With snow in forecast, area ski resort rejoices
By Vanessa Lenz
Staff Writer
With a few inches of snow in the forecast for Thursday and Friday, officials at Alpine Valley Resort near East Troy remain hopeful Mother Nature’s mantle of white with have skiers itching to hit the slopes.
As of Jan. 3, the resort had opened all of its runs and snowmaking is also at full capacity to continue to cover its 16-26 inch base with fresh powder.
“We have 100 percent snowmaking coverage for all of our ski slopes,” Alpine Valley office manager Diane Semmerling said.
But, she added, attendance is always best when there is natural snow so Alpine’s staffers are doing their best to get people thinking about skiing even though they are still seeing green outside.
“We try to let people know that even though they don’t have snow on their lawns, we have great snow on the slopes,” Semmerling said.
The snow guns at the resort have been working overtime as below-freezing temperatures settled at night in recent weeks.
According to Semmerling, it has to be 27 degrees (Fahrenheit) or colder to make snow.
With Alpine opening for the season on Dec. 8, this made things tricky during the spells of above-average temperatures last month.
“We were making snow whenever the weather allowed to make up for lack of natural snow,” Semmerling said.
Alpine Valley, the largest ski locale in southeast Wisconsin, is the only resort in the Midwest with three high-speed quad lifts and four wonder carpets.
Alpine features 20 slopes that range from beginner to expert mogul runs with 388 feet of vertical skiing. The hill also includes the Mohawk Terrain Park, which offers snowboarders and freestyle skiers a variety of rails, boxes and snow features.
A chairlift ticket is $46 for a full day (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.) on weekdays and $52 for a full day (9 a.m. to 11 p.m.) on weekends and holidays. Discounted rates are available for half day skiing. Equipment rental is $24 for ages 7 and older and $12 for ages 6 and younger.
Season passes are $489 for a single, $978 for a family of two and $150 for each additional family member.
Alpine is currently offering midweek specials, including two lift tickets for $41 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and special men’s rates on Wednesdays and women’s rates on Thursdays.
Alpine Valley Resort is located at W2501 County Road D and can be reached at (262) 642-7374 and (800) 227-9395. For updated ski conditions, visit www.alpinevalleyresort.com.
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