Skiers, snowboarders rejoice at Afton Alps' early opening

At exactly 3 p.m. on Friday, the chairlifts at Afton Alps stirred to life. Eager skiers and snowboarders hopped aboard, making their way up to the bright hilltops.

Hans Swanson, 14, was among the early birds.

"It's kind of my place," he said, snowboard in hand. It's his third year at Afton Alps, he said, and the earliest in the season he's ever started.

An unusually long string of cold days has made conditions pristine for snowboarding and skiing, allowing Afton Alps to open about a week earlier — and with more acreage available — than last year.

"It's a gift in the ski world," said Amy Reents, the operation's marketing manager.

Other popular spots are open this weekend, too, including Buck Hill, Wild Mountain and Spirit Mountain in Minnesota and Trollhaugen just across the Wisconsin border.

Conditions like these aren't a surprise in January, Reents said, but she can't remember another November like this one. The combination of cold and dry has allowed the resort's snowmaking machines to run nonstop.

Three of Afton Alps' 50 trails opened Friday, Reents said, and six are expected to be open over the weekend.

"It'll be more like a regular holiday weekend rather than just getting going," she said.

The early part of the season often bounces between cold and warm, Reents said, and that makes it tough to draw consistent crowds. Last year, the bursts of extreme cold also meant a lot of back-and-forth.

"Last year was kind of feast or famine depending on whether it was above or below zero," she said.

Jared Fuller, 38, said he didn't snowboard much last winter. But this year, he decided to tag along with a group of friends on opening day. On Friday afternoon, his exposed feet hit the freezing air as he strapped on his boots at the base of a hill.

"It's a good excuse to go outside and play," he said.

In the early weeks of the season, Reents said, the slopes are filled mostly with young people. Kids come by right after school, zipping across the snow in brightly colored packs.

"A lot of people don't start at the mountains," she said. "They start at their hometown hill."

Missy McAlpin, 22, and Hannah Hall, 21, spend most of their winter at Afton Alps. As part of its staff, they help build and maintain the resort's freestyle area — one of the many spots that got a face-lift after Vail bought Afton Alps in December 2012.

On Friday afternoon, McAlpin and Hall hit the terrain park to check on patrons and make sure everything was running smoothly.

As soon as they're off the clock, McAlpin said, they join the crowd.

"In the winter, this is all we do," Hall said. "We should just sleep here."

Emma Nelson • 952-746-3287