From The News.....
MARBLE MOUNTAIN -- AS IF INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS WEREN'T ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT, PROBLEMS AT THE MARBLE MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT CONTINUE TO PILE UP, CAUSING FURTHER DELAYS IN THE DOWNHILL SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING SEASON. AFTER A ONE-WEEK DELAY DUE TO A LACK OF SNOW, MARBLE MOUNTAIN OFFICIALLY OPENED FOR THE 2009-10 SKI SEASON THIS PAST SATURDAY, HOWEVER OPENING DAY WAS SHORT-LIVED. THE SKI RESORT HAD TO SHUT DOWN ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHEN THE MOTOR IN THE NEWFIE BULLET CHAIRLIFT BROKE DOWN. WITH ONLY A FEW RUNS AT THE HILL OPEN ON SATURDAY, THE BULLET WAS THE ONLY CHAIRLIFT IN OPERATION. REPAIRS TO THE LIFT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, HOWEVER, EVEN WHEN THE BULLET IS READY TO GO BACK INTO SERVICE, IT'S UNLIKELY MARBLE MOUNTAIN WILL BE ABLE TO OPEN. AS WAS THE CASE WHEN THE OPENING OF THE SEASON WAS DELAYED BY A WEEK, HEAVY RAIN AND MILD TEMPERATURES ARE AGAIN TAKING ITS TOLL ON THE ACCUMULATION OF NATURAL AND MANMADE SNOW AT MARBLE. A SPOKESPERSON FOR MARBLE MOUNTAIN SAYS THIS WEEK'S DOUBLE WHAMMY HAS LEFT NO CHOICE BUT TO DELAY THE OPENING OF THE HILL UNTIL AT LEAST FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK, HOWEVER THAT DATE MAY YET AGAIN BE DELAYED SHOULD CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE REGION REMAIN UNCHANGED. A DECISION ON IF AT LEAST SOME RUNS AT MARBLE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING BY FRIDAY WILL BE MADE LATER THIS WEEK.