would cost you to drive, and their extensive schedule makes it easy-in/easy-out to DIA and the Rockies. Visit their website at www.frontierairlines.com. and sign up for their e-mail fare alerts, or compare fares at www.orbitz.com.

Aspen Highlands/Buttermilk: Aspen's working it hard to get you on their mountains. Stay in Aspen/Snowmass for as low as $124/pp/dble occupancy. You'll get 3 nights in-town lodging plus 2-day lift tickets good on Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk. Upgrade to a four-mountain ticket for only $25 pp/pd and sing up to ski FREE First Tracks on an early-morning bonus run with the Aspen pros on Aspen Mountain and Snowmass. Then head for the $8 all-you-can-eat salad bar at The Steak Pit and add a baked potato for $1.00. Did I tell you we'd be seeing screamin' deals this season? www.stayaspen.com.

Copper Mountain: For a Country Western New Year's, try the  thigh-slappin' good time at Copper's celebration starting with the
Fire Jugglers at 5 o'clock, the Torchlight Parade at 7 o'clock, a Southwestern Buffet at 8:30 that includes crab claws, oysters, prime rib and all the trimmin's, fireworks at midnight, and music and two-steppin' to The Barely Getting' By Band all night, all for $69.95, and that INCLUDES two cocktails! And since y'all are smart enough not to drink and drive, call Copper reservations at 1-888-219-2441 and check on last minute cancellations for that New Year's Eve room you know you'll be lookin' for 'long about 3 AM. www.ski-copper.com.

Crested Butte: The last, great Colorado ski town is ushering in the New Year with prices the way they used to be - stay two nights at the Sheraton for $67/pp/pn/dble occupancy and get two days lift tickets to boot.  Kids stay free and kids 5-16 pay their age per day for lift tickets all
season long. www.skicb.com/book/hotdeals.

Steamboat: The Springs has received almost 10 feet of snow since the beginning of the season, and are now offering the Champagne Powder Escape. Purchase three nights lodging and a two-day lift ticket and the 4th night and 3rd day are free, for $240pp/dble occupancy. Available January 3 through (giggle) Valentine's Day. What'd we say about procrastinating earlier? www.steamboat.com.

Tell-U-Ride: To honor our heroes on the hill, Tell-U-Ride is offering free skiing to all instructors and patrollers from January 4 - February 15, 2002, and it's a great chance to check out Prospect Bowl. To take advantage of the comp tix, ski instructors must present a valid PSIA card and patrollers must present a valid NSP card at Tell-U-Ride's ticket window along with a current letter of employment from your home resort. 1-800-801-4832 gives you info. www.tellurideskiresort.com.

Vail: Value comes in many forms, so consider this: a one-day adult lift ticket at Vail runs $67. The resort is seven miles wide and covers over 5,000 acres. Now, I love math, so here's what I come up with: less than $10 per mile and less than 2 cents per acre to ride five mountains for the day, whether you ride for one hour or eight, and the longer you ride, the greater your Vail-ue. Thanks to Mark Rosbrook of Ft. Collins for getting his, er, two cents worth in! www.vail.snow.com.

Winter Park: Colorado's favorite just opened Vasquez Cirque and Parsenn Bowl -temptation, thy name is POWDER! How's this for additional temptation: the Kids Stay & Ski Free package, which includes 3 nights lodging, 3 days lifts from $269 per adult/dble occupancy, 2 adults (14 and up) and up to 2 children (age 6-13) in the same room. Must be booked and deposited by 2/28/02. Valid January 2 - April 14, 2002. Call 1-800-979-0332 for reservations. www.skiwinterpark.com.

Backcountry/Nordic: Nordic skiing is, by virtue of the sport, less expensive. You're under your own power, so there aren't any huge fees for lift ops and maintenance. Consider this, then: go to the Piney Creek Nordic Center near Ski Cooper in Leadville and get an all-day trail pass for $8. Make reservations at the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse, ski the 25 km of Nordic trails till your legs give out, and then have a gourmet dinner at the cookhouse yert for $55. Compared to Vail, you've spent the day in the Rockies, gotten your exercise, and had a belly-thumping meal to boot for less than the cost of a lift ticket at the downhill resort. www.tennesseepass.com.

Till next week, stay low, stay smart, and stay luz,
Martha
harpo [at] rkymtnhi.com