Mountain Creek opens for season

VERNON — Great skiing and riding conditions welcomed those who headed for the Mountain Creek Ski Resort on Opening Day.
With a bit of natural snow coupled with ideal snow making conditions made it possible for the outstanding Mountain Creek Mountain Operations, Snow Making and Grooming team to covert the Horizon slope from top to bottom and make the Sugar slope perfect for new skiers and riders.
Visitors to the resort for opening day were quickly made aware that it was going to be a special day. For the first time in years the mountain was open from top to bottom featuring a perfectly groomed Horizon slope and Sugar slope that provided excellent terrain for experienced and beginner skiers alike to test their ski legs. They were also made aware of the new owner’s commitment to improvements by being introduced to the new RFID (radio frequency identification) lift access system that replace the need for each skiers ski pass to be checked by hand.
The system will reduce the delay getting on the lift and will eliminate the problem created by those who would attempt to ride the lift without a lift pass.
The opening of the ski resort was celebrated by die-hard skiers and riders on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 24 days earlier than the 2016 ski season.
Among the die-hards were Buffy and John Whiting of Vernon, who for past years have been regulars to the mountain and hold the record for the most number of days skiing at the resort and for New Jersey with 104 days on the slopes achieved during the outstanding 2015 ski season which began with the Whiting’s opening the ski season by riding the first chair on Saturday, Nov. 29 and closing the ski season by riding the 1st chair closing day on Easter Sunday, April 5.
— Photos courtesy John Whiting