Operations Update: Strategic Snowmaking, Grooming Adjustments, and South Winds Ahead

Winter operations are well underway, and we’re excited to share some updates as we continue to optimize snow conditions and terrain for everyone. Here’s the latest: Snowmaking Update We have a favourable window next week to address the areas with a shallower base, primarily on the south side of the mountain. This is a great opportunity to bolster these areas and prepare them for the remainder of the season. As of this weekend, we’re aiming to mitigate snowmaking operations on Saturdays and Sundays whenever possible. This will help us ensure minimal disruption for guests enjoying the slopes. Grooming and Conditions We’re closing in on our 100 cm average base depth target. Strategic snowmaking is now centred on using GPS and heat map data from the grooming machines to identify and address thinner areas. An example of where this is evident is the difference in depth from Cruiser (north side of Southern Comfort) versus Sunrise (south side of Southern Comfort). Grooming efforts will continue with an ongoing focus on levelling the hills and flattening the terrain to ensure uniformity across all runs. Cold Coming In Much colder temperatures (-20°C and below) are forecasted over the next week and bring both opportunities and challenges. Cold air allows for very efficient snow production, but it requires careful management to balance grooming fresh snow while maintaining existing coverage. At these temperatures, snow guns can form ice beards, requiring frequent manual clearing. Hydrants freeze more quickly, and tillers on groomers are more prone to freezing. Also, the skate maintenance crew at Woodview Mountaintop Skating has to maintain a constant flow of water through the flooding bars and be diligent with proper drying processes to prevent the equipment from freezing. Other outdoor operations adapt with rotating shifts for outdoor staff, including lift operators, and our patrollers will be keeping an eye on frostbite on skiers who love to be on the hill in the chill. Wind Changes North winds have dominated the start of the season but early next week, we’re expecting a shift to South winds. This change enables us to focus on building out The Grove terrain park, close Badlands temporarily for snowmaking and grooming, and re-open the Badlands terrain park with all that machine made snow. While less forceful than North winds, South winds result in taller, less spread-out snow piles. This requires additional grooming to achieve even coverage. We’re continuing to monitor weather patterns closely and adjust our strategies to deliver the best possible conditions. With temperatures staying low and winds shifting, we’re poised to make significant progress in terrain readiness. Stay tuned for updates as we move closer to opening additional areas and features.