Snowy conditions bring near-perfect start to ski season with thousands of visitors

A snowy December, topped off by a heavy snowfall just before Christmas, delivered nearly perfect conditions for ski resorts across central Ontario during one of their busiest weeks of the year.

At Blue Mountain Resort, families filled the slopes on Friday.

“It’s better than school. A lot better than school,” one young skier said.

Another visitor added, “My favourite part of skiing is how I can have fun and spend time with my family.”

Blue Mountain is currently offering over 300 skiable acres with an average snow base of nearly 70 centimetres.

Temperatures just above freezing made for ideal conditions, with skiers praising the weather. “It’s not too cold and not too hot,” said one visitor.

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Some traveled long distances to enjoy the slopes.

A group of families from Michigan made the five-hour drive to take advantage of the conditions. “We just like to get together as a family and ski at a lot of hills,” said one of the travelers.

“There is somebody moving, somebody shipping, somebody skiing everywhere around us right now,” said Blue Mountain Resort’s public relations manager Tara Lovell. “Local businesses rely on that, all the businesses inside the village rely on that, and we love seeing that out on the ski hill.”

Nearby resorts also reported a strong turnout.

Staff at Snow Valley said their tubing park tickets were sold out Friday, while Mount St. Louis Moonstone staff reported one of the strongest days of the season, with more than 7,000 visitors expected.

At Horseshoe Valley Resort, general manager Jonathan Reid described the season as one of the best in recent memory.

“It’s been an amazing start. It’s probably the best year we’ve seen in the last 10 years. Snow conditions are amazing,” he said.

The resort is operating at 98 per cent capacity, with all 29 runs open and a snow base of 30 to 40 centimetres.

Even with mild temperatures forecasted, resort operators remain optimistic.

“The team has taken advantage of every single minute of snowmaking leading up to the ski season, so we’re as set up as we possibly can be,” Lovell said.

Reid agreed, adding, “I think we’ll be fine. And the second week of the holiday looks great too.”