March may yet come in like a lion (and a potential storm at the tail end of this weekend is doing its best to assure us of that), but Wildcat Mountain is roaring into the month with some of the best deals of the season thus far.

On consecutive Fridays next month, March 13 and 20, the Jackson, N.H. is offering lift tickets for just $9. As per usual, your next day at Wildcat is $39, should you choose to upgrade by 3:30 p.m., which means you can ski Friday and Saturday for $48, or $24 a day.

After last week's storms, Wildcat is in the best shape it's seen all season (Saturday was among the best days of the year) and with March - historically the Northeast's snowiest month - on the horizon, it seems only to get better.

Attitash ski resort in Barlett, N.H., is saluting men and women serving in the armed forces with free lift tickets for active duty and retired military personnel and discounted tickets for their families Feb. 7-8 (valid IDs required -see the website for details). There will be a flag parade Saturday starting at the top of Attitash that includes the Marine Corps Honor Guard and ends with the National Anthem at the base area. Military personnel biographies will be exhibited in the resort’s lodges on both days. At each display, guests will be invited to write messages in journals, which will be sent to the respective soldiers. Non-military guests, who are encouraged to bring flags to participate in the parade, can get $10 of a lift ticket by bringing three approved donations to be sent to soldiers overseas. (Check this list of approved items.) In addition, Attitash Grand Summit Hotel is offering military personnel a 25 percent discount on slopeside lodging this weekend. Call 800-223-7669 for details.

Thirty-five appears to be the magic number if you’re looking to get in some mid-week skiing.

Tomorrow, $35 will net you a day on the slopes of Attitash in Bartlett, N.H. That’s a $27 savings off the regular $62 weekday cost.

On Wednesday, head up to Stowe, where the Vermont resort is hosting “Woodchuck Wednesday,” to celebrate the “beginning of the rest of winter.” Stowe is slashing its normally $89 lift ticket down to $35, and offering up free Stowe Points Cards (normally $75), which allow you to buy discounted passes for the rest of the season.

If that’s not enough, find a pair of Golden Goggles somewhere on the mountain Wednesday, and you’ll be entered in a contest to win a new pair of skis or snowboard.

There’s a chance of snow Tuesday in Bartlett, and another chance of it in Stowe on Wednesday.

Face it, skiing on Super Bowl Sunday hasn’t exactly been an attractive activity this past decade, what with the Patriots frequenting the big game four out of the last eight years. Sure, you could get back home in time for the 6:25 kickoff, but you’d be forced to miss 18 hours of predictions and player profiles. Or, at the very least, a few hours of pre-game snacking and imbibing.

But this year, with the Steelers and Cardinals set to face off, New England areas are doing everything they can to entice local skiers and riders to make the day about the mountains instead of the couch. With no Patriots on the horizon, check out Liftopia.com, which has released some of the deals it will be offering this Sunday, its second annual Super Bowl sale.

Here’s the list of deals for New England and Quebec:

Jay Peak Resort, VT - $32.50 - save 50%
Crotched Mountain, NH - $21.99 - save 57%
Wildcat Mountain, NH - $39.99 - save 38%
Jiminy Peak, MA - $36.99 - save 34%
Ragged Mountain, NH - $42.99 - save 27%
Black Mountain, NH - $29.00 - save 26%
Bolton Valley, VT - $43.99 - save 25%
Smugglers Notch, VT - $48.99 - save 21%
Sunday River 2-Day Pass, ME - $107.00 - save 20%
Wildcat Learn to Ski Package, NH - $55.00 - save 20%
Stoneham Resort, QC - $32.00 (USD) - save 21%
Mont Sainte Anne, QC - $39.00 (USD) - save 20%

For the skier-football fan who insists on both, we’d like to point out that Crotched is just 60 miles from Boston (65 from Worcester). For the skier who could care less about the game, Jay Peak at 50 percent off isn’t so bad, no?

It doesn't get better than this: Lift tickets will cost $9 this Friday at Wildcat Mountain in Jackson, N.H., The special price celebrates 51 years of lift-serviced skiing and 75 years since the Wildcat Trail was first developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Why $9? Because that's what it cost back in 1958 for 10 gondola rides. There will be plenty of apres-ski events this weekend (DJs, chili, music, and giveaways) and you can upgrade your ticket before 3:30 p.m. for the next day for $39. For a video update on current conditions, (15 inches of new snow fell this past weekend) check out Wildcat's blog.

Call us curmudgeons but we refuse to think about Christmas until Thanksgiving is over. Now that the turkey is picked clean, we’re considering the Yule. Waterville Valley Resort’s trying to get families into the holiday spirit this year with a package from $84 per person (quadruple occupancy) for a weekend that includes riding on a horse-drawn sleigh out to White Mountains Christmas Tree Farm to pick out the family tree, and free skiing on one day of the weekend stay. The offer is good for December 5-7 and 12-14. Full details on the Family Holiday Tree & Ski package are available on the ski area’s web site, www.visitwatervillevalley.com, or by calling 1-800-GO-VALLEY.

Posted by Patricia Harris and David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

Feeling guilty about leaving your dog alone when you go on vacation? Make it up to him by taking him out to dinner. Every Tuesday night from 5:30 to
9 p.m. the Wildcat Tavern in Jackson, N.H., hosts Dinner With Your Dog Night. They'll seat you and your leashed best friend in the tavern area (sorry, the dining room is for humans only). In warmer months you'll sit out back in the Wildcat's comfortable garden. Order what you like from the menu, and the good-natured staff will make a general fuss over you and your dog, treating him with water, dog snacks, and a souvenir bandana to take home. Need a place to stay? The Village House just down the road in Jackson is a pet-friendly place to bunk down for the night.

(Photos by Jesse Mosston)

Columbus Day weekend is usually the peak of foliage season in New Hampshire's Mount Washington Valley, and this year Mother Nature is doing her best to cooperate. Marti Mayne, spokeswoman for the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce in North Conway, tells us that as of Thursday, vistas from Pinkham and Crawford notches to North Conway are alive with reds, yellows, and oranges. Mount Washington even has a fresh blanket of snow on it, providing a frosty backdrop. The Mount Washington Observatory's weather forecast calls for sunny to partly sunny days through Sunday, and a partly cloudy day on Monday - perfect weather in which to ramble. Before you go, check out an interactive foliage map for prime leaf peeping.

Vacations may be put on hold as Wall Street trembles and high gas prices keep consumers at home. But for those still looking to get away, "lean and green" may be the mantra.
That's one conclusion of a survey of more than 3,000 US travelers from TripAdvisor LLC of Newton, which operates such branded travel websites as airfarewatchdog.com and smartertravel.com.
Many of the survey's respondents said they plan to go hiking or engage in an outdoor activity in a national park, and 11 percent of respondents said they are "likely to participate in an extreme sports activity," up from 8 percent a year ago, TripAdvisor said.
(The photo above this story was taken from smartertravel.com, where people are invited to post pictures from their vacations. According to the website, this photo was taken by Heather Wade, and it shows Bryan Nay bungee-jumping off Bob's Peak in Queenstown, New Zealand.)
No word yet on how many folks qualify as "extreme and green" vacationers, but green thinking is now part of many travel plan decisions.
"Thirty-four percent of US respondents said they will visit an environmentally-friendly hotel or resort in the coming year," up from 30 percent in a previous survey, TripAdvisor said. "Thirty-two percent of those surveyed said they will be more environmentally conscious in their travel decisions this year than they were the year before. Last year, 26 percent said they would be more environmentally conscious."
TripAdvisor's press release included a statement from Michele Perry, a company vice president.
"An emerging trend," she said, "is travelers getting greener."
Posted by Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Rumney Rocks, a popular rock climbing site in central New Hampshire, will reopen tomorrow, Friday. The area had been closed for several days as crews fought a slow-burning but stubborn fire that scorched much of the surrounding area on Rattlesnake Mountain.

Staff at the White Mountain National Forest issued a press release today cautioning returning hikers and climbers to beware dangerous debris, snags and more in the fire area. Trail edges may be unstable and, even if the surface looks level, it could collapse under a hiker's weight.

The release outlined additional risks for climbers: Those "returning to the crags in the Orange Crush, Bonsai, Main Cliff, and Darth Vader areas should be aware that previously exiting bolts, carabineers, slings, quick draws and anchors may no longer be stable."

For updates, visit here.

Tread lightly, and have fun.

Have you ever gotten up early to watch the sunrise? Let me rephrase that: Have you ever gotten up early to drive to the top of the highest peak in the Northeast to watch the sun come up over the Atlantic Ocean? The Mount Washington Auto Road is opening early on three Sundays this summer (June 29, Aug. 3, and Aug. 31) to allow drivers extra early access to the summit of Mount Washington. On June 29, the auto road will open at 3:30 a.m., on Aug. 3 it will open at 4 a.m., and on Aug. 31 it will open at 4:30 a.m. The regular rate applies ($20 per car and driver, $7 each additional adult, $5 for ages 5-12, and children under 4 free) as do certain vehicle restrictions. These rates include that famous bumper sticker and an audio tour on CD or cassette in English, French, or German. On a regular day, most vehicles take about 30 minutes to make the 7.6-mile ascent. Just don’t wait until the last minute to arrive. The popularity of last year’s sunrise drives showed that it may take as long as 30 minutes just to get through the Toll House at the mountain’s base. Someone once said, ‘‘We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness.’’ So what’s a little exhaust?

For those of you not paying attention, Easter comes early this year. It's a perfect time to put all your eggs, a dash of piety, and a weekend getaway into one basket. (Don't forget the jelly beans and marshmallow Peeps.) At 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 23 Sunset Hill House in Sugar Hill, N.H., is hosting an ecumenical sunrise Easter service. Then from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., the inn will hold a brunch, with part of the proceeds going to a homeless shelter in nearby Franconia. The brunch is $17.95 for adults, $12.95 for children. There will be an Easter egg hunt at noon (free for all children) with prizes awarded. The inn's stunning view of the White Mountains is worth a trip to the Sunset Hill House. Room rates range from $115-$360.

Maybe your legs are shot from skiing or you’re just looking for a different way to explore the mountains. Great Glen Trails in Pinkham Notch, N.H., is whisking people up the Mt. Washington Auto Road this year aboard a custom-designed SnowCoach, which is a 9-passenger van that has a unique track system instead of tires. The SnowCoach takes passengers to treeline, at about 4,000 feet, where they can enjoy expansive views of the White Mountains. Those interested in getting a workout, can snowshoe 4.5 miles back down the road. SnowCoach tours last just over an hour and run 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, weather permitting, through March. Tickets are $40 for adults, $25 for kids 5 to 12, and there’s no minimum age. Call 603-466-2333 for more info.

JetBlue announced today that six of its winter snowbird routes will now be available throughout the year.

For New England, JetBlue will offer year-round service between the Orlando International Airport in Florida and both the Burlington International Airport in Vermont and the Portland International Jetport Airport in Maine.

Those service expansions will give New Englanders additional connecting-flight options for traveling south of the US border.

In March, JetBlue will introduce its first international service from Florida with nonstop service from Orlando to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Cancun, Mexico.

The carrier hopes to begin offering service from Orlando to Bogota later this year but is waiting approval from the US Department of Transportation.
Posted by Nicole C. Wong, Globe staff

You'll think you're in Switzerland. At the very least, you'll have that giddy feeling that can only come from fresh air in the mountains. This summer I fell in love with the Loon Mountain Club, a resort/spa that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but will give you the escape-from-the-city therapy that you might need. It's on a hill overlooking the gondola up to Loon's peak. But get a room that looks the other way -- toward the Pemi River across the way, because the sound of that white-water river is pure, ambient bliss. Leave your window open and enjoy.
This is a modern place with all the amenities -- most rooms also have kingsize beds -- and there's the Viaggio Spa and Health Club on the premises, which offers hot-stone massages. Treat yourself to luxury without paying Canyon Ranch prices. Not that you'll need it this winter, but there's also a great outdoor swimming pool.
Plus, the on-site Seasons Restaurant will entice the palate.

Posted by Steve Morse, Globe Correspondent