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SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah resorts still want skiers and snowboarders to come enjoy their groomed slopes and high-speed lifts this season, but theyre also offering expanded options for people who want to get a taste of the backcountry without the risk of going alone.New opportunities include a pair of new lifts at Powder Mountain Resort that open 5,000 acres of powder skiing through trees, and a new luxury cat-skiing operation at Whisper Ridge in northern Utah on 60,000 acres. Ski Utah is also widening its marketing of a long-running guided tour that takes in the back country near six resorts in one day.The appetite for exploring beyond the boundaries of resorts has been growing in recent years. An estimated 5.7 million skiers and snowboarders ventured into the backcountry in 2015-2016 -- up 34 percent from 2008-2009 ski season, according to research from SnowSports Industries America. A large chunk of those people went into the side country, areas connected to resorts that resemble backcountry.Utah ski resorts are hoping to repeat last years banner season in which they parlayed good early-winter snow and buzz created by Vail Resorts new mega-resort into a 10-year high for visitors. Several of the states 14 ski resorts are hoping to open in November to kick off season, though a lack of early season snow could make that difficult.Heres a look at whats new this year, including several of the new options for backcountry-like experiences.---POWDER MOUNTAIN: NEW LIFTS, NEW TERRAINPowder Mountain Resorts new lifts give skiers and snowboarders access to 10 new groomed runs on about 1,000 new acres. It also allows skiers to explore 600 new acres of rugged terrain in a bowl that before was only accessible by all-day guided snow cat operations. Skiers can get to the runs off the lifts, but must pay an additional $25 (or $20 for season pass-holders) to take a snow cat ride out of the bowl each time they ski down. Regular lift tickets cost $79 for adults.The terrain is ideal for beginner and intermediate skiers who want to practice powder and tree skiing, said J.P. Goulet, Powder Mountain spokesman.The lifts and 6 miles of new roads connect the existing resort to the site where Powder Mountains owners -- a group of young, wealthy entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and artists who purchased the resort in 2013 -- are planning to build a New Age mountain town. Built around a vehicle-free main street, they tout the community as a rethink of the American mountain town with homes, pop-up stores, micro apartments, farm-to-table restaurants and yoga boot camps. Work has begun, but the project is expected to take several years.Powder Mountain, about 50 miles northeast of Salt Lake City, is also limiting day tickets to 2,000 per day so they can offer skiers and snowboarders uncrowded slopes.Deer Valley is the only other ski resort that has a set limit for daily skiers, though other resorts turn people away when parking lots get full, said Paul Marshall, spokesman for Ski Utah.---LUXURY CAT SKIINGFor skiers with plenty of money who are looking to get totally off the grid, Whisper Ridge Cat Skiing offers 60,000 acres of private terrain to carve through in the day and the option to spend nights at luxury yurts.The operation, located about 85 miles northeast of Salt Lake City, uses modified snow cats to carry skiers up and down the hills.Day rates are $450 per person in the early and late season and $495 during the heart of winter. Yurt lodging rates range from $725-$1,000 a night depending on the type of yurt and dates.It is not the first cat skiing operation in Utah. Park City Powder Cats has been around for years. It offers rates of $549-$569 per day, depending on the dates. Alta, Powder Mountain and Snowbird also are offering cat skiing packages.---ONE DAY, SIX RESORTSSki Utahs long running Interconnect Tour has a developed a loyal group of customers who come back, but officials are hoping to entice skiers who may be among those tempted to ski more in backcountry terrain, Marshall said.The guided tour, which costs $395 per person, takes skiers down backcountry routes near six different Utah resorts, starting at Deer Valley near Park City and finishing at Snowbird in the Little Cottonwood Canyon. The tour usually takes participants about 25 miles and down about 16,000 vertical feet.Guides carry rescue beacons and take other safety measures needed in the backcountry. Skiers must be 16 or older and must be advanced skiers. No snowboarders are allowed.It offers a taste of what the backcountry is about with the assistance of guides who know the terrain and area so well, Marshall said. Its a great way to kind of put your toes in the water.---This story has been corrected to show that the new Powder Mountain lifts open up 600 acres of new rugged terrain, not 5,000.Hurricanes Jerseys 2020 . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. Carolina Hurricanes Store . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. https://www.cheaphurricanes.com/ . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Fake Hurricanes Jerseys . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Hurricanes Jerseys 2021 .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey.Each season for 15 years, Louisville coach Rick Pitino has paid tribute to the life of his brother-in-law, Billy Minardi, with a basketball game.Pitino welcomes back former Louisville video-assistant-turned-Eastern Kentucky head coach Dan McHale and his Colonels for a noon tip-off Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.Pitino typically invites a coaching friend or former colleague back to town as a celebration of the spirit of Minardi, who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. McHale, now in his second season as Eastern Kentuckys head coach, knows the Minardi family well.McHale also knows Saturday matchup against No. 11 Louisville (9-1) will be an extremely difficult test for the Colonels (6-5).We went back and forth with text messages this week, McHale said of his conversation with Pitino. I told him I hope we give them a good show. And I also asked him as he was preparing for us, to let me know what he thinks about my teams strengths and weaknesses and what we have to work on before OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) play. Ill never stop learning from him. Hes the best.McHale said he learned a lot about how to run his program from Pitino.Its surreal to think about going back as a coach. Hes the sole reason I came to the University of Kentucky -- to learn from him, McHale said. Then going to Louisville to work for him from Day 1 was like being an intern on the ground floor of a Fortune 500 company. Just soaking everything up. Hes had his hand on my career every step of the way, from Seton Hall with Kevin Willard, to Minnesota with his son, Richard, and now here.I have a lot of friends who are going to be there. And to be coaching back in Louisville where I started my coaching career is certainly special. Im just glad its a noon tip so I dont have to wait around all day for it.Pitino hasnt taken it easy on his former assistants, owning a 40-10 overall record. Only Tubby Smith and Mick Cronin (each 5-7 vs. Pitino) have beaten their former boss. Pitino has a spotless record against Billy Donovan, Scott Davenport, Marvin Menzies, Kevin Willard, Steve Masiello, Richard Pitino, Kareem Richardson, Kevin Keatts, Ralph Willard and Reggie Theus.If McHale is going to join Smith and Cronin, hell need a big game from All-OVC forward Nick Mayo.Hes likely going to win conference player of the year several times in a row, Pitino said of Mayo.dddddddddddd Hes a guy who could start at most places in the ACC.Mayo comes into Saturdays game averaging 19.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound sophomore could be a tough test for Louisvilles 6-9, 230-pound junior power forward Jaylen Johnson. Johnson started the season with several double-doubles, but since cooled off and is averaging 9.4 points and 8.2 rebounds.Eastern Kentuckys backcourt of senior Isaac McGlone (10.1 ppg) and freshman Asante Gist (14.4 ppg) will be tested by Louisvilles pressure defense. The Cardinals are among the national leaders in turnovers forced and are the top defense in the nation according to Ken Pomeroys computer rankings.Coming off the floor Saturday with a smile on our faces is the plan and it would definitely be very sweet, Colonels grad assistant and former Louisville student manager Bobby DiRaimo added. It will be tough to do. They are really good and I know they will be ready to play. But the guys are excited and its going to be fun.Louisvilles has forced 160 turnovers in 10 games and foes are shooting just 36.0 percent against the Cardinals including 28.3 percent from 3-point range. Interestingly enough, Eastern Kentuckys top 3-point threat is Dillon Avare, a former Louisville walk-on who transferred last summer.Coach P was really happy for me. ... I didnt get to play a lot at Louisville, so to be able to play more and be able to impact the team in a different way and being on the court with the guys has been fun, Avare said. It would be awesome to be able to shoot against the Cardinals like I did at Ball State. If someone scores on a player at Louisville two times in a row, coach P goes off. So it would be pretty cool to be on the other side of that exchange.As for Louisville, the Cardinals are led by sophomore guard Donovan Mitchells 11.4 points per game following by junior guard Quentin Sniders 10.8. Sophomore wing Deng Adel is averaging 10.0 points and 4.8 rebounds.The Cardinals have won 52 of their last 53 non-conference home games at the KFC Yum! Center spanning the last seven seasons. Louisville also has won its last 16 straight home games against non-conference opponents. ' ' '