Snow and ski - PING:Sam Seiber

Loveland Ski Area Begins Snowmaking
Resort Wants To Be First Ski Area To Open For Season

September 24, 2007
LOVELAND, Colo. -- It's just the first full day of fall but ski areas in
Colorado are already beginning to think about a favorite winter sport --
skiing.

With temperatures dipping into the 20s and 30s, Loveland Ski Area said
it will begin making snow Monday night in an effort to become the first
ski area in the county to open for the season.

"We set all of our snowmaking equipment up last week thinking there
might be a chance we could begin," said Mark Abrahamson, Loveland's
snowmaking and trail maintenance manager. "We always expect to begin in
late September and by starting tonight we will be right on track."

The opening day run, consisting of 1,000 vertical feet, must be covered
top to bottom, side to side with a minimum packed base of 18 inches, the
Loveland Ski Area said. The snowmaking team uses thirty snow guns and
throughout the night will constantly pump water and air up the mountain
to the guns.

"There's definitely a chill in the air today, and tomorrow morning there
will be snow on the ground," said John Sellers, Loveland's marketing
director. "This is a very exciting time of year at Loveland as we
prepare to open. The guns are placed, there is snow on the peaks and
people across the Front Range are preparing for the season."

Check out Loveland Ski Area's Web site to see updated pictures of
snowmaking progress, gun placement and live webcams.