INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — The unusually cold temperatures sweeping through Michigan may not be welcome news for everyone, but there's at least one industry banking on them — ski resorts.
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The past few years have been difficult for area ski slopes, and this weather is exactly what they need. Alpine Valley, Mount Holly, Mount Brighton, and Pine Knob are all open now, giving winter sports enthusiasts reason to celebrate.
At Pine Knob Ski and Snowboard Resort in Independence Township, the sound of snow guns has been the soundtrack of the week as crews work around the clock to give skiers and snowboarders a reason to smile.
"It's just fantastic to be here. My wife's and mine 11-year anniversary that we are celebrating, so the kids are at school and we snuck out," David Fudge said.
The colder temperatures are helping crews get a solid base for the start of the ski and snowboard season.
"We got a little bit of a late start this year with Mother Nature not cooperating, but once they were here, they were here," said Andy Brown, Assistant Snow Sports Director at Pine Knob.
Brown said the snow-making crew has been working around the clock since Thanksgiving, trying their best to cover more ski runs in snow so they can open them.
"We've been pumping 5,000 gallons a minute, so about 300,000 gallons of water onto the hill. We're almost 100 percent open on the sixth day of the season for us, so it's going good," Brown said.
With the chairlifts running and skiers and snowboarders carving out turns on the hill, many had smiles on their faces and were excited to buckle in for the day.
"There's not too much wind right now, the sun's out — it's absolutely gorgeous for anybody," said Michael Hooper of Clarkston.
Charlotte Oliver from Detroit was making the most of her time off.
"If I don't use my PTO, I lose it, so tick tock on the clock," Oliver said. "We only get to ski one or two days per year, so the more snow, the more odds are we can get out on the hills."
Hooper, who has been skiing for 55 years, was excited to get some runs in at the start of the season.
"You know it's manageable if you've got some edges you can work with it," Hooper said.
David and Jennifer Fudge were impressed by how much work the crew at Pine Knob put in to get most of the hill open.
"I mean, the crew here is to blame for how great it looks and that it's open," Fudge said.
Pine Knob is hoping to have all of their runs, including the terrain park with all of its jumps and rails, open soon.
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