NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Brandon Djordjevich and Larissa Trochta got to Cypress Mountain early on Sunday, for their second consecutive day of early season skiing. The pair is already learning the ropes of the mountain’s new COVID-19 protocols, which they say make it important to get on the mountain as fast as possible.

“It’s really quick and easy first thing, but then by 9 or 10 o’clock the line is pretty crazy,” said Djordjevich.

Tickets can only be purchased online, and then skiers line up to pick them up at the ticket windows at the mountain’s base. Mandatory face-coverings and distancing measures are in place throughout the resort, including on the chair lifts.

“If you’re not in the same party you’re not riding together,” said Djordjevich.

That makes for long lift lines, said Trochta.

“I’m liking it. It’s just the lines are very long, so we are ending up having 45-, 50-minute waits.”

The pandemic put an early end to the last ski season, shutting down resorts across the province.

In March, the Austrian ski resort Ischgl became linked to cases in some 45 countries, something resorts in B.C. are desperately trying to avoid.

“Everyone’s wearing masks and there’s sanitizer everywhere,” said Toby Lee. “They make you sanitize before you go (inside) and it’s limited people.”

Mihai Listob said he was glad to see staff enforcing face-covering rules.

“People are wearing it on chairlifts,” he said. “I feel safer that way.”

He did warn that lines can be long to get into the lodge, meaning skiers “just have to anticipate it’s going to take longer if you’re going to the washroom, things like that.”

Sushil Nager agreed.

“Everything is organized very well and people are following social distancing and they’re nice to each other,” Nager said.

That could be because people are relieved they have somewhere to go, commented Rebecca Nager.

“This gives us joy that it’s opened, that it opened early, because we’re getting bored inside because there’s not much to do.”

Lee didn’t think she’d be skiing this year because of COVID-19, and the dump of snow was welcome to both her and her friend Mae Belen.

“(The snow) was good, nice a soft,” said Belen. “Good for falling. Not too tracked out yet.”

Grouse Mountain will also operate at reduced capacity and Mount Seymour is planning to offer four-hour time slots. Whistler will require reservations to be made, and dates are already available on its website.