Winter’s sudden return has made some people – area ski resort operators – very happy. And starting today – skiers will be able to share in that emotion.
After an unseasonably warm start to the winter, Spring Mountain Adventures and Bear Creek Mountain Resort are bracing themselves for the familiar rush of the first week of the season. Both resorts announced Tuesday that they will open this week after December’s weather delayed the start to the season.
Spring Mountain Adventures opens this afternoon – the latest opening the resort has experienced. Bear Creek Mountain Resort opens Thursday afternoon.
“The season’s been terrible so far with the warm weather but we got a chance to make snow and it makes us happy,” said Rick Buckman, owner of Spring Mountain Adventures. “This is the latest we’ve ever opened. In the 15 years we’ve been here, this will be the latest.”
Randy Werst is digital marketing manager for Bear Creek Mountain Resort. He said this is not the latest opening for the resort, which typically aims to be for being open by Christmas, because the holiday week is always busy.
“We missed it this year,” Werst said.
With December averaging about 14 degrees above normal temperatures, even making artificial snow was a challenge.
“We can make snow. Natural snow never hurts but as long as it’s cold we can make it and we need four or five nice cold days to make snow enough to open,” he explained. “We’re happy to see the weather finally return.”
Snow making began once the cold temperatures returned – “awesome temperatures,” according to Werst, who said they look for dry conditions and 28-degree temperatures or lower. He said Monday night that Bear Creek had 8,000 gallons a minute going through its snow making equipment.
Bear Creek will open for the season at 4 p.m. on Thursday, with at least five trails to start, according to Werst.
“We are opening with Black Bear, Drifter, Kodiak, Cub Run and our Discovery area. Lifts B, E and the Magic Carpet will be open and A-lift will be on standby,” the resort stated in a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon.
Werst added that snow making will continue and trails will open as they become ready. Tubing at Bear Creek will not open until sometime next week.
“Tubing is a wider area and takes a lot more snow,” he said.
Spring Mountain plans to open its doors to skiers beginning Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. and opening the same time on Thursday and Friday. Saturday will begin the season’s regular schedule, which is good news for the resort given the forecast warmer temperatures later in the week.
“We wish it wouldn’t get warmer and shower but it’s going to be cold again next week. There’s enough snow down to remain open during the weekend,” said Buckman. “We like to have at least a foot down before we open the trail. Once you get that much down, usually if you get a little rain it doesn’t hurt too much.”
“At this point the predicted rain won’t affect us. And it will be colder next week, so we can keep making snow,” Werst added.
It hasn’t just been the skiers and snow boarders that have been disappointed by the late start either, said Buckman.
“In the off seasons we do maintenance, get the snow machines ready and rebuilding of motors, get inspections done by insurance and the state and we’ve been ready for a couple months now,” he explained. “People are anxious, especially our season ticket holders and employees. We have 150 employees who haven’t been able to work and normally they can by about mid-December.”
Despite the late opening, Buckman said he and his employees are excited and ready to open and are hoping for a successful season.
“We’re hoping that we have a March like last year that’s colder so we can extend the season since we got a late opening. Easter’s early too so it would be nice to still be skiing for Easter,” Buckman explained.
Spring Mountain Ski Area, in Upper Salford, opened in 2000 and has 8 trails, two snow tubing runs, six lifts, and two terrain parks. For more information, visit www.springmountainadventures.com or call 610-287-7900 or 1-888-305-5044.
Bear Creek Mountain Resort and Conference Center is located in Berks County. Since opening in 1999, the facility has expanded to 21 trails with 7 lifts. For more information, visit www.skibearcreek.com or call 1-866-754-2822.
