It is all up to Mother Nature.
That is what Misty Ridge Ski Hill society Matt Swan said after the board’s Dec. 13 board meeting when asked if the ski hill will be able to open before Christmas.
“We’ve done everything we can, now we just have to see if the weather will co-operate,” he said.
Earlier in the month, it looked like the ski hill would be able to take advantage of an early snowfall where the hill received close to a foot of fresh powder.
This, in addition to the snow they were able to make, gave them a strong base and all they were waiting for was for one more snowfall.
Unfortunately, instead of snow, they received freezing rain followed by a week of warm temperatures, which not only has reduced their base, but made the hill extremely treacherous due to ice.
“With a bit of luck, we are still hoping we can open before Christmas. We are planning to make snow more snow this weekend (Dec. 15 and 16) and that will help us re-establish our base,” Swan said. To be able to make snow the temperature must be -8C or colder.
“What we really need is just to get one more dump of snow. If we got another six inches, we would be laughing,” he said.
Swan said they were hoping this year the weather would co-operate this year because it has been a tough few years for the ski hill.
Last year’s warm temperatures, coupled with the loss of some expensive power cords used with the hill’s snowmaking equipment, forced the board to shut things down in 2017. The two years before that, the ski hill was only able to open on a limited basis due to lack of snow.
However, not all the news is dire. In October 2017, the society received a $79,000 donation from the Barrhead Elks, which they used in part to purchase a new-to-them ski-lift.
Unfortunately, technical issues have delayed the installation until the off season. The society is also in the process of installing lights for night skiing.
Swan said he isn’t sure when the project will be completed, saying work is progressing as time and funds allow.
When the project is complete, it will allow the ski hill to be open longer, accommodate more skiers and snowboarders and help the society’s bottom line. Until then, all they need is snow.
