text: Cold and snow is good news for certain Upper Peninsula businesses, and they are excited about Old Man Winter finally arriving.
  Hundreds of winter sports enthusiasts hit the slopes Friday at Marquette Mountain.
  Even though Mother Nature has not dropped very much snow, the man-made snow was perfect for a successful opening day for skiers and snowboarders.
  “It’s great to get open early this year, we’ve had some really good cold weather, we were able to make a lot of snow,” Marquette Mountain General Manager Vern Barber said. “This is the earliest in over five years that we have been open.”
  “The first day of skiing is really fun, the first time since summer that you get to go skiing,” skier Joe Pelto said. “You get to go down the hill, that’s what it’s all about, just having fun, it’s a great experience. If you’ve never been skiing you should try it out because it is really fun.”
  Special discounted rates are available because not all runs are open yet. Marquette Mountain officially opens in mid-December.