Enjoying winter fun at Maple Ski Ridge, despite mild temps

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - This winter season has been one of the mildest so far in years. But that doesn’t mean you have to cancel your plans to hit the slopes. At Maple Ski Ridge, the rain and mild weather haven’t stopped anyone from having winter fun.

“It’s been a challenge,” Kirsten Ford, Marketing Director at Maple Ski Ridge, said. “But we’re really just trying to enjoy what we have. And we have snow on the bunny hill- which means we can teach our beginner lessons.”

It is also a great time for many kids, like 11-year-old Aria Walton, who are off from school due to winter break.

“It’s fun to be outside in nature,” she said. “And it’s just like a fun activity to do, and it gets your mind off things that you may not want to think about.”

This is why Charlie and Yichen Liu brought their children to learn how to ski on the slopes.

“We really enjoy the experience here,” Yichen Liu said. “Yeah, this is a wonderful place for children to learn to ski here.”

Since the Capital District hasn’t gotten much snow, the resort has used new snowmaking equipment to help turn the trails into a winter wonderland.

The resort also provides opportunities for snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing on Monday and Tuesday nights.

But it’s not just Maple Ridge dealing with the less-than-ideal conditions. At Windham Mountain Club, Kate Sullivan, Director of Marketing at Windham Mountain Club shared the following statement:

“Thanks to our continuous investment in our automated snowmaking capabilities, we’ve been able to continue to make snow at every available opportunity and keep the mountain in solid shape with great conditions for our guests. We have 98 acres of terrain suitable for all abilities open, and our next snowmaking window is coming on Saturday, where we’ll look to expand open terrain to our East Peak, creating even more open trails to enjoy.”

But no matter which trails you choose to ski on this season, many say they try their best to create winter fun, especially during winter break for families.

“The kids are doing great. So, we’re not letting it stop us,” Kirsten Ford. “We’re just going to keep going forward.”