Middleton tourism commission hears CXC report on winter operations, snow‑storage experiment and building progress

Yuri Guseff of CXC told the Middleton Tourism Commission on March 18 that the 2024–25 cross‑country ski operation began later than planned after a down‑well motor failed before Thanksgiving, but reopened Nov. 30 once repairs were completed. "We were able to start on November 30," Guseff said, and he showed gate and vehicle‑counter data that he said measured nearly 6,000 vehicles at one entrance and about 10,000 gate counts overall.

Guseff said average weekday visits were about 81 and weekend visits about 247, and that total attendance this season was roughly 1.8 times higher than the prior winter, a gain he attributed primarily to reliable man‑made snow. He reviewed pass sales, including combined "all access" passes that cover snowmaking and the golf course, and said out‑of‑state interest — particularly from Illinois and Iowa — appears to be a key market.

The presentation described several events and outreach efforts. Guseff said fall events such as the Veil Festival and Driftless Gateway Trails drew hundreds of attendees and that organizers are weighing moving some events to spring to avoid a crowded fall calendar. He also described conversations with the Madison Area Sports Commission about bids for national events and the snowshoe championships, noting that hotels could supply indoor meeting space if the venue building is not yet available.

On facility progress, Guseff said architects are finalizing responses to city‑engineer comments on the building permit and the general contractor is updating cost estimates; the team hopes to complete remaining fundraising and begin construction in time for the next ski season. When asked about inflation and tariffs, Guseff said the contractor estimated a 5–10% cost increase but did not expect that to halt the project.

Guseff highlighted an operational experiment in which crews hauled and piled snow from another site (identified in the presentation as Elana Energy), reshaped it with loaders and spread it to create a skiable base. He said crews created a pile the size of a semi truck in about 48 hours and then spread the snow over several days to produce roughly a 1‑inch base that remained skiable. "They build like, in 1 day, they build a trail, in about, yeah, pretty much in about 8 hours," he said.

He also reviewed modern snow‑preservation practices — making snow in optimal cold, low‑wind conditions, covering it for fall storage, and then uncovering and spreading it — and noted operational constraints such as wind, temperature windows and waste during production. Guseff additionally warned that making snow far from permanent infrastructure increases electricity costs and complicates volunteer operations because there is no warm building for staff and volunteers to use.

Guseff offered to share ZIP‑code breakdowns of ticket buyers for marketing and said the goal remains to have at least building access by Thanksgiving, with construction estimated at four to six months once it begins. "We definitely hope to be building completed before Thanksgiving," he said.

The presentation closed with commissioners thanking Guseff; several asked for the ZIP‑code data and for follow‑up on the permit and construction schedule.

The commission did not take any formal votes related to the building, funding or event bids during the meeting. The discussion focused on operational lessons, marketing data and next steps for permitting and fundraising.