The East Coast of North America has beaten the rest and opened first for winter 2010-11. Sunday River in Maine began top to bottom snowmaking several weeks ago and opened briefly on Friday and then all day today, Saturday 23rd.
Loveland in Colorado has announced it will open tomorrow, Sunday October 24th, the first resort in Colorado to open to the general public (Copper Mountain opened on Thursday for race-training team camps). Arapahoe Basin also looks likely to open soon but Loveland is claiming first blood.
Although Sunday River is announced as 'first in North America for winter 2010-11, Timberline ski field on Mt Hood in Oregon is open for around 49 weeks a year, subject to weather, and has been open for weekends since October following its usual annual September shut-down.
Along with the three Colorado resorts, which have ski areas among the 20 highest in the world, ski centres up near Banff in Canada are due to start opening by the end of the coming week.
Nakiska is planning to open on Friday 30th after receiving a foot of fresh snow and the low temperatures it needs to kick off its powerful snowmaking system. Mount Norquay, Banff's closest ski hill, will open for its 85th season the same day, all being well. Other Alberta resorts including Lake Louise, Marmot Basin and Sunshine will open in the first few weeks of November for their long seasons through to late April and in some cases in to May 2011.
