BELMONT, Mich. — It feels like it has been a long time coming, but Cannonsburg Ski Area was finally able to open up this week.
FOX 17 stopped by Saturday where hundreds of people were taking advantage of the fresh powder on the slopes.
"I've been here for like an hour and 30 minutes and the slopes are really good. The snow is perfect for skiing right now. And it's so deep, which is, like, great for skiing," nine-year-old Addy told us.
Mother Nature built up the suspense for the start of the ski season, but Cannonsburg was able to open finally on Thursday, January 18 — marking the ski and snowboard destination's latest opening day in at least eight years.
READ MORE: Cannonsburg Ski Area celebrates opening day
"It was so disheartening. We hired so many employees in November and we were ramping up to go and then everything just came to a standstill. And our goal is always to open for the holidays because there's so many families who take time off and want to utilize, you know, the area for ski lessons, to go tubing and to bring their family members...who are visiting from out of state, so that was a giant bummer for us," Musto said.
But Saturday proved to be worth the wait for hundreds of winter sports lovers.
"Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds — I've lost count," Musto said about Saturday's crowds. "I think a lot of people were just waiting for Saturday because they had the day off and it's just so great seeing so many people out here enjoying."
"It was a bummer. I mean, it's nice now that we have a lot of snow, but it kind of sucked during the summer and stuff, not having a white Christmas or anything, but at least we're out here now," Case Huisman, a skier and snowboarder, added.
"Get lessons or have somebody who knows how to [snowboard or ski] teach you," Nolan Barr, a snowboarder, suggested.
"We have so many great instructors and just learning that foundation is huge," Musto added. "And it's never too late to start. We have people who are retired who come on out here and start and it's so much fun. And then I think you truly enjoy winter when you get out and can enjoy it."
Because once you get the hang of it, the benefits can be endless.
"Be patient because it's not as easy as it looks," Huisman suggested.
"Exercise is huge. Not only do you get to, you know, see people when you might normally just go home and, like, sit around watching TV. There's a ton of people out here enjoying the sport," Musto added. "It produces dopamine. So then, you have that extra energy and then, personally, when I exercise, I'm always so much happier afterwards."
Cannonsburg is open Sunday from 9 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Click here for more information.
