DAYTON - Tuesday morning, folks in Dayton awoke to the first snowfall of the season. Up the river and into the woods, eleva­tion 4545 feet, the general manager of Ski Bluewood writes, "We will be firing up the snow cats to get a closer look at our slope cover­ageshellip; Think Snow!"

Eight inches of new snow was reported at the base of the resort. Ten inches at the summit. "Let it snow! Let it snow!!"

Nobody can predict just when Ski Bluewood will open for its 2013-2014 sea­son, but management team Jody and Brandy Ream are keeping their energy up and their spirits high while it continues to snow heavily.

The Reams moved to Dayton last year to take over management of the resort for its group of Tri-Cities investors. They are look­ing forward to their second season managing the Blue­wood slopes.

"We simply love it! I couldn't imagine doing any­thing else," Brandy Ream said. "We enjoy the every­day challenge of making things happen and helping to create positive and enjoy­able experiences for others. Being able to be involved with the youth and commu­nity simply adds to why we enjoy managing ski areas."

Since 1978 snow-sports enthusiasts have kept their eye on these slopes, 22 miles from Dayton, and prayed for precipitation - early and white.

The resort has known many names over the last 35 years - Skyline Basin, Blue­wood Ski Area, and finally Ski Bluewood, so named by Stan Goodell, who pur­chased the resort in 1983 and maintained ownership until 2010.

This year, the Reams plan to continue to run the resort four days per week, Thursday-Sunday - an ad­dition of one day they suc­cessfully implemented last year.

"It is extremely impor­tant to us that Thursday is in the mix," Brandy Ream said "This allows for season pass holders to be able to take full advantage of their passes, and we often have school groups to the moun­tain on Thursday."

It also allows for maxi­mum employment opportu­nities for those working at Bluewood, she said.

And this year, Dayton has additional overnight accommodations for visi­tors with the opening of the Best Western Hotel on Main Street, which is exciting news for Bluewood.

"We definitely think the Best Western is great for the entire area and adds to the many great lodging choices we have in Dayton and the surrounding community," Brandy Ream said.

The resort launched a new lodging partnership this year with hotels and motels in Dayton, Waitsburg, Walla Walla and other surround­ing communities. They are offering discounted rates on two-day consecutive tickets meant to attract guests to stay overnight and enjoy more elements of the area in addition to the slopes.

Other additions to the Bluewood experience this year include a partnership with Lewiston Parks and Recreation to provide a multi-week ski and snow­board program that includes transportation. And the re­sort has added to and re­vamped some of its lesson program offerings.

During the off-season, the Reams spearheaded several capital improve­ment projects in addition to brush clearing and other slope maintenance. These included the purchase of a new snowcat to boost devel­opment of freestyle features in the parks and help with overall slope preparation.

They added new features, including "progression" boxes and other sliders to the parks, a new point-of- sale system to allow for more efficiency at ticket windows, food lines and elsewhere, and an expanded food and beverage menu, both upstairs and in the Pub.

Above left: Ski Bluewood has the second-highest base elevation in the state, which helps with accumulation of "smoke" dry powder (pictured above). This is what skiers and riders are looking for - light and fluffy snow that becomes literally a "puff of smoke around you" as you ski downslope, says Ski Bluewood co-manager Brandy Ream. Above right: The Ski Bluewood team worked during the offseason on a variety of capital improvement projects - including new elements and upgrades in the terrain parks, which is good news especially for snowboarders. New "progression" boxes, other sliders and additional "au natural" features were added.

For additional informa­tion on improvements and current conditions, see the Ski Bluewood website at www.bluewood.com and keep your eye on the link "Notes from the GM," where information on slope conditions is updated daily.