FARMINGTON — Titcomb Mountain in West Farmington will open for the season on Saturday. 

To celebrate this early opening, which is one of the earliest in Titcomb’s history, a pancake breakfast will be held from 8 to 10 a.m.; the lifts start at 9 a.m.

The breakfast is $6 for adults and $3.50 for ages 6 to 18. Lift tickets for a full day will be $10 a person. 

This early opening gives the Farmington Ski Club, which owns and operates Titcomb Mountain, a real boost in being ready for the holiday vacation, which is a full two weeks this year.

Recent cold nights have been excellent for making snow, and several trails will be open, including the Pony Lift beginner trail.

Snow will continue to be made during the coldest nights until all of the water in the pond is gone. Snow is made with the pond water and air from a compressor, which are pumped up the hill in two different pipes, where they join with high pressure at a snow gun nozzle. When the nozzle is opened and this combination hits the cold, it turns into snow. 

On some nights, 20 snow guns are going at once, covering the trails in white. Titcomb’s first snowmaking equipment was installed in the 1970s.

For more than a week, the Nordic school teams have been training on the bunny slope, where snow has been made. The Alpine teams will be on the snow Thursday, hiking up and skiing down until the lifts begin running Saturday.

Dec. 14 is also the deadline for the club’s current prices for season passes.

For more information on Titcomb Mountain, go to www.titcombmountain.com or call 778-9031.

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