Wisp Four Seasons Resort contacted DCSki today with good news: due to chilly temperatures in western Maryland, they were able to fire up the snowguns Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. Colder temperatures are expected to linger, allowing Wisp to build up a solid base in anticipation of an opening date within two weeks. A DCSki reader also reported that Garrett County has received some natural snowfall this week; a winter storm advisory is in effect for Thursday night.

Snowmaking is not easy: subtle shifts in wind direction have to be accommodated, and the Wisp snowmaking crew had to realign their guns in the middle of the night due to a wind shift. Low daytime temperatures have allowed Wisp to continue making snow throughout today.

Wisp has refurbished their grooming machines and allocated additional hours for grooming, promising some nice corduroy slopes for the upcoming season. Snowmaking has been increased on The Face and Squirrel Cage, and additional lighting has been added for nighttime skiing and boarding. Wisp also reports that the Devil’s Arena terrain park now has its own dedicated surface lift.

Wisp has expanded their rental inventory of snowboards and super sidecut skis. Weekend lift ticket rates have been reduced by up to $14; a combination Saturday and Sunday ticket is $70, with Friday night thrown in for free.

Improvements at Wisp extend to the virtual world; their revamped web site will soon contain an on-line “TrailGuide” which will give all the ins and outs of the trails on the mountain. Expect to see this feature by November 21.