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Push to The Latest: No
SAM Magazine-Mammoth Lakes, Calif., Oct. 16, 2009-Mammoth Mountain and Great Divide, Mont., join the growing ranks of areas that are now open for the season. In addition, Mount Snow, Vt., hopes to open for a fundraising event this weekend.

Mammoth Mountain opened its doors today with a 24-inch base and free lift tickets for every customer. A storm that swept through the Eastern Sierra left Mammoth with two feet of fresh snow at the main lodge and up to 6 feet on the summit, allowing Mammoth to open on natural snow. This is the earliest Mammoth Mountain has opened in the last 15 years. In 1994, the resort opened on October 8.

A cold snap has allowed Great Divide to make enough snow to open a small section of its terrain this weekend for lift-served skiing and riding. The area will have a small four-feature park in the Backyard area this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. each day. Use of the park and tow will be free. This marks the earliest opening ever for the Montana resort, a record previously set on Halloween in 1998. Snowmakers have also built huge snow piles on WildWood for the WildWood Rail Jam, scheduled for Nov. 7. Great Divide plans to open the Good Luck Chairlift for the season on Nov. 25.

Mount Snow fired up nine guns on the Launch Pad Learning Area Wednesday night. With nighttime temperatures in the 20s, the window of snowmaking could allow the area to start lift service on Saturday morning. The plan is to operate both Saturday and Sunday with a smattering of boxes and other features avvailable. Lift tickets will cost $10 or require a donation of 10 non-perishable food items. All proceeds will go to the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry.