To outside ears, the Flin Flon Ski Club’s biggest issue this fall may sound strange.
The problem? Too much snow, too early.
The club usually opens for the season in early November, but weather has thrown off the schedule. An unusually early and heavy snowfall has combined with mild temperatures to leave trails unfrozen and covered with mud and slush.
The odd conditions have put the planned start date for the season in jeopardy.
“We’re certainly looking forward to a season, but we don’t know when it’s actually going to start,” said club vice-president Dave Price.
“We normally don’t expect to get the snow started until Halloween, and what we’re looking for is to have the ground frozen. We expect that we’ll have enough snow to ski on, but this is a rather peculiar season we’re having, so who knows?”
Volunteers and members of the club have been working to get trails ready, clearing brush and knocking down saplings on the trail.
“The bush is so soggy that it’s a bit problematic,” said Price. “We can’t get our equipment on the trails because we haven’t had any freezing yet. We’ve been going out on snowshoes to do what work we can.”
In addition to the trail issues, melting snow has left the access road to the club’s chalet into one giant mud puddle.
“You can get in if you’ve got a muscular four-wheel-drive truck or something, but it’s making a problem for us getting the season’s preparations done,” said Price.
The club is still planning to begin their season with their annual open house, set to take place on Nov. 20. Other events, like the annual Val and Ivor Hedman Centaloppet scheduled for March 5, are later in the year and will not be affected.
“We’ll get there eventually,” said Price. “We’re doing it as much as we can. Come on! We’re dealing with mother nature here!”
