Snow coating the front range of the Chugach Mountains Friday morning meant one thing to winter-starved skiers — their season of choice had arrived.

“Skiing is good at Glen Alps,” reported Alaska Winter Stars coach Jan Buron on the website Cross Country Alaska. “Some 5-6 inches.”

Meanwhile, Mark Strabel was grooming at Hatcher Pass Friday afternoon.

“I will try to groom the building loop trails at Independence Mine area,” said Strabel, a director of the Mat-Su Ski Club. “They will take some time to set up, but they should be good for Saturday.”

Holly Brooks, the Olympian who coaches at the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center, said the team planned to head north on Saturday to sample Strabel’s work.

Farther north, Sheep Mountain got about 6 inches.

As always in the early season, rock skis were the implement of choice.

And that’s not the only caution. Always-unpredictable mating moose are still in Powerline Pass near Glen Alps.

— Mike Campbell