Top 10 U.S. Ski Destinations: Via Orbitz

Orbitz released its second Annual Orbitz Ski Insiders Index, where stats from their site and trends in the ski industry are analyzed and the result is a top 10 list of the most popular U.S. ski destinations for the year. It's the usual suspects, although I was surprised to see Snowmass.

For 2006-2007 skier visits, Orbitz predicts these will rank top 10:

1. Breckenridge, CO
2. Mammoth Lakes, CA
3. Lake Tahoe, CA
4. Park City, UT
5. Steamboat Springs, CO
6. Winter Park, CO
7. Jackson Hole, WY
8. Aspen, CO
9. Vail, CO
10. Snowmass, CO

To plan ski trips with friends, ski clubs/teams, or family, TripHub offers many free traveler tools to plan and coordinate the trip.

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Snowshoeing: An Eco-Friendly Winter Activity

Puget Sound Journey's Nov/Dec issue has a great article on how snowshoeing is "an escape from both urban and ski-resort crowds." As winter blusters its way in, snow fans who want to get their fill of the powder, but away from the crowds and off the beaten path, can reap magnificent rewards with snowshoeing. It's a great group sport for the following reasons:

1. Like skiing, you can snowshoe at your own pace. Like hiking, this often leads to good conversation with various members of the group, depending on your speed, etc. Unlike skiing, you rarely lose your group to lifts and runs and mostly stick together yet with the freedom hiking allows to stop and snack, look at vistas, etc.
2. Safety in numbers: Should avalanche danger exist, or one person gets injured, there are multiple people to take action and mitigate problems or help in any other way.
3. Orientation: If solo trekking while snowing, your tracks can easily get erased with new snow, causing some disorientation of where the trail is or which way is north; therefore, it's always good to count on at least one other to share responsibilities for staying on track.
4. Unique way to "walk" in nature and share an outdoors experience.
5. Photo ops: You won't just get scenic shots. You can get proof you were there by having a friend take your photo next to Mt. Spectacular and email it to your mom.
6. Green travel in action: Snowshoeing is one of the best ways to experience winter without noise pollution (as in snowmobiling), expensive gear (as in skiing + lift tickets), and low impact on the environment (it's essentially you, the elements, and your snowshoes).

Any other reasons snowshoeing is either neat-o in general or eco-friendly? Any other tips for people organizing group snowshoeing trips?

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Ski Guide for Groups

Carving around corners, bumping down moguls, breathing in cool mountain air and sweeping views. Ah, the essence of skiing. What a rush. Plus, there's also the company of like-minded ski aficionados. Ski villages offer whatever nightlife you crave, from a quiet family dinner to dance floors for shaking your groove thing with friends.

Boarders and skiers put their passion for powder to practice on slopes across North America from mid-November through March (later if snowfall permits). Skiing is an ideal activity for groups, fostering camaraderie and a healthy dose of competition among friends and family. It allows adventure-seekers to vacation together, skiing off on separate runs if desired and meeting up at the lift lines to swap slope stories. At the day’s end, everyone regroups for some après ski activities. Here’s a guide with tips and resources to help you plan your group ski trip with ease.

Plan Ski Trips Using TripHub's Free Tools

1. Find a mountain and ski resort for your group
2. Create a trip home page
3. Invite friends, family, or team/club members (ski team, church group, school mates, professional organization members)
4. Discuss trip details with travel companions
5. Create an event schedule of dinner reservations and other key itinerary details
6. Shop for flights, hotels, rental cars, activities and attractions (or share your travel information if already booked elsewhere so your friends/family know when you'll arrive and where you're staying
7. Discuss hotel options

Ski Trip Checklist
When planning a group ski trip, there are plenty of factors to keep in mind. Does anyone in the group require child care for their kids? Is anyone interested in taking group ski lessons and how varied are the ski skill levels? Is everyone buying group lift tickets before arriving or while there? Here's a quick list of things to consider before you go:

• Lift tickets
• Ski rentals
• Group discounts
• Group ski lessons
• Ski lessons for kids
• Daycare for kids
• Restaurant reservations
• Bulk food assignments made (who's bringing what?)
• Hotel or rental home reservations
• Pet-friendly hotel rooms, condos, or houses
• Extra gear for those who may have forgotten gloves, goggles, hats, wool socks

Top Ski Resorts in North America
Take your pick of ski areas, states, and snow conditions for the upcoming ski season and start planning your ski trip. Since there are simply too many ski areas to list, but here are 10 popular ski resorts for groups for starters (in no particular order):

1. Vail Ski Resort, Colorado
2. Breckenridge Ski Resort, Colorado
3. Heavenly Ski Resort, Lake Tahoe
4. Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort, British Columbia
5. Steamboat Ski Resort, Colorado
6. Mammoth Lakes Ski Resort, California
7. Killington Ski Resort, Vermont
8. Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort, Colorado
9. Park City Ski Resort, Utah
10. Jackson Hole Ski Resort, Wyoming

You can also dig around to find many more ski areas on sites such as Expedia or Ski.

Ground Transportation Options
Find out what options are available at the airport and ski resort your group is heading to. If you're on a budget, shuttle services offer group rates. One of the greatest benefits of a group trip is being able to split costs such as transportation to and from venues.

• Shuttle service – There are usually private services that transfer you from airports to your hotel or ski resort area. Some ski resorts themselves even offer airport transportation to and from their resort. Call ahead so you find the best deal for your group.
• Private limo
• Taxi
• Bus
• Rent cars, SUVs, vans
• Hotel/resort transportation service
• Friend as chauffer – best option if available

Ski-In, Ski-Out Accommodations
Convenient for those who plan to spend most of their trip skiing, you can save gas and glide right outside your hotel door. Hotels, condos, and resorts can all fall into this category. Examples include Snake River Lodge & Spa in Jackson Hole, Sunshine Inn (Banff's only ski-in/ski-out hotel), and The Loft at the Mountain Village 3-bedroom condo in Park City.

Vacation Rental Homes
One of the best ways to enjoy a group ski trip is by renting an entire house. I've done this several times and it's usually been the best option. Do a Google search for your ski area or look at this worldwide directory for ski area vacation homes.

Aprés Ski
TripHub's blog feature allows you to discuss, plan, and make decisions on group activities with your trip mates all in one central location, saving you the hassle of sending a zillion emails to coordinate.

• Shopping – Most ski resorts cater to skiers and the fact that you're a relatively captive audience, having traveled through snow-covered roads to the mountain. So there's plenty of shopping variety from apparel boutiques to candy shops to cafés to video rental stores.
• Sightseeing – Whether driving or flying in for a weekend getaway or vacation with friends or family, ski destinations often have more to offer than just mountain with slopes. There may be historical or art museums/galleries, or nearby attractions such as lakes to explore. Find out what interests your group most and offer suggestions before the trip.
• Nightlife, Restaurants & Bars – You can always find a variety of restaurants, many of them high-end, to recharge after a day on the slopes. And all major ski resorts (Whistler, Vail, etc.) have nightlife equally as invigorating as the day life (if you're in a party mood). But there are also quaint, charming pubs and restaurants as well as the cheap eateries. If your group is set on a certain type of food or restaurant, book reservations as early as possible to ensure a seat.

Wintry Activities – Numerous ski resorts give snowbirds other ways to play in the snow either before or after they ski (or when taking a day off of the slopes):

• Ziptrek or ziplines through treetops
• Heli-skiing
• Snowmobiling
• Dog sledding
• Snowshoeing
• Cross-country skiing (most major ski areas have trails for this, including Lake Tahoe, Telluride, Stowe, The Canyons, Sun Valley, and smaller resorts around the continent)
• Massages at spas

Groups That Gather at the Slopes

• Girls getaways
• Bachelor parties (or other trips with the guys just for fun)
• Family reunions
• Group getaways with friends
• Wedding parties
• Book club pals, college friends, church retreats, and any other gatherings

Ski Trivia

• Ski history includes Swedes and Russians hunting on skis, Norwegians popularizing the sport in the 1700s, the Winter Olympic Games in 1936 including alpine skiing for the first time, and Austria and Switzerland developing the first ski resorts shortly after World War II.
• Historical ski cartooning – who knew such a thing existed? – includes a look at ski humor from 1500 to the present. My favorite is a cover page cartoon from The New Yorker.
• The U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame, located in Michigan, was born in 1956.
• Next Winter Olympic Games will be in 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Best of the Web (Ski Related Links)

• Customized ski packages for groups "by skiers for skiers to destinations around the world."
• Ski training for intermediate to expert skiers. All-terrain classes/courses around the world, including ski mountaineering.
• Comprehensive ski resort information in North America, South America, and Europe. Snow reports, lift ticket pricing, and more from Onthesnow.com.
• Ski Magazine and numerous other inspirational resources, including Warren Miller videos.
• Lest you forget safety, have a look at these Warren Miller wicked wipeouts. His ski bloopers are equally entertaining.
• Lake Tahoe guide with links to all Tahoe-area ski resorts and après ski activities.
• Ship your ski gear to your destination ahead of time and simplify ski travel.
• 3D maps of select North American ski resorts.

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Photo: Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau

Mountain Weddings

Say "I do" in a location where vistas rival vows for taking your breath away. Destination weddings don't have to take place at exotic beaches in countries far, far away. If you're a nature lover and/or skier (or boarder), your dream destination just might be in the mountains or at a ski resort a quick road trip or plane ride away.

Nature calls many to plan weddings at her rocky foothills, and there are plenty of mountain destinations that offer loads of activities, attractions, and services for wedding guests to be entertained from dawn 'til dusk (or vice versa).

Sample ski resorts or mountain areas as hotspots to tie the knot:

• Aspen
• Lake Tahoe
• Killington
• Pocono Mountains
• Steamboat
• Vail Valley
• Whistler Blackcomb

TripHub offers free group travel planning tools for wedding parties and other groups where you can discuss trip details, hotel options, and arrange transportation together.

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3D Ski Maps

Nothing could be finer than to plan your ski trip using a virtual map where you zoom into all major landmarks. Ski.com offers the first of its kind. Hotelmarketing.com reports on Ski.com's new 3D ski resort maps, giving a thorough report. The gist is this:

"Travelers who wish to virtually explore ski towns such as Aspen, Snowmass, Vail and Breckenridge are able to view interactive maps featuring 3D views of the town and the mountain. With the click of the mouse, the map allows the user to rotate, zoom in and out and tilt the view down to street level revealing topographical details including runs, lifts and accommodations available. Travelers can then quickly and easily identify where each property is located in relation to the things that matter most to them, whether it is the convenience of a ski in and out location or near shopping."

They only have 9 maps live, but they are working on others. Play around and send them your feedback.

To start planning that great ski vacation with friends and/or family, start with TripHub's free planning tools.

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Guys Getaways vs. Mancations

Mancations? You heard it right. Gadling reported on a trend CNN recently wrote about, and one TripHub has known about for a while - guys getaways, apparently now also referred to as mancations. (Men, are you cool with this term? Sounds a little goofy to me, but then again girls getaway probably sounds equally as goofy.)

Groups of guys with old friends from high school and college (or just life) traveling together is a growing trend indeed, if nothing else, evident from hotels and resorts catering to men only groups with such testosterone-infused packages including things like:

• poker parties
• hand-rolled cigars
• buckets of beer
• sports tickets
• race car driving
• "man-friendly" spa treatments

Keeping in touch is important and doing so while traveling (away from the girls) is a way to bond in ways you can't do as a couple. I can vouch that my girls getaways (goofy as that trendy little name sounds for a vacation) are a God-send when it comes to staying connected to friends. Especially when you're increasingly busy post-college with work and life.

To plan a group guys getaway (or mancation if you're partial to that word), you can start with TripHub's free group planning tools. Invite the guys using the invitation feature and start planning your fun.

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Get Ready to Ski

Prepping for winter with deep lunges to get those quads in shape for swooping down the mountain? Waxing your skis? If your idea of adventure includes snowflakes, slopes, and skiing, this guide's for you.

2006-07 ski season is only a couple of months away, but there are book early ski deals already percolating, and dozens of resorts getting reading for a snowy winter. Travelocity has the most comprehensive list of North American ski resorts I've ever seen. Clean and simply indexed with links to all the key/basic info you need (including resort phone numbers, vertical feet of skiing and boarding terrain, and more). Have a look and start planning your snowboarding or skiing trip with friends using TripHub's free group tools now.

10 top ski resorts for groups (in no particular order):

1. Whistler - British Columbia, Canada
2. Vail - Colorado, USA
3. Steamboat - Colorado, USA
4. Breckenridge - Colorado, USA
5. Banff - Alberta, Canada
6. Mammoth Lakes - California, USA
7. Park City - Utah, USA
8. Beaver Creek - Colorado, USA
9. Heavenly - Lake Tahoe, California, USA
10. Killington - Vermont, USA

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