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2022-2023 "First to Open" in North America thread

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dbostedo

dbostedo

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Even for first, there should be a minimum. Like 2 days open.
Why? If you only care about the fact that they spun the lift, then that should be it.

First to open at all, and first to open for the season, are milestones.

Everything else is much more arbitrary and pointless, just trying to draw lines in the grey area. You could wind up with first to open for a full day, first to open for a half day, first to open for a week, etc. etc. etc.
 

Dave Petersen

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Well, suppose one opens in early october for one day?
@Dave Petersen could make snow in his yard, invite people and call it open.
Actually that's what a couple of the Minnesota ski areas did with their rope tows. Trollhaugen in Wisconsin actually made enough snow to open a chairlift, and I think they were open 3 days, maybe even 4?

And being from the Midwest I think Trollhaugen is pretty well-respected.

Trollhaugen
312419834_10160527411483573_1697562636523311586_n (1).jpg
 
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dbostedo

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Well, suppose one opens in early october for one day?
Then they would win! That's the point of the new "First day open" category. If you're allowing them to close, you're already talking about some unusual or rare event (i.e. not quite being ready for the season).

@Dave Petersen could make snow in his yard, invite people and call it open.
@Dave Petersen is not a resort. If a resort managed to blow snow on a cold weekend in September, and wanted to run a rope tow for a few hours, then they would win the "First day open" title.
 

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If you make the effort in running a lift, getting employees to work, making snow, etc. to make skiing available to the public/pass holders, then you should get the credit regardless of how long it lasts.
 

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Sorry, rope tows, are lift service. Wild wins first to open and was open for 5 days.
 
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dbostedo

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Sorry, rope tows, are lift service. Wild wins first to open and was open for 5 days.
I was thinking Trollhaugen beat them to open... I didn't realize that the reports on Trollhaugen specifically said "first chairlift to open in NA this season". My bad.

So we have...
First to open: Wild Mountain
First open for the season: A-Basin
 

cantunamunch

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But @Dave Petersen's yard is. For him and for those he invites.

If you wish to introduce rules against private land and limited access, and eliminate Yellowstone Club and similar private clubs elsewhere, then and only then can you eliminate @Dave Petersen 's yard.

If a resort managed to blow snow on a cold weekend in September, and wanted to run a rope tow for a few hours, then they would win the "First day open" title.

Why blow snow? Just lease a snowmaking truck, make snow inside it, and spread it out. Like Mt. van Ho used to do.
 

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Lift serviced should be a requirement, as well as open to the public. If @Dave Petersen puts in a rope row (or a tram) and invites everyone, I’m good with it.
 
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dbostedo

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Lift serviced should be a requirement, as well as open to the public. If @Dave Petersen puts in a rope row (or a tram) and invites everyone, I’m good with it.
Agree with all of this. And a tram to move you from one side of Dave's yard to the other would be AMAZING.
 

clong83

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But @Dave Petersen's yard is. For him and for those he invites.

If you wish to introduce rules against private land and limited access, and eliminate Yellowstone Club and similar private clubs elsewhere, then and only then can you eliminate @Dave Petersen 's yard.
I'm okay with that and thought it was pretty much implied that "open" meant "open to the public". I think about it as "I could theoretically go skiing". If it is not open to the public to the point where I could theoretically get on a plane to start my ski season off, it really doesn't matter to me or affect me.

See: Copper Mountain open to racers not being considered as a valid entry.
 

James

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What the F*** is a resort? Every slope/hill is called a resort in the USA.
Well, we need a whole thread on that. Clearly @dbostedo hasn’t thought that one out.
Every place you can ski is not a resort. Mt Ascutney in VT has a community rope tow. Not a resort.

Abasin maybe is not a resort. Unless Mt Bohemia is a resort. Wait, they have a hot tub.
 
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dbostedo

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Still waiting on @dbostedo 's private club ruling. No Yellowstone, no Hermitage, no half Ontario.
Private clubs are not open to the public... so nope, they don't count.

Current rules, First day open:
  1. Must be a resort/hill/area (i.e. someplace with a lift)
  2. Must be open to the public (so no private clubs)
  3. Must be running a lift of any kind
  4. Cannot be a year-round skiing place (i.e. no glaciers and no indoor)
  5. Can be open a partial day
Current rules, First open for the season:
  1. Must be a resort/hill/area (i.e. someplace with a lift)
  2. Must be open to the public (so no private clubs)
  3. Must be running a lift of any kind
  4. Cannot be a year-round skiing place (i.e. no glaciers and no indoor)
  5. Must remain open "for the season" - i.e. not close due to warm weather and lack of snow
There are still some grey areas within that... but I think it's a pretty good set.
 
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dbostedo

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Clearly @dbostedo hasn’t thought that one out.
My sincere, sincere apologies James, for not spending enormous amounts of time thinking through all of the permutations and terminology before starting this thread. Thank you for pointing out the error of my ways, and I'll endeavour to not perform so poorly in the future.

:ogbiggrin: ogwink :D

Seriously though... I'll try to remember to grab all these rules if/when I kick the thread off next season! I like this one every year, since I'm watching all this on my own anyway, thread or not!
 

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