OTSEGO, Mich. — Bittersweet Ski Resort plans to open on Monday after west Michigan received record-breaking amounts of snowfall.
“We’re a winter sport and being that we had cold weather, we want to open as much as we can to give people the option,” Nick Ross, general manager of Bittersweet Ski Resort in Otsego, said. “Four months is pretty much is what they get, so we're doing everything we can do to give them the full four months.”
Ross says Bittersweet started making snow earlier in the week after temperatures dropped below 28 degrees. However, he notes the coming week’s forecast may make it difficult to continue doing so, which could change the resort’s schedule.
“Right now with the humidity being so high, it's, it's a little bit of a struggle, but we're doing everything we can to make make as much as we can right now,” Ross explained.
Ross says Bittersweet built another chairlift, added seats to the cafeterias and moved the rental room around so it’s more open during the offseason.
They hope to welcome 100,000 people this season.
“I don't know how it happens, but usually every year we’ll be two or three weeks behind and when we go to open next thing you know, we make it on time,” said Ross.
Other resorts in west Michigan intend to wait a bit longer before they welcome skiers, snowboarders and tubers.
“We anticipate opening up as early as possible in December,” said Danielle Musto, marketing director for Cannonsburg Ski Area. “We need a few feet of snow in order to do so around our entire base, but, as long as temperatures remain cold, we will have the snow guns blasting.”
Cannonsburg started making snow Friday evening.
While staff waits for the right amount of snow, Musto says they are training new staff.
It’s the earliest Cannonsburg has made snow in at least two years. According to Musto, warm weather made it impossible to do so until the end of December and early January in 2020 and 2021.
“It's a huge impact for us,” Musto added. “All of our Cannonsburg crew workers can start earlier. A lot of people come home for the holidays, but for us too, we’re the local ski hill for West Michigan so ski teams can start practicing earlier and come out with their families as well and we have tubing lanes that are fun for everyone to enjoy.”
Both Cannonsburg and Bittersweet are looking to hire more people.
If interested, click here for jobs at Bittersweet or here for Cannonsburg.
