2022 "First to Open" in North America thread

[Ken_R]

I found some good deals to get me to A Basin 7 Nov through 13 November. I don't know anything about the place, worth it?

I would save the money. Not really worth it to travel here so early in the season just to ski. If you are going to be here anyway maybe. I live in Denver so its easy for me to just drive up ski a few runs and go back down. That is what I usually do until much more terrain opens later in December.

 

[ski otter 2]

What I heard from them was that Keystone has their system automated, to turn on and off by itself, each snow making station doing this independently of the others, when temp and humidity make snow making favorable, even for a short window. No operators have to be roused, go up there, take readings, find the snow-making window is good or has passed, and then turn it on or not. I could see this at times being a big advantage early on, and cumulatively. (Now if they could just put Keystone on jacks and ratchet it up a thousand feet or so in elevation to where A Basin and Loveland are, that might help too.)

 

[dbostedo]

Wolf Creek is looking good for opening today...

 

[Green08]

Y’all a bit excited about Keystone.

Not excited. Just trying to present the only scenario I see in Keystone opening before ABasin.

I have usually avoided the WROD on whatever pass I have and waited until the opening area has at least two “routes” open.

 

[Green08]

What I heard from them was that Keystone has their system automated, to turn on and off by itself, each snow making station doing this independently of the others, when temp and humidity make snow making favorable, even for a short window. No operators have to be roused, go up there, take readings, find the snow-making window is good or has passed, and then turn it on or not. I could see this at times being a big advantage early on, and cumulatively. (Now if they could just put Keystone on jacks and ratchet it up a thousand feet or so in elevation to where A Basin and Loveland are, that might help too.)

It won’t be the first run open each year, but snowmaking in Bergman Bowl will have about the same elevations.

Keystone’s system is state of the art. But it isn’t unique. Mt Snow uses this type of system in VT. Boyne uses it in MI, and I believe Northstar as the tech in Tahoe.

The efficiency, productivity, and quality of the snow are incredible.

 

[Core2]

I guess I missed last year due to the late covid opening.
2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020 - no pic due to late covid opening

2021

 

[nay]

2021 updated.

 

[nay]

Meanwhile @ Wolf.

 

[dbostedo]

Meanwhile @ Wolf.

View attachment 145347

And it was like that yesterday on opening day too!

 

[ski otter 2]

Well, it was sweet while it lasted. 5 runs. Got there at 7:15 or so, was on the 14th chair up. The Summit Daily camera man asked my name after he took a shot, and wrote it down. Less line, a bit, than past years. Lots of familiar faces and folks to talk to in that first line. As usual, Jesus (his actual name) had his skier boom box system up too loud, and his russet wig in fine form. Big smiles. (He was about fourth chair, first row.) Most folks on the first half dozen chairs had camped out overnight in campers.

The real line was for the bloody Mary mugs - first come, first served, only 430 of them to pass out, I was told. (Half price on a bloody Mary with a mug? Something like that.)

First two runs were extra great. I remembered how to ski! The lift opened early, before 8:15, and I stopped just around the time of that photo above. Just about right for first day, for me. I'd risked a pair of SL skis, and wasn't hitting rocks. One small burr per ski, was all the damage.

Guess I'll go tomorrow, God willing.

 

[janeskis]

Wolf was a lot of fun on Saturday! Coverage was surprisingly good for 14”. There were even some people hitting Alberta face, although I’m certain they hit some rocks on the way down. Very empty- they didn’t even fill one parking lot. We rolled up at about 9:30 and parked in the 4th row of the 4x4 lot.

 

[dbostedo]

Wolf was a lot of fun on Saturday! Coverage was surprisingly good for 14”. There were even some people hitting Alberta face, although I’m certain they hit some rocks on the way down. Very empty- they didn’t even fill one parking lot. We rolled up at about 9:30 and parked in the 4th row of the 4x4 lot.

Pics?

 

[martyg]

Wolf was a lot of fun on Saturday! Coverage was surprisingly good for 14”. There were even some people hitting Alberta face, although I’m certain they hit some rocks on the way down. Very empty- they didn’t even fill one parking lot. We rolled up at about 9:30 and parked in the 4th row of the 4x4 lot.

It looked empty from the photos. But so many other awesome things to do this time of year that are absolutely in their prime.

 

[Philpug]

Watching the Raiders/Broncos game, they just had a shot of A-Basin.

 

[janeskis]

Pics?

 

[ski otter 2]

Really great pictures of Wolf Creek! Thanks!

P.S. Correction: After the first two runs at A Basin today, pebbles on the snow gradually became more extensive.

It turned out that my fingers were cold numb right after skiing when I felt for burrs, and I was pretty much rose-colored glasses about the whole experience - first day, and really fun! When I got home I later found the damage was not disastrous, but the burring was more extensive than I had at first thought. I may shift to rock skis after all next time, if things continue to deteriorate. Sigh.

It's still only edge burr damage, no scrapes or scarring to the base, nothing that ten minutes on the tune table won't cure.

With fewer people on the snow midweek, and some more snow-making, maybe the SL skis again, not sure.

 

[Marker]

Okay, onto first in the east to open. Apparently Killington was running their guns on upper Skyelark, but probably just a test run. That is not their normal WROD location up on North Ridge, but it is next to Superstar and part of the women's WC venue for training.

 

[James]

Does Killington care about first these days with the world cup Superstar glacier construction?

 

[Marker]

I haven't really cared if they are first as I couldn't make opening day until this year if the timing is right, but they open the North Ridge before moving on to the glacier. I do think Killington cares. I'm still thinking November 5 judging from the forecast.

 

[ss20]

I haven't really cared if they are first as I couldn't make opening day until this year if the timing is right, but they open the North Ridge before moving on to the glacier. I do think Killington cares. I'm still thinking November 5 judging from the forecast.

I think it'll be sometime next weekend or Monday. They only need a couple good nights of making snow.