GREEN FOCUS: Cool Things That Are Green
Ski Resorts Waiting For Snow12/05/2008The 5 day forecast for Mt. Hood is summed up by a chance of precipitation. The resorts on Mt. Hood and Mt. Bachelor are still closed as we all wait patiently for the first big storm to dump 8 feet of fresh powder.
Lifties, ski school teachers, and the others that make mountains run semi-smoothly are all in a holding pattern waiting for enough snow to open the mountain. Typically, the slopes try to open around Thanksgiving, but not this year. This year, Mother Nature is taking her time.
The lack of snow hurts the pockets of both the resort and their employees, but it also affects “the economy of mountain towns such as Bend. Mt. Bachelor resort is central Oregon's fifth-largest private employer. Last year tourism contributed an estimated $470 million in Deschutes County and accounted for a tenth of all jobs in the region, or 5,440 jobs in the county, according to the Central Oregon Visitors Association,” states The Oregonian
Looking on the brighter side, at least we are having nice blue skies instead of warm rainy days throughout November and the start of December. Besides, the season is just beginning, but lets hope to not have this conversation in February.
By Jonathan Davis
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