Boston Mills and Brandywine are prepared for a big ski season to kick off, hopefully, next week.
The two neighboring Northeast Ohio ski resorts, located within Cuyahoga Valley National Park, delayed their opening from the original date of Dec. 17, and will announce their new opening dates on their shared website once that date is determined. The opening date depends on temperature; if it’s cold enough for them to create snow, they’ll be able to open sooner. General manager Jake Campbell says to expect an opening in the middle of next week or the weekend.
Expect a few big changes to both resorts.
“There are a lot of things to be excited about for our resorts,” says general manager Jake Campbell.
Most noticeably, skiers and snowboarders will notice a new set of chairlifts at each resort. Two four-person hydraulic lifts have replaced two two-person lifts (one at each resort), doubling the number of people going up the hill at a given time. They also open up more space on the slopes, since new ski lift designs don’t require large counterweights.
“It’ll definitely increase the efficiency,” Campbell says. “It’ll be more time on snow, less time in lines.”
Those lines got pretty long last year, only exacerbated by short staffing that limited hours at Boston Mills and Brandywine. This year, the two resorts are fully staffed heading into the 2022-23 season, Campbell says — largely thanks to a newly instated $20 minimum wage.
With a full staff, the resorts, both owned by Vail Resorts, will return to open hours seven days a week. Polar Blast Tubing, which closed last year in the thick of staffing shortages, will also make its return this season.
“We’re back to seven-days-a-week operation. The $20 an hour doesn’t hurt, as well,” Campbell says. “We’re excited to have that added focus to our staff, making sure they have a great experience so they can in turn provide that great experience to our guests.”
Find more information about Boston Mills and Brandywine at bmbw.com.
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