At 9:30 a.m. Thursday, the sun slid out from behind a cloud and a cheer went up from the crowd of skiers and snowboarders gathered by the base of Chair 1 at Whitefish Mountain Resort. It was the start of the 2020/2021 ski season on Big Mountain after an extra-long off season.

Whitefish Mountain Resort ended the previous season in early March around the time the COVID-19 virus was first detected in the Flathead Valley.

Although everyone at the mountain had waited months to get back on the mountain after the resort’s unexpected early shutdown last season, four high school students at the front of the line waited the longest Thursday morning to get the very first run of the season.

Lane Anello, Payton Douglas, Bridger David and Anthony Tatum staked their place at the front of the line at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening to guarantee they’d be the first on the lift when it started running at 9:30 a.m. the next morning.

They said their competition, the second group in line, didn’t show up until 5 a.m. Thursday.

The dedicated crew from Columbia Falls even brought an ice house to keep warm during their overnight stay, though they admitted they wound up sleeping in their cars instead of setting it up.

This wasn’t their first rodeo, so they knew a thing or two about getting to the front of the lift line. Anello, Douglas, David and Tatum also managed to get first chair of the season last year.

It was worth it to be the first ones up to the summit, they agreed. They said they plan to keep their streak alive next year, too.

“We’ll keep trying, but we might not spend the night,” Anello said.

“Yeah, we will!” Tatum quickly replied.

THOSE WHO didn’t quite make it up in time for the first chair still deemed opening day a success, even though this year it came with quite a few changes.

Whitefish Mountain Resort has implemented various safety measures to keep visitors from spreading the COVID-19 virus at the resort. Face coverings are required in the lift lines and at all times in indoor spaces, like the Summit House. Staff members are regularly patrolling lift lines, reminding skiers to keep their face coverings over their noses and mouths while they wait. Employees are also keeping track of occupancy indoors and making sure tables have a 45-minute turnover at restaurants to keep people moving in and out quickly.

So far, these adjustments seem to be going over well enough with most skiers and boarders, including the season passholders who set a new record for pass sales this year.

“It seems like they’re doing good about face coverings,” observed Dana Jefferies. “It seems like everyone’s wearing them.”

“They’re trying to stay on top of people,” Susan Armstrong said of the staff.

Jefferies and Armstrong said they always ski on the first day of the season, and usually just about every day after that, too.

Amstrong was impressed with the snowpack on the mountain and said the runs had the best coverage she’d seen on any Opening Day at the resort.

Jefferies said he was just excited to get the chance to be out on the mountain again. “It was a long summer,” he added.

Kevin Freund, another frequent patron of the slopes during his winters off from wildland firefighting, was also pleased with the conditions of the runs and the operations during an unorthodox opener. But he said the mountain and its visitors could make a few more changes as the season goes on to smooth things out even further.

“The lack of a singles line is going to be a huge issue if not remedied immediately,” Freund predicted.

In his view, everyone on the mountain can help minimize issues such as overcrowding by being smart and respectful during the ski day.

“People need to take personal responsibility if they come up here,” Freund said. “Nobody’s forcing anybody to come up here.

“People need to chill, take advantage of the opportunity and not ruin it for everybody else,” he added. “Just relax and enjoy the skiing.”

Reporter Bret Serbin may be reached at 758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.