MINOT, ND (KXNET) — Winter fun is just around the corner as one of North Dakota's favorite ski destinations gears up to reopen soon -- Huff Hills Ski Area. "We're waiting for our snow making to get finished up," says the resort's general manager Andrew Beck. "We've started, and we're looking at some really good temperatures this week, and we're looking at sometime in those first couple weeks in December, people can expect us to be open." Beck says they rely on both natural and artificial snow to prepare its 80 acres of terrain. Crews have already started making snow and testing the equipment to prepare the slopes for visitors. "So today was really our preseason training for a bunch of our employees for snow making and ski patrols doing their cherry back training," says Beck. "We try to take this opportunity in the fall, once we get our staff back on board, to get everybody trained and ready for when the guests arrive." Huff Hills isn't just a place to ski; it is a community that has been bringing people together for decades. "Huff Hills has been here for 34 years," says Beck, "so we've really been a great place for winter recreation for a couple generations now for Bismarck and Mandan." "When I come here," says snowboarder Brody Marman, "it's like I just don't want to leave. It's really cool. We do special events. Last year, we did snowboarding games." "It's a great place to work," says Beck, "We always joke that it's kind of like a family. There's a lot of people that come out here in the winter that we don't run into in the off season. Good winter recreation is awesome."