CBS Pittsburgh: by Ross Guidotti

HIDDEN VALLEY (KDKA) — Good news for skiers and snowboarders — some of the slopes around western Pennsylvania opened for business Friday.

The chair lifts at Hidden Valley Ski Resort began shuttling skiers and snowboarders to the tops of the mountains Friday morning.

Shoppers call it Black Friday. Those in the ski industry call it White Friday. That’s the case at Hidden Valley as it opens for the season, and a lot of people are happy to see the snow.

The day after Thanksgiving in the Laurel Highlands is the traditional beginning of the ski season. Hidden Valley, keeping true to form, fired up the lifts and opened up the slopes.

“I was so excited when I saw it was opening on the 25th,” snowboarder Jacqueline Goryl, of West Mifflin, said. “I was like, ‘oh my god, that’s awesome.’”

Goryl was one of the first to take to the mountain.

“It’s not too bad, actually. I’m pretty impressed,” she said. “I really like this run down here, the snow’s pretty good on there. This one is a little bit slicker, and you can go a little faster. I told the guys down there they did a really good job.”

“They started on Saturday night, and today, here we are, skiing on the slopes,” said Kate Buchan, communications manager for Seven Springs/Hidden Valley Resorts.

Since it’s early in the season, only five slopes and trails are open. For die-hards, that’s no problem.

“It’s good enough. We’re gonna try to have some fun, see what happens,” Hatden Demniak, of Carmichaels, said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been on the snow. We’re all eager to shred.”

And really, who isn’t eager to shred? Or at least learn to shred?

“Hidden Valley has some of the best beginner terrain on the east coast,” Buchan said. “It’s a great place to learn or bring your little ones to learn.”

Because of conditions, the schedule is altered somewhat. Hidden Valley will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Hours after that will all be dictated by Mother Nature.

Seven Springs Ski Resort and Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia also opened Friday. Canaan Valley, Timberline and Wisp are all expected to open in the next few weeks. Blue Knob, Laurel Mountain and Winterplace have not set opening dates yet.