Gore Mountain: 11/16/2014

First runs of the season, Sunway

In a way, ski season caught me by surprise. Sure, my gear’s been tuned and ready to go for at least a month, but last week’s 60-degree weather had me thinking more about mountain biking than skiing. I mentally pegged Thanksgiving weekend for my season opener and never really adjusted my thinking until Friday’s announcement (thanks Gov!) that Gore and Whiteface would open for the season on Sunday, two weeks ahead of schedule. And just like that, ski season is here.

I must not have been the only skier to have been caught by surprise, because the parking lot was quiet and the gondola was walk-on all day. The crowd was light but enthusiasm ran high. Almost by definition, skiers on opening day are all die-hards. It seemed like we ran into friends we hadn’t seen since last ski season on every run, and even got greeted with a “Welcome back, Jeff” from the mountain’s general manager as Daniel and I boarded the gondi for our second run.

I’ll admit to feeling a little rusty on our first run. I took a spill and all I could think was that I could have gone mountain biking instead. But, like it does every year, muscle memory returned quickly and by the second run it almost seemed like we were picking up right where last season left off.

Daniel may have been even more excited for ski season than me

The snowmaking crew did a super job, producing some of the nicest opening day conditions I can remember. Coverage was excellent on the one open top-to-bottom run. Some scratchy areas developed by the end of the day, but for the most part the snow was loose and edgeable. Quicksilver developed some fun, irregular bumps that got the legs working.

End of the day view of the High Peaks

With cold temperatures and some natural snow in the forecast, Gore should be in great shape for next weekend (the mountain will be closed during the week). It’s been seven months, but the wait is over. It’s good to be back!