PHILIPSBURG — The lifts are moving at Discovery Ski Area.
While many winter traditions are going to look different this year, skiers can still get out and ride the slopes at Disco, which opened on Thursday with some COVID-19 restrictions.
Despite these limitations, many were just happy to be here.
"Honestly it's just nice to get outside and to be able to do what I love to do and come out skiing," said Alan Lister, a recent Montana Tech graduate and skier.
"Despite everything going on, things being closed, it's good to see that the ski hills are able to maintain things being open."
With its COVID-19 policy in place, it became a waiting game to see if the weather would accommodate a Thanksgiving opening.
"For us, it was always going to be about the weather and see if we could get snow on the ground," said owner Ciche Pitcher. "And really getting open early it's nice for us cause it gives a little bit of a soft opening for these bugs."
Discovery ultimately shut down in March due to COVID-19. Since then, Pitcher said he and his staff have been working diligently these past months to make sure they were ready for business on Thanksgiving.
"It feels like we've been planning for this since we closed last March and trying to figure out what are the best protocols and what's going to work for our guests and what isn't," said Pitcher.
