Frisco Nordic Center in Colorado closes despite herculean efforts from snowmakers

A low-snow winter forced the Frisco Nordic Center to close weeks earlier than usual, cutting a season that operators said was already limited from the start.

Manager Pete Swenson said crews spent much of the winter trying to stretch what little snow they had. 

"In a normal winter, we'd have 30 kilometers of cross-country skiing," Swenson said. "For most of the winter, we only had 3.5."

Snowmakers produced just enough to get through key holiday periods, but natural snowfall never caught up. By late February, warmer temperatures made it impossible to maintain even that reduced terrain.

"Once we get past about Feb. 20, the sun is so powerful that we can't get ahead," Swenson explained. "We pushed it as far as we could." 

Swenson said this ended up being the earliest closure in his eight years managing the trails. It wasn't for a lack of trying though. 

"It's funny; our groomers work harder in a low snow year," Swenson said. "I mean, even this morning, I come in and say, 'How was it out there?' They say, 'Oh, boy, I had to push snow from there and move that over there.' It's a quite a lot of work on our groomers."

Die-hard skiers still showed up throughout the season, even to the very last day -- March 17.

"Our hardcore skiers have been appreciative and understanding too," Swenson said.

Visitors also noticed the difference. Julius Doxtater, who regularly spends spring break skiing in Summit County, said conditions this year stood out.

"Lake Dillon, when it's frozen, we usually do that, but it wasn't frozen this year," Doxtater said. "Usually it's a lot colder. Now, I'm just wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Very different this year."

Despite the short season, Swenson said the community made the most of it, with some skiers even bringing food to thank staff for keeping trails open as long as possible. 

"We've made the best of it," Swenson said.