KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A snowy weekend in the metro area made for ideal skiing conditions at Snow Creek on Monday.
Dozens of skiers and snowboarders were spotted on trails in the late morning on an often-quiet day of the week for the ski resort.
"It's easier to ski. It's more fun," Rob Higbee said. "You can lay back on your skis a little bit. It just makes it easier. You're not going through ice or slush."
Higbee was joined by his daughter and two grandchildren on the trails on Monday.
The family has made it a yearly tradition to go skiing at Snow Creek and the weekend snow made the event even better this year.
"For the past couple years, we've come out and it's been pretty slushy," Angie Hill, Higbee's daughter, said. "We usually just pick a date and hope for good weather. This year we totally lucked out."
Anticipation over the upcoming Winter Olympics also added to the excitement for those skiing or snowboarding.
Tom Sanders, a longtime ski instructor at Snow Creek, said the games often lead to more people trying out winter sports.
"The exposure to the winter sports brings people out in the winter and gets them outside to try something new," he told 41 Action News.
While it takes time to learn how to ski or snowboard, Sanders said participants would find it worthwhile.
"It is challenging and fun," he explained. "It's freedom. It's being outside. Get outside and have fun."
On Monday, Rob Higbee and his family knew well what fun skiing could bring.
"It's something I can do with my 12-year-old granddaughter," he explained. "I can ski down the mountain. It's something that we can both share and have fun together."
Conditions on the slopes could get even better this week with more snow in the forecast for the metro.
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