Here we are, just a little over a week out from our projected Opening Day. This is the time of year where ski those in the ski industry offer a collective gasp part-excitement and part-anxiety. Finalizing plans, getting the mountain ready, onboarding new staff – it’s all part of the whirlwind resorts experience at this stage in the game.
The good news here is that we’re feeling pretty ready to provide you the best experience possible when we do open. Right now, we’re still projecting Opening Day to be on Saturday, November 20th, but we’re also likely going to need some help from Mother Nature to get us there. While we did get a nice window of snowmaking last week, blowing on Jester, Downspout, Allyn’s Traverse, and Organgrinder (as well as a little at Mt. Ellen too), we’ve been hamstringed by the recent temperate weather. You can check out a pretty cool aerial video of snowmaking roaring up on Jester on our social media channels.
Next week it looks like we should get some good snowmaking windows, at least at the summits, alongside some potential natural snow. In fact we may even grab a little snow tomorrow night before a warmup on Sunday.
The natural snow isn’t likely to move the needle enough on getting the necessary base to open, but it certainly helps. We remain optimistic we’ll get the snowmaking temperatures to hit Opening Day, though rather than trying to get Gate House open early, we’re planning to shift to Heaven’s Gate and Valley House terrain giving base area temperatures and then moving to beginner terrain as soon as we can.
We’ll have another update for you in the middle of next week. Until then, keep an eye on the snow report, pray for cold temps, and get those final squats in before you hit the slopes.