BRIGHTON SKI RESORT, Utah -- There may not be snow in the forecast, but if there is snow on the ground, ski and snowboard season has started for some.
Otto Solberg has been skiing for more than a week now.
“I got 155 days in last season," Solberg said. "Skied until August 3rd and then now we are back skiing October 20th,” he said.
Last season brought a record number of ski days to Utah, more than 200, according to a spokesperson for Ski Utah.
The early dose of winter-like weather in October had many resorts making snow and hoping for an extra-early opening day.
Unfortunately, fall-like temperatures have come back and that means no more snow is falling.
“I am kind of let down I want to see some snow happening in the forecast,” Jared Winkler, Director of Marketing for Brighton Resort, said.
Brighton isn’t committing to an opening date yet, Winkler said.
“We are going to open as soon as we possibly can” he said.
Solberg is anxiously awaiting the opening.
“When Little Cottonwood Canyon closes, you know it’s a good time to be up there," he said. "When it’s snowing so much that they can’t even keep the roads clear, it’s the perfect day to ski."
Despite the not-so-perfect conditions, Dan Reese is still hiking up the mountain just for that chance to snowboard down.
“I am thinking there is snow up there," he said. "It’s soft in some places and even if it’s not, it’s better than no snow."
There will be more ski buses operating this ski season in the Cottonwood Canyons in an effort to make things easier for people wanting to hit the slopes.
Those buses will begin as late as Dec. 1 but could start earlier depending on when ski resorts open, a spokesperson for UTA said.
The Salt Lake Tribune had a recentstory on the expanded bus service.
For a fulllist of opening dates for ski resorts, click here.
