Skiers and snowboarders rejoice! Edmonton’s Snow Valley Ski Club has announced it will open next week.
The south Edmonton ski hill will open at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, thanks to some much-needed help from Mother Nature.
“It’s been really great because of the cold temperatures,” said Tim Dea, marketing and communications manager of Snow Valley Ski Club. “The snow is helpful, absolutely, but it’s those sub-minus 5 temperatures. So we’re pretty much ready to go.
“We’ve got tons of snow. It’ll be ready for Tuesday, for sure.”
Just a couple of weeks ago, staff members at the club were a bit nervous about opening day because of the unusually warm fall Edmonton experienced.
“For a while there, we had such a hot fall that we were like, ‘uhhh,’ and then all of a sudden it turned on a dime after Halloween. So it was really great,” Dea said.
“The (snow-making) guns got out firing and the wind’s been really helpful too that it’s not blowing too hard over the freeway or from the south when it swirls either.”
Dea said the ski club as tried hard this season to address long lift lines by spacing out lessons, so there are fewer people on the hill at any given time.
Food bank Fridays
Continuing this year is food bank Fridays. Starting Dec. 2, $2 from every lift ticket will go towards Edmonton’s Food Bank. Through this initiative last year, the club donated over $18,000 to the food bank.
Once the hill is open for the season, hours of operation will be:
- Monday: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Tuesday through Friday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
In the city’s southwest, Rabbit Hill Snow Resort has pushed its tentative opening date back to Nov. 21.
“We want to spend a little extra time making snow so that we can open with the best conditions and as much terrain as possible,” said a post on Rabbit Hill’s Facebook page.
Just east of Edmonton, Sunridge Ski Area looks like it will be the first to open its runs to the public.
Sunridge has set its tentative opening date for this Saturday, Nov. 12.
Deep in the heart of the city, Edmonton Ski Club has scheduled its tentative opening for Nov. 19.
The Ski Club is introducing a new deal this winter called Toonie Tuesday, where riders will be able to use the carpet lift for $2, while the main lifts and rentals will be on sale for $8 each.