By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
ELLICOTTVILLE — Holiday Valley opens Friday for its 67th season with a heaping helping of snow from Mother Nature and as much man-made snow as they can make.
Dash Hegeman, marketing director at Holiday Valley, was all smiles Tuesday as he fielded media calls, emails and texts about Friday’s upcoming opening.
“We’ve got 180 snow guns going,” Hegeman said. “We plan to have four lifts open when we open. Teams are pushing snow around and smoothing things out.”
Over the past several days, 33 inches of snow have fallen at the Ellicottville resort. Whenever temperatures were right to make snow, the snow guns were fired up. The man-made snow piled up until snow groomers come along and move it around.
Holiday Valley opens at 9 a.m. Friday. It is also the first night skiing of the season, starting at 3 p.m. Go online to holidayvalley.com to purchase tickets.
Depending on the day and weather conditions, there can be anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand employees at the resort and at the nearby Holiday Valley Tubing Park.
“When there’s so much snow, “ it’s hard not to get excited,” Hegeman said. “We beefed up our snowmaking over the summer as well,” he added. “We added more snowmaking to Mardi Gras and improved water and airline hoses. The system has been performing very well.” More slopes will open as they become ready.
“We’re thrilled about the amount of snow we’ve received and we’re looking for a fun-filled weekend,” Hegeman said.
Holiday Valley has been listed at #11 in the East by Ski Magazine, there are two other New York state ski resorts in the Top 20. They are also very proud of its #1 standing in the fastest lift network, Hegeman said.
The resort scored #2 in two other important categories for families and for those looking to return, as well as dining and nightlife inn the nearby village of Ellicottville.
Upcoming events at Holiday Valley include Demo Day Dec. 14, where local ski and snowboard shops give people a chance to try out the news and best downhill equipment, Hegeman said.
For current conditions, check Holiday Valley’s website at www.holidayvalley.com. You can also check their webcams and buy lift tickets online.
They were making snow Tuesday at the private HoliMont Resort off Route 242 in Ellicottville, where they have announced a tentative Dec. 14 opening date.
