Anyone hankering for a little early-season skiing - for free - can head up to Great Divide this weekend.

Kevin Taylor said the recent cold snap allowed them to make snow for more than a week, and he's got huge mounds of it piled up all over the place. So they've created a mini "terrain park" on their beginners' slope, serviced by a rope tow, for anyone who wants to take some early season runs.

"We've got rails and boxes and rollers," Taylor said, naming some of the typical terrain park features. "This is for fun.

"This is the earliest we've ever opened, and the earliest we've made snow - and not only made snow, but did it for a week. We'll try to stay open on weekends if the snow sticks around."

Great Divide's previous earliest opening date was on Halloween in 1998, and Taylor added that last spring, cold weather and good conditions allowed the ski hill to stay open until May 2.

They'll run the rope tow from noon until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and have limited offerings of food and beverages. Taylor said this also is a good time to check out the seasonal equipment rentals.

While Great Divide may be the first ski area to open in Montana, the first in the nation was Loveland Ski Area in Colorado, which started up its lifts Oct. 9 with an 18-inch base of manmade and natural snow. It was Loveland's earliest opening in 40 years.

Eve Byron: 447-4076 or eve.byron@helenair.com