Down Slope Or Not, Skiers Out Snow-Poor Resorts Welcome A Surprising Rush Of Die-Hards

If your arms weren’t wrapped around a package to be returned Friday, chances are your feet were strapped to skis or a snowboard.

The day after Thanksgiving is the day resort operators hope for, but usually don’t get. The day after Christmas is the one they count on and fret over, especially when El Nino sends big storms to mogul-deprived Mississippi while giving the Selkirk Mountains only scattered flurries.

Most resorts in Eastern Washington and North Idaho have not yet opened all their runs because there isn’t enough snow. But skiers impatient to test boards, boots or gloves from Santa bought lift tickets anyway, in big - although not nearly record - numbers.

“It’s good for business and good for the spirit to see people on the slopes,” said David Kilmer, marketing director of Silver Mountain resort in Kellogg, Idaho.

“I get the impression that most people who like to ski are out. After all, it’s almost the end of December.”

Almost the end of the season for Brooklin Wilkerson. The 19-year-old Mead resident starts Marine boot camp in San Diego on Jan. 6 and doesn’t expect to see a ski lift again for four years.

‘I’m coming up as much as I can before I leave,” said Wilkerson, who spent the day at Mount Spokane with about 1,200 others.

Spokane’s nearest winter resort has new operators, and - according to several skiers - a friendlier, more professional atmosphere. Most said it’s enough to take the sting out of the $3 increase in lift tickets at what has always been known as an economy mountain.

“It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it,” said Shirley Hinkley, who paid $145 for lift tickets so she, her husband, their four children and one young friend could shred the slopes at Mount Spokane.

In Canada, Dec. 26 is a federal holiday called Boxing Day. When it falls on a Friday, many skiers spend the holiday traveling so they can spend the weekend skiing, said Tracy Kastrukoff, administrative assistant at Whitewater Ski Resort near Nelson, British Columbia.

“We had a very good Boxing Day. We do expect it to get a great deal busier” this weekend,” Kastrukoff said.

As in the States, the slopes near Nelson still look like late November, rather than late December. There are a few hazards showing, Kastrukoff said.

Not that it matters, said Caroline Halley of Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Idaho, where a third of the runs remain closed.

“A skier is a skier, and they’re going to be here with their new stuff,” regardless of conditions, she said.

John Eminger, owner of 49 Degrees North in northeastern Washington spoke for many skiers and resort operators alike: “El Nino be damned, man. We’ve got snow on the ground, and the skiing’s pretty good.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Wrong number Kirk Duncan, general manager of Mount Spokane ski area, fears he’s losing some customers because the telephone number listed on page 953 of the Yellow Pages is outdated. When skiers call, all they hear is ringing, said Duncan. The correct numbers are (509) 238-2220 or 443-1397 for a snow report.