HOPEFUL IT WILL BE ALL WHITE
SKIFIELDS are hoping for a good opening day for Cardrona Alpine Resort and the learners’ area at the Remarkables on Saturday.
Cardrona general manager Bridget Legnavsky said the resort was busy training new staff and preparing for Saturday morning.
Cold conditions forecast for this week could mean good conditions for making snow and a winter storm at the end of the week could see a fresh dump of snow just before opening day, Ms Legnavsky said.
‘‘We’re really hopeful with the weather we will get some trails open — really hopeful.’’
About nine million litres of snow was made during the long weekend.
Even if the weather gods failed to shine, the official open ing of the resort’s new $10 million chondola ski lift would go ahead.
‘‘We really excited about it. We have the Mayor, Jim Boult, and Jossi Wells coming back to help us open it and we want everyone to come along and celebrate with us.’’
The chondola will be officially opened at 8.30am on Saturday, with the public welcome to attend.
Treble Cone marketing coordinator Meagan Philpot said the skifield was on track to open on June 22, and its snow guns were busy during the weekend.
A complete upgrade of the skifield’s snowmaking system was carried out over summer with five new snowguns and nine new hydrants installed and six more snowguns being shipped from the United States.
‘‘The boys have been working hard up there getting those guns pumping, making sure we will be ready for opening day.
The Snow Farm’s crosscountry skifield on the Pisa Range is scheduled to open on June 24.
The Remarkables ski area manager Ross Lawrence said they were ‘‘very excited’’ and on target to open on Saturday, too.
The recent cold temperatures, together ‘‘with a bit of help from Mother Nature’’ meant they were well on the way to having the Remarkables learners’ area open.
They had been making snow this week, including last night, and will continue ‘‘for as long as we can and have to,’’ he said.
Coronet Peak ski area manager Nigel Kerr said the field was ‘‘definitely’’ on schedule to open on June 17.
They had been making snow at night for the past week and were already grooming on the upper mountain.