Afton Alps kicks off 60th anniversary with weekend swap and sale
HASTINGS, Minn. -- With each passing day, it is almost time — the first sign of frost. It's what Afton Alps Skier Service Manager Justin Folger calls "unofficial winter kickoff."
"This time of year, temps are dropping," Folger said. "This time of year we really get energized and pumped for winter."
While it's not quite time to shred at Afton Alps, Folger says it is time to score.
A weekend swap and sale is getting everyone's adrenaline going for the season.
This year is Afton Alps' 60th anniversary. Celebrations are already in plan, starting with Sunday's swap and sale.
"It's an opportunity for locals to bring in their equipment," Folger said. "They can bring it in, they can trade it, they can sell it. It's a value opportunity for families to come purchase equipment."
For diehards like John Fjerstad, the feeling is unmatched.
"I just really like the feeling of going down the hill. Just going as fast as you can. You get the wind going in your face. I just love that feeling, man," he said.
Same goes for Braiden Rasmussen.
"It's just like adrenaline, I guess," Rasmussen said. "You just get that sense of, like, you hit it, and you're like, wow. It's just adrenaline. You want more. Then you go back up to the tow rope and you do it again."
And while it'll need to be colder for longer before snowmakers can fire up, Folger says it's never too early to start planning a trip.
Afton Alps says anyone considering a season pass should get one now before the price tag goes up on Wednesday.