Morice Mountain Ski Club season recap

Morice Mountain Nordic Ski Club is heading towards of the end of its season as we move into the month of May.

“The ski season is winding down, but skiers are still going out. The extra 300 m in elevation makes a huge difference. No more ski events but we are doing our Morice Mountain Challenge July 24. The format will bring back the run to the alpine cabin and keep the run/bike options we had last year,” Club President Greg Yeomans told Houston Today.

According to Yeomans, the season brought its fair share of challenges, unseasonable weather not withstanding.

“There were lots of challenges this year. Very warm weather made grooming a challenge from January through March. We had a lot of work that needed to be done to our groomer this season as well. It’s older, but a very good machine and worth the $30,000 we put into this year. The season was more challenging particularly for the beginner with warm snow or harder snow conditions,” he said.

“Warm weather undoes the benefit of grooming. Hard snow can be made soft with grooming but that is quickly reversed with warm temperatures. It reduces the time you can be out with the big machine if it is warming up. We stay off the snow if is zero or above with the big groomer. You can make ice or a lumpy product,” he continued.

READ MORE: Morice Mountain Ski Club snow grooming all caught up

In addition to the warmer weather, COVID-19 also made operations difficult.

“We were very far from unaffected by the pandemic. It was nice to have our ski library open, but restricted use of our cabin was tough. It limited our ability to host some events and changed how we could conduct them. There were other restrictions that impacted members particularly with any adult programs, but it was nice to have more flexibility at least on kids programs,” said Yeomans.

Despite the challenges, Morice Mountain Nordic Ski Club saw a record number of members with 400. High numbers are something that Yeomans says is quite important to the services so that the club can plan long term. Overall, the outlook moving forward to next season seems positive.

“It would be nice to see good membership next season and a return of some adult programs. Also use of the cabin. We are doing more upgrades to the trails with shaping, drainage and surfacing. Both the ski and snowshoe trails will need less snow and benefit from expanded all season use. We are continuing to invest money in our groomer and it will pay off. Far less restrictions on events would be a real treat. Lots to be excited about,” said Yeomans.