GAYLORD -- Mother Nature greeted the arrival of December with a fresh blanket of snow, which has many excited about the start of ski season.

While regional ski resorts Boyne Mountain, Boyne Highlands and Nub’s Nob are at least partially open, Otsego County’s Treetops Resort and Otsego Club are waiting to unveil their product.

“The reasoning is when we open, we want to operate at as good of conditions as we can,” said Treetops director of ski operations Kevin McKinley. “We are really excited about this season. We feel people will really love our product.”

Treetops aims to be open by Dec. 12.

According to Otsego Club’s Web site, it plans to open its ski hills Dec. 19.

McKinley said the influx of recent snow has definitely helped prepare the resort for the season, but colder temperatures would benefit the snowmaking process even  more.

“It’s easier to make man-made snow when you have a good base, as opposed to bare ground,” he said.

McKinley said there are plenty of changes this season at Treetops, with Doug Hoeh, formerly of Crystal Mountain, becoming the new mountain manager. Hoeh has installed a new system of snowmaking and grooming.

In addition, Treetops has added to its terrain park and has created a wider run on its tubing hill. McKinley said the terrain park and tubing hill will be open by Dec. 26.

“I think people are going to come back and experience a different product,” McKinley said.

Changes are also on tap at Otsego Club, as improvements have been made, including the building of a 425-foot Superpipe.

Despite a frosty economic outlook, McKinley said the lowering of gas prices should help the winter season. He said season pass sales are slightly ahead of where they were a year ago.

For more information on the ski prices or conditions, visit www.treetops.com or www.otsegoclub.com.

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