Skiers on Whiteface Mountain (Photo: Susan Cameron, Lake Placid)
(02/10/11) Since mid-January, the Adirondacks have been pounded with a series of major winter storms, each dumping between 10 inches and 2 feet of snow.
As we've been hearing, all that snow has caused its share of headaches, especially for those who've had to shovel it, plow it, push it off their roof, or drive in it.
But for those who enjoying downhill or cross country skiing, and those who run the region's ski resorts, this is proving to be a better than average, if not banner, winter season. Chris Knight reports.
Whiteface Mountain Ski Center in Wilmington has already recorded more than 160 inches of natural snow so far this season. Marketing director Bridget Hinman says that's just a foot shy of last winter's entire snow total of 172 inches.
"We're just in the beginning of February and to be at 160 inches already is pretty substantial," Hinman said. "Our average is 201 inches, so, we're getting there."
Hinman said all the snow has helped boost skier visits at Whiteface, which are up about 11,000 over last year at this time.
"We had a really strong Christmas week" she said. "We'll be over the moon if we have these kind of conditions into President's week. Certainly, with the Canadian dollar the way it is, we're hoping to have a really strong March."
Those hitting the slopes of Whiteface on Tuesday had no complaints. John and Debbie Boyce live in Toronto and have been season pass holders at Whiteface for 25 years. They said the mountain's conditions are as good this year as they've ever been.
"It's fantastic," John Boyce said. "Lots of snow. Double the snow here than in Toronto. Conditions are fantastic. It's just a fun place to be."
Small alpine ski centers like Mount Pisgah in Saranac Lake have also been benefitting from all the natural snow over the past month.
"I think this season compared to many previous, if not all, has been quite a banner season."
Charlie Martin is Mount Pisgah's manager.
"Our season passes are up to 401 passholders now, and I believe we were at 273 last year. Our ticket window is pretty much nonstop.With this new snowfall, it's probably going to carry us into late March, I'm hoping."
The large amount of natural snow has meant some resorts haven't had to spend as much to make snow.
But for ski centers that don't make snow, the recent storms have been an absolute necessity.
That couldn't be more true than at Big Tupper Ski Area, which is run by a group of community volunteers and doesn't have snowmaking. It wasn't until the first major storm came in mid-January that Big Tupper was able to open for the season.
Meanwhile, cross-country skiers have also been enjoying the snow, whether they've been hitting the trails of their local nordic center or heading into the backcountry.
Jason Smith, who helps manage Dewey Mountain Recreation Center in Saranac Lake, said this is one of the best seasons, in terms of snowfall, that he's seen in the last eight years.
"All this recent snow that's been falling has allowed us to work the trails really nicely. Keep them wide. It also keeps us real busy. Lots of gasoline going into the snowmobile. Lots of time on the sled. Lots of shoveling. But I'm not complaining. I like it."
While there are no major snowstorms in the short term forecast, it doesn't look like the snow conditions skiers have been enjoying will be changing anytime soon. Temperatures are forecast to be at or below freezing through at least the middle of next week.
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