Photo above taken at Loveland CO this morning. Over the divide, A-Basin and Keystone also had the guns on overnight, but neither is as impressive as the snow that will end up in the Gulf of Mexico. Arapahoe has been winning the first-to-open battle in recent years, and still has to be the favorite. Loveland relies on a much longer route, which is why the photo above is so darn impressive. Keystone has some mush up on Dercum, I’m not seeing them as legit contenders this year…speaking of Colorado, I’ve neglected to mention that the GEMS Card is available once again; this is a $30 card that gives you a whole bunch of two-fers or discounted skiing at the “hidden gem” ski areas such as the aforementioned Loveland and A-Basin. Here’s the link if you’re interested. It’s just about the best deal out there…hopeful news out of Montana, where Teton Pass GM Charles Hlavac has purchased the ski area from New Zealander Nick Wood. Wood shut the area down after a series of setbacks in recent years, despite putting in new lifts and a bunch of other infrastructure. Hlavac’s operation isn’t out of the woods yet; they’ve got a lot of work to do including some permitting and reporting and probably won’t be spinning this season. But it’s certainly a step in the right direction.