Sky-high lift tickets - Aspen ski resort is pushing the price of a one-day lift ticket to $49. That's up $3 from last season, and is the highest-yet lift price in Colorado. Most other major Colorado resorts will charge $42 this season. Vail will charge $46.

Cheaper thrills - Skiers can get discounts by using the World Ski Card at various North American and European ski areas. The card comes with a $14.95 membership in the World Ski Association, and brings discounts on lift tickets, lodging, lessons and rentals at more than 1,000 ski areas. For information on membership and participating ski areas, contact the World Ski Association, P.O. Box 480825, Denver, CO 80248. Phone (303) 629-SNOW.

Snow Show - Want a sample of the coming ski season? Snow Show '94 is in Seattle this weekend, with more than 130 booths and displays from top manufacturers and ski resorts. There are free clinics and seminars on skiing and snowboarding, a ski swap and more. The show is at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle and is open on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6.50 for an adult; $4.50 for teens; free for 12 and under.

Warm up - For those who feel the chill, Killington ski resort in Vermont now has heated cabins on its new "Skyeship" gondola. The outside of the gondola is hot, too, with cabins painted in eye-popping neon colors.

Whistler on top - For the third year in a row, Snow Country magazine has chosen Whistler/Blackcomb in B.C. as the best overall ski destination in North America. The rest of its top 10 (in descending order) were: Vail, Colo.; Steamboat, Colo.; Mammoth Mountain, Calif.; Park City, Utah; Aspen, Colo.; Beaver Creek, Colo.; Keystone, Colo.; Squaw Valley, Calif.; Breckenridge, Colo.

Saving the bucks - If you're vacationing at a ski area and have a condo with a kitchen, try to buy most of your groceries before you get to the resort. Prices in resort stores are often higher than at nearby towns or cities. If you're going to Whistler Blackcomb, for instance, stock up at one of the supermarkets in Squamish (a town on the way to Whistler, about midway between Vancouver, B.C., and Whistler). Also check and see if there are any discount coupons for Whistler/Blackcomb tickets, since grocery chains sometimes offer them.

Mt. Baker's new lodge - The $2.5-million White Salmon Day Lodge is expected to open in January. It will house food service and eating areas, rental and retail shops, ticket sales and administration offices. The lodge is in the White Salmon parking lot, four miles down the road from Baker's traditional Heather Meadows base. It's built in a "Cascadian" style of heavy timbers, wood and rock, and sits at the bottom of Chair 7. Services will remain available at the Heather Meadows Day Lodge, but the White Salmon area gives quicker access to much of Mt. Baker's intermediate terrain and the 2-year-old Chair 8, a speedy quad chair.

Ski packages - A package trip to a ski resort can be an economical way to go. Check with a travel agent for the best deal; packages can include air fare, accommodations and lift tickets. Canadian Holidays and Horizon Air Holidays are among those offering packages in the Western U.S. and Canada, including Mt. Bachelor, Sun Valley, Whistler and Banff. (Horizon will offer daily non-stop flights between Seattle and Sun Valley starting Dec. 17).

Ski wear - Prepare to get fleeced this winter. Manufacturers are making ski hats, gloves and even long underwear out of fleece, a synthetic material that is warm, lightweight and water-resistant.

Arm yourself - For skiers who are tired of fumbling to find the trail map, there's now a "Skier Sleeve." This trail-map holder wraps around a skier's forearm; the map is encased in waterproof plastic and a velcro strap holds it in place. No more dropping gloves and digging in the pocket to find the crumpled, soggy trail map.

For information on the Skier Sleeve (which costs $14.99 plus postage and handling), telephone (800) 322-2930.

- Kristin Jackson