The sun is shining, the air is crisp, and the roosters are howling on the morning of November 16th here in Vernon, New Jersey. You wake up to grab the fresh cup of coffee that’s brewing, you turn around to look out the window while you sip on the fresh cup that’s steaming in your hands, and then you unpack the winter jacket, gloves, and goggles to get ready to hit up Mountain Creek.
Wait, what?
That’s right, riding in New Jersey, in November, at Mountain Creek. What was once a dream became a reality for so many of us, and it all happened this past weekend. November 16th and 17th, one for the record books, became a historic opening weekend and left us itching for Winter even more than we already are.
If you looked in one direction, you saw nothing but smiles going up Sugar Lift, just to transform to smiles coming down Sugar Slope, as the early season riders got their fair share of EXTRA early season laps (That is, if you were able to see uphill and not be blinded by the blue skies and bright sun that was overhead).
If you were to look in the other direction towards the Biergarten, you would be greeted by the sight (and smell) of burgers being fired up on the grill, groups of guests putting drinks together and saying cheers to the new season, and a welcoming bonfire at the base of the Biergarten ushering in both the new season and guests.
As for the mountain itself, our Terrain Park Crew hit it out of the park (pun intended). With a staggering 11 features on our opening weekend, it’s safe to say that this early weekend was only a preview of the magic they’re going to accomplish in the upcoming months. So, if you see a bright orange “Park Crew” jacket around, be sure to give them a high five.
The fun may have just started, but it’s definitely not over yet. With such an enticing and historic first weekend already under our belts before Thanksgiving, this season is shaping up to be one you don’t want to miss. Will this be the season you finally break your “on-snow” record? At the rate our amazing snow team is pumping out snow for us, we might all break our records.
With colder weather in the forecast, we promise we’ll be doing our due diligence in hitting the high bar we set this past weekend. With an amazing crew behind us, cooperative weather, and a little bit of optimism, this season is shaping up to be one you won’t want to miss.
As always, we’ll keep you posted on any news, happenings, or any other information we’ve got. So until then, tune those skis and boards, warm up the legs, and think snow!