Blue Hills skiers celebrate 15 inches of fresh powder

CANTON — When 15 inches of snow falls at Blue Hills Ski Area and school is closed, everyone has the same idea.

“You get a storm like this, and it brings everybody to the hill. And it’s great to see,” said Prospect Hill Ski Team coach Mike Davis. “Getting people outside and doing an outdoor activity like this is great for everybody.”

Friday’s storm – the first big snowfall of the season – was a hit for skiers and snowboarders; although, employees dealt with an operational hiccup Friday night, as the chair lift stopped moving about 45 minutes before close.

Some people were stuck on the lift for about 10 minutes, skiers told Boston 25 News. The lift began moving again but only to bring people back down, before closing the lift for the night.

The line for the chair lift was otherwise steady all day and night.

“This is the best snow I’ve skied in Massachusetts,” said Stevie Connolly. “It’s nice and fluffy. You dream of this snow out in Utah, really.”

It was an especially exciting afternoon for seven-year-old Cade, who met an adaptive occupational therapist to learn how to ski with his prosthetic leg.

“We’re really excited to start on the bunny hill. Is that exciting?” Cade’s mother Jackie Hempel said. “Could not be better weather with fresh powder for your first ski lesson.”

General Manager Molly Ross told Boston 25 News Blue Hills makes its own snow, but there’s nothing better than the real thing.

“We’re making snow through the night, actually,” Ross said. “So, we’ll just keeping piling it up right on top of this and have great conditions going forward.”

With COVID-19 cases surging and many choosing not to gather indoors, the storm couldn’t have come at a better time.

“You basically have three-foot sticks in front and behind you. So, you keep your distance from everybody,” said Joe Wardwell. “And it’s great… when you can’t be at parties, you can’t be at things you want to do.”

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