Dennis Curran, Okemo Mountain resort A couple link figure 8's on the well-groomed Ledges trail under the Sachem chairlift during a morning run at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vt. "Okemo," a Native American word meaning "all come home," will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Jan. 31. Click photo for larger image.

More healthful food choices, a "predicament" ticket, an increase in electrical power, a guide booklet for vacationing families and long overdue terrain improvements.

That's just a sampling of what was on the to-do list during the "off-season" for the following ski resorts.

Now that all those projects are on the "done" list, will skiers and snowboarders notice?

Some might.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Mount Sunapee

The resort spent $500,000 to upgrade all its snowgroomers, offer more healthful food choices and buy new rental equipment.

It bought Bombardiers with more horsepower and extra wide tracks to make it as easy to groom uphill as well as down. Management expects a 50 percent improvement in productivity since lower-horsepower machines can effectively groom only going downhill. The fuel-efficient machines also have special blades to haul more snow.

"We will be able to build terrain park elements faster and with crisper edges with the Terrain Master blade," assistant mountain manager Alan Ritchie said in a statement.

The more healthful food selections -- made-to-order salads and deli sandwiches -- will be available at the Sunapee and Spruce lodges, thanks to the efforts of Brian Faille, the new culinary director.

Chicken sandwiches, vegetarian entrees and healthful daily specials will be added to the menu at the restructured Spruce Lodge. Potato chip snacks will be replaced with apples and yogurt, but more traditional fare will continue to be offered.

"We will still offer cheeseburgers and fries," Mr. Faille said. "We just want to make sure we have a lot more healthier options."

The rental shop bought more than 350 pairs of new skis and snowboards and more than 350 pairs of boots. Parents will find softer-flexing skis and boots for their children. The Burton Learn to Ride Center has new snowboards for adults and children that are designed to help them link turns on the first day and keep falls to a minimum.

The resort, less than two hours from Boston, has 65 slopes and trails, 97 percent of which are covered by snowmaking. It has 17 novice trails, 32 intermediate and 16 expert served by one high-speed quad, two standard quads, two triple chairs, one double chair and four surface lifts. The vertical drop is 1,510, the highest in southern New Hampshire.

For more information: www. mountsunapee.com or 1-603-763-2356.

Waterville Valley

	Skiers and snowboarders head for the trees when they are looking for a challenging change of pace from the usual undulations of groomed slopes and trails. And fresh snow just adds to the enjoyment. Click photo for larger image.

Improvements for the new season include new terrain, more efficient snowmaking, new grooming equipment, daily trail maps, family amenities and an upgrade of the base lodge.

The newest addition to the popular glade runs will be "Old T Trees," a 4.5-acre intermediate run through mixed hardwood and evergreen trees with multiple entrance and exit points.

Fifty Ratnik tower-mounted snowmaking guns have been retrofitted to make snow within a broader temperature range, with greater "throw" and less energy consumption. The adjustments should mean more early-season snow. A new 350-horsepower snowgrooming machine was purchased to prepare that snow for skiers and snowboarders.

Traditional trail maps, printed months in advance, can't tell you what was groomed the night before. The resort's new daily "real-time" grooming maps will designate where skiers and snowboarders can go to warm up before tackling more difficult terrain. There also will be a Flash map on the Web site so guests can check conditions before leaving their rooms.

The lodge face-lift features new lighting, carpeting and bathroom upgrades that included new countertops, sinks, automatic faucets and fresh decor.

Also new is the "predicament" ticket for parents who don't want to leave their children in the care of others. It allows couples to share a lift ticket for the day. All it requires is a trip to the skier service desk when it's time for the on-slope parent to become the baby-sitting parent.

The resort has 52 slopes and trails, two high-speed quads, two triple chairs, three doubles and five surface lifts. The terrain breakdown is 20 percent novice, 60 percent intermediate and 20 percent advanced. The vertical drop is 2,020 feet.

For more information: www. waterville.com and 1-603-236-8311.

VERMONT Ascutney

	Dennis Curran, Okemo Mountain resort Snowtubing continues to be one of the most popular -- and profitable -- snowsports. No lessons are required. Just sit or belly-flop on a large innertube and let gravity do the rest as you slide to the bottom on a groomed, berm-bordered lane of snow. Control your speed by dragging your feet. Click photo for larger image.

Although the resort spent $2.5 million to improve its snowmaking, grooming, hotel and spa facilities this year, one of the most important issues it resolved was the flick of a switch, figuratively speaking.

After a recent round of negotiations, Central Vermont Public Service agreed to increase the capacity of the transmission lines that serve the resort to give Ascutney almost twice as much electrical power. That means more power for snowmaking. It also means the resort will be able to make snow for longer periods without doubling the electric bill.

The timing couldn't be better.

Ascutney, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this season, purchased 100 additional snow guns to complement its existing system and bought a new machine to groom it. It also plans to buy more snowmaking compressors to increase the amount of snow that can be made in a specific time frame.

The resort has 56 trails served by a high-speed quad, three triples, one double and one Magic Carpet in the beginner's area. The terrain, which includes 50 acres of trees and glades, is 30 percent novice, 40 percent intermediate and 30 percent advanced. The vertical drop is 1,800 feet. It also has almost 20 miles of cross-country and snowshoe trails.

Ascutney is six miles from Interstate 91, about two hours from Boston and Hartford.

For more information: www. ascutney.com and 1-802-484-7711.

Smugglers' Notch

Dennis Curran, Okemo Mountain Resort A solitary skier has this groomed-like-corduroy trail, Moment's Rest, to himself as he makes first tracks at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vt. The first hour of skiing and snowboarding is free so guests can check the snow conditions before they buy a lift ticket. The mountain in the distance is Ascutney. Click photo for larger image.

Smugglers' Notch bills itself as "America's Family Resort," and the readers of Ski magazine agree.

In a survey of more than 20,000 readers conducted by an independent research firm, the resort ranked first in the family programs category in all of North America. It's the seventh time it has received that rating. It also was rated the No. 1 resort in the East.

Readers were asked to rate resorts in 17 categories ranging from terrain, grooming and challenge to lodging, service, value and family programs. It was rated first in lodging and service, second in off-hill activities, fifth for mountain food, sixth in value and in the top 10 for snow, terrain variety and challenge and dining.

To help families prepare for a winter vacation, the resort has published "The Guide to Planning the Perfect Family Winter Vacation." The brochure is based on more than 25 years of providing comprehensive family vacations and gives advice on selecting dates, the right resort, the type of accommodations, clothes, equipment and children's needs during play and sports participation.

The resort is so confident that its Snow Sport Learning Programs are the best its guests have ever experienced that it makes this unconditional guarantee:

"We guarantee that each member of your family will have fun, learn to ski or snowboard or will improve technique, no matter what his or her current level of ability -- novice to expert -- or we will refund the entire lesson portion of that person's vacation package."

Three interconnected mountains comprise northern Vermont's biggest vertical drop -- 2,610 feet. Morse Mountain, the beginners' favorite, climbs directly out of the resort village. Intermediates head for Sterling and those with advanced skills seek the challenge of Madonna.

There are 78 trails served by six double chairs and two surface lifts. The base-to-summit chair provides views of Canada, the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the east and Lake Champlain to the west.

For more information and the vacation guide: www.smuggs.com and 1-800-451-8752.

Stowe Mountain Resort

This classic resort, which has long advertised itself as the "ski capital of the East," is in the middle of a $300 million, multiyear revitalization project designed to transform it into the premier winter destination in the East.

The focus for this season was on Spruce Mountain, where a base-to-summit high-speed quad replaced a double chair, top-to-bottom fully automated snowmaking systems were installed on the Main Street intermediate trail, and extensive trail work was completed to routes down the mountain that were never explored before. Well, at least not officially explored.

The historic mountaintop Cliff House restaurant also was renovated.

The resort admits its decision to dramatically improve the skiing and snowboarding on almost 20 percent of its terrain has been "overdue for decades."

A mountainside Alpine village reflecting the history and architecture that have made Stowe world-famous was a long work in progress. It took almost 10 years before construction began.

The new village, Spruce Peak at Stowe, will have a luxurious base lodge, outdoor ice-skating, performing arts center, restaurants, shops, private residences, an 18 hole golf course and a five star Destination resorts hotel and spa.

Stowe has 48 slopes and trails, including the legendary Front Four of Goat, Liftline, National and Starr. The person who named Goat probably followed one down the mountain. It also has advanced and intermediate terrain parks and a halfpipe. The trail breakdown is 16 percent beginner, 59 percent intermediate and 25 percent expert.

The resort claims to have the world's fastest high-speed eight-passenger gondola, three high-speed quads, two triple chairs, four doubles and two surface lifts.

There are more than 20 miles of groomed cross country terrain and 25 miles of backcountry trails that interconnect with three other touring centers.

The town of Stowe is only six miles away via Route 108, better known as the Mountain Road. Treat yourself to a midweek break and spend at least an afternoon in town.

For more information: www.stowe.com and 1-800-253-4754.