Christmas Week Cheer

When you've worked in the Ski Industry as long as I have you have a Love/Hate relationship with Christmas & New Years.  

As a father of two wonderful boys and husband to an unwavering wife, Christmas Eve and early (and I mean very early) Christmas mornings have been memorable for the last 11 years.  My boyhood holiday memories of decorating my Nana's tree on Christmas Eve, and attending Midnight Mass on Long Island, NY are long in the past.  Now they are replaced with extensive wrapping sessions, usually coupled with a few glasses of bourbon and a Christmas Movie in the background.  My wife Mary and I will stay up late into the night.  The footsteps and gasps of little boys coming down the steps (after what seems to be minutes after my eyes have shut) are smashed into an all out opening spree and pure chaos! 

Once the presents are ripped open and the the toys have been played with and the parents have had a full pot of coffee it is off to a ski resort typically by 10am and then for me the second I'm in the office Christmas is over and the business kicks in.  

It's short but it is what it is and honestly I enjoy watching those visiting the various resorts I've been associated with enjoying their holidays with us.  

Ok let's talk business because I'm sure that's what you are most interested about!  With Santa comes some amazing cold temps that will enable us to continue what has been a strong snowmaking campaign.  Here's the game plan:  (as always they can change but here is what we are looking at over the next few days)  

Tonight, Wednesday 23rd (Green).  Snowmaking on Mystery, Upper Dusky, Aspen, Elk and a few other trails in the area just off Mystery.  Open Christmas Day.  

Tomorrow, Thursday, 24th - Friday 25th.  Snowmaking on TimberWolf, Red Quartz, Gem Stone, TimberPass, Panorama, Legends, and Coyote Gulch.  Open on Saturday 26th.  On Saturday we'll also be debuting a new top to bottom terrain park in White Wolf.  

Weekend, Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th.  Snowmaking on Western Frontier, Infinity and Silver Birch.  Open on Monday, 28th.

I'm excited to see and ski the new terrain in the west. 

The Red Quartz & Gem Stone trails I'm also giving a challenge over to the Grooming Team to make that trail unlike anything that has been there before.  Think of a RollerCoaster on snow. Berms, rollers, humps and lots of smiles.  

For more information here is my son Ronan and the first rendition of the Ronan Report.  Our Snow Reporter in training.  Aka my son who if you see out on the hill say hello.  He's always rocking a Wildcat Ski Team Jacket and Orange Pants.   He loves this place and he loves to ski.  

Starting Saturday December 26th thru Sunday, January 3 this will be our Hours of Operations:

While we won't be exactly 100% open on Christmas and we may very well have a few trails to still truly finish up the down the line are going to be oh so close and given the fact that Mother Nature has not helped with any natural snow fall and relatively warm weather the Snowmaking & Grooming teams have been nothing but exceptional. 

Consider me just the little elf on the shelf ensuring that we're keeping on tabs.  I'm happy to say that my report back to Santa will be to recommend them all to the nice list.  As will all my staff.  

This morning talking about the year in review I got a little emotional as for my family, like many, 2020 has been a year of change.  My wife and I both had major career changes, we left a place we truly loved, and uprooted our family to come to Wisconsin where we had no roots, no friends, no idea what to expect.  We have been warmly welcomed by so many here.  Thank you.  

From my family to yours:  Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, & Happy New Year.  2021 will be a welcomed site for so many.  

Your ELF GM - Greg 

P.S. My old stomping ground - North Conway, NH as well as most of the East have been hurting for snow and cold temps.  While some of the resorts back east did get dumped on they are going to get pounded with rain into Christmas Day then temps drop like mad. Not the Snorkel weather us skiers like to talk about and while we won't have a White Christmas it will still be white here at Granite Peak!