‘We make winter happen’: Poley Mountain keeps ski slopes open during unpredictable weather

From rain and warm temperatures one week, to snow and frigid nights the next, it has been a challenging start to the season for ski hills around the Maritimes.

Despite the weather, resorts like Poley Mountain just outside of Sussex, N.B., have yet to miss a weekend since opening.

“We have about 80 snow guns here,” says Poley Mountain General Manager Jamie Hare. “We have some fan guns behind me, and we make winter happen.”

Hare says it’s a testament to the team’s hard work making snow and preserving the existing pack against the elements.

Poley was forced to close on both Thursday and Friday but Hare says weekends tend to be the busiest days on the slopes and skiers and snowboarders are pleased with the conditions.

“I think they are pleasantly surprised, and that makes me feel the best,” Hare says.

“It’s been a bit of a tough winter for [maritime ski hills], us included. We did have a nice December with cool temps. We don’t wish super cold on anybody, but if we can make snow I think all our resort partners are happy.”

Skiers like Alex McShane and Zack Reicker are regulars at Poley. They say it’s a little icy because of the rain before the weekend but given the weather they say conditions couldn’t be better.

“It’s kind of weird how fast they were able to make it all open,” says McShane.

Over 150 young ski racers travelled to Poley from across the Maritimes for the first big race of the season this weekend. They praised the staff for ensuring their freshly waxed skis didn’t go to waste.

“Super grateful that Poley got to get this place set up after all that rain,” one young racer says. “It’s crazy that a lot of runs are open.”

Ski New Brunswick President Clarence Bennett says there was some worry the races would be cancelled because of the rain and it was impressive to watch the snow team prepare the mountain for Saturday. He says given the conditions they didn’t think it would be possible to create a course but the staff made one that was very smooth.

“It’s fabulous to see all these athletes here,” Bennett says. “They have more fun in the huddle waiting to race than they do on the course itself.”

Bennet says hills around the province have done their best to make and preserve snow amid challenging conditions and he is happy to say closures at New Brunswick’s hills have been minimal so far.

“It is a credit to them with pretty unpredictable weather conditions to keep the snow and to make the snow and to preserve the snow,” he says. “It’s been unbelievable for sure.”

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