YORK COUNTY, Pa. — It’s that time of year again: time to strap on some snow boots and hit the slopes.
"We had a good opening day yesterday," said Jim Garling with Roundtop Mountain Resort in Warrington Township, York County.
Garling is the Senior Director of Mountain Operations and has been with the company for more than 40 years.
He says staff members are ready to meet the season’s winter conditions during the resort’s 60th anniversary.
"With the technology today [and] the energy-efficient equipment, we can do five times the terrain with about a third of the air," Garling said.
That means more snow and more happy skiers and snowboarders.
Some 200 people waited in line to be the first to hit the slopes on Saturday. Some waited as early as 3 a.m., according to management.
"Every year, I’m like, 'We’re going to get less snow. It’s going to rain more,'" said Brandon Ulp, a snowboarder visiting the resort. "They did open earlier than they did last year, and I know we’ve got a ton of rain coming this week, so hopefully they stay open."
"We’ve got another cold stretch right before Christmas, which has us very excited because [it] should provide more advanced terrain for our guests," Garling added. "The weather is looking promising for Christmas week, which we couldn’t be more excited for.”
The FOX43 Weather Impact Team expects colder and dryer conditions later this week, which is ideal for blowing snow.
"Their snowmaking has gotten pretty good, even with the weather conditions the past few seasons," said Bryce Larison, a skier visiting the resort.
"For me, it’s really about what we provide for guests here in the area [and] selling fun," Garling said. "It’s an amazing environment to work in, and I feel blessed to have been part of that for all these years."
Roundtop operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
"We’ll support this place till there’s no more snow in Pennsylvania," Ulp said.