From Deseret News archives:
Ski resorts are open — on time
Brighton, the resort that traditionally is the first to run its lifts, opened early Wednesday. Two more resorts — Park City Mountain Resort and Solitude — opened today.
Saturday, Snowbird, Alta and The Canyons will start selling tickets, and Brian Head is scheduled to open on Wednesday.
This is not the earliest opening for Brighton, but it will be a good one, said Randy Doyle, area manager. The resort is reporting a firm base of 46 inches.
In recent years, the week prior to Thanksgiving has been good for Utah resorts.
Alta, for example, has opened on Nov. 18 for three of the past four years. Brighton opened Nov. 17 in 2005-06 and now the 16th. Snowbird set the 18th as its target date, and said Laura Schaffer, public relations director, "We hit it perfectly, which we haven't been able to do the past few years."
Some of the other resorts are waiting for "a little more snow." Others, like Deer Valley, have set traditional opening dates and stick with them, no matter the snow depth.
This year Deer Valley will open Dec. 2.
The series of storms that have hit Utah the past couple of weeks haven't left great depths, but all combined have left more than enough snow to allow resorts to open.
Schaffer noted the resort has received 40 inches of snow in November, "with 38 of those since Nov. 9. This last storm left 16 inches, which, for us, was perfect timing."
This last storm, said Doyle, left behind a good, heavy snow covering that when mixed with man-made snow helped make a good, firm base.
Brighton opened Millicent, Explorer and Crescent lifts.
Connie Marshall, director of public relations at Alta, said Saturday's opening will be "typical Alta ... with more than just a few lifts and more than just a few runs."
A decision has not been made yet on just how many lifts will be open, but Marshall said, "At least three and maybe more, depending on how much of the mountain we can get ready."
The earliest opening for Alta was Oct. 10 for the 2003-04 season. Alta has a mid-mountain snow depth of 33 inches. Thus far this winter it has received 58 inches of snow.
This will be an early opening for Park City. For the previous two years the resort opened one day before Thanksgiving.
Saturday it will have the PayDay lift running, as well as First Time for beginning skiers.
"Being able to open this early," said Krista Parry, marketing and public relations director, "is magical for us. It gets all the employees and skiers excited. There's a real sense of excitement building going into the ski season."
The Canyons will open its gondola, Saddleback and High Meadow lifts, and the surface rope tow near the base.
