Mountain Sports Club Blog

Rocky Mountain RV Campground - June 19, 2007

Well the way this was advertised it did not meet our expectations as a place to camp. Too close to houses and the Plethora of RV’s. While the WIFI would be nice if it worked faster than old dial up. It was so slow that it essentially did not work if you really need to log in and do something. We cannot say its views are by their selves so great given what is right next to us. Maybe we are too spoiled but we would not camp here again by choice. It does have clean bathrooms, showers and supplies. The laundry facilities and ability to re supply in town were nice. Two days was a little more civilization than we needed. One night to load up on last minute supplies would have worked better.

Boiling River Hot Springs
Boiling River located right before the entrance to Wyoming several miles into the North entrance was truly a treat. The parking lot is located right before the 45th parallel, exactly equidistant to the North Pole and the Equator. This easy access is about .5 miles walk on a clearly marked path. On the way, we saw several elk. A passerby thought they were moose, so much for general awareness of the local wild life. This particular set of hot springs are clearly marked and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in the family. The one entrance was pretty tricky with a rocky access and strong current. After a little scouting of the area we found an easier route into the pools that enabled us to get everyone from our 6 year old to the 11 year old in and enjoying the hot springs. If we were close enough, we would visit this spot every night. In the two nights we were close members of our party went each night.

During the first night there we met one of the local personalities, a gentlemen we called Jumbo for his big size. He was very friendly and full of advice. Come to find out he is a passionate Buffalo activist. This man had left his real world job on several occasions to spend time crusading for better treatment and protection of the free range Buffalo that make Yellowstone National Park there home. More on this particular issue will appear in a separate post. We ran into Chris aka Jumbo the next day working the crowds on our visit to Tower Falls.

Beaver Ponds Hike, Yellowstone National Park

The Beaver Ponds hike is located a couple of hundred yards from the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotels and at the base of the parking lot for accessing the Mammoth Hot Springs.
This was as advertised in all the hiking books we had reviewed. 5 Miles total and a loop. Once we departed the base area we only saw one group of 3 people the entire trip. The hike starts out as a fairly steep climb, mostly in the shade. During the hike we saw several groups of elk, and a beaver at the first of the ponds. The balance of the wild life was several families of geese and ducks playing in the ponds. The walk out was through classic western sage scrub and offered a great view of the parking lot and Boiling River hike and access, as well as the town of Gardiner Montana. This was great hike and ended just North of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.

We had an earlier hike around the Mammoth Hot Springs Trail from the lower base parking lot. See the photo gallery of shots from this short and easily accessible hike.


Madison Campground
Immediately upon arrival we knew we were now enjoying the camping we had envisioned. Well run and full the campsites are bordered by a river surrounded by wilderness and lots of trees. The facilities are nice, but no showers. This fact was a plus with our 3 boys (11, 9 & 6) as for them camping should not entail having to take a shower regardless of how dirty they get. Our neighbors however (with 2 children our boys shortly had them engaged in a soccer game and then a game of pickle), who had been here for several days informed us of a well-guarded secret swimming hole. This unexpected treat would prove to be the daily bath for our boys and a great cooling off after each day of hiking and traipsing around various parts of Yellowstone Park. Once settled in we also discussed that the original plan of moving every 2 days was really a little over the top. Given we had the family environment, packing everything up and setting up camp again did not make the best use of precious time to relax and enjoy. The decision was made to try and stay for 5 nights and cancel the reservations at Yellowstone Lake (a cabin we had rented) and two nights at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It was agreed we would still visit every thing we wanted but not spend the extra packing up and reestablishing camp.
I wandered down to the office and a little to our surprise we were able to make this work, and even received a refund for the difference of the cost of the cabin to the campsite. This was a bonus and everyone agreed this was for the best and we had one completely happy set of campers.

Firehole Swimming Hole
This is a must visit during hot days. Located just about 2 miles south of the Madison junction with the main route headed south to Old Faithful. There are off limits cliffs that we saw had quite a bit of activity. On day two we did see park ranger providing a ticket to one who had not heeded the posted warnings. Given how cold the temperatures had recently been we were amazed at how warm yet refreshing the water was. Out of the 4 days camping in Madison Campgrounds we swam 2 of the days.

Monument Geyser
This hike located North of Madison campgrounds just before Norris Junction was advertised as moderate, but for the family proved to be a tad more difficult. A steep climb out that was dusty and with no shade. The effects of the massive fires were evident and I would venture to guess in about 5 years there will be a pretty good amount of shade on this hike. It does offer great views North. The reward on this hike was a unique view of the thermal geysers rumbling about as we got to the top. The chimney features of several geysers was a different feature we had not seen. Also, we saw absolutely no one on this hike. One note is this is listed as a one mile up and then one mile back, however several books had disputed the distance and stated its distance at 1.5 miles. I would definitely agree it is closer to 1.5 miles as opposed to .9 miles.

Beryl Geyser
An easy turn off the main drag between Norris and Madison. The deep blue water and this being a very active and bubbling geyser made this a nice short and easy access.

Often times it is said the anticipation and planning of the trip can be a highlight and delight unto itself. When we, the Siewierski clan, decided we would kick off the summer of 2007 with a family road trip north to Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding Teton Mountains and Jackson Hole it was the signal for me to start the planning process.

While I have been to Yellowstone on several occasions this will be a first time for my wife, Laura, and our three boys Jarid(11), Nicky(9) and Sam(6). The plan is unfolding where we will depart Boulder early Monday June 18 and head north via 1-25 to Bozeman Montana. We will spend the first night at the Holiday Inn in Bozeman, as I have an early morning work meeting the next day on the 19th, with the ad agency Mercury for Travel Montana. We will be sure to post a lodging review for this property and others we visit as well as camp site updates.

While we are close to Bridger Bowl the plan calls for my wife to load supplies from the local grocery store before heading into the park. The first two nights we will spend in Gardiner, Montana at the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The camp ground we have selected is the Rocky Mountain RV Park. All listings make it seem like a great starting point. We hope to enjoy a float down the Yellowstone River one day, do some local fishing, get to the Mammoth Hot Springs and over to Roosevelt Tower while in of this area.

The balance of the trip will include two nights camping at the Madison Campground near geyser country and the west entrance of Yellowstone. This area is close to Big Sky Ski Resort. After exploring this region we will go to the Yellowstone Lake and stay in one of their cabins before heading to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone for 2 last nights of camping before we drop down to Teton Village and Jackson Hole for 3 nights. The end of the journey will be complete with creature comforts as we settle into the the delightful Alpenhof Lodge. The comforts of a nice bed, rooms and showers will be welcome at that stage. Having meals served will also been a pleasant way to wind down at the end of this trip.

The following is a spotlight on lodges currently offering Mountain Sports Club members discounts on direct booked lodging reservations. Check out the savings up to 50% off.

Colorado
Mountain Resorts Inc - Steamboat Springs
Bristol Hotel - Steamboat Springs
Storm Meadows - Steamboat Springs
The Ranch at Steamboat - Steamboat Springs
Colorado Resort Services - Steamboat Springs
Summit Cove - Keystone
Apex Condominiums - Vail
Apex Holiday Inn - Vail
Pine Ridge Condominiums - Breckenridge
Big Horn Rentals - Frisco
Hotel Frisco - Frisco
Summit Mountain Rentals - Frisco & Breckenridge
Frisco Mountain Rentals - Frisco
Mtn Managers - Frisco, Breckenridge, Keystone
Circle R Motel - Salida near Monarch
Red Rooster Inn - Glenwood Springs, close Sunlight and Aspen areas.
Peak Property Management & Real Esate - Crested Butte Mountain Resort

New Hampshire
Nordic Inn Condominiums - Lincoln near Loon Mountain
Colonel Spencer Inn - Near Waterville Valley Resort

Wyoming
Alpenhof Lodge - Jackson Hole

Utah
Prospector Square - Park City

Vermont
Cortina Inn & Resort - Killington
Ramada Inn Suites - Rutland

New York
Scribner Hollow Lodge - Hunter

British Columbia - Canada
Crystal Lodge - Whistler/Blackcomb

Additional lodges and packages options are available using the Mountain Sports Club Travel Desk - Book lodging, cars, airfare and complete packages at a discount. Choose from over 1400 properties and most major destinations. Members receive monthly promotion code for additional savings when booking through the Mountain Sports Club Travel desk.

Boulder Colorado Last updated 06.05.07

We are proud to announce a new partnership with Action Sports Interactive that increases our reach in the online marketplace of mountain sports enthusiasts.

The strategic alliance between Action Sports Interactive collection of winter sports sites and Mountain Sports Club of North America will now provide those targeting the online mountain sports enthusiast a network audience opportunity.

The collection of sites currently in the network are:

SkiSite.com - Shops - Resort - Clubs – Reports
Find and Compare Everything Snow Sports. SkiSite is one of the largest and most popular snow
sports destination sites, with comprehensive guides and content on skiing and snowboarding,
including resorts, trail maps, web cams, ski clubs, and events, as well as the largest gear and
retail guide online covering thousands of local shops.

RealConditions.com - Real Reports From Skiers and Riders
The Real Scoop on the Snow. RealConditions provides detailed snow reports for
alpine and nordic skiers and snowboarders, including the first site that allows the
public to post their own snow reports.

ShredSite.com - Snow. Water. Asphalt.
ShredSite provides detailed information on people, places, and gear for everything
board related, including snowboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, and skateboarding.

MountainSportsClub.com - Mountains and everything to do in the mountains.
An online service providing ski and snowboard resort directories, online travel
booking, personalized coupons and user generated reviews. Users create My Mountain
Sports Club folder, post reviews and invite friends.

Why Mountain Action Network ? This is a question we have been asked.

Reach active affluent mountain sports enthusiasts. In calendar year 2006 this network of sites
delivered over 7 million page views. Visitors to sites are increasing at a rate of over 70% year over
year.
• Social Networking Features – My MountainSportsClub, friends network, reviews and favorites.
• User Generated Content – across various touch points of the network.
• Print Support –Promotional magazine tie to enhance registrations and build membership base.
FreeSkier & Snowboard Magazines.
• Built-in Affinity Program – Hundreds of dollars of savings for registered users/members on lift
tickets, shopping, travel and more.
• Huge Retail Base – Retail network of partners driving traffic online through in store and online
promotions.
• Most Complete Retailer Guide For In-Store and Online Shopping –SkiSite.com dominates
organic listings in this space. These are people buying equipment to use on their next vacation and day trip to the mountains.
• Perfect Timing: Reach an Audience at Purchase Time – comprehensive content enables
consumers to find and compare everything, and then purchase immediately.
• Large, Active Opt-in Email Audience – Communicate via email to this targeted market with
sponsorship of 250,000 – 500,000 monthly emails in peak winter season. Monthly, category and seasonal sponsorships available. Call for details, availability and pricing.

On May Day, May 1 2007, Rebel Board Sports launched their new online store. This new online only retailer includes great deals and selection from all the top brands.

Purchase gear, snowboards, wakeboards, and clothing from the likes of Burton, Roxy, Billabong, Smith and more. Mountain Sports members Save 10% on thier initial purchase made by June 30, 2007. Click on this store links and proceed to store. Use promotion code MSC2007 during checkout to redeem your shopping discount.

Everyone likes free gear and schwag. Our friends at Retail Concepts are kicking off a new site for snowboarders, skateboarders and action board sports fans at www.RebelBoardSports.com.

Check them out and you can register to win FREE gear this month as they prepare to launch this new site. Currently they are giving away an Adio Shaun White Skate Shoe this week. They have a site on My Space where you can post comments and register to win. This site promises to have all the top brands from Burton, Billabong, Roxy, Spy and more.

We have worked with Retail Concepts, the parent company, since the launch of Mountain Sports Club and their other 3 stores - Ski Chalet, Sun and Ski Sports and Ski Stop already offer Mountain Sports Club members great deals on gear and service. Look for new listings and deals from RebelBoardSports.com as they launch this new site.

Aww spring time. The skiing and riding are great, the mountian bikes are out, fly fisherman are getting into the water and kayakers and rafters are checking run off and waterflow. It is difficult to know where to start. But here are todays random thought and postings. It is this wide range of thoughts that have is the source of naming this round of blog postings as Mountain Musings.

Extended ski and snowboard season. The season started late in the east and midwest and I am getting daily reports of areas extending their ski and snowboard season(Camelback, Hidden Valley, Pico & Aspen areas to name but a couple) as they now have truly the best skiing of the year. I spoke with an industry associate who skied Hunter yesterday and said it was fantastic. Send us posts and comments on who is extending their season and we will post the comments and update the blog. The sking will be great into April and May in certain parts of North America, so keep the skis and boards handy and get the skins ready for climbing deep into the summer.

On the new member benefits side we are pleased to announce Peak Property and Real Estate are a new merchant in Crested Butte offering members savings on direct bookings. Be sure to call them and use the discounted lift tickets available for members on your spring trip to Crested Butte.

In the Tahoe area Kayak Tahoe is extending member savings with 2 for 1 rentals and 10% off Emerald Bay kayak tours. With 3 convenient locations and summer coming up quick this is a welcome new offer for our members. Look for more rafting and kayak offers and listings in the coming weeks and months.

One of the more interesting article I have seen of late appeared today in the Boulder Daily Camera. This was a spotlight on how Pueblo in southern Colorado is quietly becoming a mountain bike hotbed. Read for more details on this growing trail network and how it looks more like Utah and the desert than the plains. Let us know about any other places we need to cover as well.

Ready to sign up for a premium membership and start saving? Time to register and use promotioin code blog07 for a special half price one year memberhsip, now only $9.95.

The spring ski and snowboard season continues to be great across the country. It may have been an uneven start to the season in certain parts of North America but it certainly is in full swing still. We had the chance to ski at Copper Mountain and Loveland this past weekend. The snow started to soften around 10:30 - 11:00 but you had to pay attention to what direction the slope was facing (referred to as aspect of the slope in certain circles) as the angle of the sun significantly affected how soft different runs were.

Saturday was St Patrick's day and the base of Copper Mountain was jamming. Not only had the mountain rocked all day, the village celebration was now about to kicking in by the time w made it to the bottom of the hill. Live music was being served up by the Samples a favorite son band from Boulder, Colorado. The sun was shining, the beer was flowing and smiles were everywhere. On days like this we savor spring and look forward to sqeezing out all the great spring days we possibly can go and ski or ride.

One reminder for this weekend and those heading out to the high country the next several months. The high bowls and peaks that were North facing at both areas still had soft silky winter snow from an earlier storm during the week. At Loveland we rode the Ridge chair and traversed high and far left to find the soft goods. It was about a 20 minute trek, but well worth the effort.

A couple of hot little spots we found this weekend were:

• Backcountry Brewery in downtown Frisco - We have beed here several times and the beer is always great. A selection of seasonal beers, a wide range from Pale ales, browns, great stout and prters microbrews and a full menu await anyone who enters. The surprise was on Friday night. A Friday night Happy Hour - $1 pints, and 2 for 1 appetizers. 4 of us had 3 appetizers and 4 rounds, we got out of the brewery with a $40 tab. That was one of the best evening happy hours I have seen in ski country on a Friday night in years.
• Farley's Chop House - Main Street Frisco Colorado. It had been years since I had eaten here, but I will be back sooner. We rolled in on Saturday night of St Patty's expecting a long wait. Surprise a seat and full menu at the bar as we walked in. Impressive menu with seafood, plenty of steaks and an affordable yet complete wine list. Both of us ordered the Lamb Tendorloin and it was excellent, this was served with a Cilantro/Sour Cream mashed potatoes which gave it a little of the green color for the day and offered a unique and flavorful potato serving. Not to be forgotten was a fantastic turkey and andouille sausage soup that was to die for. The food was very good and the atmosphere was enjoyable. We had expected a crowd and found Main Street Frisco and the two establishments we visited to be laid back and not over the top as I suspect was the case in some of the other the resort towns.

New merchants adding member benefits:

• Crystal Lodge - Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia Canada
• Red Rooster Inn - Glenwood Springs, Colorado
• Colonel Spencers Inn - Campton New Hampshire
• Nordic Inn Condominiums - Loon Mountain New Hampshire
• Snow Visual - Satellite prints and posters of top mountain resorts

With spring time comes mountain run off and the rivers are filling up for rafting and kayak enthusiasts. We are pleased to announce we will be adding over 70 new rivers listings with members being able to book online raft, kayak, canoe trips, clinics, instruction and single to multi day vacations and outings. Book with our partner RiverRaftTrips.com and get to the river of your choice. Over 26 years of river experience, based in Boulder Colorado and booking with experienced outfitters all through the western United States.

Check out these new merchants and the savings they are extending to Mountain Sports Club members. Not a member, register now.

Gunstock Resort in New Hampshire announced early bird season pass rates for next year at deeply discounted rates. Season passes for only $299. Details available on Mountain Sports Club and Gunstock sites.

Mountain Sports Club members also now save on daily lift tickets mid week the balance of this ski and snowboard season at Gunstock. Offers are either a buy one day and receive the next day Free, or 2 for 1 depending on the midweek. Details and discounted coupons available at Mountain Sports Club for members. Not a member yet. Register now for the balance of this year and all of next season for only $9.95 when you register and use the promotion code blog07.

Each week more and more mountain resorts, lodges, shops and related merchants extend new and exclusive offers in the form of valuable discounts to Mountain Sports Club members. For more details on listing and promoting your store or business contact us at:

Mountain Sports Club
3360 Dover Drive
Boulder, CO 80305
303.829.1699
info@mountainsportsclub.com
www.mountainsportsclub.com

On Snow demos - Keystone Colorado Feb --- 2007

The winter ski and snowboard season is just really getting started when the process begins to reveal the next years product line. It all begins at the SIA - Snowsports Industries of America - annual trade show in Las Vegas in January. This year's kick off event was January 22 at The Mandalay Bay. The annual show has it all - parties, scantily clad models drawing attention to the new gear, clothing and must have accessories. Once you have spent 3 - 4 days looking at the new gear, drinking and gambling, it is off to mountains for round two which is the On Snow demos and testing.

This is where the work assignment gets good. This year's Western Regional show was held in Keystone Resort in Colorado. Conditions were perfect for testing skis and snowboards. The past week had seen some new snow to freshen up the surface and we now had blue skies and sunshine for solid conditions. The beauty of this task is that there is so much good and great product being made by all the ski and snowboard companies.

It is difficult to go wrong if you match features and performance with what kind of terrain you are skiing and riding with your ability level. Make sure you pick the right model for what you will be skiing. My plan was to ski as many skis in 2 days as possible and get a feel for what brands and models were moving up and who was falling short. We all have our biases and this needs to taken into account as we pick winners and losers.

In addition to my testing, the listed conclusions here were based upon the sentiments of the team of product testers from Retails Concepts and others who I spent the several days with skiing and testing skis.

The two big winners by all accounts were Volkl and K2. All of us skied many skis in each of the lines. My personal favorite was the K2 line and specifically the Radical in a 174. This is a new version of the Apache model for next year and was responsive, stable and easy to turn in all conditions. The new Volkl Tiger Shark also made a huge impression and comes with the caveat, you better stay on this ski and be ready to ski it aggressively, or it will take you for a ride. This ski is not for the feint of heart.

The loser and biggest disappointment was from the Salomon collection. I tried 4 different models and they all were dead and simply did not ski well. No fluidity, not very stable and quite the disappointment.

Pleasant surprises and products/brands that appear to be making a move in the market were from Elan and Head. The Elan line with Magma technology was a fun, liveley and responsive ski. I will look to add this model in the Magma 12 to my quiver for next season.

Another pleasant and unexpected surprise was a new ski introduced by Palmer snowboards. The all mountain freeride ski was fun and will perform well in broken snow and powder. The tip has nice float and the ski as a whole was very fluid in hard and variable snow.

Dynastar - The Legend line and the 8800 were also winners. Rossignol skis also had a good buzz going. This is encouraging as the former power house has lost significant market share over the last 5 - 7 years. The skis were skiing well and it appears that Rossi may be on the way back.

On the boot side I tested one boot company - Dalbello. Boy was this a nice fitting and performing boot. They had purchased the Raichle technology and patents and have introduced this in their new boot line. I will be skiing the Dalbello Rampage next year.

My closing comment is - make sure you get to a demo day next year and test before you buy. Not only does it help you select just the right gear, it is an awful lot of fun.

The following is a spotlight on lodges currently offering Mountain Sports Club members discounts on direct booked lodging reservations. Check out the savings up to 50% off.

Colorado
Mountain Resorts Inc - Steamboat Springs
Bristol Hotel - Steamboat Springs
Storm Meadows - Steamboat Springs
The Ranch at Steamboat - Steamboat Springs
Colorado Resort Services - Steamboat Springs
Summit Cove - Keystone
Apex Condominiums - Vail
Apex Holiday Inn - Vail
Big Horn Rentals - Frisco
Hotel Frisco - Frisco
Summit Mountain Rentals - Frisco
Frisco Mountain Rentals - Frisco
Mtn Managers - Frisco
Circle R Motel - Salida near Monarch
Red Rooster Inn - Glenwood Springs, close Sunlight and Aspen areas.

New Hampshire
Nordic Inn Condominiums - Lincoln near Loon Mountain

Wyoming
Alpenhof Lodge - Jackson Hole

Utah
Prospector Square - Park City

Vermont
Cortina Inn & Resort - Killington
Ramada Inn Suites - Rutland

New York
Scribner Hollow Lodge - Hunter

British Columbia - Canada
Crystal Lodge - Whistler/Blackcomb

Additional lodges and packages options are available using the Mountain Sports Club Travel Desk - Book lodging, cars, airfare and complete packages at a discount. Choose from over 1400 properties and most major destinations. Members receive monthly promotion code for additional savings when booking through the Mountain Sports Club Travel desk.

Boulder Colorado 02.22.07 Last updated 03.07.07

Ski season has took quite a while to kick in around the country, but is now here for the balance of the season. Mountain Sports Club members continue to recieve more and more offers to encourage them to visit more areas for skiing and snowboarding this winter. In the last week we have added these 5 new resorts:

• Copper Mountain in Colorado with prepurchase discounts through our travel desk.
• Winter Park in Colorado with prepurchase discounts through our travel desk.
• Liberty Mountain, Ski Roundtop and Whitetail all added a new $5 daily discount on 8 hour tickets for the balance of the year.

There are now over 50 resorts offering discounts on lift tickets for our members. Be sure to register for your premium membership and save this season and next. Special promotional offer only $5.95 for the membership when using the promotion code - Blog07.

Look here for a complete and current list of all ski and snowboard resorts offering discounts on lift tickets.

Direct book lodging discounts available at these properties.

January 15, 2007

Boulder Colorado

Daily and multi day lift ticket discounts and savings for Mountain Sports Club Members continue to grow : Currently over 40 resorts and counting have finalized lift ticket discounts from 2 for 1 lift tickets to daily savings. Mountain Sports Club Members can anticipate additional resorts adding special member savings as the season unfolds:

The following are available to premium members:
Crested Butte Mountain Resort - Save daily from $9 on single day tickets to multi day savings
Loveland Ski Area Colorado - Save daily on lift tickets.
Monarch Ski Area Colorado - Save daily on lift tickets.
Powderhorn Colorado - Save daily on lift tickets.
Ski Sunlight Glenwood Springs Colorado - Save daily on lift tickets
Echo Mountain Park just outside of Denver - Save daily on lift tickets
Windham Mountain in the Catskills of New York - Members save big - 2 for 1 midweek lift tickets.
Diamond Peak - Nevada Lake Tahoe - Save daily on lift tickets
Tenney Mountain New Hampshire - Save daily on lift tickets
Mad River Glen - Vermont - Save daily on lift tickets
Ascutney Mountain Resort Vermont - Save daily on lift tickets
Shawnee Peak Resort Maine - Save daily on lift tickets
Shawnee Mountain Pennsylvania - Save daily on lift tickets
Hidden Valley Pennsylvania - Save daily on lift tickets
Silver Mountain Idaho - Save daily on lift tickets
Ragged Mountain in New Hampshire save up to $40 daily. Save $10 per person up to 4 per member per day. Savings certificates will be available after January 1, 2007.
Blue Hills in Massachusetts save up to $40 daily. Save $10 per person up to 4 per member per day. Savings certificates will be available after January 1, 2007.
Pats Peak New Hampshire - Save daily on lift tickets
Cranmore Mountain Resort in Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire - Save daily on lift tickets.

The Mountain Sports Club of North America just announced a significantly expanded number of new resorts offering MSC members discounted lift tickets, when purchased online through the new Mountain Sports Club Travel Desk. Members may be required to pruchase lodging or other elements of the vacation at participating resorts.

Review the growing list of top winter ski and snowboard resorts in North America and the associated values.

Colorado Ski and Snowboard Resorts
Breckenridge
Keystone
Vail
Beaver Creek
Durango - Prices from $41.33
Crested Butte Mountain Resort

California Ski and Snowboard Resorts
Lake Tahoe Interchangeable Lift tickets
Heavenley Valley
Northstar - at - Tahoe - Daily tickets from $61.10 per day.
Ski Tahoe North Interchangeable Lift ticket
Sierra at Tahoe - Daily lift tickets from $61.10 per day.

Montana
Big Sky Resort - Save on daily and multi day lift tickets
Moonlight Basin - Save on daily and multi day lift tickets

Nevada
Mt Rose - Lift tickets from $50 a day.

Utah
Ski Salt Lake Super Pass - Snowbird, Alta, Solitude and Brighton Lift Tickets
Park City - Save on daily and multi day lift tickets
The Canyons - Save on Daily and Multi-day Lift tickets
Deer Valley - Save on Daily and Multi-day Lift tickets

Vermont
Stowe Mountain Resort - Save on lift tickets, 2 days or longer.

Wyoming
Jackson Hole - Save on purchase of 3 day or more lift tickets.

New Mexico
Taos - Save on 2 of 3 day lift tickets. Buy here now.

British Columbia Canada
Whistler Blackcomb - Save on 3 day lift tickets.

Enjoy these great new members savings and discounts.
Enjoy the snow and the mountains.
Enjoy the skiing and riding.

Think snow it is still winter.

Purchase a premium Mountain Sports Club membership now Only $19.95 and valid through April 2006, and start saving....

January 13, 2007

Boulder Colorado

The Mountain Sports Club of North America is pleased to announce a significantly expanded number of new resorts offering MSC members discounted lift tickets, when purchased online through the new Mountain Sports Club Travel Desk. Members may be required to pruchase lodging or other elements of the vacation at participating resorts.

Review the growing list of top winter ski and snowboard resorts in North America and the associated values. Over 20 new participating resorts.

Colorado Ski and Snowboard Resorts
Breckenridge
Keystone
Vail
Beaver Creek
Durango - Prices from $41.33
Crested Butte Mountain Resort

California Ski and Snowboard Resorts
Lake Tahoe Interchangeable Lift tickets
Heavenley Valley
Northstar - at - Tahoe - Daily tickets from $61.10 per day.
Ski Tahoe North Interchangeable Lift ticket
Sierra at Tahoe - Daily lift tickets from $61.10 per day.

Montana
Big Sky Resort - Save on daily and multi day lift tickets
Moonlight Basin - Save on daily and multi day lift tickets

Nevada
Mt Rose - Lift tickets from $50 a day.

Utah
Ski Salt Lake Super Pass - Snowbird, Alta, Solitude and Brighton Lift Tickets
Park City - Save on daily and multi day lift tickets
The Canyons - Save on Daily and Multi-day Lift tickets
Deer Valley - Save on Daily and Multi-day Lift tickets

Vermont
Stowe Mountain Resort - Save on lfit tickets, 2 days or longer.

Wyoming
Jackson Hole - Save on purchase of 3 day or more lift tickets.

New Mexico
Taos - Save on 2 of 3 day lift tickets. Buy here now.

British Columbia Canada
Whistler Blackcomb - Save on 3 day lift tickets.

Enjoy these great new members savings and discounts.

Boulder Colorado 01.13.07

The following is a spotlight on lodges currently offering Mountain Sports Club members discounts on direct booked lodging reservations. Check out the savings up to 50% off.

Mountain Resorts Inc - Steamboat Springs Colorado
Bristol Hotel - Steamboat Springs Colorado
Storm Meadows - Steamboat Springs Colorado
The Ranch at Steamboat - Steamboat Springs Colorado
Colorado Resort Services - Steamboat Springs Colorado
Apex Condominiums - Vail Colorado
Apex Holiday Inn - Vail Colorado
Big Horn Rentals - Frisco - Colorado
Hotel Frisco - Frisco - Colorado
Summit Mountain Rentals - Frisco - Colorado
Frisco Mountain Rentals - Frisco - ColoradoMtn
Mtn Managers - Frisco - Colorado
Circle R Motel - Salida Colorado
Alpenhof Lodge - Jackson Hole Wyoming
Prospector Square - Park City Utah
Cortina Inn & Resort - Killington Vermont
Ramada Inn Suites - Rutland Vermont
Scribner Hollow Lodge - Hunter NY

Additional lodges and packages options are availabe using the Mountain Sports Club Travel Desk - Book lodging, cars, airfare and complete packages at a discount. Choose form over 1400 properties and most major destinations.

Advertise with The Mountain Sports Club of North America - Reaching active, affluent outdoor mountain enthusiasts....

Lodging Properties - Start filling rooms now! Special introductory offer, no cash, trade only. Use empty room nights to generate revenue. More details call us at 303.829.1699. Only $1,050 in room trade. Listings run through April 30, 2008. Review example listings below:

• Mountain Resorts Inc - Steamboat Springs Colorado
• Hotel Frisco - Frisco Colorado
• Prospector Square - Park City Utah
• Cortina Inn and Resort - Killington Vermont

Resorts - No charge offer. Free Listing provide incentives that drive visits and grow your customer database. More details call us at 303.829.1699. Review sample resort listings with promotional offers:

Loveland
Monarch
Powderhorn
Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Sunlight
Diamond Peak
Pats Peak
Cranmore
Ragged Mountain
Windham
Shawnee
Hidden Valley
Shawnee Peak
Ascutney
Mad River Glen

Retailers, activity and service establishments - Start driving more business rooms now! Special introductory offer, no cash, trade only. More details call us at 303.829.1699. Only $150 in barter. Listings run through April 30, 2008. View sample retail listings below:

• Ski Chalet -Vriginia and Maryland
• Terry Sports - Steamboat Colorado
• Colorado Ski Tunes - Boulder Colorado
• Sun and Ski Sports - Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina

Make sure your resorts Mountain Facts are up to date. This service is Free for resorts.

Sponsorships available. Contact us for details.

To receive more information about promoting your resort or business building incentives, ask for John Siewierski and contact us at:

Mountain Sports Club of North America
3360 Dover Drive
Boulder, CO 80305
303.829.1699 phone
303.499.9553 fax

Boulder December 28, 2006

Mountain Sports Club of North America is pleased to announce participation in the Shell Ski Free promotion. This promotional program builds on our effort to not only drive incremental skiers and snowboard visits to resorts and corresponding merchants, but to help them build a database of who these skiers and snowboarders.

By sending participants to the web to register for the valuable savings vouchers, resorts now have the name, email and mailing address of those who redeem the vouchers and visit their resort.

The marketing budget for this promotional program includes $500,000 of media, 550 Shell Stations and 1 million vouchers are being distributed throughout Idaho, Washington, Colorado and Oregon to encourage folks to go out skiing and if additional information is required go to the skifreedeals.com website. "We are pleased to collaborate with the Mountain Sports Club in providing more value for our clients in the Pacific Northwest - Estelle West, SkiFreeDeals.com".

December 21, 2006

Winter is here and with a major blizzard in the Colorado Rockies now headed east to the plains we simply wanted to list all the resorts currently offering daily lift ticket discounts.

Be sure to upgrade to a premium membership to enable yourself to use these great deals. Buy a membership for a friend. Now only $19.95. Register here for Free basic memberships and Premium memberships.

New announcement - all Charter memberships purchased from now till January 31 will be valid for two winters and next summer. Mountain Sports Club charter memberships will be vaild through April 30, 2008.

Initial Lift ticket discounts and savings for Mountain Sports Club Members : Currently over 20 resorts and counting have finalized lift ticket discounts from 2 for 1 lift tickets to daily savings. Mountain Sports Club Members can anticipate additional resorts adding special member savings as the season unfolds:

Loveland Ski Area Colorado - Save daily on lift tickets.
Monarch Ski Area Colorado - Save daily on lift tickets.
Powderhorn Colorado - Save daily on lift tickets.
Ski Sunlight Glenwood Springs Colorado - Save daily on lift tickets
Echo Mountain Park just outside of Denver - Save daily on lift tickets
Windham Mountain in the Catskills of New York - Members save big - 2 for 1 midweek lift tickets.
Diamond Peak - Nevada Lake Tahoe - Save daily on lift tickets
Tenney Mountain New Hampshire - Save daily on lift tickets
Mad River Glen - Vermont - Save daily on lift tickets
Ascutney Mountain Resort Vermont - Save daily on lift tickets
Shawnee Peak Resort Maine - Save daily on lift tickets
Shawnee Mountain Pennsylvania - Save daily on lift tickets
Hidden Valley Pennsylvania - Save daily on lift tickets
Silver Mountain Idaho - Save daily on lift tickets
Ragged Mountain in New Hampshire save up to $40 daily. Save $10 per person up to 4 per member per day. Savings certificates will be available after January 1, 2007.
Blue Hills in Massachusetts save up to $40 daily. Save $10 per person up to 4 per member per day. Savings certificates will be available after January 1, 2007.
Pats Peak New Hampshire - Save daily on lift tickets
Cranmore Mountain Resort in Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire - Save daily on lift tickets

Happy holidays and enjoy the skiing and riding.

Dateline December 16 & 17, 2006

Location Copper Mountain, Colorado

You can feel that the holiday season is upon us as the resorts receive the initial wave of holiday visitors. Our family joined the march for one last weekend in the Colorado central Rockies, before the holiday rush. Copper received 5 inches of new snow yesterday and they are calling for additional snow showers the next several days. It should cover the rocks starting to show on the steeper runs and soften snow across the mountain. The local paper announced that all the Summit County resorts continue to open new and steeper terrain just in time for the holidays.

After a day on the slopes on Saturday we gathered at Endo’s in the village for après skis drinks. Given we have 3 young boys and our friends had 2 as well it was key to find a place that has pool tables, video games, foosball and room for all to enjoy. Endos is conveniently located and fits the bill. Plenty of tasty local micro brews and traditional beer from which to choose ones favorite libation.

Saturday night Copper kicked off their holiday celebration with En Fuego. This celebration included fire jugglers, torchlight parade, fireworks and a variety of entertainment in the Village. The Village environment has proven to be a huge step in creating atmosphere and ambiance at Copper. With bonfires and entertainment throughout the village it was a warm and festive atmosphere.

Sunday morning we awoke to light snow showers that softened the snow and provided a very good ski day for Sunday. We have developed a pattern of jumping on American Eagle and heading straight to Sierra Chair (S Chair) to ski Union Bowl. Today was no exception. We were greeted with soft wind blown underneath with a couple of inches of new snow on top. The back side going into Gold Digger and down to Timberline proved to be untracked after several descents down different lines in Union Bowl.

Later in the morning we made the decision to hike the 10 minutes above the chair lift to Julies Vision. The run was simply great. The initial turns were broken soft powder followed with untracked lines. One section we skied had the old debris of an earlier avalanche from control work making portions of the untracked a little stickier and trickier. While we did not make it over to Spaulding Bowl, friends of our reported it was open and spectacular skiing as well. Plenty of soft powdery snow to be had for all who venture that way.

With snow and snow showers predicted for most of the balance of the week, Copper Mountain and the Colorado Rockies are a great choice for skiing and riding this holiday vacation. There is abundant snow and terrain open for everyone.

Book your next ski vacation to Copper Mountain online with Mountain Sports Club and save.

Go to the Mountain Sports Club Travel Desk and save on your next trip to the mountains.

Boulder, Colorado - December 14, 2006

Last weekend December 10 th, Sunday was our third weekend in a row of heading to Summit County Colorado and skiing Copper Mountain. Once again it was superb early season skiing and riding. We were able to ski and ride in Union Bowl off the Sierra Chair as if it was mid season skiing conditions. The previous week we had skied this as it was opened. It was terrific soft broken snow with easy steep bumps.

The kids were in ski and snowboard school and I must say they have done a great job with their Scooter program for juniors in making sure our three boys - 11, 9 and 6 - are having a great time and learning new skills weekly. For my wife and I it is a joy to get to ski all day with friends as well.

We stayed at a condo at the base of Super B chair in East Village from Frisco Mountain Rentals. It was a great condo with convenient locations as well.

For a complete list of current resort offering lift tickets savings go here.

Hot new member deals include:

• Ski Sunlight In Glenwood Springs Colorado with new lift ticket offers.
• Ragged Mountain in New Hampshire lift ticket savings for up to 4 family members everyday of the season. Coupons available starting January 1, 2007. Save up to $40 daily.
• Blue Hills in Massachusetts. lift ticket savings for up to 4 family members everyday of the season. Coupons available starting January 1, 2007. Save up to $40 daily.
• Lodging savings at The Prospector Square Condominiums in Park City, Utah. Members save up to 30%. Conveniently located to Park City Resort, Deer Valley and The Canyons.
• New lodging discounts for Breckenridge, Copper and Frisco at Hotel Frisco, Frisco Mountain Rentals and Summit Rentals. Save up to 25%.

More and more online and brick and mortar retailers offering savings on purchases, rentals and shop services. Check out the retail listings and save on your next purchase, ski rental or ski, snowboard and bike tune and service.