N.B. ski hills, trails hope for whiter days ahead after mild start to winter

Marc Leclair is hitting the cross-country trails of northern New Brunswick but not on skis.

"I'm going walking, but it's not the same," said the Cross Country Ski New Brunswick president, who lives in Charlo.

Leclair said he can't remember the last time there was no snow on the ground in Charlo at this time of year.

"I don't remember. Like I've been told that probably in the '60s it happened," he said.

A green Christmas curtailed the hopes of skiers of all kinds this year, and the possibilities are still grim as the New Year's long weekend begins. Winter as a whole isn't looking especially bright for ski enthusiasts.

This week at the four main downhill-skiing spots Poley Mountain, Crabbe Mountain, Mont Farlagne and Sugarloaf Provincial Park only a few trails have opened at all, with decisions about opening happening day-to-day.

Leclair said there's usually snow on the cross-country trails around Charlo by early December, and in the last few years, even mid-November.

The first big race is scheduled in Charlo for next weekend, but Leclair isn't confident it will happen which would be a big blow to the club.

He said the two-day event usually brings in around $10,000 for the club.

Along with that, the race is a money-maker for surrounding hotels, restaurants and other businesses, which would also take a hit from the cancellation, Leclair said.

December's mild temperatures, sometimes into the double-digits, and heavy rain and winds have also been hard for downhill ski areas.

At Poley, for instance, only four of 30 trails opened on Thursday, and the hill closed entirely on Friday because of rain. Crabbe had two open trails, and they too were closed Friday. Sugarloaf had only four of its 14 downhill runs open.

Jamie Hare, manager of Poley Mountain, near Sussex, said that at the beginning of December, there was a six-day snow-making window with perfect temperatures. That wonderland was quickly stomped on when two Mondays in a row brought heavy rain.

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Downhill and cross-country skiers throughout the province are being thwarted by a lack of snow.

The first rain storm flooded the hill's pumphouse and swept away much of the snow. So Poley staff returned to snow-making on the Thursday following the storm, just to have their hopes dashed again as a second storm came through.

"We ended up getting another massive rainstorm," Hare said. "Now we had less rain in that storm, but warm, high winds for two days. And the fog that hung around at the top of the mountain for those two days really took a lot of snow from us."

He said the beginning of this coming week might provide a good window for snow-making, and he just hopes that this January isn't a repeat of last year, when the hill had to close for 14 days.

At Sugarloaf Provincial Park in Campbellton, manager Greg Dion said, he alsocan't recall in recent memory the last time there wasn't natural snow on the ground at this point in the year.

Despite this, machine-made snow has allowed some downhill runs to open.

"It's hard to believe that you can go skiing, because when you look outside, you see grass in your yard and you're wondering if you should be mowing the lawn or not," he said.

Dion said he checks the weather several times a day hoping to see a shift in the forecast that will bring snow to the region.

Environment Canada meteorologist Jill Maepea, who is based in Fredericton, said seasonal forecasts indicate temperatures will remain above average throughout the winter.

This doesn't mean there won't be cold weather, she said. It just means that those cold stints may be shorter in length and not as severe.

"It's almost like a wait-and-see type of scenario for the rest of this winter in terms of snow involving outdoor events," she said.

Leclair said he remains optimistic that this is just an "off year."

If not, he said, discussions will have to be had to ensure a continuation of the sport in New Brunswick.

"We might have to find a solution, like maybe make some snow, I don't know just to make sure that we have a trail system that could support our athletes and our people that love to do cross-country skiing."

And with the start of the New Year's weekend, some snow was expected across the province, leaving skiers and snowboarders with hope.

On Friday, Hare saidPoley planned to open on Saturday. And on Friday afternoon, after a morning of rain and freezing rain, Dion also got a glimpse of hope.

"It's snowing!! Maybe our luck changed for the better," he wrote in a post-interview email.