November 20, 2009 in Outdoors

Ski resorts log early openings

Opening lifts before Thanksgiving a rarity

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review

The Nov. 13 opening at Lookout Pass Ski Area didn’t shake the earth under local downhill skiers and snowboarders who have come to expect the I-90 mountain to be an early starter. Lookout opened on Nov. 9 in 1995.

However, the Nov. 13 opening was a bigger deal at White Pass, where the ski resort hasn’t opened before Thanksgiving since 1994.

Crystal Mountain opened Nov. 11 for its fifth-earliest opening on record. Mount Baker had a base well over 65 inches of snow for its early opener last weekend at was expected to add another 2 feet or more by this weekend.

Lookout Pass reopened today for the weekend on limited terrain after collecting more new snow this week, and 49 Degrees North will open for the weekend on Saturday.