Eastern tree skiing mecca Jay Peak debuted its new Tram Haus Lodge today, and the resort is offering a steal of a deal to commemorate the opening of the hotel. From today until December 25th, ski and stay packages are being offered for just $99 - that includes both lodging and lift ticket!

Jay has long been known for three things: Killer tree skiing, tons of snow, and a dearth of lodging. The introduction of the Tramhaus Lodge has taken care of that lodging issue, meaning there's more room for skiers and riders looking to experience those killer trees and great snow.

According to a resort spokeswoman, Jay plans on having up to 55 trails open this weekend (including glades), and will be running all 8 lifts. If you've never been to Jay, I highly recommend a trip. It's worth the drive!

If you're like me, your holiday shopping list is probably still a work in progress. Sure, you can buy Dad a tie and Mom a new bathrobe, but what about little Johnny, the resident shredder in the family? Fear not - I have some great gift ideas for the snowboarder on your list!

All these items can be found on my Top 10 Gifts for Beginner Snowboarders, although it's important to note that many of the items are not beginner-specific.

We'll start with a key safety item: Wristguards. Snowboarders have a tendency to shoot out their hands when they fall, which can easily lead to a wrist injury. Wristguards are comfortable, fit under just about any glove, and can help prevent wrist and forearm injuries.

Along the same lines, Pro-Tec makes a great padded short, much like those worn by NFL, NHL, and NBA players. Aside from protecting the rear, the shorts also prevent the cold from seeping in during extended on-snow chat sessions (snowboarders tend to sit when chatting, in case you hadn't noticed).

The last safety item also plays a big part in helping a snowboarder look the part: goggles. Priced anywhere from $50 on up, goggles protect the eyes from harmful UV-rays, impacts, and the occasional wayward snowball.

From a more practical standpoint, snowboard locks and snowboard pocket tools make great stocking stuffers. Unless I'm at my home mountain where I have access to an employee locker room, I always lock up my snowboard. Gotta protect the investment, ya know? While I don't always carry a lock with me, I treat my snowboard pocket tool like my Amex card - I don't leave home without it. Whether it's my bindings that need a quick adjustment or those of a friend, my little screwdriver never lets me down.

Warm winter clothing is always popular for snowboarders during the holidays. New Snowboard socks are, to put it bluntly, awesome. There's just nothing like a soft, fluffy pair of new blankets for the dogs! My fiancee also claims new snowboard socks smell much better than the old ones, which is probably true. Continuing with the clothing ideas, gloves and mittens are always welcome - cold fingers are not awesome, which is why a quality pair of gloves is so great.

Last but not least is a bag to transport all this gear. Check out the latest pack designs from companies like Burton or Dakine. Most packs these days come with thoughtful little touches like fleece-lined goggle pockets, space for a hydration pack (like a Camelback), and the near-ubiquitous iPod storage area.

No matter what you decide to get the snowboarder in your life this year, remember one thing: positive, snow-centric thoughts are always appreciated, and they cost nothing.  Think snow!

Now THIS is more like it! After an abysmal start to the season (pretty much across the country), resort's from west to east have been picking up inches, in some cases even feet, of natural snowfall over the past several days. A massive winter storm that began earlier this week dropped upwards of a foot of snow on Vail, Colorado. That storm then paid homage to skiers and snowboarders further east as it moved across the country, dropping eight inches (and counting!) of new snow at Boyne in Michigan before slamming into New England, where it deposited 14" at the summit of Okemo in Vermont.

All this new snow is lifting spirits as well as increasing trail counts at resorts all over the country. With just a few short weeks before the much-anticipated Christmas holiday, mountain managers are surely thanking Ullr, Old Man Winter, and Mother Nature for the new snow!

With most ski areas opening over the past few days, the 2009-2010 snowboard season is officially underway for much of the U.S! I made my first turns of the season this past Saturday, and I'm already looking forward to getting back on snow in a few days. The weather has turned cold across much of the land (I even have some snow in my front yard in Southern New England!), and a major storm system is working its way from west to east as I speak, with forecasters predicting an impressive shot of winter over the next few weeks.

The early days of each snowboard season are good for several things: getting your legs back underneath you, working out the kinks, and trying out new gear. Demo days abound in December, so be sure to check out your local resort's website to find out which manufacturer's will be around!

Okemo Mountain Resort is opening Saturday, December 5th, and they'll have a few park features setup for the freestylers that have been chomping at the bit to get back on the rails!

A depressingly warm November is behind us, and resorts throughout the eastern U.S. are beginning to open for the season!

As of today, Killington and Sunday River are open. Depending on the weather, Sugarbush plans to open either Friday or Saturday. Stratton, Stowe and Jay Peak will all open Saturday, followed by Mount Snow on Sunday.

The forecast for the next few days looks favorable for snowmaking, so look for more resorts to open and available terrain to expand rapidly through the early weeks of December!

An unusually warm November across the Northeast is putting a damper on Thanksgiving snowboarding, but fear not faithful readers! One of my personal heroes - The Skiing Weatherman, Herb Stevens - is predicting a change in the prevailing pattern ASAP, and believes the rough start to the season will be just a memory within a few weeks. In the meantime, very few resorts in the East are open, with the exception of Sunday River at the moment.

This lack of skiing and snowboarding has led me to one conclusion: I need a big project to keep myself occupied this weekend. And that's where John Madden comes in. America's favorite football icon has inspired me to undertake the massive project of constructing and cooking a Turducken this weekend. A what? A Turducken - a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey. It's like one of those Russian dolls from your childhood, only it's edible and incredibly awesome!

Operation John Madden is already underway, as I went duck hunting over lunch this afternoon. Okay, I didn't really go hunting - I went to the local grocery store and picked up a six pound whole duck. Let me live my man fantasy already! More details will emerge as the operation unfolds in the coming days - currently, we're planning Friday as prep day, Saturday as cook day. All details of the operation will be documented and posted to an as yet unnamed location online. Keep your eyes peeled, kiddies. The Turducken is coming. Operation John Madden...is a go!

Looks like the cat's outta the bag, Shaun - earlier this week, the venerable Wall Street Journal weighed in on the difficulty of judging the ever changing sport of competitive snowboarding. After Red Bull recently released footage of Shaun White training in a super-secret backcountry superpipe, the mainstream media seems to have figured out what snowboarding insiders have known for years: accurately judging never before seen tricks can be really hard.

Wednesday's Wall Street Journal article follows a pair of 2010 Olympic Snowboarding judges as they try to wrap their heads around White's new moves. As head Olympic Snowboarding judge Ola Sundequist explains, "it usually takes seeing a new trick at least three or four times to understand its mechanics and "identify all the small details." Although judges do their best to watch the riders in practice beforehand, it's not uncommon for the athletes to keep their best tricks under wraps until their competition run, denying the judges a glimpse at what's to come. Judges then have just moments to apply a score to a given rider's run, opening the door for controversy and armchair quarterbacking.

Unfortunately, there's a precedent in the snowsports world for unseen tricks being penalized. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, freestyle skier Jonny Moseley unveiled his "Dinner Roll" for the first time in Olympic competition. Despite the trick being more difficult and more technical than anything else that was being done at the time, Moseley failed to medal; he attributed his low score to the fact that the judges had never seen the trick before.

Shaun White and his (awesome) corporate masters at Red Bull have likely taken note of what happened to Moseley. White said he could have saved his surprise moves for Vancouver to increase the "wow" factor and prevent copycats from stealing his thunder, but he decided it was more important "to educate the judges."

One thing's for certain: The upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics are going to showcase some epic snowboarding talent.

Let's not beat around the bush - learning how to snowboard is not easy. As an AASI certified snowboard instructor, I've taught hundreds of people how to snowboard, but even I'll admit it's not easy. Snowshoeing is easy. Snowboarding? Not so much. That's what makes it so much fun!

There are many different ways to learn how to snowboard - the ever popular "Follow me!" method, where a (once) trusted snowboarding friend drags his buddies to the top of the mountain and yells over his shoulder, "Follow me!"; then there's the traditional resort lesson route, be it a group lesson or a private, one-on-one lesson. Finally, there's the athletic guy full of determination who figures, "It can't be that hard, can it?" as he heads out to pound his body into a pulp in an effort to become a legit snowboarder. Each method works, albeit with different levels of success. I generally refrain from telling the story of how I learned to snowboard anymore, because no one believes me. Seriously. (If you're interested, drop me a line and I'll fill ya in!)

So how did you learn how to snowboard? Would you recommend your method to others? As a professional instructor, I have trouble seeing past what, in my opinion, is "the only way" - taking a lesson with someone like me at a resort. But I know there are other ways, and I know people have experienced success using these other ways. Don't by shy...let us know how you learned how to snowboard! You never know - someone might be influenced by your words, and end up a lifelong shredder!

Point your board here to fill everyone in on your "Learn how to snowboard experience!"

Whenever I tell someone I'm a die-hard snowboarder, the comment I hear most often is, "Snowboarding - that's an expensive sport!" True, the cost of a new board, bindings, boots, and clothing can add up quickly. Throw in the cost of a daily lift ticket, lodging and other essentials like beer, and it's easy to understand why some people think participating in the sport requires a healthy line of credit with a major bank. But it doesn't have to be that way!

One of the best ways to equip yourself and your family is by buying used equipment at one of the many ski and snowboard swaps that are held at the beginning of the season. Most resorts hold some form of swap, and the equipment for sale is often in great shape - especially kids gear. When junior's growing so fast he requires new boots every season, it's silly (bordering on crazy, in fact) to spend the money for brand new equipment.

A swap I know I'll be attending (but alas, not selling anything this year...I'm a little hard on my equipment!) is being held this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont. The sale begins on Friday at 4 p.m. and runs through Sunday, with proceeds going to benefit the Okemo Mountain School.

To find a ski swap going on in your area, hit up my favorite information clearinghouse, Google.

For more information on this ski swap event, check out the Okemo Mountain Resort Events Calendar!