SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Temperatures have been above average for most of the weekend, which has encouraged more people to spend some time outdoors.
Whether you’re a regular at Great Bear, or just a beginner, it was a nice day to hit the slopes.
“It’s nice and sunny outside, so we thought it would be a good day to come out here,” visitor Elizabeth Morris said.
The traffic has remained steady throughout the weekend.
“It’s nice to be outside, but when it gets this warm, you don’t naturally think of, ‘Hey, let’s go skiing or tubing.’ But still, it’s been really nice. The crowds have been good,” Great Bear general manager Dan Grider said.
Last season, Great Bear was not open until January 8th, but this year, the ski lodge has been able to welcome students enjoying their Christmas break.
“Last year I bought a season pass, so this year, it’s just a lot better because I get to come out here more often all the time,” visitor Tori Otoole said.
“It’s kind of a normal winter for Great Bear so far. We’re looking forward to a nice, long season,” Grider said.
But, staff has had to hold off on breaking out the snow guns.
“We really don’t like to make snow during the break. We’re open 12 hours a day. Getting the hill back in shape again is kind of tough when you’re making snow,” Grider said.
However, Great Bear will look to take advantage of the cold weather coming up later this week.
“The cold snap that’s coming through, we’ll start making snow on Wednesday night. We’re not even going to open on Thursday. We’re just going to continue to make snow,” Grider said.
All to help guests continue to make memories.
“It’s been really fun to hang out with my family. I haven’t seen them in a long time, so this is a good way to bond with them,” Morris said.
Once staff finishes making snow on Thursday, they will reopen at 3 p.m. on Friday. Great Bear also said it was affected by a global credit card outage Sunday morning, but it was resolved shortly after.
