“It’s very, very exciting,” Price said. “It’s been a long fall and winter. Mother Nature was being a little harsh to us at the beginning, but now it seems like it’s going to turn to real winter. We’re excited to get open.”
The business used more than 130 snow guns as part of its process, Price said. Other trails will become available as snow continues to be made, he said.
Warm temperatures kept the mountain from making snow until mid-December. Crews began making snow on Dec. 18, but it was stopped as the temperatures spiked again during the holidays.
“We had a really good night of snow-making (on Thursday),” Price said. “The temperatures stayed cold enough for us to make snow all day (Friday). We expect another good night tonight.”
“We just put the finishing touches on it,” Price said. “So far, the people who have come out have been really impressed. I think it’s been exceeding peoples’ expectations.”
While the last few weeks have been hectic, Price knew his staff would be able to prepare the mountain to open this season.
“It’s been crazy,” Price said. “I knew we would do it. We have a really great team here. It’s really exciting to see it come to fruition.”
A permanent lodge is expected to be constructed after the season and will be completed by the 2016-17 season.
The mountain is one of the main tourist attractions in Logan County, drawing about 150,000 people per season and employing up to 500 workers during its peak season.
Mad River Mountain opened in 1962 and is the largest ski resort in Ohio. It has 144 acres of skiing, a vertical drop of 300 feet and 14 lifts, as well as a snow tubing area.
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