When the heavens opened in early December, covering Haliburton County with a thick blanket of snow, Tanya McCready of Winterdance Dogsled Tours felt like her prayers had been answered.
It had been another late start to the winter season for most in the Highlands. It used to be that businesses would prep and get ready for snow or ice-based activities beginning in late October or early November, but for the past couple of years, the ground has remained green, and lakes thawed well into December.
That’s made things tricky for tourism operators such as McCready, who depend on a long and busy winter to ensure bills are paid year-round.
“I won’t lie, it was looking a little scary there for a while… When we were looking to start our business 25 years ago, Haliburton was the closest thing we found to the Yukon… but the weather has been very unpredictable recently,” she said.
So much so that she and partner, Hank DeBruin, invested in a snowmaking machine this year.
“We can’t afford to gamble on Mother Nature anymore,” McCready said, noting she did about half the business she usually does last year.
The pair planned to fire up properly for the first time last month at Camp Kandalore, after being contracted to make snow for a Hollywood feature being filmed in the area. But, even in mid-November, temperatures were too high and whatever came out of the machine quickly melted.
After a flurry of snowfalls this month, McCready said they’re running the machine to build up snow reserves that can be used to supplement, patch and rebuild the trail systems should temperatures rise.
With 2,100 acres on the southeast corner of Haliburton Lake, Winterdance welcomes guests from across the world. They had their first visitors, from Australia, Dec. 7 and opened to the public Dec. 14. McCready said six families participated in half-day and two-hour tours over the weekend.
Getting sled-ready
It’s been a busy time too for Neil Vanderstoop, president of the Haliburton County Snowmobile Association. He said volunteers were grooming for the first time last weekend as the group prepares its trails for the new season.
“They’re calling for lots of snow, so I’m optimistic,” Vanderstoop said. “Even though it was a late start, it’s been similar to last year and we still groomed for eight weeks last year, so it wasn’t our shortest season. We had some years in the 70s and 80s where people could barely get their machines out.”
While lakes aren’t yet fully frozen, he warned snowmobilers to use caution when planning routes. Lakes should only be accessed if they’ve been staked by HCSA, Vanderstoop said.
Dec. 14 and 15 was also the opening weekend at Sir Sam’s Ski/Ride.
“We’re really excited – the winter snow that came early to the County was certainly a help in terms of getting the entire hill in really good shape ready for opening. It bodes well for the amount of snow we’ll see throughout the season,” said co-owner, Doug Wilkinson.
He was happy to hear HCSA’s snowmobile trails were back online, saying riders tend to bring their family north for trips, with many opting to ski too. Angelica Ingram, the County’s manager of tourism, said she’s heard positive things from businesses over the past couple of weeks.
“The abundance of snow has brought about a great sense of optimism in the Highlands. Many [other] outdoor adventure operators are also welcoming guests – Haliburton Forest, the Nordic Ski Trail Association and much more,” Ingram said.
After being forced to cease operations in March the past couple of years, McCready said she’s hoping for a more typical winter season.
“It’d be great to see snow right up to April – a little bit of fresh snow every week is the perfect recipe for anyone into snowmobiling, skiing, snowboarding and dogsledding. It would be nice for Ontarians to know they can count on winter again, because I think a lot of people have kind of given up on it.”
