Plenty of snow for skiing in the Black Hills

Some years in South Dakota, downhill skiiers watch the weather reports patiently, hoping that a big snowfall will cover the ski slopes in the Black Hills. Sometimes that one, big snowfall never comes.

This year, Mother Nature delivered a gift in the form of a Christmas blizzard that dumped upwards of 40 inches of snow on both Terry Peak and Deer Mountain, the two main skiing areas in the Hills. That means chest-high powder.

According to a Dec. 29 report in the Rapid City Journal, many people are anxious to take advantage of the conditions:

Once the storm had passed, business picked up. While [Deadwood Chamber of Commerce executive director George] Milos didn’t see much additional traffic Monday, he anticipates an influx of skiers and snowboarders during the remainder of the week.

“The phones have been ringing off the hook, with people calling about where to rent skis, where to get skiing equipment, where to stay,” Milos said. “Let’s just say that the word is out.”

Updated information on ski-slope conditions is available at www.skimystic.com and www.terrypeak.com.

Conditions are also good on the other side of the state at Great Bear Recreation Park in Sioux Falls, where the snow base is a reported 28 inches, much like the base in the Black Hills. You can get information on Great Bear’s conditions at www.greatbearpark.com.