I hope you’re planning on skiing Tuesday. Of all the holidays, New Year’s Day is the best day to ski. That is if you want to avoid crowded slopes. Because too many skiers will party too late tomorrow night, they will be slow to arrive Tuesday morning. Add the skiers who will leave early to watch football, and you’ll find there is usually plenty of room to turn all day. So join me in retiring a couple of hours before the New Year is rung in, and hitting the slopes when the lifts open.

Of course, the best way to do this is to spend New Year’s Eve on the mountain, and Maine’s ski areas have plenty of parties on tap, so you can do some celebrating and still get plenty of sleep. There are plenty of New Year’s Eve parties scheduled at Maine’s ski areas. It’s simply a matter of what kind of party you’re looking for.

One ski area that won’t be hosting any parties is Lost Valley. Business has been so quiet past New Year’s that they now close at 5 p.m. They will be open New Year’s Day, and General Manager Connie King called this the best vacation skiing in years. We can expect that just about everywhere, one more reason to be out early Tuesday morning.

Shawnee Peak will have skiing on the big night until 9 p.m., but the big doings will take place upstairs in Blizzard’s Pub. Bill Cameron will provide the music from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. There will be a $10 cover charge and dinner specials. To join the celebration at Shawnee Peak, call 207-647-8444, ext. 29.

Next weekend, Shawnee is celebrating Elvis’ 73rd birthday with their second annual Elvis on the Mountain Day. One of Boston’s top Elvis impersonators, MichaEL VISelli, will be on hand for an apres ski party. Skiers are invited to dress up as Elvis and join in a group photo at 4 p.m. All who dress up as Elvis and appear in the photo will receive a voucher for a free day of skiing in the future. Details can be found on the Web at www.shawneepeak.com

Sunday River will host several parties. In the Summit Hotel, a special New Year’s is scheduled from 5 to11 p.m. at Legends restaurant. Reservations are required. A New Year’s family style buffet will take place in the Grand Ballroom with a DJ. There will also be a Chem-free party for those under 18.

At the Jordan Grand Hotel, Sliders will have a special pub menu from 5-11 p.m. and live entertainment from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Grand Avenue will have New Year’s specials from 6 p.m. to midnight, and there will be a kids’ party.

Another party will take place at the Foggy Goggle, the popular aprs ski spot in the South Ridge base lodge. Most of the events require reservations, so check www.sundayriver.com for pricing and details, or call 1-800-207-2353.

Look for a big party at the Bethel Inn and other places in the Bethel/Sunday River area. Log on to www.bethelinn.com for more information.

The only official word from Sugarloaf calls for the seventh annual Family New Year’s Party in the Base Lodge featuring live music, contra dancing, games and fireworks. But those of us familiar with Sugarloaf know that the base village will be filled with partying at Gepetto’s, The Bag and other spots. The Rack, down on the access road, will be a busy place as will others in the valley. For details and to get various phone numbers call 1-800-THE-LOAF or check www.sugarloaf.com.

The action at Saddleback will take place in the Swig N’ Smelt Pub with a dinner dance. A buffet dinner will start at 8:30 and the Elmore Twist Band will play until the wee hours. Cost is $75 per person and reservations are required (207-864-5671).

Over in New Hampshire there will be plenty of activity. It may be too late to make reservations at places like the Balsams and the Mount Washington Hotel, where there are great dinners scheduled in elegant settings. The Mount Washington Valley has a bunch of night spots and is a fine place to combine skiing and celebrating

The biggest celebration in the region is north of the border. Quebec City will kick off a ten-month celebration of its 400th birthday on New Year’s Eve. The party will continue into October with the biggest happenings in mid-July. Skiers will see evidence of the anniversary at Stoneham, Mont Ste. Anne and Le Massif ski areas. Skiers who take in the annual Winter Carnival will find the event bigger than ever. The carnival takes place the first two weeks in February running through the 17th, and the big weekend is the final weekend. Saturday, Feb. 16, is Maine Ski Heritage Day at Sugarloaf. This event to benefit the Ski Museum of Maine and the Maine Ski Hall of Fame will stat with a classic ski equipment and clothing exhibit at the base lodge from 2-3:30 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., there will be a parade down the Birches ski trail to the Sugarloaf Inn for an Apres Ski Fondue Party, silent and live auction and at 6 p.m. the raffle winners will be drawn. The Ski Museum traveling exhibit will be on display in the base lodge. Details of this one are still being worked out, but log on to www.skimaine.com and click on the Ski Museum link, where they will be posted later.

There are plenty more happenings in ski country throughout the season, so keep checking those Web sites for events. The Web is also a great place to find bargain lift tickets. Now it’s time for the usual resolutions. I start every year with the same intentions, to ski more and visit more of the smaller ski areas. So join me on the slopes.

Happy New Year.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.