A dollop of fresh snow is all it takes to get us counting down the flakes toward opening day. While this week’s snow is likely to melt away, we will be ready to open as soon as winter arrives for good, whenever that might be.

Our plan, as usual, is to open for weekend operations as soon as there is enough snow to properly pack and groom the slopes, with ‘full time’ operations set to begin December 11.

But rest assured, we don’t wait for the winter storms to get ready for the winter season. A lot of things are already happening behind the scenes to fine tune our pre-season operation.

The ever-popular snowbox is now in its winter location, broadcasting base-area snowfall 24 hours a day.

We have tandem brush cutters on the mountain this week attacking 35 acres of terrain.

Two of these little rigs are criss-crossing the lower slopes on the frontside of the mountain.

They mow down the grasses and munch through woody brush.

That manicuring allows us to pack and groom the slopes with less snowfall that if that brush were sticking up all over the place.

Hand crews are attacking thicker brush that’s grown in to clog up some of our favorite powder runs.

The Face, Stairstep and the triangle between Sidewinder and Alpine are all on the ‘To Do’ list for this season. As you can see from the photo of Stairstep below, these areas get some great powder but could use some extra elbow room.

Our lift operations crew has been spiffing up some of the lift ramps. This shining beauty is at the bottom of the Bear Chair.

The ramp is completely re-built, with all the slickboard set in straight and plumb to give you a smoother load.

We’ve also changed the approach to this loading spot – it is now a straight-on load, which should be easier for snowboarders and beginners. Our crews made similar upgrades to the unload ramp on the top of the Centennial lift.

Over on Easy Street, we cleared out a tree island to make space for a new type of beginner terrain. The “Big Easy” Terrain Garden will now include what amounts to a ‘natural’ quarter pipe as well as a groomed forest trail, so new skiers and riders can experiment with different slope types and sensations, before venturing out on more technical slopes. Also new this year, Easy Street lift tickets will be FREE FOR EVERYONE so your friends have no excuse not to come up and learn to ski or ride.

We’ve also been working to re-shape our lower parking lot. This will add about 100 new parking spaces to the Centennial Lot and make it easier to find a spot on busy weekends and holidays.

Those are just a few of the little things we’ve got going here on the mountain.

So as you ramp up those snow dances, we’ll keep ramping up our preparations, and hopefully, we’ll see you on the slopes soon!

— April