With another small blast of winter, we move closer to opening day at most regional ski resorts. In fact, the tiny mountain that roars, Sipapu, turns the chairs this Saturday and Sunday, leading New Mexico ski areas in first-open bragging rights for the 10th year in a row. Now some more news from around the region.

Ski Santa Fe: The ski basin is hoping to open on Thanksgiving but needs favorable conditions for snowmaking, or another storm. It is reporting a 12-inch base, with about 18 inches near the summit. The resort expects to decide by Tuesday morning whether or not it will open on Nov. 24. Once open, it will be for daily operations. Call the snowline at 983-9155.

Sipapu: Tucked away in a small Sangre de Cristo valley near Peñasco, the family-owned mini-resort presents a respectable 1,005-foot vertical drop spread over 200 acres. It plans to have two chairs running, with at least one run open top to bottom, and some terrain park features. Lift tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for teens, kids and seniors.

Silverton: This more-remote gem picked up 14 inches this week and has a stupendous mid-mountain base of 80 inches. Join the Silverton 81433 Bootpackers Union for their annual "stompathon" on Dec. 3, 4,10 or 11. For each full day you stomp down the snow with the ski patrol, you earn a free unguided ski day good for the 2011-2012 season. Be sure to show up by 8 a.m. with your pants duct taped to your boots (no joke). Avalanche gear and backpack are required (rentals available).

Durango Mountain Resort: It expects to open Nov. 25 for weekends only until conditions improve. After the past few years of expanding expert terrain offerings, particularly gladed tree skiing, DMR has added "high angle grooming" for those who want to experience the steeps but prefer the sweetness of velvety corduroy. The resort will now be able to groom steeper terrain-such as the frontside's great original runs Styx, Lower Hades and Catharsis. Purgatory's crew will groom half of the designated expert runs, keeping the other half in its natural state. Experts will now find groomed snow, powder and moguls all on the same run.

Wolf Creek: With a record-breaking opening on Oct. 8, it picked up another 8 inches from the last storm and reports a mid-mountain base of 43 inches. This week, 20 members of the U.S. Ski Team's mogul division have been training at Wolf Creek on a course set up on Alberta Face under the Treasure lift. Team members will be available for a "meet and greet" on the deck of the Wolf Creek Lodge at 2 p.m. on Saturday, including Olympic and World Champion Hannah Kearney, and Olympic bronze medallist Bryon Wilson.

The area's cross country track was groomed for both classic style and skating style skiers, as well as snowshoers, on Nov. 15. It is part of the spectacular six-mile trail system in Alberta Meadow, available at no charge to Wolf Creek guests. And this Sunday, enjoy one of its season-long College Days, which offers $33 lift tickets to anyone with a valid college ID.

Taos Ski Valley: Taos picked up two inches or so this week and has a 25-inch base. It will open on T-Day, and operate on a Thursday-Sunday basis until Dec. 15. For the first year in many, it will kick off with lift access to the summit (on Chair 2) and even a handful of runs open on the "backside": Honeysuckle, Totemoff, Lonestar and Rubezahl.

Monarch Mountain: This smallish operation near Salida, Colo., (some 3 hours due north of Santa Fe) expects top open Nov. 23. Speaking of passes, it has the industry's best, with 27 different resorts offering free days to cardholders — including Taos, Angel Fire, Red River, Pajarito, Sipapu, Ski Apache, Durango, Silverton, Telluride and Ski Cooper, as well as Grand Targhee in Montana, Revelstoke in British Columbia, four resorts in Germany and one in Austria! The adult pass costs $439.

Crested Butte: It will open for daily service Nov. 23 with free lift tickets, a ribbon cutting at 8:45 a.m. (in honor of its 50th anniversary), lots of on-slope games, live music in the afternoon and other special activities.

Red River: The favorite ski mountain of Texas will be open Nov. 23-27 on a base of 14 inches or so. It will reopen for daily operations Dec. 16.

Telluride: Holding at 22 inches, T-ride will open for daily operations Nov. 23 with limited terrain.

Ski Apache: With a reported base of two feet, Ski Apache will open on Thanksgiving Day with limited terrain available.

A Correction: Last week I stated that MSP films (Matchstick Productions) is based in Jackson Hole, Wyo. It is, of course, based in Crested Butte. Jackson is home to TGR films (Teton Gravity Research).

Daniel Gibson can be reached at dbgibson@newmexico.com