How we're adapting to new comfort zone and masks on Michiana ski slopes, trails

Cross-country skier Helena Russell enjoys an old ritual from back home in Sweden that has become a hallmark of COVID winter.

She finds the picnic table and crackling fire pit that normally aren’t there by the nature center at Love Creek County Park in Berrien Center — an offering in case you don’t want to hang out inside.

Then Russell, who now lives in St. Joseph, sets out snacks on the table and, before perching herself on the cold wooden bench, lays out a furry sheepskin she’s had for years. She’s also used stadium and camping mats or even newspapers inside of a plastic bag in the past — for a cushy tush during a post-ski meal.

Skiers and snowboarders are learning a new comfort zone this season, warming up around fires and in tents rather than indoors. More like an old-school winter. But they’re also adapting to the fact that there are lots of people on the downhill slopes, drawn by decent snow and a healthy, open-air activity.

That, plus COVID-19 protocols, has meant unusually long lift lines at some of the big resorts, a problem that hasn’t really afflicted the smaller resorts. In Michigan and other states, resorts ask that skiers and boarders ride the lift only with people in their group — no strangers riding together. So lines back up.

Swiss Valley Ski & Snowboard Area in Jones created “Skibana” spaces that were booked up through the weekend, spokesman Mike Panish says. In the parking lot, you can rent space for $20 to set up your own warming tent or your own chairs. Or you can pay $100 for one of three fully equipped tents with table, chairs and heater at the top of the slopes by the rental building.

The two public fire pits are popular, Panich says, adding, “I’ve had several people ask if those could be permanent fixtures.”

Swiss’ cafeteria is open for carryout food. But, because Swiss can’t open its restaurant and bar yet, Panich said, it is working on an outdoor bar service soon, a fenced-in area with drinks and light food.

But he admits that it has been “challenging” to keep the required face masks on everyone. Swiss even got on its PA system over the weekend to remind skiers and boarders to mask up. The resort’s management is serious. So are resorts everywhere, where the protocols are the same. There’s a catch phrase going around the ski industry: “Don’t be the reason we lose the season.”

Panich understands. The snow is good. You’re out there having fun. And if you look down to adjust your snowboard, the mask may slip.

The vast majority of people, though, have been compliant. Give a little reminder, he says, and many respond, “Oh yeah,” and flip up the mask.

All Michigan ski resorts had entered the season requiring masks on ski lifts, in lift lines, anywhere you can’t be six feet apart and indoors. Now, to make it simple and clear at Swiss, Panich says, “We are asking you to put on a mask as soon as you get out of the car.”

Right, so the risk may be zero when you’re flying down the slope. But that’s over in a minute or two, and then you’re bunched up around other people again. Time to mask back up. It’s easy to forget.

Swiss is learning and adjusting, as it tweaks the way it manages the lifts and ski rentals — to keep skiers moving — Panich says, adding, “We’re learning every day.”

Swiss Valley has opened its rope-tow slope for beginners and all three lifts. Its most advanced, racing hill is open, but the adjacent slope leading to the terrain park is closed off.

The full terrain park won’t open until Swiss can amass more snow, but — in a new strategy this year — it has set out a handful of rails and features at the base of the first intermediate slope, Quad 83. The terrain park’s new manager, Wyatt Boyer, had told me in November that he expects to set out twice to three times as many features this winter, thanks to an expanded collection, that will be dubbed “Shanda’s Nomadic Terrain Park.”

You’ll like how staff have improved the approach to the ski lifts this year, making for a nice, flat entry.

Near Kalamazoo

Timber Ridge Ski Area near Kalamazoo, a small independent resort like Swiss, has opened more of its terrain, along with its popular tubing hill. It offers fire pits, a covered picnic shelter and food that you can buy through an outdoor concession window.

From what I hear, wait times there, as at Swiss Valley, aren’t bad: maybe a couple of minutes at the busiest of weekend times.

Bittersweet Resort, a much larger ski and snowboard area with lots of different, well-developed terrain near Kalamazoo, has seen longer lift lines — significantly so during the weekend hours of the holidays. Some people have griped about it on social media. You can get a general sense if you check the live web cameras at its website (skibittersweet.com). Check it at different times of day and on different days. As always, you’ll find much quieter slopes on weekdays, especially during the day.

Cross country, etc.

Christmas Day snow put us back on cross-country skis, at least for a few days at area parks, which are waiting for more snow to reopen trails to that sport. Up through this weekend, though, I and others have been skiing (and sledding) at South Bend’s Elbel Golf Course, with conditions that have ranged between crusty and soft. There aren’t any groomed trails at Elbel, but there’s also no cost and no restricted hours. Stay off of the putting greens to protect them.

More recently, Love Creek County Park in Berrien Center has opened trails only for snowshoeing and fat biking. Fat bike rentals haven’t yet returned, as staff are still working to secure bikes, hopefully by February.

• Glow Ski: St. Patrick’s County Park in South Bend has scheduled its “Glow Ski” Friday evenings when it will set out luminaries along the trails. The first will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 15, followed by Jan. 29 and Feb. 12. This typically includes a stop inside of the Manion Cabin, but this year will instead stop by a campfire for a hot drink and a homemade snack. Cost is $5. Skis, boots and poles can be rented for $10. For advance registration, which is required this year, call 574-654-3155.

Snow forecast

Will Mother Nature keep the slopes and trails stoked? WSBT meteorologist Matt Rudkin says we can expect “pretty tranquil” weather from now until roughly Jan. 15, when it looks like a surge of colder air — and potentially more snow — could arrive. Remember that, in general, we expect more precipitation than usual during this La Nina winter, though temperatures will determine if it’s rain or snow and whether it’ll stay. Rudkin says a warm pattern may return in late January.

The natural stuff is great, but ski resorts rely on cold enough temperatures to generate their own reliable base of snow.

Sheltered

• Free Camino: Tom Labuzienski of South Bend is offering a free, five-week series of virtual classes on hiking or biking the ancient pilgrimage Camino de Santiago in Spain, which he’s done. The sessions are at 4 p.m. each Monday next week through Feb. 8 with guest speakers, including Jan. 11 with St. Pius Catholic Church pastor the Rev. Bill Schooler, who’s taken parishioners on the Camino, and Feb. 1 with local Mary Rooney, who marked her 80th birthday in 2019 on the Camino. The other dates will have speakers from around the world who’ve documented their journeys. This would have been Labuzienski’s eighth semester of the class at the Forever Learning Institute, but it was canceled over a lack of participation. So he’s offering it on his own for free. Join the Zoom meetings at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84826677369. Or, for more details and questions, email Labuzienski at tomlab@outlook.com.

• Cass County parks: Review and give your input on the five-year plan for improvements in Cass County parks until Jan. 13. View the plan at casscountymi.org or call 269-445-4456. You can also see the document in the county library branches for Edwardsburg, Mason/Union and Howard.