Other skiers were still heading in to the lake, every bit as cheery as we had been on the way in.

When cross-country and alpine skiers head for the hills, this is where they go.

Last season, serious skiers headed West rather than ski in areas where snow levels were on the average 50 percent lower than in 1993-94.

At midday, the skier headed for the restaurant.

(More aggressive skiers head to nearby Silverton, a lift-served guided backcountry ski area.)

Stronger skiers head for Festkogel in Obergurgl and to the Schermerspitze in Hochgurgl.

Sunapee-bound skiers headed north from Boston spun tales of unrequited love.

Where do all the pros and die-hard skiers head when they've ticked off Alaska, Russia and Chile?

Experienced skiers head for virtually any back-country section, where elevation gains can be a grueling 4,000 feet over a few miles.

Its development comes at a time when inbound skiing has remained static, but more and more skiers and snowboarders are heading into wilderness areas.