News

Park opens for the season

Tyler Ohmann

12/27/2011

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Despite the lack of mother natures cooperation the Bottineau Winter Park (BWP) is up and running. The BWP snow making crew has been working far more than last season to get the winter sports facility up and running.

“With the snow making capacity that we have here, it hasn’t really been a problem,” said Brad Knudson, manager of BWP. “It’s like building a cake and not having any frosting on it. It’s not as good as with natural snow.”

Three runs, Tower, Tower Terrain Park and Raceway along with the pony and bunny hills are all open. The tubing facility has three runs open as well.

“Tubing has really picked up,” Knudson said.

BWP has been a little slow so far this season, not because of snow conditions though according to Knudson.

“The toughest thing is to get people to believe that we have snow,” Knudson said. “People come up here and its dark and then they come over the hill and it’s pure white in here.”

“Every 15-20 minutes somebody calls to ask if there’s snow here, they just don’t believe it,” Knudson added. “Hopefully we can change their minds.”

Not that snow making has been easy, the weather has definitely played its part early this winter.

“That warmer weather has been so hard to make snow and cover the whole area,” Knudson said. “We have five, six inches down and we added four, five inches on top of that.”

Knudson expects BWP to run as well, if not better, as last season.

“I expect it to be just as good as last year,” Knudson said. “We won’t expect to match Christmas and holidays last year. I just hope that January and February aren’t as cold and stormy as last year, because what we gained over Christmas we lost in the four, five weeks where we had 20 below.”

“It would be nice to see it just stay uniform and steady all the way through the year,” Knudson added.

Knudson has been a bit perplexed with weather forecasters, something that managers of a ski park generally attempt to trust to predict business.

“Right now I wouldn’t believe any forecaster, because they forecasted 200 inches of snow and we haven’t had any snow, they forecasted one of the coldest winters in 40 years and its been one of the warmer winters,” Knudson said. “So, if they say there will be no snow through January, I would bet on a foot of snow.”

Despite the weather and the lack of knowledge of BWP being open, Knudson is optimistic for the year.

“Bottineau Winter Park has always proven to be consistent, and I think it will turn out,” Knudson said. “Once we can prove to them that there is snow here and the word of mouth gets out, they will be here.”

Another headline to the BWP season is that it will the be final year for the current chalet at BWP. The Annie’s House project is scheduled to be completed for next ski season, which means a new facility.

Knudson is happy to move from the current chalet which has its problem including heating costs, and many repairs over the years.

“There is no sentimental value at all to be in this building,” Knudson said. “Hopefully the new building will be more green, so we don’t waste so much energy heating this place.”

“Anytime we can move into a facilty that is cleaner, easier to heat will just be great,” Knudson added.

Knudson still holds out hope for the current chalet to get snatched up by someone for other options as opposed to being torn down.

“It’s been sitting in this wet, humid bottom of this hill for 42 years,” Knudson said. “But somebody might say they want it and move it to the lake for a cabin who knows. I don’t necessarily think it will be torn down.”

However, Annies House will not only involve a new chalet, it will also provide a year-round program for those with adaptive disabilities. Knudson said will be the hardest part, and he noted that the BWP is ready to start that already.

BWP is looking for individuals who wish to work in the program, whether as instructors, volunteers or first aid team members.

“Even if they don’t know how to ski, they can be a part of the program,” Knudson said. “The building is the easiest part, developing the program is going to be the hardest.”

Anyone wishing to be involved in the adaptive facility for next season or who wishes to donate to the cause is asked to visit www.skibwp.com where more information is available.

They can also call the BWP at (701)263-4556 or (800) 305-8079.

Nobody knows what mother nature has in store for area recreation seekers, but the BWP urges they will do their best to stay operational as often as possible.