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At Snow Creek in Weston, “let it snow” is a good philosophy. But when the flakes don’t fall, it’s time to make some.

“We follow the principles of nature; we just don’t wait for that weather system to come,” Dave Grenier, general manager, said.

Snow Creek maintains enough snow to ski and snowboard on from mid-December through mid-March for 70,000 visits a year.

“It’s a sport that once it gets in your blood, it never leaves,” Grenier said.

He first skied at age 21. The thrill of the sport and camaraderie with fellow skiers got him hooked.

“Put yourself on a pair of flat boards and propel yourself down the hill and let gravity throw you around, it’s exhilarating and exciting,” Grenier said. “Once you get the hang of it, you just can’t get enough of it.”

Skier Mario Alcantara, 43, of St. Joseph echoed those thoughts. He skied for the first time last year.

“It’s fun; you get that rush when you’re up on the mountain,” Alcantara said.

Alcantara grew up in the Philippines, a tropical place that doesn’t have any place to ski. He finally got his first opportunity to ski at Snow Creek last year.

“I survived it,” Alcantara said.

On Friday, Jan. 22, he was there with his friend Brian Adamson.

“I keep telling him he needs to learn how to ski,”Alcantara said.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Adamson, 42, of Blue Springs, said.

Adamson has lived in Missouri for 10 years and was aware of Snow Creek but never took the opportunity to try it.

Grenier said in addition to individuals of all ages, he sees families and groups come to Snow Creek. Boy Scout, church and school groups also go to Snow Creek. Grenier said it’s a less expensive alternative to Colorado.

“I think it’s wonderful; it saved me a ton of money,” Alcantara said.

That’s why the Skiatook, Okla., First Assembly of God church has brought a group to Snow Creek every January for the past 10 years.

The Tulsa-area church brings members who want to learn how to ski. The trip is closer and less expensive than going to a resort in Colorado.

“It’s a good way to see if they even like it,” Vicki McClure, church member, said.

Brady Ellis was part of the church’s group this year.

“I’ve always just wanted to ski or snowboard,” Ellis said.

Snow Creek has been just outside of Weston for 24 years. It’s seen many changes. The most recent notable change is tubing, added four years ago, Grenier said. He said it’s a good alternative for non-skiers.

“Anybody can tube,” Grenier said. “Coming down a hill on a tube, not knowing when you’re going to stop is pretty exciting.”

With a variety of skill-level slopes, a teaching area and a tubing area; Snow Creek measures snow in feet, not inches. Even when mother nature drops 24 inches of snow on the really big hill northwest of Weston, Snow Creek needs to prepare for a couple of weeks later when it’s 40 degrees.

“Snow will last a lot,” Grenier said, noting the snow piled up in parking lots last much longer than the other snow around.

And that’s what Snow Creek tries to do – pile it up to make it last. Grenier said at any given spot in its skiing areas, there is 2 to 10 feet of snow on the ground.

And he’s no stranger to answering how snow is made.

“Snow making is really simple, though complex,” Grenier said.

He said they use a powerful pumping and electrical system. There are fixed snow-making towers with fans to blow compressed air and water from high-pressured water pumps and air compressors.

“We have them going through an elaborate, underground pipe system, and they come up into these towers that have fan guns on them, which project water and compressed air into a frozen environment,” Grenier said.

Colder is better for snow making.

“The colder the environment, the lighter the flake,” Grenier said.

For more information about Snow Creek, visit www.skisnowcreek.com.

Kearney Editor Kevin M. Smith can be reached at 628-6010 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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