We have an inch of fresh snow on the ground and another storm is headed our way. Not a bad place to be on the day before Opening Day. HOWEVER, as most of you know, we do have a very shallow snow base at the bottom of the mountain, so we wanted to be sure to share a few extra details for those who will be joining us for opening day tomorrow.

Our snow base ranges from 13-29 inches right now, which has presented a few challenges and forced us to get a little bit creative with our slope preparations.

Here’s a rundown of what you can expect:

Three of Five Lifts will be in Operation

We will be operating Easy Street, the Blue Bird Quad and the Centennial Triple Chair Friday. We are offering a $36 adult lift ticket for opening day. (You can also purchase an Easy Street only ticket for $15.

Snow Quality is Excellent

While we do consider these ‘early season conditions’, the snow quality is fantastic. Snow is powdery and soft. Corduroy is carvable and takes an edge like a dream.

Slopes Show Natural Contours

While snow quality is good, we don’t have enough snow on many of the groomed runs to smooth out the natural ups and downs of the terrain underneath. Because the snow quality makes turning and carving easy, it’s not hard to adjust to this if you are skiing and riding in control and paying attention to the terrain.

Grooming is Limited on the Lower Mountain

We are not able to groom the lower third of the following runs: Main Street, Alpine, and North. Runs that are groomed top-to-bottom include Engen, Temptation (with Lakeview Ridge) and 45th Parallel.

Please keep this in mind as you choose your route down the hill. (Trail maps that include the days’ grooming report are available for free at the ticket office.)

The top of Main Street looks fantastic from the Blue Bird Quad…BUT…

Alpine, North and Main Street skiers and riders will be coming back into the base area on un-packed, ski tracked slopes, which can be tricky.

Conditions Favor Southside Runs

Engen is looking fantastic. Here’s a shot from the top, a few small obstacles but a nice, smooth snow surface:

Same story at the bottom:

From here, you’ll need to ride Cat Track back to the Blue Bird quad or head down the Bear run to the bottom of the Centennial lift. Bear has not been groomed, so please factor this in when choosing your route.

Snow reporter’s tip: Spend most of your day riding the Centennial Lift.

The trip is longer but it will be worth it for the smoother ride down. Temptation is the easiest way down from the top of the mountain for those who enjoy groomed slopes. There is some brush showing, but nothing that’s hard to avoid if you’re paying attention.

45th Parallel is also sure to be a favorite on opening day.

It’s been groomed top to bottom and has a nice little dollop of powder in some places.

Off Trail Riding is not recommended. Off Trail riding on the lower mountain would be ill advised.

As you reach the summit, you’ll likely be transfixed by the sparking powder that lay waiting in the glades. Many people will likely find some good lines and wide smiles to go with them.

While coverage is good in some spots on the top of the mountain, you need to have an exit strategy.

The top of the Blue Bird lift line looks like this:

Two towers lower, it looks like this:

It doesn’t take much change in elevation to go from this (above)…to THIS (below).

Don’t let the fluff fool you, we have early season conditions with hazards lurking under the snow surface. We’d hate to see the first day of the season be your last, so please, use your head.

HIDDEN VALLEY IS CLOSED FOR YOUR SAFETY. DON’T TRY IT. JUST. DON’T.

All these warnings aside, our small group of product testers had an absolute blast during our short time on the slopes today.

The view from the top is as magical as ever.

And another storm is out there on the horizon.

Snow is expected to move in by midday Friday. Forecasters are predicting 6 inches or more, so we could have even more to explore by Saturday morning.

Dance on, snow lovers!

– April