RENO, Nev. – Winter is coming on fast, judging from the weekly dustings of snow the Tahoe basin has received since mid-October. As the temperatures continue to drop, Tahoe ski resorts are using the chilly days and nights to make snow, especially at higher elevations.

Flakes started falling at Mt. Rose- Ski Tahoe as early as September 25. Dubbed “Tahoe’s highest base ski resort” due to its base elevation of 8,260 feet, Mt. Rose tends to be the recipient of the area’s first snow storms. Webcams showed the top of Northwest Magnum (at its peak elevation of 9,700 feet) covered in white on September 30, the last day of its season pass sale. Another small blizzard came in on October 11 making the entire mountain look blanketed.

Many skiers and snowboarders (and especially the grooming department) know that it takes a lot more than a dusting to open the resort, though. Fortunately for Mt. Rose, cold temperatures ideal for snowmaking were sustained through the rest of October allowing its mountain operations to fire up the snow guns. The resort started making snow from the summit on the Mt. Rose side down to the base on October 12, 10 days earlier than last year (Mt. Rose started making snow last season on October 22, 2022, for its early November opening date).

A couple more storm systems came through on October 25 and 26, allowing the resort to make snow that was augmented with natural snow falling from the sky. This teed Mt. Rose up to announce its opening date, one day earlier than last season. Photos and videos showed manmade snow blasting on its top-to-bottom Kit Carson Trail, which a few season passholders have said is their favorite run because it’s the first one open, marking the official start of ski and snowboard season.

By October 30th Mt. Rose announced that it put in 50 hours of snowmaking between October 27-30 (one groomer said that 4.4 million gallons of water were used in that cycle, producing roughly 22 acre-feet of snow). On November 7, Mt. Rose announced that it would be opening its Lakeview Express on November 10, 2023, with Kit Carson Traverse, Kit Carson Bowl, and Ponderosa trails available.

What makes its opening bittersweet is that Lakeview Express is a new fixed grip quad chairlift that Mt. Rose installed in the 2022/23 season, depositing skiers and riders right on the Kit Carson Trail with a view of Lake Tahoe.

Along with making snow whenever temperatures permit, Mt. Rose has been actively hiring employees. It held its first hiring mixer at its main lodge on October 21 and gave away a bunch of swag and a pair of skis and then two more mixers down in Reno at Schussboom Brewing Co. and Reno Public Market in the past two weeks.

A myriad of indoor and outdoor part-time and full-time positions are still open, and Mt. Rose employees can enjoy flexible schedules; crazy good discounts on food/drinks/gear/lessons; free lift tickets for friends and family; and a free season pass for themselves and a guest- even if you work just one day a week.

Mt. Rose will open more skiable terrain as conditions permit, but for now Mt. Rose marks the official start of the 2023/24 ski season in the Tahoe basin. To view its snow report and hours of operation, visit http://www.skirose.com.