CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Adam Baillargeon rushed over to the chairlift Monday afternoon with a blue work shirt peeking out from under his ski jacket.

As his friends ribbed him about his lateness and his attire, the 23-year-old Sugarloaf/USA marketing employee grimaced. He had just found out about the first run – the one that marks the seasonal opening of the mountain – that Sugarloafers were talking with Olympic gold-medalist Seth Wescott.

Baillargeon was told he had to finish writing up expense reports before leaving the office, and he had rushed through his reports and pulled on his ski gear over his work clothes.

Sugarloaf opened officially at 2 p.m. on Monday. Patrons are expected as early as today.

The lifts were scheduled to start running this past Friday, and a big opening weekend celebration had been planned for Nov. 17, 18 and 19, mountain Communications Manager Bill Swain said Monday.

But a week of unseasonably warm weather and enough rain to make some people feel like building an ark washed much of the snow already on the mountain away, Swain said, and shut down snowmaking operations for most of the week. “We had to make the decision … that we wouldn’t be able to open Friday,” Swain said.

The scheduled Tin Mountain Roundup bash was postponed until the first week of December.

Messages on the ski mountain’s Web site and e-mails to Sugarloaf regulars notified customers of the postponement. “I don’t think anyone showed up here (expecting to ski),” he said.

There just wasn’t enough snow.

The low-energy snow guns, which can operate under warmer conditions than the mountain’s older machines, were turned on again Sunday afternoon. Sugarloaf is the first East Coast mountain to open so far, Diller said, a testament to the new guns.

On the way up the lift Monday, a few shrieks rang out – something unprintable about how cold it had suddenly gotten.

At the top, people stepped into skis. Wescott slid a few yards down on his snowboard, then sat down to re-fasten.

A few seconds later, all 10 or so Sugarloafers disappeared into a snowy mist.

Second down the mountain and with snow stuck to his face, Wescott gave his seal of approval. “It’s hard to see,” he said, gesturing to the snow spraying from the snow guns. “But the snow’s actually pretty good.”

Baillargeon arrived a few minutes later, similarly covered with snow. “This is the perk of the job,” he said, grinning. “It was awesome.”