Marble Mountain resort is up and running again for skiers

Marble Mountain Ski Resort has reopened after some heavy flooding and washouts last weekend. (Donnie O'Keefe/X)

Marble Mountain Ski Resort is open again for guests after flooding last week forced it to close.

In a matter of days, the thousands of tons of debris from the washout were cleared up from the entrance to the resort's terminal building, says Marble Mountain's general manager, Richard Wells.

"Despite all the adversities and the challenges, we really came to show that we're committed," Wells said.

The debris also left impacts on roads in the surrounding area, as well as on the people who work at the ski resort.

The resort employs 160 workers at its peak season, and Wells said the closure left some employees worried about paying their bills if the flood signaled the end of the season.

Additionally, local businesses in the area, such as restaurants and shops, could also have been affected, he said, as many rely on customers from the resort's hotel.

This picture from last Sunday shows the damage caused by the washout at the Marble Mountain ski resort. Crews were able to clean up and repair the hill in less than a week. (Donnie O'Keefe/X)

However, the community banded together to help out the ski resort. In the days following the flooding, Wells said local businesses from the community brought in heavy equipment, like tractors, and began work with the hope of reopening the following weekend.

That hope came true. The resort opened again to the public on Saturday morning.

"We were able to move that earth in in an impressive amount of time," Wells said.

"I'm very thankful for my team behind the scenes that were able to get this moving again. And I can't be more proud of them."

In the upcoming summer months, he said the resort will strengthen their infrastructure by adding to and rerouting their drainage system to better prepare for future weather events. However, he said there is only so much they can do in the face of climate change.

Wells said he expects weather conditions in the future to be just as challenging and it just adds to the list of challenges already faced by the ski resort on a yearly basis.

"It's an ongoing battle to not let vegetation and hydro damage the mountain throughout summer months," he said.

As well, Wells said the work continues on keeping the resort open year round.

"We're seeing great support from the local community and the general public and certainly our staff that are very thankful to be back to work right now."

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