THE STORY WE JUST SHOWED YOU FEATURED A SKI RESORT IN COLORADO... BUT DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE SIX SKI RESORTS RIGHT HERE IN OHIO? FOR THIS WEEK'S KNOW OHIO, WE JUMP ON THE SKI'S AND SPEED DOWN THE SLOPES THAT CALL THE BUCKEYE STATE HOME...
LOCATED IN ZANESFIELD, JUST A SHORT DRIVE FROM COLUMBUS, DAYTON AND LIMA, MAD RIVER MOUNTAIN IS OHIO'S LARGEST SKI RESORT. OPENING IN 1962, MAD RIVER MOUNTAIN IS HOME TO THE LARGEST SNOWMAKING SYSTEM IN THE STATE, WITH THE ABILITY TO PUMP OVER 7,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER MINUTE.
LOCATED BETWEEN COLUMBUS AND CLEVELAND, MANSFIELD'S SNOW TRAILS WAS OHIO'S FIRST COMMERCIAL SKI RESORT. THE AVERAGE ANNUAL SNOWFALL IN MANSFIELD IS ABOUT 52 INCHES, BUT DON'T WORRY... RESORTS IN THE MIDWEST RELY HEAVILY ON SNOWMAKING ABILITIES.
SNOWMAKING IS THE PRODUCTION OF SNOW BY FORCING WATER AND PRESSURIZED AIR THROUGH A SNOW 'GUN' OR 'CANNON' ON SKI SLOPES. THIS HELPS SUPPLEMENT NATURAL SNOW AND EXTEND SKI SEASONS. AND ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT COMING FROM THE CLOUDS, SNOWMAKING IS STILL VERY WEATHER DEPENDENT DUE TO FACTORS LIKE HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE.
IF YOU LIVE IN NORTHERN OHIO, MAYBE YOU'VE VISITED ONE OF FOUR RESORTS LOCATED NEARBY. IN SUMMIT COUNTY, BRANDYWINE AND BOSTON MILLS ARE LOCATED JUST FIVE MINUTES APART!
ALSO IN NORTHEAST OHIO, BIG CREEK SKI AREA IS HOME TO THE CLEVELAND SKI CLUB - ONE OF THE OLDEST SKI CLUBS IN OHIO.
FINALLY... IN THE HEART OF OHIO'S SNOWBELT, ALPINE VALLEY GETS MORE NATURAL SNOW THAN ANY OTHER RESORT IN OHIO... I GUESS I NEED TO BUNDLE UP AND TAKE A RUN ON THE SLOPES!