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[TALK SKING & BOARDING IN THE SIX
STATES FORUM]
11.12.07
Snow Going
Buoyed by cold temps and an army of badass snow guns, some
New England ski resorts get an early start on the season.
A snowboarder leaps atop an old propane
tank that serves as one of Mount Snow's freestyle features. The resort
put more than 10 rails and features on the lower Long John trail for
opening day last weekend. (Photo by Luke Stafford)
Considering
summerlike weather extended into January last year
—
turning slopes to mud and frustrating skiers and resort managers
alike —
you can’t blame New England resorts if they were itching to get
a jump on winter this year. And get a jump they did. Thanks in
large part to cold early season temperatures and, in some cases,
to shiny, new snowguns, several resorts opened their slopes
early last weekend. And more are poised to follow.
Some super-snowmaking gave skiers at Maine’s
Sunday River a treat
on Halloween, allowing them to spend an October day making
turns. Then, on Friday, Sunday River became the region’s first
resort to officially open when its lifts fired up at 8 a.m.
Half-an-hour later, its sister resort,
Sugarloaf, also opened
for business, more than a week ahead of schedule.
On Saturday, two more resorts kicked off the season, as New
Hampshire’s
Bretton Woods opened five of its trails. And, over in
Vermont, Mount Snow
opened with a vengeance, with nine trails featuring two
top-to-bottom runs for intermediate and advanced level skiers
and snowboarders, a lift-serviced beginner area and more than 10
terrain park features for freestyle skiers and riders.
While those resorts are opening new trails throughout this week,
several other resorts are ready to open their doors and join
them. Among them, New Hampshire’s
Waterville
Valley and Vermont’s
Okemo and
Jay Peak
are all aiming to open their seasons on Saturday, November 17.
-D.M.
[TALK SKING & BOARDING IN THE
SIX STATES FORUM]
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