New Snow = Strapping on the Skis or a Snowboard

With this past weekend's snow and with the cold temperatures this week, it's probably safe to say that winter has arrived.  Whether you're ready to strap on the skis or the snowboard this weekend, or you're looking to make holiday plans for the family, look no further.

Let's start here in Golden Valley, where we've got plenty of hills for sledding, but unlike many communities, we have plenty of hills for snowboarding and cross-country skiing, too.

is the place for all three, and it's an award-winning area.  Wirth was voted "Best Ski Lessons" in Minnesota Monthly’s 2011 “Best of the Cities” issue.

• For cross-country skiing, there's no place better than the trails at Wirth.  With 15 miles of trails and day passes starting at $8, it's the perfect place to get some peace and excercise. Never been skiing? Wirth offers lessons and equipment rentals.
• If snowboarding is your thing, there are rails and boxes located behind the Wirth Chalet. You can get a day pass for $10 or a season pass for $100. Not only does Wirth offer equipment rentals and lessons, but you can host your own snowboard party there this winter, too.

For downhill skiing fans or snowboarders looking for hills outside of Golden Valley, Patch has put together a guide for the best slopes within an hour's drive of the Twin Cities.

Buck Hill Ski Area
15400 Buck Hill Road
Burnsville, MN 55337
(612) 435-7174

• Boasting a 310-foot vertical drop and 40 skiable acres, Buck Hill is the south metro’s go-to skiing spot. The ski season there opened the Monday before Thanksgiving, meaning that plenty of skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing fun awaits.
• Daytime lift tickets at Buck Hill start at $20, and daily lessons are offered at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to students age 6 and up of all ability levels. Lessons are $20 and do not include a lift ticket or rental. Private lessons are also available.
• December and January promise a number of special events at Buck Hill, including the Mighty Midwest Snowboard Camp the week before Christmas and high school ski tournaments in January.

Afton Alps Ski Area
6600 Peller Ave. S.
Hastings, MN 55033
(651) 436-5245
(800) 328-1328

• For fun before, during and apres-ski, Afton Alps is a great family option. The facility has a wide variety of equipment rentals along with four chalets; daytime lift tickets start at $24. If you’re a beginner, you can rent everything you need for around $25.
• Afton Alps offers lessons throughout the day at $20 per hour, or $45 per hour for private lessons. Tubing and snowboarding lessons are also available.
• “Afton Alps is known for being so big, so close and so much fun,” says Afton Alps marketing manager Amy Reents. “We have 18 chairlifts and 49 runs over nearly 300 acres, making Afton the largest in the metro area.”

Welch Village Ski Area
PO Box 146
Welch, MN 55089
(612) 258-4567
(651) 222-7079 (twin cities)
(800) 421-0699

• Founded in 1965, Welch Village is one of the Twin Cities most respected ski hills, offering 37 runs split evenly between beginner, intermediate and expert courses. Using water from the nearby Cannon River to make snow, the property has 140 acres of skiable terrain, with the main slope offering a challenging vertical rise.
• A daily lift ticket is $39, although Welch Village offers discounts and specials throughout the season--such as Family Festival Days, in which family members receive a lift ticket, rental package, beginner lesson and a meal in the chalet for $59 each.
• Lessons are split between aspiring skiers younger than 10 and older. New this year is the $99 Starter Kit, which offers three lift tickets, three standard equipment rental packages and three one-hour group lessons.

Hyland Ski & Snowboard Area
8800 Chalet Road
Bloomington, MN 55438
763-694-7800

• Operated by the Three Rivers Park District, Hyland Ski & Snowboard Area is located within Hyland Lake Park Reserve. This publicly operated hill offers adult lift tickets starting at $29, with discounts available for children and during weekends.
• The SnowSports Academy at Hyland offers skiing, snowboarding and Telemarking lessons for all ages and abilities, with private, semi-private, or group lessons available. Call for rates and availability, and keep in mind that spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Also, the hill’s Grind-Rite Tune Shop offers a wide variety of repairs and maintenance packages for your valuable gear: “Our terrain park is full of progressive and innovative features and we are known for some of the best snowmaking and grooming in the Midwest,” boasts the Hyland website.

Trollhaugen Ski Area
2232 100th Ave
Dresser, WI 54009
(800) 826-7166
(612) 433-5141
(715) 755-2955

• The live ski cam on Trollhaugen’s website should make you want to hit the slopes immediately. Daytime ski passes are available for $41, with discounts for kids, seniors, and for night skiing. Trollhaugen offers numerous specials for package rates and for college students. If you want to take it a little slower, you can hit Trollhaugen’s cross-country trails for only $9. A wide variety of rentals is also available.
• A 90-minute group lesson will run you $25, with semi-private and private lessons also available. For the kids, a combination ski or snowboard instructional package is available for as little as $25 for a two-hour lesson.