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Sandia Peak Ski Area opens earlier than ever

By Julian Paras

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Usually, people don’t see Sandia Peak Ski Area open until December. However, with the most recent snowstorm, skiers and snowboarders are more than happy to hit the slopes earlier.

“Honestly, beautiful,” Cody Grossman said. “They haven’t groomed it yet. I’m ready to cut through the trees. I’m probably going to be more on the left-hand side today.”

Grossman and his friends are more than happy to see Sandia Peak Ski Area open sooner than usual.

DJ Tores said, “The storm we got was lovely. And we’re going to take advantage of it. Just looking forward to a good year out here.”

Managers with the ski area say this is historic. The sight of people piling in a line to get up the mountain is exactly what they like seeing.

“Over the last week, super excited,” Sandia Peak Ski Area Manager Scott Leigh said. “Just exhilarated to be open. Love seeing people out here skiing and getting out to ski and ride early season.”

The ski area reported a season total of 36 inches. People arrived early Sunday morning to either wait in line or even hike up the hills. The open trail is not groomed yet, which could make it trickier. Leigh said employees and participants play a big role in maintaining the snow for the season.

“Actually having skiers out makes a big difference when they pack the snow down, so we’ll be managing snow going forward,” Leigh said.

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