Despite Friday’s fog and 20-plus degree temperatures at Ski Martock in Nova Scotia, a massive mound of snow still stands – and there’s more than expected. Insulated under geotextile fabric, Martin Kejval, Martock and Cape Smokey’s CEO, says early indications show the snow storage attempt is more promising than he had anticipated. “Some people believe we have hot air underneath it, and it’s a sophisticated April Fool’s joke,” he joked. After last year’s successful season – reaching 100 days in operation for the first time in a decade – Martock endeavoured to save some snow to try to get an early start next season. Before it was tarped, 19,000 cubic meters of snow was piled up. While snow storage is more common in Europe and even BC, Kejval believes this is the lowest elevation at which snow-saving efforts like this have been attempted. “You’re basically bridging three months, three-and-a-half months on a bad year,” he says, pointing to other climates. “We are bridging nine months. That’s a completely different ball game, right? It’s for sure one of the more challenging climates this has been attempted.” Despite the warm weather, the snow pile is taking Nova Scotia’s summer in stride. Initial projections were figuring to lose up to 50 per cent, but so far only 15 per cent has disappeared. “Seeing such low melt so far is absolutely fantastic,” Kejval says. “What we would love to see is to lose only 30-35 per cent.” But the worst is yet to come. “We’ll see what August’s hit does,” he says. “That’s what we were warned by the experts is the toughest month for the survival.” The ski hill is planning for an early-to-mid December opening – either part of one run and the bunny hill, or one narrow full run. And they’re already planning for the following winter. “We would love to expand the snow storage,” he says, “so we would be able to open, just purely on snow from snow storage, at least one run.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
