Oh Man! What a start to the real season!

A big thank you to Jeff Goldstone and his mountain crew from getting our lifts and slopes open this morning.

What a HAPPY THANKSGIVING it was to have so much of the mountain open with the fantastic conditions we enjoyed today. The mountain was in especially good condition for this time in November.

There were a good number of people waiting in line at the base of the Summit Lift well before the 9am opening. The good news was that Roundhouse was also spinning. The line at Roundhouse was minimal as was the line at TCL. A clear sky, above with bright sunshine lighting up the lightly skied mountain, created plenty of anxiety among those waiting in line. Cheers could be heard from the base of each lift as the first skiers and riders sat down to begin trip to the top. When I say the mountain was lightly skied before opening, I am referring to tracks made by the mountain crew as they prepared the lifts and slopes for us.

We were hoping for decent snow and slopes without too many hidden rocks. My expectations were far exceeded by the time I completed my second or third turn. Soft untracked powder, especially in the shaded areas of the mountain, stretched in every direction. Of course, there were bushes, tree tops, logs, and rocks just above, or just below, the surface, but I was able to avoid almost all of them. Nothing makes me smile, or just feel thankful to be alive, then it is to be making turns in a soft blank surface of snow. Our first few runs allowed us to snake through tightly spaced trees, scoot through bushes, and leave twisting tracks on open slopes. The only places that were somewhat firm, and not as inviting as one would wish for, were the groomed slopes where man had made snow. This was expected, and not a surprise, as manmade snow is wet for the purpose of filling low spots and covering obstacles.

The surface often is more firm on a manmade surface. However, there are often times when this is all that is available, but this morning it was not even necessary to make a turn on the more firm surface.

It did not take long for moguls to appear, especially on the The Face where they were pretty large. We skied D7 on the Wolverine Bowl side of Summit, and Tower 19 and Sunspot on the left side of the lift. We also made luscious turns in Pygmy Forest under the Alpine Bowl Chair. People were skiing the Keyhole Slopes, something that is rarely seen at Thanksgiving. Yellow Trail, Chicken Leg, Red Ridge, Gunner’s Knob, and so many other familiar places on the mountain were just a dream come true. I did see many people skiing very close to rock bands and/or jumping over them. It seems a little early in the season to be taking air, but those doing it appeared to be have fun and not worried at all.

Wishing all of you the best Thanksgiving ever.

Andy