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Marquette Mountain to open this weekend

Jesie Melchiori, general manager at Marquette Mountain, said the facility will open Saturday. Behind Melchiori is one of the snow guns in operation on the mountain. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck)

MARQUETTE — The slopes of Marquette Mountain will open this weekend.

Jesie Melchiori, general manager at the facility, said skiing will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

“We’ve had many new improvements, from snow-making improvements, groomer improvements,” Melchiori said.

The chalet has been updated, for example, with other upgrades including new snow-making pipe and improvements to the snow guns, she said.

“We’ve got new tracks and new tillers for the groomers, which are big, big improvements,” Melchiori said.

Not only will Marquette Mountain, located off M-553, open in a few days, Sunday is special because the facility’s toy collection for The Mining Journal’s Cheer Club will take place.

The club is a joint effort between the Journal, the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul to provide gifts to local children and families in need for Christmas.

Unwrapped toys and other items for children up to age 14 can be dropped off at the Journal’s Marquette and Ishpeming offices, the Marquette and Ishpeming Salvation Army locations and the St. Vincent de Paul in Marquette.

Marquette Mountain will be added to that list for a day.

On Sunday during the ski hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., anyone who brings in a brand new toy with a value of $10 or higher to be donated to the Cheer Club will receive a free lift ticket for that day, she said.

The toy collection is an annual event at Marquette Mountain.

Northern Michigan University students could make a difference with this charitable project.

“We have seen years as crazy as filling up a pickup load and some other years it’s slower, so I’m hoping this year, with it being that the kids haven’t gone back for NMU yet, that we’ll still get a big portion of them to come out and enjoy the slopes on Sunday and be able to donate to a great cause in the community,” Melchiori said.

She said Marquette Mountain will close Monday through Wednesday but reopen Thursday.

“We will ski at that point seven days a week and we will start night skiing, so we’re excited for another great winter and another great season,” Melchiori said.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250.

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