Winter Park opens for the season

   Our home mountain has finally opened for the season!  Winter Park opened for its 69th ski season at 9 A.M. on November 19, 2008.  Granted it’s only 600 vertical feet of near bullet proof man-made snow but it is skiing, and if you’re willing to ride the Arrow chairlift all day long you can rack up over 18,000 feet in a day.  Great for breaking in those new boots that are making you think of an unfortunate member of the IRB in the clutches of the Brits in Kilmainham Jail as they apply the Spanish Boot so he can never run again.  But I digress…

  The sun was shining, the lift lines were short and everyone was wearing smiles.  The snowmakers are working furiously to get Lower Hughes open for the weekend.  Three chairs (the Arrow, Gemini and Endeavour) were running with Lower Villageway and Larry Sale the two main open trails open.

  Now we just need a little cooperation from Mother Nature.

Moose rides the Arrow Chair at Winter Park on Opening Day, 11-19-08

A snowboarder poaches the gnar on Porcupine at Winter Park, Colorado on opening day, 11-19-08

Riding the Arrow Chair at Winter Park Resort, opening day 2008

View of Parry's Peak from the Gemini Chair at Winter Park, 11-19-08