Let it snow (please?): Ski resorts hoping the rest of winter is more wintry
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Seven Springs has about 1,200 snowmaking stations that cover 95 percent of its 285 acres of ski and snowboard terrain. Hidden Valley Resort -
Hidden Valley Resort has an average base of 31 inches. The resort is hosting Froggy Family Fun Day today and on Feb. 26; Subaru Master the Mountain on Feb. 11-12; and its annual Spring Carnival on March 10-11.
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Unseasonably warm weather across the Midwest and Northeast this winter has dealt a blow to local and regional resorts for the first half of the snowsports season, delivering less natural snow and sustained snowmaking temperatures than in most years.
Still resort officials at Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, Wisp and Holiday Valley are staying the course, making snow at every opportunity and offering all-inclusive, money-saving packages to fill rooms and slopes.
And they're crossing their fingers for more "normal" winter weather for the rest of the season.
Seven Springs, which prefers to open its slopes and trails the day after Thanksgiving, delayed its start until Dec. 17 to build up a strong base.
For details on snow conditions, lift and equipment rental rates, special ski and lodging packages and other activities, check out the resort websites:
Seven Springs: www.7springs.com; 1-800-452-2223.
Hidden Valley: www.hiddenvalleyresort.com; 1-814-443-8000
Wisp: www.skiwisp.com; 1-301-387-4911
Holiday Valley: www.holidayvalley.com; 1-800-323-0020.
"We decided the best course of action was to keep the mountain closed a couple extra days so that we could make as much snow as possible and open a larger and more diverse selection of terrain," said resort spokeswoman Anna Weltz.
"The deeper the base, the better we could weather the weather. It was the best decision we could have made and it paid off. While many ski areas in the region were closed or had just a small portion of terrain open, we were off to a great start -- all things considered."
Snowmakers have been put on standby so they can respond immediately when conditions are favorable for making snow, she said. The resort has approximately 1,200 snowmaking stations that cover 95 percent of its 285 acres of ski and snowboard terrain.
The resort, which has a 16-inch to 26-inch base, has received 38 inches of natural snow since Dec. 1 and made 108 inches -- nine feet -- of snow. Its average seasonal snowfall is 147 inches.
She said the hotel was "booked solid" for the Christmas and New Year's holidays, a period of unusually warm and wet weather. To compensate, it provided extra activities for children and families -- movies, games, face-painting, story time and trivia games.
The bowling alleys, miniature golf, the swimming pool and game rooms opened earlier to accommodate guests. "We even took our summer Segway tours and brought them inside for some added fun," she said.
First Published February 5, 2012 12:00 am
