By Liam Verster

Ski Season

Despite challenges, Nitehawk’s first month of winter operations a success

Jan 4, 2021 | 9:43 AM

COVID-19 regulations are in place and a chairlift and part of the ski hill is out of commission due to a landslide over the summer, but in spite of this, Nitehawk Year-Round Adventure Park is considering the first month of the ski season a success.

The ski hill has implemented new rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which includes the mandatory use of masks and face coverings in lift lines, indoor areas, while tubing, and while participating in lessons.

Nitehawk has also moved all ticket sales and booking online, and reduced their operational capacity for the ski hill to between 150 and 180 ski and snowboarding guests, and the tube zone is limited to between 120 and 140 people over the course of the day. Lessons have also had the capacity reduced to a five-to-one ration, and indoor spaces, such as the cafeteria and the rental shop, also have reduced capacity limits.

Johnathan Clarkson, the General Manager of Nitehawk, says while in general most people have been complying with the new regulations, there have been a few instances of people not following the rules.

“We have obviously had a few run-ins where we’ve had to remind and educate people as to what they need to be doing when they’re visiting Nitehawk and obviously following those rules. We aren’t making any exemptions or anything like that to the rules.”

He says despite these regulations, the ski hill and tube zone have been able to sell out most days.

Clarkson adds extra staff have been placed around the entrances to the hill to act as greeters and remind patrons to follow the new rules, and ask patrons to use their cars as meeting places or ‘home bases’ rather than inside the lodge.

He says he’s happy to see people who come out to use the slopes and follow the rules.

“The public’s been, I think, just grateful that we’re able to be open and the fact that we’re able to be providing an option for outdoor recreation for the community.”

Nitehawk’s ski season has also been hindered by the lack of a chairlift and some terrain due to the landslide that occurred over the summer. Clarkson says they are expecting to get a final geotechnical test on the affected area done soon, and find out whether or not the chair lift can be reinstalled in the future.

“We’re waiting on a final report from Geotech, there’s just some tests that have to be done with regards to a layer of bentonite clay that they’ve encountered that takes longer to do the shear tests. So, we’re still waiting on a final report, but hopefully we’ll have that in the next couple weeks.”

In the meantime, Clarkson says to make up for the lack of accessible ski slope, they have tried to amplify what they do have, such as expanding the terrain park to meet the needs of freestyle skiers and snowboarders, widening select runs, and creating cut across runs to make traversing the slope easier.