“Our earliest ever” seems to be a theme this season, at least on the east coast where plunging temps have enabled the snowmakers to accumulate a massive amount of snow in short order. Photo above taken yesterday at Bristol Mountain, who claimed first-to-open honors for New York State. They’re followed today by Gore, Greek Peak, Hunter and Whiteface, with Titus (way up north) and Toggenburg (eastern Finger Lakes region) planning to crank up the lifts tomorrow…upper midwest also gripped by the big chill, Michigan adding Boyne Mountain today and Caberfae Peaks tomorrow…speaking of Boyne, sister resort Loon Mountain opened in New Hampshire today, providing quite a bit of terrain. Further north in the Granite State we had newly minted Vail property Wildcat Mountain joining the open ranks as well…and to demonstrate just how weird it has been in the northeast, we turn to small but mighty Bear Creek Resort just west of Allentown, Pennsylvania. They’re actually spinning lifts this weekend, but no lodge services — they’re hosting a couple weddings that were booked probably more than a year ago, when management assumed ski season would still be a month away in Macungie. Well they may be doing the electric slide inside, but they’re skiing outside and there are no lift lines. In Macungie PA in November. I am not making this up…FIS World Cup news, positive snow control for Levi, Finland next weekend…super congrats to former champ Bode Miller, twin baby boys born this week put him right back on top of the podium…and we may be seeing more of Mikaela Shiffrin in the speed events this season, she’s been training DH at Copper Mountain CO. US Ski Team use of key slopes and facilities has passholders grumbling, meanwhile nearby Arapahoe Basin expanding terrain with some of the lower novice stuff and the Molly Hogan lift open.