Red River Ski Valley

The resort offers six chair lifts and one surface lift, with 58 trails divided equally on 290 acres of skiable areas for skiers and snowboarders, with 32% beginners, 38% intermediates, and 30% experts. With an annual snowfall of 252 inches, the snow is 85% man made. With a ski school, group and private lessons available, even if you've never skied before, you will quickly be on the slopes after your first lessons. There are even lessons for snowboarders, who are welcome on the Red River slopes. You can rent all of your ski and snowboarding equipment for very reasonable rates.

Taos Ski Valley

This really is only the last 2 or 3 weeks of the season so skiers can enjoy a few more months of skiing freedom.

With Taos dropping the snowboarding ban, there are only 3 U.S. resorts that still keep boarders from their slopes: Alta (Utah), Deer Valley (Utah) and Mad River Glen (Vermont). Alta and Deer Valley are highly unlikely to open up to the boarders anytime in the foreseeable future.

Lift ticket prices will not change. The price will remain $63/day for adults with discounts available for teens, children, seniors and multi-day passes. TSV said lots of people had bought their passes and made their plans before they made the announcement, so they felt like they needed to honor the contract with them.

Joys of Nordic Skiing

Based on a natural walking motion, it’s very easy to pick up. Novices that have “defected” from the alpine slopes are often amazed that they can master the basic techniques on their first day, compared with the days of painful sidestepping endured on the nursery slopes to learn to ski downhill.

Skiing Moguls

Are your core and arms ready for the quick pivot, the reflexive yank of the stuck pole that's got it in for your shoulder if you aren't alert and ready? Are your lungs and heart primed for the endurance you'll need on that long descent from the bowl you've been dreaming of since last February?

If so, hallelujah. Keep up the good work. If not, fear not. You still have time -- and Body Sense asked a group of experts how best to use that time. The details varied but the consensus was overwhelming -- combine endurance, strength (particularly core strength), balance, and stretching exercises.