Swiss Valley to open for season Saturday with limited terrain: Snowmaking to the rescue.

Joseph Dits, South Bend Tribune
·2 min read
Swiss Valley Ski & Snowboard Area has announced that it will open for the season with limited terrain Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, thanks to snowmaking efforts this week.
Swiss Valley Ski & Snowboard Area has announced that it will open for the season with limited terrain Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, thanks to snowmaking efforts this week.

JONES — Swiss Valley Ski & Snowboard Area has announced that it will open for the season Saturday, Jan. 6, thanks to a hard push this week with snowmaking.

The resort said to expect limited terrain this weekend, though it plans to keep adding to it as more snow can be made.

“To guarantee an opening, we focused very heavily on a few specific areas,” it explained in its announcement.

Specifically, it will open the “Easy Over” beginner slope that’s served with rope tows, while it’s also working now to add a variety of features. The resort will also open the slope dubbed “Swiss Miss,” which is served by its Quad 83 chairlift. That’s one of the first intermediate slopes that slide down from the rentals building.

This launches a season that has been delayed by a lack of snow. As this week’s Outdoor Adventures column pointed out, ski resorts in similarly snow-starved northern Michigan opened in December only because of snowmaking.

Jan. 3, 2024: Local ski resorts hope to open soon with snowmaking. Meanwhile, practice kayaking in pool.

This week’s freezing temperatures allowed Swiss Valley to fire up its snow guns again. It’d last blasted snow into piles in mid-December before temperatures rose.

Swiss will open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7. Lift tickets cost $25 per person and $5 for ages 5 and younger. Equipment rentals cost $30 and helmet rentals cost $15.

Swiss Valley Ski & Snowboard Area has announced that it will open for the season with limited terrain Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, thanks to snowmaking efforts this week.
Swiss Valley Ski & Snowboard Area has announced that it will open for the season with limited terrain Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, thanks to snowmaking efforts this week.

Meanwhile, the resort’s chalet will open from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, for a party to "’Shoe’ Out the warm weather” with spirits and cocktails from Iron Shoe Distillery and with the showing of recent Midwest ski films. The ski and snowboard shop will also stay open until 9 p.m. Friday.

For more information, visit www.skiswissvalley.com.

Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Swiss Valley Ski Snowboard Area opens for the season with snowmaking