Denver Post, are you being cheeky with your lede?

Resorts battle for best snow job

Colorado's Arapahoe Basin Ski Area has no hotel, no spa and it costs nothing to park in the dirt lot that sits at the base of the mountain. Last month, it claimed bragging rights that eluded bigger players like Aspen and Vail: It was the first resort to open for skiing this year. That wasn't a gift from Mother Nature - most of the snow was manmade. The single open slope stood out like a racing stripe on an otherwise green mountain.

As ski season gets underway, there's a battle brewing in some key regions over who can make the best fake snow. From California to Maine, resorts are installing new tower-mounted guns designed so the fake snow descends in a trajectory more like the real thing.