Thanks to the wonders of the iPhone and a mole planted deep within the Keystone team, we’ve got these spy shots and video to bestow on you from the A51 opening day park. If this post doesn’t convince you to buy an Epic Pass , there must be something wrong with you. Even if you live outside of CO, we think you’ll be spending enough time here to justify the $$$ spent on a pass.

Thanks to colder than normal temperatures and a little help from Mother Nature, the early opening (Thursday 11/05) is shaping up to be one of the best yet. We’ll keep working our source for more photos and maybe a little video, so stay tuned to Freeskier.com for more juicy info.

Check out the gallery for more shots.

If those shots don’t get you drooling all over your keyboard for opening day at Keystone, maybe this video will help.

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Opening Day Press Release

KEYSTONE, Colo. – November 3, 2009 – Thanks to help from Mother Nature last week, Keystone Resort announced it will open earlier than planned, on Thursday, November 5. The resort will open with top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding served by the River Run Gondola with the Spring Dipper and River Run trails as well as the beginner skier learning area at the Gondola mid-station. Keystone will also open with one jump and more than 20 features from its A51 Terrain Park, the No. 2 ranked park in North America by Transworld Snowboarding Magazine.

New this year, Keystone is debuting the final phase of the River Run Gondola project with a new skier bridge connecting the mountain back to the gondola. The bridge will vastly improve the guest experience and give guests a shorter walk from the slopes making access to the gondola easier from the mountain. The Resort is also introducing several new programs in the Ski & Ride School and dining outlets as well as a new Keystone Scratch Game contest which will giveaway more than 2,000 prizes including a ski condo for the upcoming season.

The River Run Gondola will open at 9 a.m. and run until 4 p.m. with $65 adult and $45 child lift ticket prices valid through 11/29, subject to change, pending conditions.

“We’re thrilled to get an early start to the season and conditions are phenomenal on the mountain this year,” said Doug Lovell, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Keystone Resort. “At Keystone, we strive to provide our guests the highest quality service and the absolute best experience while at our Resort. The new addition of the River Run Skier Bridge as well as the new offerings in ski school and our dining outlets will certainly enhance the overall experience at Keystone while giving our guests great value.”