Blue Mountain Resort says it continues to make progress in getting runs open as the mercury begins to fall.
As of Jan. 5, there are only 11 out of 43 ski trails open and seven out of 11 lifts running at Blue Mountain Resort.
Tara Lovell, manager of public relations for the Collingwood-area resort, acknowledges this year’s weather so far is less than ideal, but notes the resort makes a point of diversifying options for visitors which helps when the weather is unpredictable.
“The holidays are a peak time for us at Blue,” said Lovell. “Making sure we have things to draw people to the area at this time is important.
“The snow-making team is working around the clock. The temperature has dropped and we’ve been running for more than 12 hours. We’re slowly and gradually opening more terrain,” she added. “Our snow makers just need colder temperatures, which is what we have now.”
She says Blue Mountain specifically is a little bit different than other resorts, as they put emphasis on having a variety of attractions year-round. For example, new this year is the Canopy Climb attraction, which previously had only run during the summer months, and now offers winter spots.
She notes the village shops and restaurants have been busy throughout the holiday season, and the parking lot has been full most days.
Long-term, Lovell says the resort is looking into having a year-round open-air gondola option to transport visitors to the trail system at the top of Blue Mountain. As of now, the mountain gondola runs during the spring, summer and fall months, and in the winter is replaced by chair lifts for the ski hills.
“Diversification of what we offer is not only a safety for when the weather might not co-operate, but also to make sure that there is something for guests to enjoy even if they aren’t skiers or snowboarders,” she said. “We’re seeing people come here regardless of the snow conditions.”
