While many Maritime ski hills remain closed because of a lack of snow, the season kicked off today at Poley Mountain, with officials hoping for continued skiing until April.
"We've had times when the hill hasn't opened even before Christmas, and to have snow like this at this time of the year with a trail wide open and more snow to come, it's a great start," says skier Ian Banks.
More snow is falling on the mountain as new snow making equipment kicks into gear.
"We're standing here on a foot or a foot-and-a-half of man-made snow," says General Manager Bill Anderson.
Anderson says the facility adds to its snow making capability every year; purchases that are paying off.
"The technology in snow making in the past few years has changed drastically. We can make snow now at -4 or -5 with half decent humidity. Before it had to be -10 or -10," says Anderson.
Many of the enthusiasts who arrived on day one are surprised to be hitting the slopes this early in the season.
"Now with the new lodge and the new snow making system, it's phenomenal. I can't believe they opened the hill this early," says skier Steve Smith.
The longer the season, the more economic benefits for the area. Poley Mountain has more than 200 full and part time employees, making it one of the biggest employers in the area.
"You know it takes ten guys to make snow, it takes thirty-some guys to run the lifts, 35 or 40 people to run the cafeteria and the lounge and the restaurant," says Anderson.
The number of skiers and snowboarders using Poley has ballooned in recent years. The hill has already sold more than 2000 season passes for the 2017-18 season, most of them patrons returning from last year.
"That's what it's all about, it's getting out here, getting the first day in, and seeing how the legs work from last year," says
A spell of mild weather could mean a temporary closure for the hill, but for now, officials are hoping a combination of man-made and natural snow will keep the hill open until the spring.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron.
