Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
MUCH of the snow is melted away on the Mt. Zion ski hill on Wednesday evening, leaving patches of green grass, mud, and flowing and standing water at the base of the mountain. The college announced the closure of ski, snowboarding, and tubing on Wednesday.
By CHARITY SMITH
Ironwood - The Mt. Zion Winter Recreation Area at Gogebic Community College is closed for the season.
The college made the announcement Wednesday.
Jim Vanderspoel, director of GCC's Ski Area Management program and Mt. Zion operations, said the closure came just a few days earlier than he had planned. He said he had hoped to have the hill open through Sunday.
"After the recent warm temperatures and heavy rainfall, we had no choice but to close," Vanderspoel told the Daily Globe Thursday morning. "I have a river flowing down my hill."
Vanderspoel said that because Mt. Zion faces southwest, the snow tends to melt faster than ski areas which face more toward the north.
The condition of the snow "let go fast" this year and got "beat up early," he said, adding the weather hit everyone in the area "pretty hard" this year.
The students in the ski area management program, who operate the hill, have already completed the hours necessary on the hill for their curriculum, Vanderspoel said, adding the students had completed their hours Friday.
"It's just I was hoping to get another weekend in and then the rain started (Wednesday) ... so I said, 'No, it's done,'" Vanderspoel said.
"The Ski Area Management students and Mt. Zion staff thank the public for another great year of skiing, snowboarding and snowtubing, and look forward to next season," said a Wednesday college press release.
Vanderspoel said the projected opening date for next season is Dec. 17.
