It's time to get going -- finally.

The start of the high school Alpine ski season was delayed last week, but tonight it appears the slopes at Bousquet will be bustling with competitors. The six-race high school season begins with a Giant Slalom and some new faces.

Wahconah will make a return to the slopes after nearly a decade away, while St. Joseph's boys team will also be back in the first race of the season at 5 p.m. Jill Johnson, a long-time fixture at Bousquet, will lead the Warriors while local skier Gordie Roberts is coaching the Crusaders. The St. Joseph's girls still operate a co-op with Pittsfield.

"It's been a long time since Wahconah had an Alpine team and I couldn't be happier," Johnson said. "This is my sport! It's a great thing for Berkshire County to have another school in the league."

The county's skiers are all competing for a ticket to the state championships in February. The MIAA meet returns to nearby Berkshire East Ski Area in Charlemont on Feb. 26. The county will have a bigger contingent than normal thanks to the added teams.

Lenox, under coach Dave Schulman, will try to replace departed All-Eagle MVP Erin Barry on the girls side. The Taconic boys have MVP Eamon Connor, who finished 2012 on a four-race win streak, back. The Braves won the boys title in 2012 and shared the girls crown with Monument. All three squads expect to be near the top of the county again in 2013.

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