Outdoors

Great Divide opens for first day of skiing

Posted: Nov 12, 2012 9:02 AM by Lindsey Gordon - MTN News
Updated: Nov 12, 2012 9:02 AM

The roads are still slick and icy, but that didn't stop hoards of people from taking to the slopes at Great Divide Sunday.

Thanks to two feet of fresh snow dropped on the area by a winter storm, skiers and snowboarders couldn't be happier.

"It is exciting that it's open this early, so I am very excited about it," said Kelly English, a Helena resident who brought her daughters,Mariah and Mallory.

"We've got quite a bit of terrain, about 40 acres, which is a lot of this early and people are excited. I think we're pushing close to a thousand people here today and they're having fun," Kevin Taylor, owner and manager of Great Divide Ski Area said.

Tons of people were standing in line to tear it up on the slope and the first run can cause a little anxiety.

"The chair lift is a little bit new for me, it's my second year snowboarding, so it's a little scary on the first day," said Mariah.

The drive up caused mom, Kelly, a bit of anxiety.

"It's icy, it was very scary, it definitely was scary. I'm glad they redid this road, though, because it's nice in the way up here," said Kelly.

"It's just fun to get out here as a family and be in the outdoors and on the mountain, it's just beautiful out here," she added.

They are looking forward to a great season.

"You know, we have this huge snow storm, but that's part of it, the other part is that good, solid base of machine-made snow and this is our time of year to really push the machine-made snow out so we can have a good holiday season for Thanksgiving," finishes Kevin.

On Sunday, the skiers and snowboarders are only worried about the fresh powder and the exhilaration of the downhill.

Great Divide will not be open this week, as they make more snow to prepare to open again this weekend. They'll be open next Saturday, 12 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m.