Free and discounted skiing and snowboarding, a show-your-stuff rail jam and free mini-lessons.

That's what's some snowsports resorts are offering as the 2009-10 season gets under way after being delayed by unseasonably warm weather.

Seven Springs opened Thursday for skiing and snowboarding on five slopes and trails and plans to open more terrain -- and its snowtubing park -- this weekend.

Hidden Valley welcomed snowsports enthusiasts yesterday and had a choice of up to seven runs.

Blue Knob hopes to have the upper half of its mountain in operation when it opens at 9 a.m. today.

And Wisp in western Maryland plans to have a variety of terrain open for its annual birthday celebration this weekend. Lift tickets will be $7 tomorrow and Monday and rental equipment and lessons will be half price.

Temperatures well-below freezing this past week gave the ski areas the opportunity to make more than a foot of snow. The arrival of up to 4 inches of natural snow also helped.

"We have 16-inch to 24-inch base," said Dick Barron, director of skiing and snowboarding at Seven Springs. "Six of us did some 'terrain evaluation' the other day and the snow conditions were very good."

Barron said lift tickets for adults and children 6-11 will be $39 and $29, respectively, today and tomorrow. Skiers and snowboarders will save $10 off their weekend lift tickets if they bring a new unwrapped toy to be donated to the Toys for Tots program.

Seven Springs will play host to a free Pre-Jib Rail Jam from noon to 4 p.m. today in the Foggy Bowl adjacent to the Foggy Goggle Lounge. Rome SDS, a snowboard manufacturer sponsoring the event, promises "awesome prizes and great music."

Hidden Valley is offering free skiing and snowboarding tomorrow to those who bring at least two cans of food for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the Community Action Partnership for Somerset County Tableland Services.

Lift tickets for adults and children will be $20 today and the same tomorrow for those who don't participate in the Toys for Tots program.

Hidden Valley will play host to a free Subaru Master the Mountain program today and tomorrow. Wintersports U director Bob Kuban and his staff will be on hand from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1-3 p.m. today and tomorrow to offer tips to skiers and snowboarders. Wintersports U instructors also will provide fee hour-long mini-lessons at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on both days.

For more information, go to www.blueknob.com (1-814-239-5111), www.hiddenvalleyresort.com (1-814-443-8000), www.7springs.com (1-800-452-2223) and www.skiwisp.com (1-301-387-4911).

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