Like many ski resorts along the coast, Mount Cain has faced its challenges this season when it comes to snow and the resort has not yet been able to open. However, there is still optimism as we head into January and February.
According to the board of directors’ chair David Mazzucchi, a season like this is not unfamiliar. He points to the 2014 season, which saw very little snow and a very short window for skiable conditions.
“It’s disappointing but it’s not unheard of for us to not be open for Christmas,” said Mazzucchi. “This has happened before and some things you can control and some things you can’t control.”
Mazzucchi adds that these years often mean a loss of revenue and a difficult season for workers who are anticipating jobs in the café, cleaning and other areas. With the low amount of snow, it will take a large dump before they can consider opening for skiers.
“We’re bare right at the base right now. I look at the bunny hill and right now there’s no snow on the bunny hill,” said Mazzucchi. “Realistically, we would need probably at least 60 cm from now to be able to open both t-bars and the bunny hill.”
He adds they have been able to run the upper mountain only in the past, but they don’t have a way to get up the mountain safely. However, with coastal snow conditions, Mazzucchi says that much snow can fall in a relatively short amount of time.
In the meantime, he says they have been able to run some of their ongoing projects including renovating their day lodge and opening cabins on the mountain for Christmas and the new year.
With the El Niño season starting to kick in, he says they are hoping for a solid tail end of the ski season so people can get out and enjoy the slopes.
“Historically, Mount Cain has had really good ski seasons with strong El Niños. The season ending in 2016 was a strong El Niño and we were open for the full season,” said Mazzucchi.
“It looks like the jet stream is starting to bend which is going to bring some colder air and the precipitation that we get solid rather than liquid.”
Environment and Climate Change Canada says we may start to see some snow this weekend, potentially down to sea level if conditions permit.
More updates on Mount Cain can be found on their Facebook page.
