Groomers on the Grind for Giants Ridge Opening Weekend

By KBJR News 1

November 23, 2011 Updated Nov 23, 2011 at 9:55 PM CDT

BIWABIK, MN (Northland's NewsCenter)---Mountain grooming crews have made nearly 5-million cubic feet of snow at Giants Ridge Golf and Ski Resort in preparation for this weekend.

Starting Friday, skiers and snowboarders will hit the slopes at a discounted rate.

Giant's Ridge in Biwabik receives an average of more than 5 feet of snow each year.

On top of that, grooming crews use 65 million gallons of water to make enough snow each year to cover 200 acres of mountain slopes.

The ski resort will make snow all season long and expects to be open 7 days a week, beginning Dec. 16.

"It takes a good power tiller to grind it and then you gotta push it and toss it back and forth with the blade and grind it up, especially when you are not open every day," Gary Nappa, Grooming, Snow and Lift Maintenance Operator said. You know the weekends are going to come, it takes a lot of grinding after they sit all week."

The snow tubing park is expected to be open in December.

Posted to the web: Jennifer Walch
jwalch@northlandsnewscenter.com

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