2009-10 Season Snowmaking Begins In North America (28-Sep-09)

Loveland, USA, September 28, 2009 - Cold temperatures and natural snowfall have arrived

Cold temperatures and natural snowfall have arrived earlier than expected in Colorado, USA allowing Loveland Ski Area, one of the world’s highest altitude resorts, to officially kick-off snowmaking for the 2009-2010 ski season.

“Our Trail Maintenance department has been busy preparing the hill, and have started beautifully with all the necessary conditions to start blowing snow. The weather forecast for the next few days looks very favorable for snowmaking,” said Eric Johnstone, Loveland’s Snowmaking and Trail Maintenance Manager.

Loveland Ski Area has started making snow on the Catwalk, Mambo, and Homerun for Opening Day 2009. These trails form a top-to-bottom run of 1,000 vertical feet (330m).

“Everyone at Loveland is just very excited to start the new ski season. The temperatures look good right now, the equipment is in place, and the crew is fired-up to make snow. We got together this morning and decided that today was the day.” said Bob Magrino, Director of Mountain Operations.

Snowmaking updates are available at www.skiloveland.com/snowmaking. The site is updated continuously with pictures and reports of our snowmaking progress.

Loveland usually opens in the first half of October, but other resorts in the state which won’t open until closer to Thanksgiving in late November have also reported fresh snow for the start of autumn.

At Steamboat Ski Area the first snow of the season was reported just below the top of Christie Peak at about 8,000 feet with between a trace to half an inch as you moved up from the top of the gondola up to the summit of Mt. Werner. The Steamboat Ski Area opens for the 2009/10 season in two months on November 25, 2009.

North America’s only ‘near-year-round’ snowfield is scheduled to re-open at Timberline, Oregon this weekend after a few week’s annual maintenance closure.