Frost Fire Park, a small ski area in Walhalla, North Dakota, will remain closed for the 2022/23 ski season. According to a press release members of the Board of Pembina Gorge Foundation, the owners and operators of the facility, note major malfunctions with the current snowmaking system on the slopes as the reason for the decision.

“Snow making is expensive and labor intensive and despite recent attempts to repair electrical, pump and water lines, we ultimately had to make the decision to discontinue this winter season.” – Board of Pembina Gorge Foundation President Jeff Mostad

A new snowmaking system was initially intended to be installed prior to the upcoming season, but supply chain issues and labor shortages forced the park to delay the installation until spring 2023. Large fundraising efforts, donations, and a federal and state grant will help Frost Fire with the installations. Grand Forks Herald reports the area saw significant damages due to flooding in spring 2022, washing out parts of both the ski and mountain bike trails. But, with proper snowmaking capabilities installed on the hill, board president Jeff Mostad believes that damage could be filled.

Frost Fire Park’s normal traffic is unclear, as the past few years have seen limited visitors due to the Canadian border closure and COVID-19, though the park only sees, on average, 31 open ski days per season. The ski lodge will remain open throughout the winter for private events, and work is already underway to ensure that the area will open for mountain biking in summer 2023.

Image Credit: Frost Fire Park via Instagram

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