Post your first ski day of the '14/'15 season!

[ski diva]

Yay! The ski areas are starting to open.

Here in New England, Killington and Sunday River start their season today, and many others in the region are starting to blow snow.

So have you been out there yet?

Post your first day here. Pictures welcome, too!

 

[MissySki]

I skied at Sunday River this past Saturday and Sunday, and had a great time! It ended up being all big soft bumps for the most part which I wasn't expecting to start out with, but it was all good.

 

[Xinga]

Friday 11/7/14 Keystone, Saturday A-Basin + Copper, Sunday Keystone. Keystone's snow was far better than either the basin or copper. Strangely, never thought I would say such blasphemy! I guess Keystone just has more practice with the man made snow.

 

[mtnbikerskierchick]

My first day out was back on Oct 14th in the Crested Butte backcountry. But, it was a long time between storms and I wasn't able to get out again until Nov 5th. More snow is in the forecast this week, and I hope Winter delivers. It's time

Here's some pics from that first day out back in October.

We didn't ski this, but it sure looked good! Last year, we were skiing this chute a lot this same time of year....

 

[snow addict]

2 more weeks for me!

 

[bounceswoosh]

Today was day 5, and I fear that this weekend was so good that it will have ruined me for the rest of the season.

 

[jada]

This was our season opening on the November 9th at the local Mölltaler Gletscher.
After standing one full week of massive rain in the valley, this was the prize :D

 

[callmijane]

Yesterday at Wolf Creek! It was great, everything had a much bigger base than I expected. Hardly any obstacles on the groom, and even off the groom was ok.

 

[ski diva]

Today was my first day. I skied at Okemo, my local hill here in Vermont. And though the weather left a LOT to be desired -- an icy mix, considerable fog, and rain made visibility a challenge -- conditions really weren't bad. Coverage was good, and there was top to bottom skiing. The mountain says they have 14 trails open, but really, there's essentially two ways down. It was fairly empty, too; I think there were only about 15 people there, and I knew most of them. So not the best day, but certainly not the worst. At last my season is off!

 

[Serafina]

Yesterday was my first, at Mount Snow. My brain felt it had been a week or two since I went skiing, and expected to be really thrashing the runs. My muscles felt that it has, instead, been seven months, two weeks, and five days, and that thrashing was Not Happening. The compromise offered thrashing, but on the 2.3 mile green cruiser, not thrashing on the white ribbon of death. I figure, use the mileage to get the muscles back on board, then go for more interesting terrain. Fortunately, every other hardcore ski junkie was working the WROD, so I almost had the green cruiser to myself, and could pound down the mountain with impunity.

I have all these muscles that I don't appear to use for anything other than skiing, and this morning, I feel each and every one of them, no matter how tiny...

 

[SkiBam]

Just home from day one for me. The mountain (Tremblant) opened Friday but I was travelling home from vacation that day. When I told the people I was travelling with in Costa Rica that I would likely ski on Sunday, they all looked at me as if I were stark raving mad! Clearly there were no skiers among the group.

Met up with @Jilly and friends and happily skied the somewhat limite terrain. Snow was decent, temps just at or above freezing, but visibility was very very poor. It's days like this when I'm thankful I know every inch of the mountain. Anyway, feel like I've got my ski legs back - and am happy to know I can still do it!

 

[BethL]

Winter Park today with DS and DD. Only 12 runs open and only one that we really wanted to ski (a blue run) but so much fun! Best comment, from DS (age 9) - "Mom, I love skiing with you."

 

[climbingbetty]

Yesterday was my first ski day of the season at Hunter Mountain. We had a strong cold snap all week that allowed the local resorts to make snow and get an unexpected jump on the season. Saturday was really the day to go because by Sunday a strong warm front moved in locally. It was mid 40s for the high. I spent most of the day shedding layers. For so early in the season and a warm day, the on the snow conditions were actually pretty nice. They claimed "14 trails" were open, but really it was essentially 2 runs from the top of the mountain to the bottom. I spent most of the day doing laps on the long-meandering blue trail, but given the softness of the snow, was brave enough to take a lap on the black diamond run (which I never do my first day out of the season ). I would have done a few more if my poor legs had been up for it. Luckily I still remembered how to ski (for the most part) and when I let them rip, my RAMP Chickadees were just as fun as I remembered them being from the end of last season. All in all it was a nice day. My biggest complaint that was without the terrain park open, all the park punks were doing jumps off the sides of the trail and coming in way too fast. I yelled at one or two who nearly took me out.

 

[WaterGirl]

Mammoth opened 11/13
Went up this past thursday --
Friday was great early season conditions sunny no wind and a light dusting of snow the night before. Allegedly the best day of the season so far... had a nice first day out.
Saturday rain/sleet/ gropple/ wind and closed down by 1:00. (got to test out the water and wind proofing clams of all our gear)
Sunday sun came back out and so did the crowds, but still fun.
Limited terrain, but 1/3/6/ and 11 open (up top better) should be more runs open for Thanksgiving, as they are blowing snow, and then the potential for some real storms the week after.......

 

[volklgirl]

Crystal had a surprise free 1/2 on Friday, their earliest opening in 19 years. Since I was off work on bereavement leave after DH's mother passed on Thursday, I took a desperately needed mental health break and headed out there for some turns. It was mostly natural snow and we had a very rare sunny day, so the place was PACKED. Of course, a free ski day means the using slowest, smallest chair they have and only 1 run open, so I took 4 runs and called it, but it was just what I needed.

 

[Xinga]

Pic from my first day earlier this season:

 

[2ski2moro]

My first day was on November 22 at Killington. The snowmakers had really done their work well. The coverage was really good and there was a lot to ski early season. Killington has been open for weeks, but this was my first chance to get out there.

My new boots feel great, but I have a pinch somewhere and I have numb toes within 15 minutes. It only happens on the slope, not in the lodge, so I think it's something to do with my flexing. I will go back to the boot fitter ASAP. Even with numb toes, it felt great to get back out there.

As I was skiing down cautiously under the guns, a lady looked right at me and put her hands forward as if telling me that I had my hands too far back. Old habits die hard, I guess. It made me concentrate on my style more.

At the top of the Superstar lift, we discovered brutal wind and scoured surface, but as we descended the trails got better.

When we returned to base, the K1 Gondola had stopped - either wind or mechanical - I never found out which.

Our friends came in, cold and miserable. They were ready to go. They had spent 45 minutes on the Snowden chair. A child was dangling from the chair and the ski patrol had to perform a rescue. The procedure was perfect and the child was ok. Someone (not my friend) video'd it. Thought I'd share.

 

[ski diva]

Wow! Way to go, Killington patrol! Nicely done!

 

[klar]

Had quite a few days on glacier groomers but this was the first proper tour in good snow last weekend.

 

[Moonrocket]

Today I am Thankful for a great first Day at Winter Park. We did a few laps of Dilly Dally Alley and DD did not even notice her longer skis.

Gorgeous blue skies!