Dave Coulter is an avid skier - who lives in eastern Missouri.
"I learned to ski in 1975. I was 29," Coulter said. "My wife and I were invited to go out west on a ski trip with her co-worker and her husband. We ended up going to Keystone with them. I was hooked. My wife and I have been out west every year since, besides two."
But Coulter doesn't have to go that far to enjoy his favorite hobby. He gets to ski every day in the St. Louis area as the ski team captain at one of Missouri's two ski resorts on opposite ends of the state.
Hidden Valley Ski Area
Hidden Valley Ski Area opened in 1982 in Wildwood. Prior to being a ski resort, it was a golf course. Bill Brandes, general manager at Hidden Valley, is anxiously waiting for the weather to cooperate so the resort can begin its snow dispersal.
"We have all the snow guns ready to go. Our reservoirs are full of water. We're just waiting for some steady cold weather so we can open up for the season," Brandes said.
The number of guests varies each year, usually due to weather limitations. Generally about 60,000 people visit the resort per season. Last year Hidden Valley welcomed more than 98,000 skiers, snowboarders and snow tubers.
"We have something for everyone: a ski school with PSIA-certified (Pro Ski Instructors of America) instructors to prepare anyone new to skiing, rental shop for anyone who doesn't have their own equipment, several lifts to carry skiers and snowboarders up our hills for them to ride down, and our "Polar Plunge' - the eight-lane tubing area," Brandes said.
With the ski school on site for first-timers or people wanting to brush up on fundamentals, Hidden Valley encourages guests of all skill levels to take part in the fun.
"We've had 3-year-olds go down the Polar Plunge and even an 80-year-old scratching something off her bucket list go down that same hill on a tube. There are beginners out there on skis, and then we have one young lady occasionally on our slopes who is training for the U.S. Olympic Ski Team. Her grandfather is actually our ski team captain," Brandes said, speaking of Coulter and his 17-year-old granddaughter, Abigail Murer.
A few years after Coulter's first ski trip, he was flipping through the classified ads in his local newspaper when he read that the new Hidden Valley Ski Area was looking for people with skiing experience to give lessons. He has spent countless hours at the resort ever since, training and coaching skiers on the Hidden Valley Ski Team. This year the team has 90 members.
People shouldn't write off Missouri as a viable option for skiing, Coulter said: "It doesn't take a huge hill to get you to a high skill level of skiing. Our hill is about 300 feet high, which is more than enough to master the basics."
Snow Creek Ski Area
On the other side of the state, about 25 miles north of Kansas City in Weston, is Hidden Valley's sister site, Snow Creek Ski Area. Like Hidden Valley, Snow Creek's season will begin when the weather cools enough for snow dispersal.
"Only three times have we opened after Christmas, and we're in our 29th season," said Darin Pond, guest services representative at Snow Creek. "We're just waiting for weather that's cold enough, then we'll get the snow made and be ready to go. We can pump out up to 12 inches of snow in just a 24-hour period."
Visitors to Snow Creek have 40 acres of ski-terrain to access. Guests may rent equipment from the ski shop or bring their own. A ski school with certified instructors and lessons for all levels is available.
"Learning how to ski is super easy. Give us an hour and we'll have a klutz out on their own on the hills. It can be a little intimidating at first, but fewer injuries occur in skiing than swimming. Injuries make up less than half of a percent of our visitors," Pond said.
Lauren Silvers, a junior at the University of Missouri Kansas City from Gerald, visited Snow Creek twice last year and intends to return this season.
"My friends and I are about 45 minutes away from Snow Creek. We went a couple times last year and loved it," Silvers said. "I prefer to snowboard over skiing, but it's just a personal preference."
Silvers and her friends attended Snow Creek's college late night, where prices are discounted for students and hours are extended until after midnight.
"My favorite part is going up the ski lifts and watching the advanced boarders and skiers doing tricks," Silvers said. "It's just a really cool place to be. The vibe and environment there is absolutely amazing. Everyone enjoys themselves and has a great time."
Tips from the pros
• "Try not to get discouraged easily because practice makes perfect. Falling can be frustrating, but the more time you spend out there, the more comfortable you become." - Lauren Silvers of Gerald.
• "My advice would be to dress warm and take a lesson. Your experience will be much better if you learn a few of the basics first." - Sarah Jackson of Owensville.
• "A big tip for the young kids is to let them be the ones to decide how long they want to ski. Don't burn them out trying to get more bang for your buck. If they get cold or tired, let them go inside and take a break. I promise they'll want to go back out." - Dave Coulter, Hidden Valley Ski Team captain.
How do you make snow?
Missouri's average annual snowfall is about 18 inches, so a snow machine is necessary in order to operate a ski resort.
Both Hidden Valley and Snow Creek ski areas make their snow the same way, which is similar to the way Mother Nature makes it: combining fresh water with compressed air. Snow Creek uses water from the Missouri River Aquifer. The mix is then shot from a "gun" into the air, where it falls around 40 feet to the ground.
"It feels similar to snow, but not exactly the same. The snowboards and skis can't tell the difference, though," said Darin Pond, guest services representative at Snow Creek.
At times the snow depth at Snow Creek is around 90 inches, usually around mid-January.
Once the snow is made for season opening, they don't cease manufacturing it until season's end. To start making the snow, snow producers look for consistent cold weather below freezing for about a week's time, which allows the ground to be cold enough to keep the snow from melting.