After weeks of waiting and a painfully dry start to the season, winter has finally arrived in Colorado's high country. A major weekend storm dumped heavy snow across the mountains , bringing whiteout conditions, deep powder, and a collective sigh of relief from locals, skiers, and businesses hoping for a strong winter.

"It has been amazing up there," skier Scotty Stoughton said. "It was velvety smooth, not too fast, not sticking. Kind of like hero snow. It was beautiful."

Stoughton and his friend Eric Baker wasted no time getting into the backcountry to finally enjoy the kind of conditions they had been waiting for.

"Winter took a lot longer to get here than it normally does," Baker said. "But the snow is really great. It is finally here. Winter's here."

For many, the fresh sn

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