With downhill skiing winding down for the winter (Mission's last day is April 7), it's time to ponder your strategy for keeping skiing affordable next season. The cheapest prices for a pass will be found by purchasing before June 1. Until then, seasons passes for the 2013-14 season at Mission will run $349 for adults, and will bump up another $75 after the cutoff.

For the third installment of the WenatcheeOutdoors Snowshoeing course Tom Janisch presented on avalanche awareness. Here are notes from the class, with info on avalanche statistics, avalanche mechanics, evaluating hazards, slide warning signs, and field tests for snow stability.

Les Eddy has been skiing since 1945. Since he began, both skiing and ski instruction have changed considerably. In this article Les shares the wisdom he learned in almost twenty years as a professional ski instructor. He also shows up in some classic ski photos taken at White Pass in the 1950s. 

Matt Dahlgreen and his wife sent us this trip report on cross-country skiing Rattlesnake Springs Road from Swakane Canyon. Although the road is rocky and usually melts out quickly, it's been ski-worthy this winter for those seeking a tranquil route.