What a difference a year can make. "It was 40 degrees and raining over the holiday period last year," said Vicki Bauman, Granite Peaks' manager. "This year we established new records on the Thursday before New Year's and broke it again on Friday and again on Saturday." It was pretty much the same across the upper Great Lakes Region. New daily skier/boarder visitation records were broken at Nubs Nob, Indianhead, and Lutsen; from Michigan to Minnesota. There were probably many others that haven't been reported yet. It was just what the Midwest snowsports industry needed after last year's mostly lousy winter. It's some of the best conditions we've enjoyed in the last few years. Get out and enjoy it. Cabin fever is a preventable disease.