I know how excited everyone is to hit the slopes and rip some turns, and the last thing I want to do is to curb that enthusiasm.  However, we have some unique slope conditions shaping up for opening day, and I want everyone to be aware of exactly what’s out there.

So, to balance the need to release our long pent-up energy and the need to do so safely, I offer these shots, and some important thoughts that I hope you’ll heed as we head into Opening Day.

The mountain is beautiful right now, all that snow piled on the branches …

I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of taking pictures of the flocked trees.

Gorgeous! But, you’re probably more interested in the conditions than the scenery, so, let’s start at the top.

It was pretty foggy on the summit this morning, and as you can see, there’s been LOTS of wind.

This sign is supposed to point the way to Alpine, but it’s been frosted with a thick coat of snow.

The groomed runs are looking really, really good. The photo below shows Bear.

Our grooming crews have been at it non-stop since this last storm, and we will have all of our major runs groomed, except for Main Street.

Here are some tips for maximizing your fun opening weekend.

This is pretty standard ‘early season stuff’ off-trail. Plenty of brush, some stumps and rocks.

Right now, the snow condition experts have an additional concern. All this inviting, friendly looking snow has been subject to extreme temperature variations over the past couple weeks. What that means is that we have a weak layer of snow under a heavier layer. That situation can lead to slides (aka. avalanche danger). Even in-bounds. So we’re asking people to be extra cautious if they choose to head of trail. Bring a buddy. Keep them close by. STAY IN BOUNDS.

Here, you can see our Ski Patrol hard at work building a rope line. A lot of times you’ll see people ducking the rope and skiing or riding off the backside of the mountain. Conditions back there are extremely dangerous right now, and rescue is difficult, so please stay in bounds and respect closures.

Don’t let these cautions put a damper on your spirits. There’s still a TON of enjoyable skiing and riding.  Now that the safety stuff has been covered, let’s check out some of the fun stuff. As you can see below, our lift operators are hard at work clearing the snow out from the base of the lifts and manicuring those ramps to make your ride the best it can be. This group has such high standards, we’ve decided to give them a new title this year. Skier Transit Authority will now be assisting you with all of your vertical travel needs.

Check out this hefty project at the bottom of Centennial.

Waist deep snow as far as the eye can see.

This is my favorite shot all three ‘snow removal mechanisms’ at work at once!

It seems like everywhere I looked today, someone was shoveling snow. Top of Bear Chair…

Deck of the Bear’s Den…By the way, we plan to open both the Bear’s Den and Bird’s Nest on Saturday, and run them 7 days a week through January 3rd. After that, they’ll be open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

A glance out the window reveals another snow shoveler…

Back in the base area…

The shovel brigade toils on…

And on…

With one more parting shot before opening day. See you tomorrow!

– April