Eager skiers and snowboarders looking to take advantage of 4 inches of fresh snow on Wednesday morning were greeted with a welcome surprise when the Sun Valley Ski Patrol dropped ropes at the top of the Bald Mountain bowls.
A visible indication that the ski season is in full swing, the opening of the bowls came a day after Sun Valley Co. fired up the Seattle Ridge lift to give access to novice runs Broadway, Christin's Silver, Muffy's Medals and Gretchen's Gold.
"We opened up the bowls in anticipation of the next storm," Sun Valley ski patroller Eric Demment said Wednesday afternoon. "We need to get the area skied out so that we don't end up with too much snow on top of weak layers."
With 5 inches of new snow covering the mountain Thursday morning and a full foot having fallen since the beginning of the week, as reported by Sun Valley, the vast majority of Baldy's runs are open. However, underbrush, tree stumps and the occasional rock are still visible on runs without snowmaking.
"It's good in the guts of the bowls," Demment said. "However, it's a bit bony and rocky on the ridges, so skiers should think before going too aggressively."
While the National Weather Service predicted curtailment of the snowfall on Friday, there is the chance of new snow during the weekend.
"We are getting a lot of snow at an interesting time," said veteran ski patroller Brian Dirksmeier, who holds the distinction of being the first Sun Valley patrolman to ever do the job on telemark skis. "With the holiday crowds, a lot of skiers will look to head out of bounds. However, we can't stress enough that they have to use caution as there will be a lot of rocks and even more uncertainty than usual in the wake of the Castle Rock Fire."
Along with the Seattle Ridge lift, the Mayday lift also began operating Tuesday, bringing the number of lifts in action to 10. The Plaza, Lookout and Frenchman's lifts remain closed.
Runs yet to be opened as of Thursday include the area below Gun Tower Lane, Cozy, Olympic, Olympic Ridge and the lower Frenchman's area.
The Roundhouse restaurant will open on Friday, Dec. 21. The popular gourmet lunch spot, midway up the River Run side of the mountain, is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday throughout the winter season.
Reservations are suggested for Roundhouse and can be made by calling 622-2800.