Dozens of people lined up at the base of a mostly snowy Timberlee Hill last Thursday to relish in its brief soft opening, determined to get at least one day of outdoor fun and snow tubing in before the warm up and new year.
The recent rainy and warmer weather conditions prevented the business from opening the tubing hill the following day, but owner Kelsey Zaryczny, who operates the recreation center with her husband, Mike, said she’s hopeful that the snow and cold temperatures will return sooner rather than later for a more consistent season.
“To be able to open, we are fortunate… we’re happy to be able to do anything,” Kelsey said. “Last year, we didn’t open until the second week of January, so hoping to confirm a date earlier than last year, but we have to get through the break and warm up. I’m hopeful every year, but things are clearly changing year after year. We want to be open. And if we can’t have snow, then if we could just have cold temperatures so we could make the snow, that’s all we ask for.”
As of last week, there has been approximately 27.5 inches of snowfall recorded in Leelanau County, which is almost half of the total accumulated snowfall for the entire 2023-24 winter season of 62 inches. The fluctuating temps were so warm last winter that Kelsey said the hill was only open for snow tubing for about 14 days until they announced they were closed for the season by mid-March.
While a strong El Nino is not in place this year, which was the biggest driver of warmth in the previous season, the unusually warm temperatures between active weather systems has made building a base for snowdriven activities difficult to keep up with.
“Our goal is to open and just remain open,” Kelsey added. “So this year, we’re not trying to do anything crazy, we just really want to be open and have a place for people to come in the winter and have fun with their family and friends just because we weren’t able to do that much last year.”
Glow tubing, a favorite among customers, may return this season if the weather holds out and they get enough snow on the hill, Kelsey explained, as it’s an activity that requires more than man-made snow and typically goes late into the night. Kelsey said people eager to get back out there can stay tuned and watch for updates on the next potential opening day via their Facebook page or by going to their website timberleehills. com/snow-tubing.
Adults and kids enjoy the last bit of snow at Timberlee Hills on Dec. 26 before warm temperatures and rain made its way to the area.
