The mantra out of the north country is all about starting the 2012-13 season guns blazing, with the aim of reassuring snow-starved customers that everything — especially the trails — will be covered this year.

Coming off an abysmal business season thanks to last year’s winter-that-wasn’t, New England resort operators didn’t simply slink into hibernation over the summer praying that skiers and riders would robotically flock back once the calendar hit November. Instead, the region’s mountains have invested a staggering amount of money in snowmaking infrastructure and upgrades.