Barry Stewart
Hope Standard
In 2010, some Vancouver Winter Olympics venues were so starved for snow, they had to ‘borrow’ truckloads of it from Manning Park. It now appears the loan has been repaid in full — with a generous tip thrown in.
“It has been a great start to the ski season at Manning, with good snowfall and great conditions,” said marketing coordinator, Robyn Barker on Sunday.
“Our total accumulated snow since mid-December is just under 500 centimeters (489 cm by January 19),” she enthused. “For perspective, we saw 508 cm of accumulated snowfall last season — so we’re pretty pleased, for a year that had people concerned about snow. There were definitely some big snowfalls that were pretty exciting over the holidays.”
The snow and a new quad lift have created a buzz in the ski community and Barker said the resort has seen increased skier visits this season.
“The new Bear Chair has been a great addition and means the whole family can ride together on the lift,” said Barker. “Although we loved the Orange Chair, the new Bear Chair makes for a much smoother ride.”
Hope residents Jen Rodney and Ephriam Nelson got their four kids on the slopes last year and now have a family season pass.
“If you get it before October 31, it’s a good price,” said Jen, “and kids under age 6 are free, so we’re only paying for four of us.”
Mom asked the kids for their impressions of skiing at Manning and here’s what she got: “I like to go off the sweet forest jumps and through the forest trails, off the Bear Chair,” said their 10-year-old daughter, Charley. “I like how the Bear Chair gets more people up the hill in less time — and I like watching people take jumps, when I’m riding the chair.”
Nine–year-old Barrett said, “I like playing on the ‘snow cliffs.’ ” These are the big piles of snow, created by the snowcats when they groom the slopes and plow the parking lots. After a day on the slopes, he still has the energy to climb them, said Rodney. Barrett, whose nickname is “Bear” is well-pleased with the name of the hill’s new quad chair.
Sayde, age 5, offered, “I like that I know how to ski,” and 3-year-old Beckett said, “Go skiing. I want to snowboard!”
Beckett was on skis at age 2, skiing between Mom or Dad’s legs. He now has a backpack with a retractable harness, so a parent can ski behind but still lend a guiding hand.
Manning’s events coordinator and Silver Creek school teacher, Jo Hughes has two race weekends plotted out for Nordic skiers.
“We’re gearing up for the Cascade Cup cross country ski race on February 1 and we’re having the Blackwall Bash on March 1, to let people get their ski legs ready for the challenge,” said Hughes on Tuesday.
“On the telemark side of things, there was some excellent powder last Friday after the week’s snow,” she added.
The resort has ice sports covered, too, so consider bringing along your skates.
“The cold weather also means that we were able to open our outdoor ice rink this past weekend,” added Barker. “This is a big draw, as there’s not too many places you can go skating outside on real ice. It is weather-dependent, and we post updates on our website.”
For more info on all the resort’s winter offerings, visit manningpark.com/winter.
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