Mount Jamieson Resort will be opening up some slopes this Friday (Dec. 15).
Andrew Lucking is the resort’s Manager of Snow School, Events, and Operations, and says staff has been putting in long hours.
“We started snowmaking on November 17 and running 24 hours a day as the weather allows. Only half the hill will be open this weekend on what’s called our Skyway side,” says Lucking. “Our snowmaking has been working crazy hard and hasn’t had a chance to get over to the downhill side yet. But that transition happens this week.”
He adds opening in mid-Dec. isn’t anything out of the ordinary.
“We typically shoot for the weekend before the kids go on Christmas break,” he says. “There have been years we’ve been open as early as Nov. 20, but we are typically open this weekend.”
He says the open hills will be in very good condition come Friday thanks in large part to the snow-making technology on-site.
“They make about seven feet of snow an hour when running. When they are going and it’s minus 10, they create a boatload of snow. There are a couple of hills on the Skyway side that depend on natural snow to cover, so they will be skiable but won’t be in great shape,” says Lucking.
However, he adds runs like the Chalet, Terrain Park, and others will be.
“This is my second year at the ski hill and prior to working here I used to hate snow in the forecast but now I absolutely love seeing it. It has been a warmer November and December than we expected and has been a challenge to deal with as we make snow,” he says. “The other side of that is warmer weather brings out more people because they want to be out when it’s warm.”
He adds it is a fine balance but if the warm weather continues it will be a good season.