Despite the economic crisis, the Berbahnen Destination Gstaad (BDG) company is continuing to invest heavily in their winter sports improvement plan, with the next stage already underway — an extension to the number of artificial snow machines in the resort. The total improvement plan (which runs through to 2018) has a budget of 160 million Swiss francs. After the snow machines are in operation, the focus will switch to increasing the number of ski lifts in the area with that alone amounting to close to 20 million Swiss francs.

Prognostications for a El Nino winter in Lake Tahoe South Shore now look like a sure bet as the destination received 6–8 inches of snow above 7,000 ft. and 2–4 inches at lake level this weekend, planting the seeds of anticipation for a monumental season among winter enthusiasts.

‘We’re ready for an early and strong season,’ said Carol Chaplin executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. ‘A solid start to winter is key to building visitor confidence and promising early conditions have a snowball effect ‘pun intended’ on the area’s ski resorts, lodging and dining establishments.’

Aspen is investing nearly $8 million in on-mountain improvements for the coming winter.

The famous Colorado resort will provide guests with a 100 percent hands-free radio frequency gate access program across the four mountains of Aspen/Snowmass.

The Aspen Skiing Company believes it will be the only resort in North America to have 100 percent hands-free access.

Lift tickets will be a plastic card with a chip inside detecting guests as they move through lift lines.

Sochi 2014 organisers remain confident they will be ready to stage the Winter Olympics in five years time, but IOC coordination commission chairman Jean-Claude Killy insists the Black Sea resort must not waste a second.

Both Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak and Dmitry Chernyshenko, the president of the Sochi Organising Committee, told the IOC how preparations were on schedule.

Kozak revealed the first event at the new alpine ski centre would take place within one year with the first official test event, the alpine skiing European Cup, scheduled for February 2011 at the same venue.

The town of Wrightwood is being evacuated as San Bernardino County Fire crews continue to battle the Sheep Fire, which has consumed 7,500 acres.

Some 4,000 residents, practically the entire population of Wrightwood, are now under mandatory evacuations, San Bernardino County Fire officials said.

The fire, which as been burning since Saturday afternoon was 20 percent contained as of 7 p.m., officials said.

Delta values the tourism treasures of the Kootenay Rockies Region of British Columbia so will continue non-stop service to Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC) starting December 19, 2009 from Salt Lake City (SLC).

The short, two hour flight will be available weekly on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday until March 28, 2010.