Montana – Red Lodge Mountain was crowded with skiers taking to the slopes for the first time this winter. Every year, Montanans eagerly anticipate this day; some even compete to board the first chairlift.
Every year, lifelong friends Belgarion Rickard, Dylan Neves, and Tom Baker attempt to ride the first chairlift. They succeeded the previous year, but this year they fell just short.
“We were here at about 6:30,” Rickard said. “Yeah, 6:30. We got up in the van, left around 5:30.”
The opening day of ski season is comparable to Christmas morning for him and his friends.
“Oh I love it,” Neves said. “Trying to go to bed early, but I can’t because I’m so excited. Then you finally get here and get on the lift. That cold breeze, feels good.”
The friends’ party was the first to purchase tickets today, but they were unable to access the opening lift. They weren’t too disappointed because a great day on the slopes is hard to top.
“Everything is going great,” Rickard said. “It’s a really awesome start to the season we got a lot more snow.”
And it wasn’t just these three who couldn’t wait for the season to start. Every employee at Red Lodge Mountain looks forward to it, according to Jack Moore, the company’s marketing manager.
“I’m really fired up for this season,” Moore said. “It’s a lot of work from our fantastic team of employees that’s gone into it these last couple weeks.”
Like past years, this one, according to Moore, had a particular vitality.
“Leading up to 9 o’clock, this place gets buzzing on opening day,” Moore said. “Once everything clears out the lines tend to go away. People are excited to ski Red Lodge Mountain this year, and we are too.”
The triple chair, Willow Creek, and Miami Beach lifts were all operating, along with the beginner-friendly magic carpet, but as new snow accumulates, the remaining lifts will gradually become accessible.
You won’t hear any complaints from this group of buddies, though, on opening day.
“When we first got here up near the top it was a little icy, a little chunky,” Baker said. “But as the days gone by and it’s warmed up a little bit, it’s gotten softer and it’s pretty good snow.”
Additionally, they had no intention of leaving the mountain quickly.
“We’ll be here until the last lift,” Rickard said.
“We’ll be here when it’s two minutes after begging to let us go one more time,” Baker said.
