Acrophobia alert in Canada

(Hilary Nangle for The Boston Globe)

The new Peak 2 Peak Gondola at Whistler Resort in British Columbia, which zips 2 3/4 miles between adjacent peaks Whistler and Blackcomb in 11 minutes, isn't for the faint of height. It dangles 1,432 feet off the valley floor - that's almost as high as the Empire State Building - and the span between supporting pillars on either side stretches 1 7/8 miles. And, get this, two of the 28 cars will have glass floor panels. Gulp! 866-218-9690, www.whistlerblackcomb.com.

Bag a burger Celebrate the 40th anniversary of a Sugarloaf institution. The Bag & Kettle, a brewery and restaurant located in Sugarloaf's base village, is a favorite for good eats, lively après-ski, and Monday night blues and pizza, but it's legendary for its Bag Burger. 207-237-2451.

Mush! The 250-mile Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races, Feb. 28-March 3, 2009, is a qualifier for the famed Iditarod. Like the Alaska race, this one starts downtown, in Fort Kent, Maine. Other good viewpoints include the towns of Allagash and Portage and at the finish corral at the Lonesome Pine Ski Lodge. www.can-am.sjv.net.

Hut two, three, four Glide, hike, or snowshoe into the winter wilderness, and spend the night in comfort. The first hut in the Maine hut-to-hut system opened last season, welcoming guests with cozy quarters, hot showers, comfy beds, and good food. The second hut, on the shores of Flagstaff Lake, is slated to open this winter. Peak nonmember rates are $85 adult, $25 ages 2-14, including full breakfast and dinner. 877-634-8824, www.maine huts.org.

Friday night lights And Saturdays and select holidays are lit up, too, at Sunday River in Newry, Maine, this season. The new chondola and the South Ridge Express will run; the Foggy Goggle restaurant and the cafeteria will be open at South Ridge; and on Saturday nights, a finer-dining experience is planned at the North Peak on-mountain lodge. 207-824-3000, www.sundayriver.com.

Tram redux! Out in northwest Wyoming, Jackson Hole's new tram opens next month, transporting 100 passengers 4,139 vertical feet to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain in nine minutes. 888-DEEP-SNO (333-7766), 307-733-2292, www.jacksonhole.com.

Ultimate splurge Great Canadian Heli-Skiing's Platinum Season Pass provides heli-skiing daily, if desired, Dec. 26-March 28, in British Columbia, as well as the services of a personal powder concierge, for $100,000. 866-424-4354, www.canadianheli-skiing.com.

Cheap sleeps: These are not your grandparents' hostels. Most now offer private and family rooms and a few get downright upscale with hot tubs, Internet access, flat-screen TVs, even slopeside digs. Many include linens, some offer meals. Get the lowdown at samesun.com or hihostels.com. Or check out the Appalachian Mountain Club's two New Hampshire facilities, the Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch, at the base of Mount Washington, or the snazzier Highland Center at Crawford Notch. 603-466-2727, www.outdoors.org.

HILARY NANGLE