BY JOHN MEYER, JMEYER@DENVERPOST.COM

Hey, there, outdoor folks,

Ski areas are running their snow guns and I'm getting a little more amped about the approach of ski season every day -- especially a hut trip I have planned in December during a supermoon. When you think about the upcoming season, what's the first image that comes to mind?

Heads up

While meteorologists aren't sure when the metro area will experience its first hard freeze, mild temperatures with sunny skies are in store this weekend. High temperatures will be in the mid 60s Friday and Saturday, rising into the 70s on Sunday. Forecast lows will be above freezing. High temperatures in Summit County, Vail and Winter Park will be in the 30s Friday and Saturday. Nighttime temperatures should be conducive to productive snowmaking operations for the next few days.

Arapahoe Basin (shown), Loveland and Keystone began snowmaking operations this week. All three will vie to become the first Colorado ski area to open for the season. (Lucas Herbert/Provided by Arapahoe Basin)

Your Weekly 5:

1. Three Colorado ski areas begin snowmaking operations
2. Elk herd with ‘agitated’ bull moves on after grazing in Lakewood’s Union Ridge Park
3. A record 77 grizzly bears died in Yellowstone this year. Miracle’s survival depends on humans doing better. (Opinion)
4. Oil exec sells Avon ski-in mansion for $25M
5. Some airports refuse to play Noem video on shutdown impact, saying it’s political

Worth Your Time

Sam Seeton, the CEO of Infinite Outdoors, poses for a portrait on the Colorado School of Mines campus in Golden on Oct. 2. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Colorado Mines grad’s app helps solve access question for some of Colorado’s 704,000 acres of inaccessible public lands

Infinite Outdoors provides free access to federal, state land that’s blocked by private parcels

Get Yourself Outdoors

Visitors drive past empty guard shack on the road to Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park because of the shutdown of the federal government. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Utah funding its national parks; Colorado waiting to see if that will be necessary here, Polis says

More Headlines

• What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled during the US government shutdown
• Ozone pollution on Colorado’s Front Range hit lowest levels in 16 years this summer

Dog of the Week

Juno

"Juno is a sweet Husky who has developed a specific 'Bear Bark'. She only barks a certain way when a bear is moving through her neighborhood/yard. It's foolproof. Look where she's looking during her Bear Bark; find the bear," Katie Matthews writes.

If you want your pup featured, email a photo and short description to tfries@denverpost.com.