For many skiers and boarders in the mid-Atlantic, this past weekend marked the start of the season. A long stretch of snowmaking temperatures, capped off by a dumping of snow from Mother Nature early Friday, allowed many resorts to open for the season, and others to push forward with additional terrain.

Some recent photos follow.

Members of the Wisp Ski and Ride School light up Squirrel Cage during a torchlight parade, held at Wisp on Saturday evening, December 10, 2005. Celebration was in full gear this weekend as Wisp held a grand opening ceremony for the North Camp. The North Camp adds ten new trails and two new lifts to Wisp. Photo provided by Wisp Resort.

Andrea Smith took this sunrise photo at Snowshoe Mountain Resort on Thursday morning, December 8, 2005. Later that night, Snowshoe received five inches of fresh snow. By Sunday, Snowshoe had 30 trails open. The Silver Creek area is expected to open on December 16. Photo provided by Snowshoe Mountain Resort.

Canaan Realty’s Laura Reed snapped this photo on Thursday, December 8, on the way to Timberline Resort. Laura reports that Timberline opened on Thursday with excellent conditions. Photo provided by Laura Reed.

The sun sets on Whitetail’s opening day on Friday, December 9. Whitetail had some of the best opening day conditions on record, after receiving 8-10 inches of snow. Photo provided by M. Scott Smith.

Prime early-season conditions at West Virginia’s Timberline Resort. Photo provided by John Sherwood.