Marble Mountain resort is up and running again for skiers

Marble Mountain Ski Resort is open again for guests after flooding last week forced it to close.

In a matter of days, thousands of tons of debris from the washout was cleaned up, from the entrance to the resort's terminal building, says Marble Mountain's general manager, Richard Wells.

"Despite all the adversities and the challenges, we really came to show that we're committed," Wells said.

The debris also affected roads in the surrounding area in the town of Steady Brook, as well as the people who work atthe ski resort.

The resort employs 160 workers at its peak season. Wells said the closure left some employees worried about paying their bills if the flood meant the end of the season.

Additionally, local businessessuch as restaurants and shops could also have been affected, he said, as many rely on customers from the resort's hotel.

However, the community banded together tohelp out the ski resort, he said.In the days following the flooding, Wells said, local businesses brought in heavy equipment, like tractors, and began work with the hope of reopening the following weekend.

That hope came true. The resort opened again to the public Saturday morning.

"We were able to move that earth in in an impressive amount of time," Wells said. "I'm very thankful for my team behind the scenes that were able to get this moving again. AndI can't be more proud of them."

In the upcoming summer months, he said, the resort will strengthen its infrastructure by adding to and rerouting their drainage system to better prepare for future weather events. But there's only so much they can do in the face of climate change, he added.

Wells said he expects weather conditions to continue to bechallenging, adding to the list of trials already faced by the ski resort every year.

"It's an ongoing battle to not let vegetation and hydrodamage the mountain throughout summer months," he said.

Wells saidwork is continuing to keep the resort open year-round.

"We're seeing great support from the local community and the general public and certainly our staff that are very thankful to be back to work right now."

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