Holiday Valley Opens in 2024

The Erie lake effect machine fired her guns hard and heavy the last week. Usually I would turn my eyes towards the Tug Hill, but lake effect can be a fickle thing. At Dry Hill they needed snorkels, but Snow Ridge could only launch a soft opening.

Cold Canadian air was pushing south and in the early season Lake Erie often reigns supreme. Holiday Valley was in the epicenter getting over three feet of snow.

I called my boys Alex and Evan, and on Friday we headed to the Aspen of the East, Ellicottville for Holiday Valley Opening Day 2024.

We passed the main base and headed to the Yodeler Lodge to start our day. We found Evan already geared up and ready to go. A small crowd had already formed at the lift, anxious to get the season’s first turns. We heard the roar of the crowd as the first chair was loaded while we were getting our tickets. We headed to the lift and I watched a mob of people rip through the fresh snow down the side.

We had plans to take a cruise on Mardi Gras to get our legs loose. But, the allure of the fresh snow on Yodeler was too much and we abruptly changed course, making our way down the diamond for the first run of the season. It was well worth it. Despite getting leftovers, there were plenty of fat pockets of snow for slashing. Back at the lift, legs burning, breathing heavy the only exchange was: Let’s do that again.

We chewed through the remains on Yodeler, we rode over to the Tannenbaum lift. On our way, we found deep stashes in the side trees and cuts. A sign of the goods to come. Our first run off Tannenbaum we went left down Crystal and found a section of wide open trees with some delicious snow. We must have lapped it five times before we moved on.

All over the mountain there was fresh snow, and in many spots it was deep. Anything all natural and ungroomed required a steep pitch to maintain speed. At one point Alex and Evan found themselves getting stuck in a low angle section. They unstrapped and took the walk of shame back to a groomed surface. That will get the legs burning.

By 1 o’clock my energy was waning. The four hour drive was on my mind. But then I saw Cody, an HV local I met a few years back at Hunt Hollow’s Berms, Bruises and Brews. His stoke level was high, as he promised to take us to some untracked snow. I was energized but honestly a bit skeptical, could there be anything left at this hour? How wrong I was. We followed Cody for three runs and each time got freshies, deeper than the snow we had found on our own.

I was rejuvenated and spent, at the same time. You can’t ask for a much better opening day; deep snow and the friends I have been riding with for 15 years. With a warm up coming, Holiday should be in good position with a deep base. When the lake effect machine fires up, head to the epicenter.