Using Wireless Devices on the Slopes

Some smartphone users may view their skiing or snowboarding trip as a step back in time, where the hunt for fast mobile bandwidth on the lodge’s Wi-Fi network is more challenging than the quest for fresh powder runs.

So, powder hounds, take heart: those days are fading fast. High-speed wireless networks now reach into the mountains and canyons where 57.5 million visits are made on average each year to enjoy skiing and snowboarding among the nation’s more than 300 winter resorts

This season, Verizon Wireless 4G LTE service was turned on at more than 40 new winter destinations and resorts, including Vail, Sun Valley and Park City in the West; Sunday River, Stowe and Jay Peak in the East; and Midwest destinations throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ohio. 

Now, skiers and snowboarders can use their 4G LTE devices to find the best days to hit the slopes. Apps such as Ski & Snow Report provide official updates on snow conditions as well as first-hand ski reports from users on the mountain. They can find the best trails for their skill level by downloading trail maps or take advantage of an augmented reality trail map app that uses a phone’s camera to show what runs are ahead. Also, GPS-based downloadable apps like Ski Tracker help map and track runs, capturing everything from speed and distance to altitude and time.

Winter enthusiasts who are calling the mountain home for the next few months can also turn to 4G LTE for high-speed Internet access as well. HomeFusion Broadband brings 4G LTE into winter homes, condos and lodges located within the 4G LTE-enhanced areas that may otherwise not have Internet access. The broadband router offers 4G LTE connectivity to smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming consoles, even in remote locales.

If a trip is already in the works, winter vacationers can utilize a coverage map to find out if 4G LTE is available at their ski resort of choice so they can grab their gear and prepare for the wireless winter wonderland that awaits them.  

* 4G LTE coverage has been updated at the following resorts for the 2012-13 ski/snowboard season. And, by year’s end, 4G LTE service will be available at every winter destination where Verizon Wireless 3G service is currently available.

Colorado

Aspen/Snowmass – Aspen

Breckenridge Ski Resort – Breckenridge

Vail Ski Resort – Vail

Idaho

Sun Valley Resort – Sun Valley

Maine

Sunday River – Newry

Michigan

ABR Active Backwoods Retreat – Ironwood

Marquette Mountain Ski Area – Marquette

Mont Ripley Ski Area – Houghton

Mt. Zion – Ironwood

Minnesota

Mount Ski Gull – Nisswa

New York

Bristol Mountain Ski Resort – Canandaigua

Four Seasons Golf and Ski Center – Fayetteville

Greek Peak – Cortland

Holiday Mountain Ski and Fun Park – Monticello

Holiday Valley – Ellicottville

Peek’n Peak Resort and Spa – Findley Lake

Maple Ski Ridge – Rotterdam

Sawkill Family Ski Center – Kingston

Ski West Mountain – Queensbury

Toggenburg Mountain Ski Center – Fabius

Tuxedo Ridge – Tuxedo Park

Ohio

Snow Trails Winter Resort – Mansfield

Mad River Mountain – Zanesville

Pennsylvania

Seven Springs Mountain Resort – Seven Springs

Hidden Valley Resort – Hidden Valley

Utah

Brighton Ski Resort – Brighton

Park City Mountain Resort – Park City

Solitude Mountain Resort – Solitude

Vermont

Burke Mountain Resort – East Burke

Jay Peak Resort – Jay

Magic Mountain Ski Resort – Londonderry

Pico Mountain – Killington

Smugglers’ Notch Resort – Smugglers’ Notch

Stowe Mountain Resort – Stowe

Wisconsin

Alpine Valley Resort – East Troy

Cascade Mountain – Portage

Christmas Mountain Village – Wisconsin Dells

Devil’s Head Resort – Merrimac

Highlands of Olympia – Oconomowoc

Mt. La Crosse – La Crosse

Nutt Ski Hill – Plymouth

Triangle Sports Area – Green Bay

Tyrol Basin – Mount Horeb

Winter Park Recreation Area – Kewaunee

Wyoming

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort – Teton Village