I'm so grateful my parents introduced me to skiing when I was 6 years old, because ever since I've actually looked forward to the bitter cold of winter and the sheets of white that blanket the land. This makes me a happy fellow about now as ski resorts across the region gear up for another season. Join me here every Thursday as we take a look at what's happening in the skiing and snowboarding scene in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado, with occasional forays further afield.

The winter has gotten off to a great start, with storms moving through the region since October laying down the crucial base. In fact, Loveland in Colorado opened Oct. 17 and Arapaho Basin on Oct. 9 — some of the earliest openings on record.

Wolf Creek, as usual, was the first of our regional areas to begin operations, cranking up its chairlifts Oct. 30. One hundred percent of its terrain (1,600 acres) is now open, with a midmountain base of 32 inches.

Wolf Creek marks its 70th season this year. Look for the new $1.5 million Raven's Nest day lodge and dining facility, located midmountain on top of the Raven chairlift. Fourteen "local appreciation days," specially priced days open to all guests, are scheduled this season, with tickets priced at $31 for adults and $18 for seniors and children.

Taos Ski Valley opens today on a base of 22 inches. Opening day will feature limited terrain-only beginner and intermediate runs off chairs 1 and 3, the Rueggli and two moving carpets. For some interesting details on the special and challenging characteristics of early-season snow, check out the comments by TSV patrol director Kei Braun at http://skitaos.org/news/view/220.

Ski Santa Fe picked up almost 2 feet of snow in one storm, but warm weather has delayed its opening. It is prepared to open within 48 hours of the next large storm. A cool, new feature of its Web site — www.skisantafe.com — is a webcam that offers views of the base area (from the cafeteria deck), the quad chair line (yikes — employers can now see who is skipping out on work!), the Riblet chair and Open slope.

Angel Fire will open Dec. 12. This season, the resort is launching the first and only nighttime skiing and snowboarding in New Mexico on 50 acres, including Exhibition, Ridge Run, Valley and Dreamcatcher. A set of freestyle park features — including jumps, rails and fun boxes — will be accessible at night, as well as the timed NASTAR race course and the popular Polar Coaster tubing hill. "Where I came from, night skiing was a huge draw in the mountains nearby," notes Angel Fire CEO Pat Brunstad. "We're looking to create that same high-energy fun here."

The grand opening for night activity will be Dec. 19 and will include live music. Night skiing will be available from 4 to 9 p.m., Thursday to Saturday throughout the season, and seven days a week during peak holiday periods. Night lift ticket prices will run $24, or $12 per ticket with a resort lift ticket for the same day. A season-long night pass will be available for $99.

Angel Fire also has developed a new children's progressive learning trail named Bominable. This half-mile trail is located just off the resort's signature green run, Headin' Home. The run will feature snowball throws and a ski through teepee and fortress.

Red River was set to open Wednesday with a 15-inch base, with Friday-to-Sunday operations until Dec. 18. Expect to ski only the upper portion of the mountain, with uploading at the midstation on the resort's new chair. That's right — venerable Red River has a new chair that runs top to bottom, replacing the old Red Chair.

Sipapu opened Nov. 21 and is open daily through this Sunday, but with very limited terrain (865 vertical feet on less than a foot of snow). Adult tickets will run just $15, kids and seniors just $10. Pajarito Mountain is awaiting more snow to open. Sandia Peak expects to open Dec. 19. Ski Apache, down south near Ruidoso, will open today, with lifts 3 and 5 accessing beginner and intermediate runs.

Telluride will open today with a base of 23 inches. The resort hopes to have chairs 4, 5 and 6 running, with beginner, intermediate and limited advanced runs open.

Over the past two years, Telluride has significantly expanded its terrain, with the addition of Revelation Bowl last year (with its own chairlift), and challenging hike-to steeps off Prospect Ridge the previous year, including the summit of Palmyra Peak at 13,320 feet. This trend continues this season with Gold Hill Chutes 2 to 5, providing above tree-line couloirs and chutes dropping 1,600 vertical feet. Telluride now offers one of North America's greatest vertical drops: 4,425 feet total, including 3,845 feet of lift-served terrain.

Purgatory hopes to host its annual benefit day Friday, which would kick off Friday-to-Sunday skiing until mid-December, but is awaiting more snow. Answering the call from expert and advanced skiers for more challenging terrain, Purgatory expanded its expert terrain by more than 30 percent this summer, opening new, steep tree-skiing glades accessible from its Legends lift.

Silverton Mountain, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, continues to offer its specialty expert-only terrain. It plans to open Dec. 2 with a Wednesday-to-Sunday schedule (as long as Purgatory stays on its restricted schedule). First turns were had here by staff Oct. 6, and 16 to 24 more inches have fallen since then. The no-frills area bought two old buses this summer to increase its shuttle capacity and ability to offer actual seats to skiers returning to the base from various pickup points.

Monarch Mountain, marking its 70th year, opened Wednesday with beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain on a 36-inch base. The resort has spent $55,000 upgrading its rental equipment — including high-end skis and boards from K2, Solomon, Volkl and Burton for its demo fleet — and has doubled the size of its Tilt terrain park for kids and beginners.

Crested Butte opened Wednesday, but with limited beginner and intermediate terrain. Additional intermediate runs will be available Friday with the start of the Teocalli lift. The resort has a new Adventure Park located at the base, with a climbing wall, bungee trampolines and a year-round ice-skating rink, as well as a new tub sliding area and lift. On the mountain, the popular lunch and sleigh-in dining spot, The Ice Bar, has been expanded and remodeled. As usual, the Butte is offering free skiing with lodging made through Crested Butte Vacations through Dec. 16.

Daniel Gibson can be reached at dbgibson@newmexico.com.