The Mount Cain Alpine Park Society is in “relatively good” financial health, despite opening for just six days last winter, and 19 the year before that.
But revenues may be down for the coming winter, because the Society will honour season passes from last year, $34,000 worth, former-treasurer Jennifer Lash explained at the annual general meeting Saturday, Sept. 19.
But snow could soften the blow.
During the season spanning 2012 and 2013, for instance, Mount Cain stayed open for almost two months and sold 328 season passes - up from 208 the season before.
The Society could also do more advertising through the Vancouver Island North’s tourism site, offered Pat English, the District’s manager of economic development.
“Music to my ears,” said Society President Neil Borecky.
Some members are ambivalent about promoting the mountain, and several wore t-shirts ironically emblazoned with “Cain Sucks”, a grudging sort of ad campaign.
The volunteer-run Society gave thanks throughout the meeting for the donations of time, money, and goods that keep the mountain going. Those included pro bono engineering drawings and hugely discounted ski jackets, as well as the work of extracting an errant beer can from a septic pipe.
The attendees also approved a new constitution, 73 votes to 1. Lance Karsten, the lone dissenter, said his main concern was the removal of a rule allowing the board to dump directors for bad attendance.
The 2013-2014 winter, the hill’s opening day was Feb. 22. Whereas in 2010-2011 winter the opening date was Dec. 4.
A peak year occurred in 2012-2013 when there were 12,736 skier visits and the average visits per day were 220. Last season, there were 1,711 skier visits with 285 visits per day.
Mother Nature will determine when the season starts this year.
Mount Cain features 21 runs, with 1,499 vertical feet of terrain.
It is open three days a week (weekends and select Mondays) which permits the powder to accumulate. Mount Cain has the highest base elevation of any coastal ski hill in BC, Alaska and Washington State. Their peak elevation is second only to Whistler.