Ausblick 2017 Spring Newsletter
Well Mother Nature decided how long our Ski season would be and it is hard to argue with her. While December was quite normal with an opening on the 17th (exactly our long term average), January February and March were anything but normal. The National Weather service acknowledged that this winter’s weather was record breaking.
Dennis related to me and others that in his 46 years at Ausblick he has never seen such extremes. In spite of the weather our new snowmaking system helped us make the best of it. When we did have temperatures suitable for snowmaking, we were able to double our previous output until we exhausted our water supply. After refilling both ponds and continuing our snowmaking, we were able to enjoy our opening day on the majority of our trails with a comfortable base.
Kyle worked hard to get us to that comfortable season start, however the weather did take a toll on our event attendance. Ladies and Men’s days, as well as our seasonal guest receipts, ended up substantially below a typical season’s expectations. A bright spot was Lynn Mallach and the performance of our Snowsports School. For the third season in a row she has presided over a record number of lessons. Our Ski and Snowsports team is a testimonial of a responsive organization, one that continues to provide opportunities and enjoyment for our membership. My sincere appreciation goes out to Lynn and her staff for another awesome season serving our membership.
And it goes without saying the same feelings are extended to General Manager Dennis, Kyle (Snowmaking & Grooming Operations), Ian (Lift Operations) and our front office staff for all their contributions in making an unusual 2016-2017 season as reasonable as possible.
In closing and on behalf of the Ausblick Board of Directors, I’d like to thank our membership and guests for their understanding that “unusual” weather conditions happen on occasion. This past season shouldn’t be perceived as an indication of next season’s weather, but rather that the odds of two similar seasons back to back, are very unlikely. And with the optimism of a great 2017-2018 season just eight months in the future, I’ll close with wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable summer.
Bob Turowski
President – Ausblick Ski Club