Marble Mountain putting final touches on kickoff to 2023 season

Western Newfoundland's Marble Mountain is preparing to open for another winter season, ready to rebound from two pandemic years and mild weather at the end of 2022.

Marketing manager Dustin Parsons said Wednesday officials had originally set an opening date of Dec. 28 after a strong showing of snow in November but have shifted to opening the mountain on Jan. 11.

"On the top of the mountain right now it actually looks pretty good. A lot of the wetter weather in early December amounted to snow on top of the mountain. So that's looking great, but on the lower part of the mountain now, the coverage is a little more sparse," Parsons said Wednesday.

"So connecting the top all the way back to the bottom isn't quite complete yet."

Part of that connection was done through a mild December across much of Newfoundland, but Parsons says temperatures have been favourable in recent weeks with snow in the forecast.

"In November we had so much snow, and we were so excited. We thought this was going to be it and winter was coming early and it was all happening," he said.

"Then of course we watched a lot of it melt away in December … but one thing about winter in Newfoundland, it always comes."

Parsons says they've seen a small uptick in the number of season passes being sold this time around, likely fuelled by more certainty this season won't be hit as hard by COVID-19 as the last two years.

He hopes this year will be the one new skiers and snowboarders choose to take to the slopes, saying there's a lot in the works to attract more people to Marble Mountain — like new trails, new infrastructure and events.

"I think people would be really, really surprised at how accessible it is, and how easy it is to really learn to ski to a point where you can get on top of the mountain," he said.

"It's just so much fun, and you'll be so proud of yourself when you take that first chair ride to the top of the mountain."

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