A GHOST-LIKE comet; a Seattle Mariners general manager who makes good decisions; a competent executive branch; a year in which Hurricane Ridge skiers can actually enjoy a mid-December opening. These things generally come along about once every 10 years.
Well Peninsulites, you’re in luck.
The 10 years are up, and the Ridge is glistening with more than four feet of snow . . . not to mention a near-completed set of rope tows.
It’s your gift for having to spend hours shoveling the car out of the driveway: a ski season that actually opens on time.
I guess those meteorologists’ “El Ni^pbo” predictions were a bit off — except for my boy Tom Dunklee at the Global Climate Center.
The fact is, we got dumped on, the kiddies got out of school and my YMCA fifth- and sixth-grade girls basketball team had only one practice before our first game.
(I’m pretty sure they think I’m a talking ape.)
Most of all, mountain manager Craig Hofer had enough time to set up the rope tows for the Dec. 16 ski season opener.
Not to get greedy, but what about that Poma lift?
“There’s a lot of other things that need to be done,” Hofer said. “It definitely won’t be open on [Dec. 16].”
When pressed for more information, Hofer said it was impossible to put a time frame on it, because frankly, “I don’t want to get everybody screaming about the Poma lift.”
For those of you who can’t wait for the Poma lift, or rope tows for that matter, the Ridge should be open this weekend to all sorts of wintry activity today through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to dusk.
That includes cross country skiing, snow shoeing, snowboarding, snowball fighting and any other activity that begins with the word snow.
The only problem: equipment rentals will not be available at the Ridge until next weekend.
Make sure to call the Olympic National Park road conditions hotline (360-565-3131) before making the trip.
The Ridge can be closed at any time if there is a perceived avalanche danger or inclement weather.