Heavy snowfall left a blanket over the Sierra over the past week. The snow made for some treacherous driving conditions in some areas but it was a blessing for the area's ski resorts. More than six feet of snow fell at Northstar California over the last seven days, including two feet over the last 48 hours. Crowds flocked to the resort, Friday, to make the most of a bluebird day.
"I'm pretty stoked, actually," James Copaciu, Sacramento resident said. "It's looking like it's beginning to be a good year. I know we've had some past years that weren't so good but by the looks of it in December, we're actually getting the skis on the slopes."
"I'm like all psyched out," Ethan Cohagan, Sacramento resident said. "I haven't really been skiing until last year. I'm just starting out, just recently."
The ski season just got underway, so this is the first week many people have hit the slopes. With so much pent-up demand, large crowds made their way to Northstar. The parking lots were full, so a lot of people relied on the shuttles. The crowds made for some longer lines.
"So, we've been waiting in the parking lot, waiting in this line, so you are going to be waiting a little bit," Copaciu said. "It is a good weekend."
More than a hundred people waited in the line to get their season passes. At one point, the line wrapped around the building. Officials with Northstar say to plan ahead and get to the resort early for season passes and lift tickets. Skiers did not seem to mind the wait times.
"Well, I thought it was going to take a long time but, actually, I've only been sitting here for about 12 minutes," Erin Reddy, Monterey resident said. "Super excited. I think everybody's excited. You can see the line. Yeah, it's our first run of the season so we're excited to be here."
Jayne Rodriguez is one of 12 family members who are spending a week in a nearby cabin. The snow came in the nick of time for their vacation.
"Just in time," Rodriguez said. "it was snowing. We actually got snowed in at Reno. We had to spend the night there because of the snowstorm."
They will spend the week enjoying the ski resort, cold weather and a white Christmas. The snow came at an important time. Christmas and New Year's are busy times for ski resorts.
"Oh, it's awesome, so beautiful," Rodriguez said. "Nothing like this in Miami. It's beautiful. We love it."
Northstar is dealing with the same labor shortage as other businesses in leisure and hospitality. Officials say they are happy with there employment numbers but that some departments are challenged with a shortage of workers. The resort is putting staff in areas where it can maximize operations and and priority guest safety.
