Welcome winter
Flurries make Chicopee Ski Hill opening day that much better
KITCHENER — Ron Shaver was there the moment Chicopee Ski Club opened for the season on Saturday.
“Always first chair,” said the Kitchener man.
Nearing noon, his skis were off and he was headed home for lunch and a beer, then a nap. Rest is important for Shaver to be able to ski a few times a week through the winter, on top of going out dancing.
“I’m 85 and I ski for free,” Shaver said.
The conditions were perfect on opening day as light flurries covered the slopes with a fresh layer of snow. On Saturday morning, the parking lot filled quickly and lines formed for the lifts.
“It’s so pretty today. What a great day for skiing for the first day,” said Lia Taylor, who brought her daughter Katie for her first lesson of the season.
Taylor will soon start lessons, too, and the Waterloo mother and daughter are looking forward to time together outdoors.
“We were really looking forward to the season opening,” Taylor said. “It’s great that we have this here because it can be a part of your life easily.”
Katie was eager to hit the slopes. “I just really like going down the hills.”
Chicopee’s opening date varies year-to-year, depending on the weather.
“We can start making snow at -2 C,” said Bill Creighton, executive director and chief operating officer.
Prior to opening, 11 million gallons of water were taken out the pond to make snow for the hill.
“What that equates to is about 43 acres of snow, 12 inches deep,” he said. “It’s a lot of snow.”
Chicopee has its permit application into the city and is waiting for approval before it begins an project that will see the resort expand out to Fairway Road.
“We would be building more advanced terrain,” Creighton said.
About three years ago the ski resort had to close the advanced Sugar Bowl ski run as the outdated pipes on the hill could not handle the pressure of the new snow-making machinery.
Coupled with that, the chair lift was more than 40 years old and coming to the end of its lifespan.
Instead of rebuilding in the same location, the resort is looking to expand to Fairway Road. The Sugar Bowl run has southern exposure and is a hard hill to keep snow on, said Creighton.
The expansion plans also includes promoting better traffic flow at the existing learning skill runs.
“The learning centre would consist of three runs right now,” said Creighton.
“Part of the design … creates a brand new run that would be beginner-to-intermediate terrain that goes from the very top of the hill around the outside of the property and back down.”
Environmental work has already started at the site, but major work won’t start until the spring — should the permit be approved by the city. If that is the case, work at the learning centre would be complete in about two years and the rest of the expansion plan would not be finished until about 2022.
“We want to develop for the community,” said Creighton.
The nonprofit ski resort was created in 1934. It leases the land the Grand River Conservation Authority and it’s overseen by an elected board of directors.
Opening Saturday was welcomed by not just eager skiers, but Chicopee, too.
“Any time we can get open for the Christmas break when kids are out (of school), makes a big difference for us,” Creighton said, adding that it contributes to a large part of the resort’s business.
New Dundee’s Debbie Cook was there as soon as the resort opened with her husband for their first ski of the season. The aim: “just get as many skis in here as we can.”
Chicopee instructor Josh Sieber dusted off his snowboard to get in some practice on opening day. “Getting used to the board and all that again,” he explained.
“Plus all the fresh snow, it’s perfect conditions.”