WOLF CREEK • The start of Colorado’s unusual ski season was unusually quiet.

Davey Pitcher and his wife, Rosanne, carefully talked earlier this week about opening their family-run Wolf Creek Ski Area after 24 inches of snow fell on the mountain near Pagosa Springs. The snow, Pitcher says, “was just what the doctor ordered.” But instead of giving people more notice and waiting for a weekend day, they decided to open mid-week. And instead of making a big announcement about opening, they didn’t hype it up too much.

“It was kind of strategic,” Pitcher said. “We’re happy with a slow start.”

“We’re trying to play it low key,” his wife added. “This is kind of the stripped down, old-school version of skiing.”

They wanted to give everyone, employees and customers, time to ease into ski season during the coronavirus pandemic and see how safety precautions such as mandatory masks and social distancing played out.

This comes after months of preparations, including sending a 16-page online survey to 40,000 past visitors seeking feedback.

Rosanne Pitcher, who acts as the ski area’s vice president of marketing and sales, said the message was clear: “People wanted us to do anything we could to open.”

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That day came closer after the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued operating guidelines for the ski industry this month.

“I think the proof is out there that it’s working,” Pitcher said on Wednesday morning, as he looked out his office window at a sparse crowd of happy skiers and snowboarders.

Wednesday marked the second time in the last 10 years that Wolf Creek has won the race to be the first ski area in the state to run the lifts, beating out frequent winners Loveland and Arapahoe Basin resorts. Wolf Creek relies on natural snowfall and doesn’t have the same snowmaking technology of others in Colorado.

Attending opening day was a badge of honor for snowboarders like Samuel Castaneda.

“It’s exciting just knowing we’re the first ones,” he said.

“It feels like it’s been a long time since we’ve been here,” his little brother, Jacob, added.

While they made the relatively short drive from Del Norte, others came from Durango and New Mexico. Mike Herndon traveled from his home in Oklahoma for his usual ski season stay in Pagosa Springs.

“Someone asked me, ‘To ski or not to ski?’” Herndon said. “And my response was, ‘Is that really a question?’”

It was a no-brainer for Anitra Hargo, too, while she waits for her workplace, Purgatory Resorts, to open. The Durango ski area reported Wednesday it was beginning to make snow.

“We’re all here for the love of riding,” Hargo said. “All of my friends are here and everybody is stoked. It brings a smile to my face.”

Yeah, it feels good to open for Davey Pitcher, too. But he has other things on his mind.

“We have the responsibility of showing that a ski area can respond to this safely and not create any COVID outbreaks,” he said.

That responsibility has informed big decisions, like running only three lifts on Wednesday and keeping amenities other than restrooms closed, and smaller decisions, like Pitcher making the last-minute call to start running the lifts 30 minutes early Wednesday in hopes of spreading out people as much as possible.

Feeling that responsibility isn’t new for him.

“As a ski operator, you have an awful lot of trepidation already,” he said. “There’s always about six or seven things you can think about that can make you lose sleep.”

Ahead of opening day, there wasn’t much sleep. He got in a “nap” on the couch in his cozy office before waking up around 4 a.m. to tackle a list of to-dos, ranging from parking cars to removing snow. By 11 a.m., it was time for a granola bar and some yogurt before hitting the slopes for a few hours.

“I think it’s a big relief to be able to go out skiing for the public,” Pitcher said. “When I look around, I think, ‘This is a good thing.’

As his wife said, “We feel like skiing is a good way to get out COVID frustrations.”

The couple, whose two adult kids also work at the ski area, expect to open more lifts this weekend and to reopen ski rentals, lessons and the lodge as the season unfolds.

With the lodge’s restaurant and bar closed, Wolf Creek recommended patrons bring their own food and drinks. That resulted in some social distancing tailgaters drinking cans of beer and Jeff Greer, who’s been skiing for 42 years, snacking in the front seat of his truck.

“This is like a throwback to 50 years ago,” he said. “It’s porta-potties and lunch in the parking lot.”

Even though the experience was more mellow than recent years, Heather Clark of Albuquerque was happy to be out of her house for the first time in weeks.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “It feels a little bit like normal.”

The start of Colorado’s unusual ski season was unusually quiet.

Davey Pitcher and his wife, Roseanne, carefully talked earlier this week about opening their family-run Wolf Creek Ski Area after 24 inches of snow fell on the mountain near Pagosa Springs. Instead of giving people more notice and waiting for a weekend day, they decided to open mid-week. And instead of making a big announcement about opening, they didn’t hype it up too much.

“It was kind of strategic,” Pitcher said. “We’re happy with a slow start.”

He wanted to give everyone, employees and customers, time to ease into ski season during the coronavirus pandemic and see how safety precautions such as mandatory masks and social distancing played out.

“I think the proof is out there that it’s working,” Pitcher said on Wednesday morning, as he looked out his office window at a sparse crowd of happy skiers and snowboarders.

Wednesday marked the second time in the last 10 years that Wolf Creek has won the race to be the first ski area in the state to run the lifts, beating out frequent winners Loveland or Arapahoe Basin resorts.

Attending is a badge of honor for snowboarders like Samuel Castaneda.

“It’s exciting just knowing we’re the first ones,” he said. “It feels like it’s been a long time since we’ve been here.”

While Castaneda and his 13-year-old brother made the relatively short drive from Del Norte, others came from Durango and New Mexico. Mike Herndon traveled from his home in Oklahoma for his usual snowy season stay in Pagosa Springs.

“Someone asked me, ‘To ski or not to ski?’” Herndon said. “And my response was, ‘Is that really a question?’”

It was a no-brainer for Anitra Hargo, too, while she waits for her workplace, Purgatory Resorts, to open.

“We’re all here for the love of riding,” she said, while waiting in line for her ticket. “All of my friends are here and everybody is stoked. It brings a smile to my face.”

Yeah, it feels good to open and to be first for Pitcher, too. But he has other things on his mind.

“We have the responsibility of showing that a ski area can respond to this safely and not create any COVID outbreaks,” he said.