New owners, new and expanded terrain parks, new and improved snowmaking systems, new lifts, new prices to help pay for some of those additions and new value packages to save money, especially for families.

Daniel Marsula, Post-Gazette Click illustration for larger image. Related articles A complete guide to the region's slopes Snowpass program for fourth-graders is good at 20 areas Ski Areas Association offers package The sky's the limit for New England snowsports Afterward, the perfect hot chocolate See a map of recommended ski slopes in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York state. Listen in: Hear the PG's Larry Walsh reminisce about his most memorable skiing experiences: How Larry learned to ski Larry's big ski date

Those are some of the changes local and regional snowsports enthusiasts will find during the 2006-07 season.

To be sure, some of the improvements at the under-new-management ski areas were in the works before the new owners took over. They could have nixed them. Fortunately, they didn't.

As a result, Seven Springs will open a four-acre terrain park that will feature a 450-foot-long Superpipe with 18-foot-high walls and a number of "yo dude, look at this" extras for snowboarders and skiers. The Nutting Family of Wheeling bought the resort in July.

Peek'n Peak in Findley Lake, N.Y., spent $8 million in capital improvements, including a $2 million expansion of its snowmaking system. It also added two new terrain parks, a new Zaugg machine to shape and maintain its half-pipes and completely renovated 70 rooms at the Inn at the Peak. Kiebler Recreation and Kiebler Properties purchased the resort in January.

Snowshoe installed the "Soaring Eagle," a new high-speed quad to serve the Widowmaker slope and adjoining trails. The $3.3 million lift will whisk its passengers to the top in less than three minutes -- one third of the time it took the former triple chair to get there. Intrawest, the resort's owner, was bought by the Fortress Investment Group of New York City last month.

Mountain View at Edinboro, a small area but an ideal place to learn to ski and snowboard, expanded its snowmaking system and will use an additive, Snomax, to make better snow. The new owners are Doug Sinsabaugh and Laura Slazek.

Ski Denton, a modest-sized area in Potter County, expanded its terrain park and extended its cross-country trail system to 20 miles. Scott Carts and Shawn Schoonover are the new owners.

The new terrain park at Seven Springs is the first in a series of improvements, said Robert Nutting, the chief executive officer of the Nutting family-operated Ogden newspapers. It owns 39 daily newspapers in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

Mr. Nutting, who has skied with his family at Seven Springs for a number of years, said the improvements to come will be designed to increase the resort's reputation as "a premier four-season, family-oriented destination." That reputation was enhanced last month when the readers of Ski magazine rated it the No. 1 resort in the Mid-Atlantic.

Although he declined to be specific about future improvements during a telephone interview, Mr. Nutting knows Seven Springs' season passholders and frequent guests would like the resort to install a six-person, high-speed chairlift to relieve long lift lines on busy weekends at the bottom of the Gunnar slope and adjoining trails at the far end of the popular North Face area.

Steve Shaluta, Snowshoe Mountain Resort A couple enjoys a view of The Village at Snowshoe Mountain from the balcony of their fourth floor unit in the luxurious Allegheny Springs condos. The resort in east-central West Virginia began making snow earlier this month and plans to open Nov. 22, weather permitting. Click photo for larger image. Learn to Ski/Snowboard Day Pennsylvania's money-saving Learn to Ski/Snowboard Day will be held on Jan. 4 at Blue Knob, Hidden Valley, Mystic Mountain at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa and Seven Springs. It's a special day designed for children and adults who have never skied or snowboarded. The $15 cost includes rental equipment, a group lesson and a lift ticket for the beginner slope. Beginner packages usually cost at least three times that much. The ski areas donate the proceeds to their favorite charities. "It's a great opportunity for those who want to learn how to ski or snowboard," said Linda Irvin, executive director of the Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association. For more information: Blue Knob (www.blueknob.com and 1-814-239-5111), Hidden Valley (www.hiddenvalleyresort.com and 1-814-443-8000), Mystic Mountain (www.nemacolin.com and 1-800-422-2736) and Seven Springs (www.7springs.com and 1-800-452-2223).

They also would like to see the opening of the long-awaited Great Western area. That area, about the size of the North Face slope, was clear cut about 20 years ago but has grown back with a vengeance. A weathered green sign at the top is as faded as the hopes of some customers that they will be able to ski and snowboard on it during their lifetimes.

For more than two years, the resort's management focused a lot of its attention -- some say too much of its attention -- on obtaining a license to operate a small slot machine casino. It withdrew its application last month because of a conflict with Major League Baseball.

The Nutting family has a 25 percent share in the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Major League Baseball forbids baseball investors from also running a casino. Efforts to arrange an ownership structure that satisfied the baseball league and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board were unsuccessful.

Paul Kiebler, the president of Kiebler Recreation and Kiebler Properties, said his long-term plans for Peek'n Peak include a resort village with specialty shops and restaurants at the bottom of the slopes, an indoor water park, new golf clubhouses, a new conference center, a full-service day spa and new condominiums.

He also plans to add 11 slopes and trails and four lifts. The resort, about 45 minutes east of Erie, now has 27 slopes and trails, eight chairlifts and two Magic Carpet lifts.

"The first-rate service and amenities that our guests experience now will only be improved with our future developments set to bring a variety of attractions and amenities to accommodate all ages and pastimes," Mr. Kiebler said.

After testing various snowmaking systems during the past two years, the resort purchased the HKD snowmaking tower gun technology to work with its current system. The initials are those of Herman Kress Dupre, an internationally recognized authority on snowmaking and a former co-owner of Seven Springs.

"The advantage of using a tower instead of a ground [snow] gun is the efficiency of the tower," said Chip Day, vice president of brand management for the resort. "We will be able to produce four times the amount of snow we [used to] and operate 120 towers instead of 30 ground guns."

There's also additional snowmaking at Blue Knob, Hidden Valley, Mountain View at Edinboro, Seven Springs (for its new terrain park) and Whitetail. Oglebay Park and Timberline in West Virginia and Kissing Bridge in western New York also have upgraded their systems.

Hospital's ski/snowboard workshop The annual free ski/snowboard workshop at UPMC St. Margaret's will be held Dec. 5, and there's a strong incentive to attend. The two-hour program will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Conference Center A, B and C on the first floor of the hospital. It will cover preseason conditioning, injury prevention and an update on equipment. Registered attendees will be eligible for prizes that include a pair of skis or a snowboard from Fox Chapel Ski & Board, two $200 gift certificates from the Ski & Sports Den in New Castle, a one-night midweek ski package for two at Holiday Valley, N.Y., a one-day lift ticket, rental and lesson package for two at Timberline, W.Va. and lift tickets for two at Canaan Valley, W.Va., and Peek'n Peak, N.Y. Winners must be present. To register, call 412-784-5000.

Sufficient water for on-demand snowmaking can be a problem for some skis areas, but not for Holiday Valley in western New York. It now has Spruce Lake, a 62-million-gallon reservoir at the top of the resort that will double its snowmaking capacity.

Spokeswoman Jane Eshbaugh said the 13-acre lake has been a six-year project from inception to land acquisition, permits, construction and filling, "but the results will be worth every minute in terms of snowmaking power."

The readers of Ski magazine ranked Holiday Valley the ninth-best resort in eastern North America. Although that's down from the No. 5 ranking it had last year, it's not bad, especially when you consider the size and snow-blessed locations of the company it is keeping.

Tremblant in Canada was ranked No. 1. It was followed by Smuggler's Notch, Vt.; Whiteface, N.Y.; Killington, Vt.; Sugarloaf, Maine; Stowe, Vt.; Sunday River, Maine; Okemo, Vt.; and Bretton Woods, N.H.

And, speaking of magazine listings, Canaan Valley near Davis, W.Va., is still reveling in its designation by Men's Journal last November as being one of the "10 Coolest Mountain Towns in North America."

Canaan Valley, the first commercial ski area in West Virginia, will celebrate its 35th anniversary Dec. 8-10 with ski and snowboard events, music, games and special discounts, including $35 lodging, $35 lift ticket/ski rental combos and 35-cent food and beverages.

Except for some blackout dates, children of guests staying at the lodge will stay, eat and ski for free throughout the season.

"This is truly a special time for [the resort and state] as we reflect on where we started and how far we've come," said General Manager Troy Cardwell. "Our goal remains ... to create an environment of fun and relaxation for the entire family."

The resort has increased its fleet of Airboards, the product name of the snow body boards that Canaan introduced to its customers last year. Snow body boarding is similar to riding a body board at the shore. The inflatable "board," which looks like an oversized sled, has grooves on the bottom that permit riders to make sharp turns and stop quickly.

Mr. Cardwell said participants are required to take a one-hour lesson on the Airboard before going off on their own. "Kids and adults alike can do this and, unlike skiing and snowboarding, you can get pretty good within an hour of getting on it."

He said snow body boarders have a dedicated area to slide on that is separated by snow fencing from skiers and snowboarders. The area, several acres in size, includes low-to-the-ground features such as jumps and berms.

"Those brave enough will be able to catch major air and allow them to try their hand at the barrel roll," Mr. Cardwell said. The resort also offers snowtubing for those who prefer a more sedate -- albeit fun -- way of descending a slope on an inflatable.

Telepalooza The Appalachian Telemark Association will host its fifth annual Telepalooza festival Jan. 27-28 at Seven Springs. Morning and afternoon telemark clinics on both days will be taught by members of the Nordic Educational staff of the Professional Ski Instructors of America. There also will be clinics in a terrain park and a half pipe for all ability levels. Telemark skiers, whose boot heels usually aren't clamped to their skis, use a genuflection motion to initiate turns. A giant slalom telemark race will be held on the Tyrol slope on the front side of the resort. The annual Uphill/Downhill Citizens Classic Fun Race, which organizer Jim Kapp describes as "the longest in the mid-Atlantic region," will meander "all over the place." The cost, $65 for one day and $85 for both days, includes food, beverages and "a host of great prizes" from sponsors that include Rossignol, Penn Brewery, the Western Pennsylvania Ski Council, Karhu, Leki, TRM/Trek Bicycles, Venture Outdoors, Cloudveil and Exkursion. Association members get a $10 discount. For more information, go to www.telemarker.org or e-mail kapperzootie@aol.com.

Canaan will offer special promotions every weekday throughout the season: A $35 lift ticket/rental combination will be offered on Mondays. There will be $15 lift tickets for women on Tuesdays, members of the military on Wednesdays, West Virginia residents on Thursdays and college students on Fridays.

Money-saving deals also are being offered at the following resorts (for locations, phone numbers and Web sites, see A complete guide to the region's slopes):

Blue Knob -- A coupon book of six lift tickets good for any eight-hour session on any day, including weekends, costs $195, a savings of $75. It must be bought by Dec. 24.

Hidden Valley -- Beginning Jan. 2, "Super Value Tuesdays" return with $15 lift tickets for adults and children. It's a great deal, especially because lift lines are virtually nonexistent on weekdays.

Mystic Mountain at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa -- the resort, developed by 84 Lumber magnate Joe Hardy, is offering -- just until Dec. 23-- a Value Pack of 10 lift tickets for $84, a savings of $296 for adults and $300 for children aged 6 to 11. To save even more, families and groups can buy a Value Pack of 25 lift tickets for $184.

Ski Denton -- Skiing and snowboarding for adults and children are only $10 for lift tickets and $10 for rental equipment on Tuesdays, and $10 for lifts and rentals on Thursdays for college students and members of the military. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, "Family Day" lift tickets for parents and children are $15 and $10, respectively, and rentals are $10.

Ski Sawmill -- Beginning Jan. 2, college students save 50 percent on lift tickets and rental equipment on Tuesdays. Adult and children's lift tickets are only $10 on Thursdays. The area offers the same "Family Day" savings on Sunday as Ski Denton.

SnoZone Snowboard and Tube Park -- For only $10, snowboarders can ride and snowtubers can slide from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and until 10 p.m. on Fridays. It's one of the best bargains anywhere.

Wisp, Md. -- To mark the resort's 51st birthday, lift tickets will be only $7 on Dec. 10 and 11. A group lesson will be $14.50 and ski and snowboard rental will be $16 and $18, respectively. Every Wednesday is "Locals Day." Everyone is considered a local and is eligible for a $21 lift ticket, a savings of $18.

Cockaigne, N.Y. -- The Anytime Family Special is special. Juniors 6 to 12 pay half-price and children 5 and younger ski free when skiing with parents who pay full price.

Peek'n Peak, N.Y. -- Its Midweek Madness Special -- adults $28, junior $18 -- is offered Tuesdays through Thursdays.

Although Hidden Valley, Mountain View at Edinboro and Ski Sawmill in Pennsylvania and Canaan Valley in West Virginia held the line on lift ticket prices, most of the others increased them a dollar or two. There were, however, some notable exceptions:

Blue Knob increased the price of its adult weekend and weekday lift tickets from $42 to $45 and from $30 to $35, respectively. It also bumped up the weekend and weekday lift tickets for juniors and seniors (65 to 69) to $35 and $28, respectively.

Mystic Mountain upped the price of adult lifts from $33 to $38 and from $25 to $30 for children.

Snowshoe continues to have the highest-priced lift tickets in the quad-state area -- $65 for adults on weekends and $50 during the week. The rates for high school and college students and seniors 60 and over are $60 and $45, respectively.

Fortunately, Center Ski and Snowboard near Boyce Park Ski Area in Plum, the official Pittsburgh area representative for Snowshoe, sells discount lift tickets at a savings of between $8 to $17 per day, depending on age. For more information, go to www.centerski.com and click on the Snowshoe logo or call 412-793-6600.