Hitting the slopes

View larger image Cory McCallahan, 16, of Howard County, Md, snowboards down the slope during the opening weekend of the snow season at Bryce Resort in Basye. Andrew Thayer/Daily View larger image Skiers ride the chairlift on their way to the top of the mountain during the opening weekend of the snow season at Bryce Resort in Basye. Andrew Thayer/Daily View larger image Harold Sampson, of Timberville, rides on the carpet lift during the opening weekend of the snow season at Bryce Resort in Basye. The lift recently had a wooden covering installed during the off season. Andrew Thayer/Daily

Skiers, snowboarders come out for opening day of season

By Sally Voth -- svoth@nvdaily.com

BASYE -- Friday was a snow day for Samantha Louque of Winchester.

The 13-year-old took the day off school -- it was only a half-day anyway -- to ski with her father, Don, as the slopes at Bryce Resort opened for the season.

"It's a little bit slushy, but it's nice," Samantha said of the slope.

"Hey, it's snow," her father added. "Trying to come down here every weekend. So far, it's great."

It took a little while for Louque to get back into the groove of skiing, but he was soon hitting his stride.

"Now, I'm just back to having fun again, zipping down with the wind in your hair, or through your helmet," he said.

Samantha said, "It's fun to just, like, fly down the mountain."

The chance to spend time together outweighs a few hours of missed school.

"There's only one opening day of the year," Louque said. "Bryce Resort, it's absolutely wonderful down here, very family-friendly. Perfect place for the kids. Great to do some father-daughter bonding, too."

The Louques were among just a handful of skiers on the slopes and lift early Friday afternoon. The first day was a "soft opening" for the resort, said mountain manager Ryan Locher.

"It will pick up tomorrow morning," he said.

Locher described the skiing conditions as good, but said the trails were a little narrow due to a lack of snow.

"We will make snow tonight and Saturday night and Sunday night," he said. "Hopefully, looking decent for the holiday week coming up. We could've spread everything out. We didn't want to do that just in case it gets warm next week, [and] we wouldn't be able to stay open."

The trails had a snow base of anywhere from 6 to 40 inches, Locher said. He said Bryce started making snow at the end of November, and more earnestly starting last week and going into Monday.

"We just need some cold weather," Locher said. "We're looking for Mother Nature to turn a little bit. Conditions are decent for what we have with it being 60 degrees yesterday and freezing today."

Ski instructors John and Betty Beaman were waiting for their first pupils.
"We teach all the ages," he said.

Mrs. Beaman teaches the youngest skiers, those ages 4-7.

"They do great," she said. "They love it. We have our own area for them."

Her husband added, "I've had students as old as 80."