Clarissa Kell | Daily Press After recent closings due to extreme winter weather, local students from area schools are back out skiing and snowboarding at the Gladstone Ski Hill, located at the John and Melissa Besse Sports Park. The after school program at the ski hill is canceled when schools are canceled due to weather.

GLADSTONE — Polar Vortexes, continual snow accumulation and icy conditions — oh my! The extreme temperatures and snowstorms that rocked the area the last couple of weeks caused local schools to close and with it the Gladstone Ski Hill and its after school program.

The Parks and Recreation Director Nicole Sanderson said this winter has been off for the ski hill.

“We had to close four to five days during the holiday break,” said Sanderson. She explained this off start was due to the warmer weather.

The holiday break is also when the ski hill makes most of its profits for the season, so anytime the ski hill has to close, it is a big loss of revenue, Sanderson said.

She explained then it got so cold officials had to close the hill again.

“The hill closes when the ambient temperature is -10 below,” Sanderson said. When schools cancel, the after school program at the hill gets canceled too.

The after school program starts after the holiday break and students are back in school.

The Gladstone Area Schools, Escanaba Upper Elementary, Rapid River and Holy Name all participate in the program.

Students can buy a daily pass for $12 or a yearly pass for $110 to participate in the program. These fees cover all aspects of the program, be it the tutoring, the snowboard/ski lessons, equipment and use of the snowboard/ski hills.

“We were closed around four or five days during the extreme cold,” Sanderson said. Not as much as local schools, but that’s mainly because the after school program is only open Monday, Thursday and Friday.

Sanderson said luckily she doesn’t feel like the recent closings of the hill will affect revenue too badly.

“I don’t think it hurt us too bad,” she said. “We’ve had significantly higher seasonal passes this year.”

With the recent less extreme winter weather, Sanderson said the hill has been very active with kids.

She explained the kids have been excited about getting back out and enjoying the winter activities.

“We’re having a good time,” she said.