The timing is just about right, you should be packing up the last of those turkey (or tofurkey) sandwiches and heading to your local ski area to work it off! Can I hear a collective WAHOO! The white stuff is here and many resorts, thanks to the kindness of Mother Nature, coupled with their own snow gun technology, are opening and some to perhaps the best early-season tracks ever.

Out here in the Pacific Northwest, the flakes are falling, so much so in La Grande, Ore., that kids were sent home from school Wednesday morning, November 28, for only the second time in 22 years . And four-and-a-half inches blanketed Washington's capital city of Olympia (which, to most of you, is nothing, but out here stops everything).

What this means for Northwesterners is that Crystal Mountain will be in full operation this Saturday! It dumped another 10" overnight, but today is the last day for the low-priced, $15, lift ticket, so let your boss see you eat something of undetermined origin, feign a stomach ache, and hit the road. Friday will see more lifts open and Saturday the mountain will be in full operation.

And Baker Mountain, where it continues to dump and 24" to 36" of new snow is expected by this weekend, is in semi-full swing with five chairs open this week and all eight expected to be open by the weekend. And Steven's Pass opened today with a base of 39" and three inches of fresh.

Up north in British Columbia, Canada, at Whistler-Blackcomb, both mountains are open, with the most terrain available to advanced and expert skiers and boarders. The resort got 4" of pow last night, making its 7-day total 24". It's snowing lightly today and the resort is forecasting 2"-4" tonight and 4"-6" tomorrow.

Moving south to the Lake Tahoe area, where I'm sure the locals are glued to the TV and high-fiving after seeing the satellite pics of the big white swirl coming in off the coast of Washington and heading right for the Sierra, things are bustling. With seven out of the next 10 days calling for nothing but snow, I'd start planning the trip. With a mid-mountain base of 44" and 10" to 14" in the past 24 hours, Alpine Meadows opened top to bottom today and it's only going to get better. The snow report calls for continued snow showers with 4"-12" of possible accumulation today.

Just down the street, also in North Lake Tahoe, Squaw Valley USA got a whoppin' foot of new snow last night and is currently operating nine lifts, with six of them at the 8200'-top scheduled to open later in the day.

	Squaw Monday Squaw Valley USA photo: Eric Brandt

Moving around the lake to South Lake Tahoe, Heavenly is open and is the only resort where you can ski and board in two states, Nevada and California. The resort expected 24" last night and is running seven lifts.

Who cares about 3.2 beers when you get 100" of fresh!! That's right, Utah is getting walloped and Little Cottonwood Canyon's Snowbird set a record with 100" in 100 hours. Currently still experiencing winter storm warnings, Utahians, Utahns, whatever, are obviously the perfect choice for hosts of this winter's Olympic games, which begin in 71 days.

Alta has opened nearly half of it runs, with 25 of 54 trails open with a season total of 141", 109 of which have fallen since Turkey Day. And it just ain't slowing down, 8"-12" is expected today with another 8"-12" tonight. Unfortunately, there is still no snowboarding at Alta.

The weather's a little mellower at Park City, where 24 of 100 trails are open and forecasts are looking at 3"-6" today with an additional 1"-2" tomorrow, then a couple clear but cold days with more snow predicted for Sunday and Monday.

Over in Colorado, resorts opened early, but are still operating on a limited basis. Breckenridge is running nine of its lifts and isolated snow showers are forecast for the next five days. Aspen and Snowmass opened Nov. 22. Aspen, which has received 20" over the last seven days, is running three lifts servicing 13 trails and is now OPEN to snowboarders. Snowmass, with a 33" base at the top, has received 6" over the last two days and is running four lifts serving 13 trails. The forecast calls for light snow over the next few days.

Copper Mountain is opening little by little after receiving 30" over the past week with steady, cold temperatures allowing the resort to continue to make fresh snow. Five lifts are open today and an additional two are expected to open Saturday. The Butte, Crested Butte that is, is planning on a Dec. 15 opening day.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has been making snow in anticipation of this Saturday's opening day and is getting a little help from Mother Nature as well. Looking at 6" tonight with snow showers continuing on Friday, it's only adding to the bases of over 58" at the summit and 43" mid-mountain. An hour's drive from Jackson, Grand Targhee, "in the heart of the Tetons," Alta, Wyoming, is running two lifts after receiving 27" of the natural over the last seven days.

Over on the East Coast, it's just not quite there yet. Boston's steeped in near-summer 60-degree temperatures, and it's trying only a little harder up north. A winter storm advisory issued by The Weather Channel for parts of Vermont and Maine was cancelled early today as snow turned to rain. Killington, with the largest snowmaking capability in the world, is open with four trails/one run for upper intermediate and advanced level folks only. Sugarbush is on hold indefinitely and Stowe has one lift running, but warns, "Please note there are some thin & bare spots and some walking may be required."

	Sunday River Today Sunday River

In Maine, Sunday River is the only resort currently open, with one lift serving four trails, but there are 1.8 miles open, top to bottom, a good way to shape up those jelly legs. New Hampshire has three open resorts: Waterville, Loon and Bretton Woods. Bretton Woods has the highest base depth at 12"-24" with two lifts serving three trails.

So, my vote goes to Utah and you might as well take a trip now because when the Olympics come to Salt Lake, February 8-25, you can bet the surrounding resorts are going to be packed. At least start pulling your stuff out of the basement, the attic, the shed and make sure it's ready to go when you are...

— Sarah Love Sheehan, MountainZone.com Staff