Stress in the ski business

Snow is what makes or breaks a ski season; more so than a country's economic situation or any other possible reason.

No wonder then, that ski resort operators become obsessed with any form of snow when November rolls around.

In the past, it was always a tad colder, so if we didn't have the real, natural stuff, you could fairly easily make it, if you didn't mind the cost of pumping water, turning it into solid and spraying it all over the mountain.

These days are different, because even November isn't as cold as it used to be, and mountain operators can no longer “play chicken”, waiting for a very long, cold spell to blow snow.

Every seemingly cold night is now worth a shot. Park City is slated for a November 17 opening and if there's a continuous white ribbon, it's likely to be thin, narrow and overrun with people!