The storm that blanketed Fairfield County following Christmas left 20 inches at Connecticut”™s small group of ski areas as well, giving them a major boost heading into 2011 ”“ not to mention major resorts in northern New England and New York.
After a light crowd on the Sunday following Christmas, that Monday afternoon cars started pouring into the parking lot of Mount Southington in Plantsville, according to Ed Beckley, president and general manager of the ski area, one of a handful of ski and snowboarding venues operating full-time in Connecticut along with Mohawk Mountain in Cornwall, Ski Sundown in New Hartford, and Woodbury Ski Area.
In December, the State Bond Commission approved $500,000 in utility improvements with an eye on helping Middletown reopen Powder Ridge Ski Area, which has been closed since 2006 when its former owner filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors. After the town acquired the property in 2008, it is now negotiating with a company called Alpine Associates to operate the site.
Skiers consider more daytrips
Beckley said Mount Southington has held up well in the recession, possibly due to skiers cutting ski vacations north or west from their budgets, and opting for daytrips locally. The company also does a big afternoon business from school groups and racing teams, which has held up despite cuts to many municipal budgets.
“I don”™t want to say we”™re bulletproof as the economy goes, but we had one of our best years ever last (season),” Beckley said. “In 2008, we had a good year.”
The Northeast was the lone region to see visits decline in the 2009-10 season, by 2.3 percent according to a survey published by the Lakewood, Colo.-based National Ski Areas Association. Despite a 21 percent decline in snowfall, visits remained up 1.5 percent from the region”™s average annual visitations of the past decade.
Nationally, the U.S. ski industry recorded 59.8 million visits last year, the second best season ever in spite of continued pressures from a weak economy ”“ and without the catalyst of an exceptional snow year. The Pacific Southwest had the biggest increase in visits at 18.6 percent; the Rocky Mountain region saw visits creep up 2 percent.
The all-time record remains the 60.5 million visits of 2007-08 on the eve of the 2008 economic collapse.
Weather a major factor
More than the economy, the weather plays a major factor in how Mount Southington performs as a business ”“ and not just in the case of snowfall that encourages people to get out to the slopes. Snowmaking machines operate most efficiently when temperatures fall well below freezing; when temperatures stay in the 20s, the machines must consume far more diesel fuel to produce an equivalent amount of snow.
Whereas some costs such as labor and insurance have remained stable, higher diesel prices have had a negative impact on Mount Southington”™s books, Beckley said, with the operator unable to pass on those costs in the form of higher lift prices. As of early January, the price of diesel in New England averaged $3.43 a gallon, up nearly 50 cents a gallon, or 17 percent, from a year ago according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
