Judging from the valleys, the winter weather has been hit-or-miss for local skiers.
But, it’s not the valleys from which to judge conditions to ski.
“Things were awesome preseason until we warmed up with the rain,” said Jamie Britt, an avid skier from Troy. “I am hard pressed to say my favorite. I am a fan of going all over. I love aspects of each. All you need is a little bit of freshies.”
Kate Michener, co-operator of Maple Ski Ridge, tells us the slopes are doing just fine. And, with a cold snap barreling through the area, she said, it can’t get much better.
“There’s snow on the ground. It just got cold. Couldn’t ask for better conditions,” said Michener.
Snow to come
Meteorologists are predicting a double-whammy of winter weather this week. Based on reports earlier this week from the National Weather Service, a cold front is rolling in from the arctic, blasting residents from the Upper Plains to the East Coast. This front is to be followed by an Alberta Clipper promising to trigger lake-effect snows in New York’s plateau regions. Whether the snow reaches the Capital District, the cold snap provides the right conditions for man-made snow.
Be prepared
Looking at individual ski reports, many of the region’s mountains are prepared.
Located just six miles outside of Schenectady, Maple Ski Ridge has served the Capital District as one of the most convenient places to ski and snowboard. It has been owned and operated by the same family since its inception 52 years ago.
Though ski season does not start here in earnest until January, Winter’s snow fell early prompting an early start, said Michener. “I think the snow fall got everyone in the mood… and we made snow as early as we could.”
It seems just as everyone – skier or not – accepted having snow on the ground, unseasonably warm weather washed over the Northeast. That hasn’t put too much of a damper on business, said Michener. She explains, the man-made snow provided a foundation on the slopes and remains unaffected by the turn.
“The structure of the man-made snow is different in that it can withstand the warmth and rain,” she said.
Mountains throughout the Northeast are operating, though some trails remain closed. Such is the case with one of Maple Ski Ridge’s most popular.
“Turkey Run is a favorite here because it has the length and is a little more winding, said Michener. “It’s scenic and the kids especially love it.” But, at the time of this interview, the run was closed.
Despite the inconveniences brought on by Mother Nature, Michener said there are services they’ve developed over the years to help make it easier to get people on the slopes. Social media, such as Facebook, has helped spread the word on promotions and new programs. One such service is a new “Walk-In” program for ski-instruction.
“If you wake up with a hankering to learn how to ski, people don’t have to wait, you can walk right in,” said Michener. It’s the “right here, right now” consumer mind-set that also drives the service.
Pro trainers
Maple Ski is a registered member of the Professional Ski Instructors Association and American Academy of Snowboard Instructors and is an official Burton Learn to Ride Center.
“We’ve been working really hard to keep up-to-date and to enable people to make purchases on-line (too),” said Michener.
All of the area mountains have been operating with at least a few runs open. Make sure to visit the website of your favorite mountain to review the conditions.
