Killington, VT – The U.S. ski and snowboard season got a kick in the pants this morning at Killington Resort in Vermont, the first North American ski area to open this winter.

Sure, you could’ve been skiing already on several lift-served glaciers in the Alps or taken a trip to Chile this summer, but there’s something about skiing on the first new snow of the season, even if it came from a hose.

Killington was scheduled to open at noon for season passholders and Express Card holders only, but at the last minute bumped up the start time to 9:30 a.m. today. Skiers and riders uploaded and downloaded via the resort’s K-1 Express Gondola to access the Upper and Lower Rime runs beneath the North Ridge Triple chair, supplemented by the terrain park on Reason later in the morning. The rest of the skiing public will be allowed to ride the lifts beginning at 9 a.m. tomorrow, the same day that Sunday River Resort opens in Maine.

Here’s a collection of photos from Day One of the U.S. ski and ride season: