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The Thanksgiving break not only is Turkey Time, but it's also when many resorts all across the West to crank up the lifts, drop the ropes and welcome a new ski and snowboard season.

In the Rockies, a bountiful season of snowfall this winter meant many powder days, extended skiing and riding into June and even July. Add in a cooler-than-normal spring in much of the West, so much so that you can still see snowfields off the high ridges as we finished up the month of July.

Both the Epic Pass and Ikon Pass streamline skiing and riding costs during the winter. Now that summer's here, they switch gears to make warm-weather times in the mountains more affordable, too.

Despite humanity’s best efforts, certainty is hard to come by when it comes to nature. Vail Resorts is bringing a bit of certainty to Vail Mountain’s opening day.

Some skiers and snowboarders are choosing to make fewer trips to the mountains due to congestion on Interstate 70, according to a new study from the I-70 Coalition.

Following the conclusion of the International Ski Federation (FIS) Council Meetings, the 2019-20 competition calendar for all ski and snowboard sports that fall under the jurisdiction of FIS has been announced. For U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in America, this means that the following event dates are now confirmed:

Spring skiing: when we wear fewer layers, swap goggles for sunglasses and don’t put on enough sunscreen. Strong storms in February and early March this year buried central and southern Colorado in many feet of snow, leading some resorts to extend their seasons and setting spring up for epic conditions.

My wife and I smelled beef sizzling on an outdoor grill at one of Colorado’s premier ski resorts. An employee there was systematically flipping what must have been four dozen beef patties.

A number of double-digit snowfalls coursed across Colorado in early November, giving four resorts in Colorado and one in Utah a chance to open early.

Here’s a sample road trip for those who have purchased an Epic Pass, have a week or two on the loose, and are ready to ski and ride across the West without having to shell out for a day ticket.

Happy boarders at Mount Sunapee. (Mount Sunapee)

One of the absolute best reasons to rise and shine early for your trip to the mountains is the sweet reward of laying down some tracks in freshly groomed corduroy. The zip of your edges into those fine lines makes the first turns of the day often the most satisfying. While finding a powder day is never guaranteed, these resorts are known for their grooming finesse. So grab your coffee, boots and boards and head out for first chair.

 Powder is ticking upward at Colorado's Telluride. (Twitter/Telluride)

The storm pattern will align pretty well with the Rocky Mountain range this week meaning plentiful snow. The East will stay active while warming up.

New learning area atop Beaver Creek. (Abby Hein/Beaver Creek)

Virtually all ski and snowboard resorts put their beginner areas at the base where terrain is modest and access easy. Not at Beaver Creek.

Fourteeners loom over Keystone golfers (Keystone/Facebook) 

The golf season at Colorado winter resorts may be truncated but, while they are open, the courses reflect the mountains amidst they sit.

Pats Peak cookies are an obligatory part of a trip to the mountain. (Pats Peak)

With all the powder and corduroy you’ll be hitting on your next ski trip, refueling with some fine confections are in order. SnoCountry.com has tirelessly researched across the country to find these not-to-miss mountain treats.

Furry friends enjoy the snow and fresh air on a snowshoe trail at Stowe. (Stowe Mountain Lodge)

For many of us, our dogs are part of our family, and many resorts across the country welcome our four-legged friends with enthusiasm. Rather than leaving the pup behind, enjoy the company of wagging tails on the trails.

Loveland's snow guns have been blasting in the last couple of weeks. (Loveland/Facebook)

UPDATED Wednesday, Nov. 9: Loveland Ski Area becomes the second ski and snowboard mountain in the Rockies as the resort is all prepped and ready for opening on Thursday (Nov. 10).

Whether you are a full-fledged foodie or an emerging gourmand, you are sure to find more than one event to whet your appetite at the Steamboat Wine Festival. (Steamboat Wine Festival)

Sampling wines and local food are just the beginning of the activities you’ll discover at wine festivals at mountain resorts across the country this summer. Find extraordinary wining and dining in gorgeous mountain settings.

Ski and snowboard instructors at Beaver Creek are set to schedule a vote on unionizing, after garnering the requisite number of signatures for an election.

A single blank ballot spelled the difference in a vote by Taos Ski Valley ski patrollers to organize a union, which failed.