Paul NelsonChannel 2 News
This time of the year, most people might be starting to get cabin fever. But it's more the opposite, this year.
"I would imagine all those people that bought season passes over the last year, I'm sure they're going to be wanting to come up and use those passes. Finally," snowboarder Adam Paul said. "Now, that we have snow."
Officials at Alpine Meadows agree. "There's a lot of pent-up demand," Public Relations Manager Jenny Kendrick said. "Some people might not have been thinking about skiing, with good weather elsewhere, and now that we have it, it's time for them to get up here and take advantage of it, now."
That's definitely what we saw Friday with a lot of people hitting the slopes and taking advantage of a long weekend, a little bit early.
"I don't have any classes, on Friday," skier William McPartlon said. "So, every weekend is a three-day weekend for me and this one just happens to be a long one. So, I'll be at Alpine all four days."
26 inches of snow have fallen on the summit at Alpine Meadows since Monday. Between the snow, the 3-day weekend, and the great weather, resorts are expecting big business.
"We're really excited," Kendrick said. "I think the snow helped let everyone know that we've got some great skiing conditions here. So, it should be a busy weekend."
You found people of all ages enjoying the sunny weather on the slopes, including two girls from Tahoe City, who say they're having a great time.
"Awesome because it's really fast," Elia said.
"Pretty good," Izabel said. "Yeah. Good. You can ski really fast."
While these kids are getting a head start on a holiday that's unique to Americans, we also found some Australians who are also interested in Presidents Day.
"I'm looking forward to meeting Obama, actually," Brett Loaliger joked.
These Aussies are in the Reno-Tahoe area for the first time and say they're happy for the winter weather. Especially, since it's summertime back in Melbourne.
"Fantastic, mate," Loaliger said. "Doesn't get any better, according to us. You guys probably think it's not so good but this is great."
