Brandywine to open Friday, join other ski resorts with reduced hours
![A skier flies down a hill at Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Resort in Boston Township. [Phil Masturzo/Beacon Journal file]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/01/12/NABJ/a88b467f-1d00-435d-90bd-9b1a9bf3df03-1025286077_oh_abj_ski23_01.JPG?width=660&height=495&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
It’s a good news, bad news kind of thing for ski enthusiasts.
Vail Resorts has announced that both of its Summit County ski resorts will be up and running by Friday.
But it will not be business as usual as the ski resorts continue to struggle to find enough workers to fully staff the lifts and run the places just as cooler temperatures and winter are finally settling in.
Both ski resorts in northern Summit County were to begin the season in early December, but warm weather pushed the start to after New Year’s Day. Staffing issues have further complicated things.
Shortages:Fewer workers, higher prices, less stuff: Shortages are changing lives in Northeast Ohio
Brandywine will be open with limited hours seven days a week once it begins its season on Friday.
The hours are 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Brandywine’s popular tubing area will remain closed for the time being.
Boston Mills hours of operation
After Friday, Boston Mills is adjusting its hours.
Boston Mills will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays beginning Jan. 17.
The ski resort will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
“Our goal is to ensure that skiers and riders have an option at BMBW seven days a week,” said Jake Campbell, who is general manager for the northern Ohio resorts, in a statement. “We’ll aim to extend our hours based on staffing levels as we continue to hire.”
Vail’s other Northeast Ohio ski area, Alpine Valley in Geauga County, is also slated to open Friday.
But like the other resorts, it has curtailed its hours and days of operation.
To help attract and retain workers, Vail CEO Kirstin Lynch told workers via email this week that those employees who remain on through the end of the season this year will receive a one-time $2 bonus for every hour worked after Jan. 1.
“It is unusual to take these actions in the middle of the season, but this is an unusual season,” Lynch told employees.
Delayed:Vail Resorts delays planned opening of Ohio ski resorts; no new date set
Mad River Mountain, Snow Trails
Vail’s other Ohio property, Mad River Mountain in Zainesfield, opened last Friday with reduced hours.
Like the northern Ohio properties, Mad River’s General Manager Larry Kuebler said, there are simply not enough trained workers to safely operate the resort like in years past.
“The reality is we are dealing with the same challenges that have affected many other businesses across the country and around the world,” he said. “We are not unaffected by the nationwide staffing shortages, supply chain issues and impacts of the omicron variant.”
Privately owned Snow Trails in Mansfield opened in mid-December.
Thanks to snow machines, the resort has been able to open most of its trails and its popular tubing runs.
Craig Webb can be reached at [email protected].
Read More: Brandywine to open Friday, join other ski resorts with reduced hours