A first time for everything (16 photos)

It was a weekend of firsts out at Searchmont Resort as it officially opened with a bang for the season.

This past weekend featured the inaugural Searchmont Polar Express train event which drew a crowd of holiday travellers to the slopes to enjoy festive activities and good cheer.

It's also the first time in a number of years that the resort has boasted such spectacular riding conditions thanks to more than 75 cm of fresh snow that has fallen since the beginning of December.

"This is by far the most we've had open and the best conditions we've had in a long time," said Dan Missere, general manager of Searchmont Resort. "We've set ourselves up to finally have a full year, which is great. We haven't had a really good Christmas with a lot of terrain open for quite some time."

In addition to Searchmont's regulars and the excited Polar Express attendees, SooToday.com spotted two visitors from Burma (one of which is pictured above receiving a lesson on the bunny hill) who were experiencing snow for the very first time.

Those interested in taking advantage of the prime conditions at Searchmont Resort are encourage to utilize one of the many programs available at the resort, including No Limits Adapted Skiing which affords those with physical disabilities the opportunity to try downhill skiing in a safe and fun environment.

Fore more information about Searchmont Resort and its programming, please click here.

To see video highlight's from the resort's opening weekend, please click here.