SAM Magazine-Princeton, Mass., Dec. 18, 2008-Last week's massive ice storm resulted in ski resort closures as areas shut down to assess damage and pick up the pieces. Most disruptions were minimal, but not all: Massachusetts resorts Jiminy Peak and Wachusett ceased operations, with Wachusett closing for five days. Other ski resorts, such as Vermont's Mount Snow, were able to open small amounts of terrain immediately after the storm. All ski areas in the storm's path were impacted by storm damage such as fallen trees and power outages. Customers were affected as well; difficult travel kept many hunkered down in their homes in the wake of the storm. But as temperatures dropped, snow returned, allowing grooming operations to return slopes to normal as the holiday season approaches.

Learning Center at Wachusett.

Massachusetts resorts were the most impacted. In addition to Jiminy and Wachusett, Bousquet, Butternut and Berskshire East all shuttered operations briefly. In Vermont, Mount Snow and Okemo had limited terrain open during the storm; Mount Snow also suffered from downed power lines. At Killington, the resort's detachable lifts were the most impacted, according to resort spokesman Tom Horrocks. "It took us about 24 hours to get everything de-iced," said Horrocks. Stratton closed due to the ice, as did New Hampshire resorts Gunstock, Mount Sunapee, Pats Peak and Wildcat. Limited services were available at Loon Mountain.

The biggest issue from the storm was the disruption of power to resorts. Power was restored to Wachusett on Dec. 16 and the mountain was finally able to reopen on the 17th.

"We know our customers were anxious to get back out of the slopes," said general manager David Crowley. "The past few days have created numerous disruptions in many people's lives and we now hope everyone's personal situations are returning to some sense of normalcy."

In the storm's aftermath, the Wachusett staff worked closely with the utility companies and the towns of Princeton and Westminster to help return service to the region. Mountain crews and equipment helped clear debris from fallen trees from the local roads, and the food and beverage department provided food for local residents and emergency workers. The Wachusett Village Inn in Westminster was also designated as a command post for National Grid workers in the region.

Snow on Tuesday and Wednesday has helped to accelerate the recovery process across the region. Wachusett picked up picked up 2 inches of new snow on Tuesday night. In Vermont, Killington saw 8 inches of new snow on Wednesday and another inch Thursday morning, and Stratton has received just over 6 inches. The outlook looks good for the next few days, with a cold front expected on Sunday that should produce measurable amounts of snow. \

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