While not exactly a winter ski resort, Europa does have its own attractions. Also known as Jupiter II, Europa is perhaps the most viable candidate for extra terrestrial life in our solar system.
I can almost see the cabins now.
Europa was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei, but it wasn't until the Galileo telescope, and the Voyagers, that we were able to get a much more detailed look. Europa is covered in lineae: deep, dark cracks along its icy surface. This suggests a softer, and very likely liquid water layer underneath its crust. And of course, where there's liquid water, there's a very good chance of life in some form.
Its surface is very cold, ranging from about 80K to 120K, and the radiation level here is high enough to kill humans. But the surface isn't where the magic is happening. Thought to be warmed by thermal vents and stretching due to Jupiter's gravity, the possible liquid water ocean could be a toasty (relatively speaking) 270K.
primordial soup?
Biogeochemists have been modelling Europa's ocean to try to see what exactly is going on over there (on a side note, this makes me very happy to work in a Biogeochemistry lab here at UCR, under Dr. Lyons). So far it seems agreed on that Europa could support a "putative chemoautotrophic biomass", but due to the very unlikelihood of there being any photosynthesis to speak of, life would most likely be very small, and very slow to reproduce.
It is very unfortunate that due to lack of funding (BIG surprise there), many of the Europan projects have been cancelled. My hope is to some day work on the Europa Jupiter System Mission, if that doesn't too get cancelled. The EJSM, a joint NASA/ESA project, will be an orbital/fly by mission scheduled for launch in 2020 (hopefully I'll have my PhD by then). This mission won't touch down on the surface, or drill through the crust, but it will be an invaluable source of new data. I just wish we will be able to crack Europa's crust in my lifetime.
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