Head for the hills

Sure, the Christmas lights are still a tangle in the garage and there's a "who's been naughty and nice list" that needs to be filled. My friends, I know Dave and Deb would agree: When there's fresh snow, you must go!

The mountains beckon:

Echo Mountain Park got 15 inches this week and is opening 50% more terrain for the weekend. And the gang says: "Our team of trusty park badgers have been dialing in-runs and landings to perfection, so now's the time to skip I-70 and ride our constantly changing park." Check out the site, www.echomountainpark.com, for pixs from last Sunday's Rome Premature Jibulation and the new Never Summer double-c box.

36 Hours of Keystone! Get amongst it 'round the clock at Keystone, and ride at noon or 4 p.m. or 4 a.m. - or bang on to 36 hours of live music. Check it out at http://keystone.snow.com/info/event.36.asp.

Opening Day: Wanna get on the snow before anyone? Get in the car and head to Ski Cooper (www.skicooper.com) or Sunlight (www.sunlightmtn.com) today, as those resorts open for the season. Or set your alarm clock for the wee hours Saturday and head to Howelsen (www.steamboatsprings.net/index.php?id=193) or Durango (www.durangomountainresort.com) (OK, we'er talking WEE hours) and catch their first runs of the season.

Vail: Snowgal Jen says this week's storm dropped 16 inches and Vail will open extra terrain the the Highline Lift (Chair 10) today. The Wildwood Restaurant at the top of Wildwood Express Lift (Chair 3) opens today, too. Vail is reporting six feet of snow year-to-date and powdery conditions. Sweet! Snow Daze kicks off Monday and runs through Dec. 17, and includes a Native American Snow Dance by the Bear Clan of the Utes at 11 a.m. Monday at the base of the Eagle Bahn Gondola, and a slew of stuff to get check out - snowball eating contest, Snowman King of the Hill Challenge, retro ski and ride day, and Counting Crows live on Dec. 9. See vailsnowdaze.com.

Been up already? Drop us a line and share a story of burning quads, stickin it off a rail or how your bonehead friend left his goggles at home- again! Comment below or post a note at our new Web site, snowrideguide.com.

(I'll post live links and photos from the office. Can't do from the laptop. Whatsamatter blogger, no love for macs?)