It's hard to believe that summer is over. Here in Atlanta, nothing has changed. The weather is still pleasant, I'm still hiking and biking, and the air conditioner is still blowing full blast. But, I recently finished a magazine assignment about exotic ski destinations which made me realize that winter is just a few months away.

For those whose weather has slowly changed or loves to ski, SKI Magazine just released its annual "Top 50 Resort Guide" The magazine listed Deer Valley, Utah as the number one ski resort.

Deer Valley also received top honors from SKI readers in the categories of service, grooming and dining. Other Utah resorts that were No. 1 in various categories included Snowbird, voted "Best Skier's Mountain," and Alta, voted top "Weekend Escape."

Colorado had six resorts in the overall top 10 list, more than any other state. Vail was No. 2, after Deer Valley. Whistler Blackcomb, in British Columbia, Canada, was third on the list, followed by Aspen and Snowmass, both in Colorado; Park City, Utah; Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Steamboat, Colo., and in the No. 10 spot, Sun Valley Idaho.

The magazine offers a separate list for East Coast resorts. Tremblant, in Quebec, Canada, took the top spot there, followed by Smugglers Notch, Vt.; Whiteface, N.Y.; Stowe, Vt.; Holiday Valley, N.Y.; Sugarloaf, Maine; Sugarbush, Vt.; Killington, Vt.; Bretton Woods, N.H., and Okemo, Vt.

Smuggler's Notch also was ranked the nation's top resort in the "Family Ski Trip" category.

Nearly 7,000 SKI Magazine subscribers took part in the "Top 50 Resort Guide" survey.

The complete list is in SKI's October issue or online at www.skinet.com.