Local riders say snow is snow.
Luc Moir and Sam Hurst have been skiing or snowboarding at Mount Baldy for as long as they can remember. Despite a lack of the white stuff this winter, the pair have been hitting the hill as much as they can. On Saturday, they had been out six days in a row. While they miss powder, a ton of new features like rails and boxes have kept them busy.
“You’re not going to get any powder runs in which are nice,” Hurst said of the hill’s mostly man-made snow. “But you don’t need powder with all the boxes.
The secret to riding man-made snow is to keep the edges of your ski or snowboard sharp Moir said.
“It’s going to be the same. Snow is snow,” he said.
Mount Baldy owner Craig Spiess said his crews have put about 500 hours worth of snow onto the hill this season, with about 80 per cent of the runs open. In another three days, all of the runs should be open despite little help from nature.
“It’s a bit slower than normal but it doesn’t really hold anybody back,” Spiess said. “There’s a lot of terrain to ski on.”
Because there is so much man-made snow though when the skies open up, it’s going to be a great season he said.
“When mother nature kicks in and she will kick in eventually, it’s going to be fantastic skiing,” Spiess said.
The hill has plenty of loyal season pass holders who keep the place busy regardless of weather. But few snowfalls make for less daily ticket riders, which is the only problem Spiess said.
