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WAKEFIELD -- Clip on those skis, grab your poles...it's time to start skiing in the western U.P.

Friday, 300 skiers from as far as Lansing hit the slopes at Indianhead Ski Resort for its 51st opening.  And this year, the slope opened a full week earlier than last year.

"The weather cooperated; it was a little colder earlier this year, so we were able to make snow and also we're getting help from Mother Nature, so it's weather, weather, weather in our business," says Dave Nyquist of Indianhead Ski Resort.

In order to open, the resort needed to get a good base of snow on the ski hills.  As of yet, the slope has about three feet of manmade snow and about one foot of real snow.  The snow machines have been pumping snow on the slopes around the clock for the last week to get ready for the grand opening.

And skiers seemed satisfied with what the resort had to offer.

"For this early in the season, it's good.  These runs are really nice to get your legs back in shape.  It's a good opening," says Jason Sutherlin, an Indianhead skier.

"It's actually very nice, snow's nice, a little icy every now and then, but it's warm.  That's nice," says Shane O'Connor, also an Indianhead skier.

And things are already looking up for the slope.  This year it saw a 10 percent increase in pre-season bookings and ticket sales.

"I think with the snow on the ground and the economy starting to turn around a little bit, I think people are optimistic.  There appears to be a lot of pent up demand; maybe people didn't make as many trips last year and kind of weathered the storm, and now they're excited to get back out," Nyquist said.

If all goes as planned, Indianhead hopes to sell 70,000 lift tickets this season.

For more information on the Indianhead Mountain Resort, visit their website.