Ski Season weeks away

Snow guns are ready at local ski clubs

Oct 24, 2022 | 4:18 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The first day of ski season might not be for a few weeks, but some who live in some regions of the city this past weekend woke up to a dusting of snowfall.

Some local ski facilities have their snow guns ready to make snow.

The snow guns at the Hart Ski hill are pointed toward the ski hill, waiting for the temperatures to drop to minus -5.

Several years ago, a good season of skiing at the Hart Ski hill was 20 to 50 days of skiing. But with the snow guns in position.

“Ten years ago, a good season was 20 to 50 days. Now we’re anywhere from 90 to 100 days. We start as soon as it gets cold, and we go right to mid-April, right through all the holiday seasons will be open because the coverage will be there because of the guns.”

Casey Johnson, Hart Ski Hill

Over at the Caledonia Noride Ski Centre, the team was kept busy extending water lines to make snow. In hopes of expanding the length and duration of the cross-country ski season.

“ When natural snow falls, it helps preserve the quality of the natural snow. And so when we continually get the natural snow falling on top of the artificial snow, it’s almost like our refrigerated surface. And so we have snow here usually until the middle of April.”

Kevin Pettersen, Caledonia Nordic Ski Club