Snow-making machines are the new MVPs for East Metro skiers as sparse winter snowfalls fail to dampen the spirits at Battle Creek Regional Park in Saint Paul and Maplewood, these frosty juggernauts lay down a slick carpet of white enabling hordes of Nordic ski enthusiasts to keep their poles in motion despite Mother Nature's stinginess with the real deal, and it's the first full year Ramsey County has managed to whip up its own winter wonderland thanks to a pile of cash from local, regional, and state benefactors.
Native Finn and skiing aficionado Ahvo Taipale, who has been championing snowmaking at Battle Creek for an age, hit the park with his kin during a January that’s short-changed the area with a 75% below-normal snow job, according to Metro Council's report; undaunted, he declared, "Oh, this is fantastic," Taipale said, "We are coming up to the standard of anywhere in the world, this is absolutely key for today's world, the way the climate is changing, we are counting on this one now that skiing is here for a long time to come."
Emmett Mullin, Regional Parks Manager with the Metropolitan Council, lauded the snowmaking initiative as a “game changer” which he said, didn't just freshen up the slopes but also leveled the playing field, expanding winter sports access to more people evidenced by the newly facilitated equipment loan program and fresh outreach efforts designed for those who have never felt the joy of swooshing cross-country amidst powder, real or faux.
From first-timers to veteran skiers, the Battle Creek trails are teeming—with the support of lofty funds from Ramsey County, Minnesota's general coffers, the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund, and Metropolitan Council's hefty wallet, these white-blanketed paths become the go-to venue for high school teams and families alike reported Mark McCabe, Ramsey County Parks and Recreation Director who told Metro Council, "With this investment, we've been able to really open it up to a lot more audiences," and, "So you see a lot more younger families and individuals who haven't skied before coming out and trying it for the first time."
The largesse of Ramsey County has spared skiers the usual fees, opening the frosty tracks of Battle Creek several days each week free of charge working up a win-win for snow buffs and the parks service alike.
