October 31, 2011 (West Yellowstone, MT) – With the temperature well below freezing in West Yellowstone last night and five inches of snow above 8,000 feet, planning for the 2011 Yellowstone Ski Festival is in full swing. We would like to welcome back our old friends and invite new cross-country ski enthusiasts to the first Nordic Festival of the season. There is something for everyone this year, and we are excited to announce many new additions.

– New Trails: Over three miles have been added to the Rendezvous Ski Trails this year, along with new signs, trail maps, and a brand new biathlon range.
– Two-Day Kids Ski Clinic: The Yellowstone Ski Festival and Lone Mountain Ranch have partnered to offer a ski-specific kids clinic on Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving week. Grade K-2nd clinics will focus on the “Fun”damentals of classic skiing, and 3rd-6th graders will have both classic and skate options.
– Fresh off of another first ascent, Legendary Mountaineer Conrad Anker will be delivering the keynote address on Friday evening, Nov. 25, at the Holiday Inn, Yellowstone Ski Festival Headquarters.
– Adaptive Sit Ski and Biathlon Clinic. Eagle Mount in Bozeman, Mont., the Casper Mountain Biathlon Club (Casper, Wyo.), and the Yellowstone Ski Festival have joined to provide a FREE clinic to adaptive athletes on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
– Fashion Show: Wednesday evening, Nov. 23, will feature a Fall harvest Tapas and Tasting, followed by the first ever Yellowstone Ski Festival Fashion show, featuring the latest in styles from leading ski clothing manufacturers.

The Yellowstone Ski Festival will also welcome back the major ski manufacturers as well as a few new companies to the On-Snow Nordic Gear Demo and Indoor Nordic Expo. Online registration is now open for six different races for competitive skiers, and the Nordic clinics will present five, three, and one day courses, including a women’s only and junior clinic option.

Discounted month-of-November trail passes are available until Oct. 31. Order yours today and save 20 percent. Book your lodging now for the best availability. Many hotels, motels, condos and houses are still available over Thanksgiving week. Contact the chamber for a list of properties. If you are flying into Bozeman and do not want to rent a car, let Big Sky Taxi or Karst Stage do the driving. Register for a clinic. Many of the popular clinics will fill on a first come first served basis, so sign-up online today!

For more information about all the events at the Yellowstone Ski Festival visit our website at www.yellowstoneskifestival.com.