“To be honest it was probably the most devastating of all the years for us. It was by far the shortest season.
Danielle Musto is the marketing director at Cannonsburg Ski Area near Belmont which shut down for the season Sunday. She fought back tears, saying its heartbreaking to watch the snow disappear from the hills with any hope of recovering financially melting with it.
“Throughout the winter we felt we were on this hamster wheel where we’d constantly look for cold, snowmaking temperatures but they never seemed to come. We just felt like we were losing the war from the beginning with Mother Nature.”
Monday Governor Gretchen Whitmer urged small businesses impacted by the lack of snow to apply for federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans. That help is available now because of previous ongoing drought declarations, but only for counties in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Michigan. Kent County where Cannonsburg is located is not among them.
“I saw the headline and I though this is what we were hoping for. I read the list 3 times and thought this is terrible. It’s like the final blow.”
Owners did put in calls to their state senators in hopes there may still be something in the works
that will help.
“Cannonsburg Ski Area is not going anywhere, like the ski area, but what I love about Cannonsburg the most, besides the winter activities, is the surrounding lands. We’re definitely looking at options. I would definitely hope the land is preserved… and I truly hope next winter is incredibly snowy and cold.”
