Hey New England Sliders!

The best spin I can put on this week is that it's spring skiing, only early! We've been torn between enjoying the nice weather and cursing the warmer days that are interfering with our snowstorm dreams. Sadly, many of the resorts closed just as soon as they opened. Just the same some of our favorite mountains have a few trails open, or ready to open, at the first sign of colder weather. So, defy the elements, dust off those skis and boards and hit the slopes where you can! And be sure to cross your skis for some snow! (Warning: Crossing your skis while on the slopes could cause injury)

If you haven't already don't forget to sign up for Sliding On The Cheap New England at www.slidingonthecheap.com/neweng. We give away FREE LIFT TICKETS in every newsletter so don't delay. Also check out our Tahoe and Pacific Northwest newsletters at www.slidingonthecheap.com.

SOTC Sliding Weather
O.K. bad news first - This is a tricky one to predict but according to the National Weather Service southern New England is looking at continuing unseasonably warm temperatures through the weekend with rain likely on Thursday and Saturday. Lows won't fall below the upper 30s until around Monday when the weather should return to normal for this time of year. Now the good news - In parts of northern Vermont and New Hampshire we could be looking at SNOW ON THURSDAY AND SATURDAY instead of rain and lows could be in the 20s for the upcoming week in that region. But either way things look to return to normal for this time of year in all parts of New England on Monday with lows in the 20s and highs in the lower 40s.

SOTC Skinny
The other good news is not all the mountains are closed. You will most likely want to bring your rock boards and skis but you can find trails at some of the mountains listed in this week's Sliding On The Cheap New England. And more mountains are hoping to open this weekend, weather permitting. We'll have the latest again next week. Happy sliding!

The following sliders have won this week's FREE LIFT TICKETS good at either
Loon, Waterville or Cranmore!
  brian660 [at] go.com
  bobgrant [at] hotmail.com
Send your address to slidecheap [at] aol.com if you have won!

Waterville Valley has $39 adult lift tickets everyday!
One of the biggest deals is at Waterville Valley - $39 adult lift tickets every day, non-holiday, including weekends - and they are open! For details go to www.waterville.com.

Loon Mountain Demo Day - December 15
Here's a heads up on the upcoming Demo Day - December 15 - when you can test the latest equipment for a $10 registration fee! And Loon is open!Check it out at www.loonmtn.com.

Okemo has all kinds of great new deals!
Okemo has some great new deals this season. One of our favorites is "Try Before You Buy." The first hour of lift operations is free so you can test the conditions before you buy a lift ticket! You can also ski anytime on Thursdays at Okemo for just $29! And college students should check out the College Card, available to full and part-time college students. It can be purchased inside the Mountain Services Office for just $49. Save 50% on single day lift tickets Monday-Friday and $10 off on weekends & holidays. Same discounts apply at Mount Sunapee, NH and Bretton Woods, NH! We will be bringing you more deals from Okemo in the coming weeks. Take a look at their site for more details at www.okemo.com.

Stowe has a great vacation program deal with free night skiing or demo!
The Stowe Vacation Program - pre-purchase a 2 or 3 day ticket from a participating Stowe Area Inn or Lodge, or call 1-888-253-4TIX, and receive a complimentary 2-hour demo at Stowe Toys or a complimentary night skiing lift ticket! Purchase a 4- or more day lift ticket and receive a complimentary 2 hour demo at Stowe Toys or a complimentary night skiing lift ticket, one complimentary group ski or snowboard lesson, and a flex day (ski 4 out of 5 days, 5 out of 6, etc.)! Go to www.stowe.com. for more details.

Stratton Mountain has a "Stay for Free" package for kids 17 and under!
Now through December 19, kids 17 and younger are invited to ski and stay free at Stratton Mountain when two adults purchase their three-day "Stay for Free" package (purchase a three-day midweek lift ticket for $129 and get two nights free lodging at the Liftline Lodge) or a Lift & Lodging package for two or more nights, starting at $59 per person, per night! For reservations, call 1-800-STRATTON. You can also check these deals out at www.stratton.com.

Sugarloaf - Ski and Listen to the Blues with great stay-and-ski deals!
The Budweiser Concert Series at Sugarloaf USA presents the 4th annual Blues Festival December 7-8 at Sugarloaf! Featuring Eddie Shaw & The Wolf Gang, Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Smokin' Joe Kubec and many more. Enjoy spectacular music and fireworks with stay-and-ski prices starting at only $40 per person! Packages start at $55 per person, based on double occupancy at the Sugarloaf Inn, $60 Grand Summit Hotel, and $40 maximum occupancy in the Sugarloaf Condominiums. These prices include concert tickets for Saturday, lodging, use of Sports & Fitness club at the Sugarloaf Inn and Condo's, use of the Health Spa at the Hotel and daily adult (age 13 and over) Perfect Turn ski clinic! For more details go to www.sugarloaf.com!.

Well the weather has made our newsletter a little light this week but we plan to have tons of deals next week as the season really starts to get rolling. Next week we will have info. on the latest all-season-long deals at New England mountains so stay tuned and, if you haven't already, sign up at www.slidingonthecheap.com/neweng.

Happy Sliding,

Julie Mashaw
Editor
Sliding On The Cheap New England
www.slidingonthecheap.com/neweng.