The snow has yet to pile up deep enough for Mount Washington Alpine Resort to open.
After several years in a row of early openings at Vancouver Island's noted ski hill, ski and snowboard enthusiasts are patiently watching and waiting for the storm that will launch this year's ski season.
Three years ago, in December, 2010, Mount Washington had a mid-mountain base of 322 centimetres, or more than three metres, making it just shy of the deepest base of any resort on the planet. This year, a planned Dec. 6 opening date came and went without the slopes draped in the white blanket needed for lifts to operate.
Officially, winter starts Dec. 21, but occasionally, boarders and skiers can take to the slopes as early as early November.
"It would be nice if we were open," said Brent Curtain, resort spokesman.
"We opened early four years in a row. A typical opening for us over the last 30 years is the second or third week of December. We had originally scheduled Dec. 6, 2013 as our opening day this winter but delayed that opening."
Curtain said the earliest the resort ever opened was in early November, but couldn't give the exact date.
"We're not late, but obviously the closer we get to Christmas, the more we want to be open."
What skiers need is the kind of weather known to fiercely sock the West Coast this time of year, knocking out branches and soaking folks at the lower altitudes. "Those big storms that bring wind and high rainfall also bring us tons of snow."
If that snow doesn't arrive soon, Curtain said it could negatively affect the bottom line for Island accommodation providers.
So far the delay hasn't hurt sales of alpine gear in Nanaimo.
"We're still getting tons of people coming in the door," said Ben Wengel, Alternative Groove sales associate.
"People are definitely eager for snow to come. I think people on Vancouver Island are used to kind of erratic seasons."
