Despite unseasonably warm temperatures, skiers were finally able to hit the slopes as Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton held a limited opening on Monday.

Ian Cole, of Bryn Athyn, Montgomery County, said he wasn't about to miss out on the opportunity to take to the slopes, even if conditions weren't exactly typical."I'm surprised that it's taken so long," Cole said. "I was not expecting to get out before Christmas, so this is good."Cole said he likes the fact that Blue Mountain has "the steepest top to bottom trails."Blue Mountain was able to blow enough snow to open with limited trails and services.Though not spectacular, it was a start, nonetheless, according to marketing specialist Melissa Yingling."We saw a really brief window of colder weather, so we put 6-12 inches of snow on some of our trails so that our guests could finally hit the slopes in what is an unusually warm December," Yingling said.Yingling said she was pleased with the number of skiers on hand, especially when taking into account that the resort held its temporary opening on what is for some the start of the workweek."It's about what we expected," she said. "We're finding that a lot of our season pass holders are bringing out a lot of their friends."Guests were able to enjoy four trails, Easy Out, Vista, Midway and Lower Main Street, as well as two lifts, Vista and Main Street.Come Around Park also opened with three features, and there were several other services and departments in operation as well.Yingling noted that all-day lift tickets for adults and children were offered for $25, and could be purchased at the Summit Rental Shop.In most years, Yingling said Blue Mountain usually opens around the second or third week of December, adding that its average ski season is about 90 days in duration."Just like we couldn't predict our opening, we can't predict our closing," she said. "Just so our guests stay positive, patient, we are looking forward to a long and healthy ski season."So, when exactly will Blue Mountain be open permanently for the season?"We're hoping to be open at some point in January," Yingling said. "The mountain operations team will keeping a very close eye on the weather for any snow-making, hopefully sooner rather than later."