WHITEFISH — Snow is falling and cheers are ringing out once again on Big Mountain as Whitefish Mountain Resort celebrated its opening day for the winter season.
With limited snowfall in November, there was concern regarding the resort's big day, but December brought plenty of snow to cover the slopes.
Check out opening day at Whitefish Mountain Resort:
"We were a little anxious about the amount of snow we'd received in November; the slopes were looking pretty bare, but as you can see, that's changed. We have well over two feet of snow piled up at the summit, and more is coming down as we speak," said Whitefish Mountain Resort public relations manager Chad Sokol.
Whitefish Mountain Resort saw many recreationists excited to be back on skis and snowboards.
"The vibes are high, everybody's shouting, everybody's just here to have a good time, and to get so much coverage this early on in the year, it's just fantastic," said David Hernandez, a snowboarder.
Skiers Bryson Fiedler and Trent Tennison even spent the night at the bottom of the mountain to be on the first chair of the new season.
"We started at the chair lift at right around 6, 6:30 p.m. yesterday, we stayed the night at the chairlift trying to get first chair, which we got," Tennison said.
While weather conditions are part of the battle, it's the staff at Whitefish Mountain Resort that makes the winter season happen.
"It takes so much preparation to get this place ready for the winter, ready for ski season, there's folks working on this place all year round and just seeing it all come together and seeing smiles on people's faces when they get to come and ski makes it all worth it," Sokol said.
With opening day complete, recreationists look forward to the rest of the season.
"This season, 2025-2026, is going to be awesome, I'm excited for it," Fiedler said.
The resort emphasizes that early season conditions exist across the mountain and encourages all visitors to ride with extra caution.
Click here to check out the latest conditions at Whitefish Mountain Resort.
