Snowmakers are Elves
Dec 20, 2023
Thank you to all those that came out last weekend for our first family festival of the season it was awesome to see so many smiling faces enjoying the visits from Santa, Buddy, as well as the fireworks and fun with Brad Emanuel in the Chalet. Once the sun set on Sunday night our snowmakers got involved in the fun with a 60 hour window.
Snowmaking Presents, But We Have to Wait to Open
Our snowmakers have been working tirelessly, channeling their inner elves, to transform our slopes into a winter wonderland just in time for the holiday week. Taking advantage of the recent cold spell, they've been hard at work since Sunday night, and by Wednesday morning, they'll have sprinkled their magic on a total of 15 trails.
These enchanting trails, including Supersition, Whitewolf, Carver, High Traverse, Woodspur, Whitetail, Snowflake, and Cottonwood, are now adorned with a fresh layer of snow, thanks to the exceptional effort of our dedicated team. In just a short span, they've turned these trails into a snowy paradise. It's truly a Herculean effort, and I can't commend the team enough for their dedication.
Reflecting on the past, it's remarkable how much can change in a year. Last year, the bitter cold kept temperatures below 10 degrees, with Christmas Day reaching a high of just 1 degree. Fast forward to now, and we're anticipating temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s. Mother Nature is unpredictable, but we're rolling with it, and this Christmas, we're set to offer some of the best terrain in the Midwest.
To the left, highlighted in green, you'll find the open terrain—nearly 60 acres of winter bliss, including Sundance, Mystery, Miracle, Birch, and more. Three lifts are in rotation, ensuring everyone can enjoy our widest and intermediate terrain. For those seeking excitement, Aspen Terrain Park continues to deliver freestyle thrills, and we've introduced Grom Park with beginner-friendly features.
In a picturesque shade of blue on the map lies our snowmakers latest efforts —20 acres of additional terrain with 15 newly snow-covered trails. That's nearly 45% of our available ski acreage that's open now and with the additional trails the come along we can be close to 60% by New Year's Eve.
Closing on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
Considering the limited snowmaking opportunities across the Midwest, coupled with the forecast predicting unseasonably warm weather and rain on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we have decided to temporarily close our operations on those days. This decision, albeit challenging, is in the best interest of you our guests & passholders and the high standards of quality we expect.
Typically, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are among our least trafficked days during the holiday season and we know many of our guests have other commitments during this time. Given the current weather conditions and the potential risk of losing snow due to grooming and ski operations, we believe this decision is crucial to maintaining the exceptional experience our guests and passholders deserve.
Post-Christmas Day, our teams will assess the opportunity to expand our terrain, particularly in the Cupid & East areas. As we said above we've decided to keep the snow in piles rather than pushing them out to safeguard what we have amidst the unseasonable weather pattern. Rest assured; we are committed to providing you with ample terrain to enjoy during the holiday break.
Looking ahead, the weather is expected to improve to more seasonable conditions after Christmas, and we anticipate having at least 40% of our available acreage, if not more, ready for the holiday week.
During this period, Food & Beverage operations will be limited to Sundance until the 27th. The deck will remain open, and if necessary, we can open the Pizza and Pretzel Shack for food and select beverages.
I understand that this news may be disappointing, but I want to express my gratitude to our staff for the hard work and dedication. Their efforts have been instrumental in maintaining the quality of our operations.
See You 2023! Hello 2024.
One thing we know for sure about the future is that on January 1st it will be 2024. We will celebrate the end of one and hopefully a cold 2024 with a torchlight parade, fireworks show, and a 21+ Only event in Historic Chalet with local musician Max Koepke. New Year's Eve is always a fun day to be out on the slopes and we intend to put on a great show for young and old. If you are interested in coming to the 21+ event reserve now as there are a limited # of tickets available for $10.
Lessons In Full Swing
With the difference in temperatures from a year ago now is the perfect time to get out and give a sport such as skiing or snowboarding a try! Our Snow Sports School is fully staffed and ready to take kids as early as 3 years old out on the slopes. We have a huge variety of lessons for all to take part in. Try a private lesson which is a one on one program or kids can participate in our ever popular Kids Adventure program with morning, afternoon or even full day with lunch programs for a fun learning environment.
Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas
From all of us here at Granite Peak and the Midwest Ski Family Ski Resort family we wish you to have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays with family and friends. There is a ton to be thankful for in 2023 and we hope you can come out and enjoy some skiing and riding with us this holiday. For those looking for last minute gifts, Vicki in our retail store has an amazing abundance of apparel and logo'd goods that make for awesome gifts. I know my kids will be adorning some new GP gear by the end of Christmas Day.
Happy Holidays and thank you for reading my blogs.
Greg
Granite Peak GM
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