By Dan Balkin
Your birthday? Easter? Labor Day? Dyngus Day? – even Christmas! All days associated with mirth and joy, but for a Snowsports enthusiast, opening day of the ski season is one of the most special days of the year. The office staff, maintenance crews, food and service personnel, and the mountain men who make the snow and groom the slopes have worked tirelessly to make this day possible. And what a day it is! Our lifties power up the motors, the chairs begin to spin, and the guardian angels of the slopes – our HoliMont Ski Patrol – check that the slopes are safe to ski and ride. The bewitching hour arrives at 8am sharp; there is already a line of skiers and riders waiting to get their first run of the season. The first chairlift is loaded – and presto – another ski season has begun! Soon, this year’s light coating of fresh snow is filled with squiggly lines made by skiers and riders. What do those squiggly lines in the snow convey? Joy. In a wide world full of fickle weather, we hit the Snowsports jackpot early this winter: the polar vortex. May it reign until our snowmakers decide our carpet of snow will suffice for the season. Saturday December 13th – opening day – sometimes 13 is a lucky number!