SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:

BEAR MOUNTAIN RESORT

The Park, already home to SoCal's only superpipe, will have a revolving setup of signature jibs, including some new designs, boosting the latest count to 150 jumps and 80 jibs. Information: (909) 866-5766, www.bearmountain.com

MOUNTAIN HIGH

More than $1 million in improvements were made during the off-season, with about 40 percent of that money going toward an upgraded snowmaking system. New snow guns were added and one-third of the existing hydrants were retrofitted to allow them to produce 30 percent more snow using less energy. The investment paid dividends during Thanksgiving weekend, when overnight temperatures in the 20s allowed workers at the resort to make several inches of snow on some of the trails so the West Resort could open. New elements were added to the Faultline Terrain Park, including the C-Bow, which is a convex, banked rainbow box, and a reversible quarter pipe. Also, the base lodge at the West Resort was gutted and then rebuilt. "The inside is completely different than it was -- new paint, new bathrooms, new retail shop, a VIP lounge and a bunch of flat screens everywhere," said spokesman John McColly. Information: (888) 754-7878, www.mthigh.com

SNOW SUMMIT

Snowmaking capabilities were expanded for the second straight season, with the addition of 40 Super Wizzard snowguns. Information: (909) 866-5766, www.snowsummit.com

MT. BALDY

Nothing new for the season. Information: (909) 981-3344, www.mtbaldy.com

SNOW VALLEY

The resort celebrates its 70th anniversary with improved snowmaking on the advanced Big Bowl trail. Coverage in the beginner area also has been upgraded. Information: (909) 867-2751, www.snow-valley.com

ELSEWHERE:

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN

Chair 9, built in the late 1960s and much older than many of the skiers and snowboarders using it, has been replaced with a $6.5 million high-speed chair. The new six-passenger Cloud Nine Express can get people up the mountain in six minutes -- half the time of the old lift -- and transport twice as many people per hour. The terrain park at Canyon Lodge (now dubbed Wonderland Park) has been moved from under the Schoolyard Express to under Chair 7 to provide an extra 15 acres of park terrain and to decrease traffic at the old location. Off the mountain, the 230-condo Westin Monache Resort in the Village at Mammoth is open just steps away from the gondola. Information: (800) 626-6684, www.mammothmountain.com

ALPINE MEADOWS

New owners JMA Ventures, which also operates Homewood Mountain Resort and the Tahoe Inn near Crystal Bay, has expanded its foothold in the region with its acquisition of Alpine. The San Francisco-based company is planning a high-end hotel and restaurant along the Truckee River in downtown Truckee. But first at Alpine, JMA is pledging to renew Alpine Meadows' emphasis on customer service. Information: (530) 583-4232, www.skialpine.com

BEAR VALLEY

Expanded terrain parks -- four in all -- and new visitor services help ring in the resort's 40th season. For regulars, the equipment reservation system has been streamlined, allowing for quick access to rental histories. On the slopes, a guided "First Tracks" tour will allow guests to check out everything from groomed beginner runs to advanced steeps and chutes. Information: (209) 753-2301, www.bearvalley.com

BOREAL

A moving carpet surface lift and a children's carousel for the little ones have been added. Information: (530) 426-3666, www.rideboreal.com

DIAMOND PEAK

Book a private Last Tracks outing every Saturday afternoon/evening in March, and chill out afterward in the midmountain Snowflake Lodge -- which will be reserved solely for your group. Cost is $725 for groups up to 25. Information: (775) 832-1177, www.diamondpeak.com

HEAVENLY

At 50 mph, the new Heavenly Sky Flyer zip line puts the emphasis on "zip." The longest zip line (3,100 feet) in the lower 48 states whisks riders from the summit of the six-passenger Tamarack Express chair in Nevada to the top of the gondola in California. The Sky Flyer will operate year-round. Also, the high-speed Olympic Express quad replaces an old two-person chair and provides access to ungroomed powder in the Nevada Woods. A one-way trip on the Olympic takes a little more than three minutes -- considerably faster than the 11-minute lift it's replacing. And, after you've worked up an appetite, take comfort in knowing that all of the resort's restaurants and food outlets are now serving natural meats and organic dairy products. The patty on your burger may look the same, but now it's free from antibiotics, added hormones, artificial ingredients and preservatives. Eat up! Information: (775) 586-7000, www.skiheavenly.com

HOMEWOOD

The resort's new $4.5 million high-speed, four-passenger chair lift will get skiers and riders to the top of the mountain in five minutes. That's 14 minutes faster than the lift it replaces, plus it accesses a wide variety of terrain, from beginner to expert.Information: (530) 525-2992, www.skihomewood.com

KIRKWOOD

There's a new Timber Creek facility with two roomy tent structures offering 10,000 square feet of space for guest services. Plus, the Mokelumne trail has been turned into a season-long skier/boarder cross course. Information: (209) 258-6000, www.kirkwood.com

MT. ROSE

Slope improvements in three areas -- Log Flume, Slide Bowl, Silver Dollar Trail and Wild Card Bowl -- highlight the new attractions. Also, snowmaking equipment was added to Slide. Information: (800) 754-7673, www.mtrose.com

NORTHSTAR-AT-TAHOE

A new triple-chair on Overlook Place, four intermediate trails in the Northwest Territory and expanded snowmaking are the new season's highlights. On the dining scene, Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar opened last month in the Village at Northstar. Information: (800) 466-6784, www.northstarattahoe.com

SIERRA-AT-TAHOE

Lessons take a new turn with instructors who can teach multiple ability levels in the same lesson, meaning everyone in the family rides the lift together, then will receive guidance based on what they're capable of doing. The resort also is serving up two new restaurants, the 360 Smokehouse BBQ -- with its panoramic views of the Lake Tahoe basin -- and the Baja Grill, which will serve fish tacos, quesadillas, burritos, tacos and other Mexican food specialties. Baja Grill replaces the West Bowl Bar & Grill. Information: (530) 659-7453, www.sierraattahoe.com

SQUAW VALLEY

A high-speed six-passenger chair has replaced the aging lift at one of the resort's most popular areas, Shirley Lake. And, the addition of snowmaking and the only lighted superpipe in the Tahoe basin will brighten the Riviera terrain park this season in the eyes of snowboarders and skiers. Also new this winter are guided backcountry tours to previously restricted areas on six Sundays between February and April, plus snowshoe tours around the resort's upper mountain peaks on full-moon nights in December, January, February and March. Information: (530) 583-6985, www.squaw.com

SUGAR BOWL

The new Jerome Creek lodge boasts ski-in/ski-out condominiums. Information: (530) 426-9000, www.sugarbowl.com