Boarding the chair lift at Wapiti Valley. Wapiti Valley Ski and Board Resort/Facebook 

By Doug Lett

Wapiti Ski Hill

Wapiti Valley Ski Area ready for season

Dec 23, 2022 | 8:00 AM

Wapiti Valley Ski and Board Resort has opened for the season, and its general manager is looking forward to the Christmas season.

Eileen Shaw says after lots of natural snow, and snowmaking, the hill is in good shape.

“Excellent…we got all that fresh snow…and now we’ve made snow…we have a 36-centimetre base on the whole hill,” said Shaw.

Wapiti opened for the season last weekend, and Shaw said the turnout was good.

And she’s looking forward to warmer temperatures for the Christmas break, which is a crucial time for many ski hills.

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“A lot of days it’ll be in the single digits, it’ll be perfect for skiing,” she said.

Shaw added Wapiti had to close for virtually all of the Christmas season last year because of storms and frigid temperatures.

“It’s kind of like harvest time, if you don’t catch them during that time, they find other activities to do and they don’t come out as much,” said Shaw. “If you can get them enjoying the Christmas holidays, and they buy seasons passes, they come back and see us more often that way.”

Shaw said Wapiti Valley offers 12 main runs from the top, with several smaller runs branching off them. It also has a terrain park, quad chairlift, and magic carpet lift, along with rentals and professional lessons.

Wapiti Valley also offers a terrain park. Courtesy Wapiti Valley Ski and Board Resort.

“There’s everything from beginner to intermediate (runs),” said Shaw.

The hill will be open for the Christmas break, from Boxing Day to January 8th. And after that they are open on weekends and a variety of weekdays, depending on the week. Night skiing is also offered.

Wapiti is part of a regional park, and the non-profit organization is governed by a board of directors.

It’s one of the province’s largest ski and board hills, located about 48 kilometers north of Melfort.

“Our kitchen is full of good food…just come on out and enjoy that nice weather we’re going to have after Christmas,” said Shaw.

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doug.lett@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @DougLettSK