Rangeley, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - It has been a tough year for ski areas in Maine to convince people that they do have snow.
When it comes to the Ski Industry in Maine it's not so much how good the conditions on the mountain are, but the perception of what those conditions might be.
When people in Southern Maine look outside and see the brown ground, the perception is the skiing isn't that great.
"I think it's been tough just educating people that there is snow and i think psychologically if you don't see it in your backyard you're not thinking about skiing", said Chris Farmer, General Manager of Saddleback.
It's a problem the Ski Industry has battled for years, but more so this year with one of the mildest Winters in recent memory.
"Right now we have 3-feet of snow on the ground but again perception can be reality and people don't see it in their backyards", said Greg Sweester of Ski Maine.
The reality is some of those storms that sent down mixed precipitation in Southern sections brought snow to the mountains.
"We have gotten snow here and it's been cold enough up here that we've kept the natural snow and we have made a lot of snow", said Bill Berry, Saddleback's Owner.
This school vacation week is an important one for all Maine ski areas. At Saddleback things are looking up. The conditions there as good as they've been all year.
If the skiers do turn out this week, the folks who run Saddleback hope they'll tell their friends about their experience. In the ski business a satisfied customer is often the best form of advertising.
NEWS CENTER