Troll Ski Resort is celebrating its 50th year in operation and the mountain got to leap into February with a 30 cm snow day.
This Feb. 20 marks the 50-year anniversary for the hill and they will be having small events to celebrate hitting the half-century mark, to align with public health guidelines.
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This season has been blessed with a lot of snow, but that is just a bonus, according to Janelle Zacharias, social media manager and manager of the rental shop.
“It’s always a great year, because we have great people,” she said, when speaking to Black Press staff on Friday, Feb. 4, a powder day.
“What we really push for here is community and family,” she added.
The hill has been enjoying some heavy snowfall, but also endured extreme temperatures over the Christmas holidays.
With some accommodation options and reopening the day lodge, the operation has been adapting to change and COVID but is still a family-run operation.
The patrons have also been returning for multiple generations and include skiers and boarders from Williams Lake.
Zacharias said she loves how the people who grew up on the mountain are now on the bunny hill teaching their own children how to ski.
This year the hill has also revived night skiing, something which had been dormant nearly 30 years.
“I don’t remember it happening in my lifetime, but I think it has been at least 28 years.,” she said.
The night skiing has been popular, bringing in new clientele, reported Zacharias, with around 200 people coming out for the inaugural event.
The hill plans to open the hill for night skiing two Saturday nights a month, and will post about a week ahead, based on the weather forecast, which Saturdays to come out.
They have fires and tables outside during the night skiing, with the yellow and blue T-bars open and on their first event, they had a video projected outside as well.
“It’s something different,” Zacharias explained, with it being an outdoor social event and inexpensive chance to try the sport, with $20 lift tickets.
“We’ll keep it going as long as the people keep coming.”
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ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com
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