While you might not see snow on your front lawn, there is lots of it on the slops at Brimacombe. The ski resort opened on December 19, with a little help from their advanced snow making machines.
Brimacombe general manager Mark Rutherford says even though this year is warmer than last, they are now able to make snow faster, enabling them to operate earlier.
“We put in some automation this year so we can start up 27 guns in about 15 minutes. It used to take us three hours before, so we can make better opportunities of the shorter windows of time,” said Rutherford.
“Snow making is simply water sprayed into fine particles and freezing, We do add a protein to it — it’s not a chemical — it’s called Snowmax and it helps the water freeze at at higher temperatures,” he adds.
They are making snow at every opportunity they can get to cover all 23 trails, two train parks, and a mini cross course.
“If the temperatures are right, we’re making snow until we get enough for the season and usually that’s sometime in middle of February,” said Rutherford.
Devil’s Elbow Family Ski Resort near Bethany has been sold. A previous employee said it will not open this year and the buyers are looking at their options for next season.
However, you can still enjoy Mother Nature this January with a professional ski or snowboard instructor.
“We’ve got January’s learn to ski and snowboard month coming up, so if you’re interested in trying out one of our sports, that’s a great opportunity to get out here,” said Rutherford.