While there’s not been a lot snow falling from the sky this winter, the relatively consistent cold weather has meant the hills have been alive with the sounds of snowmaking for skiing, snowboarding and tubing at Villa Olivia in Bartlett. “We have had a great year this far,” Villa Olivia Superintendent Bobby Pierobon said. “We were able to open the tube hill two weekends early, on Dec. 7, and hit most of winter break as well, with ski and snowboarding runs opening Dec. 26.” That hasn’t been the case for the last two winters, when unseasonably warm weather meant Bartlett Park District-owned Villa Olivia could only open on a limited basis, Pierobon said. The winter of 2021-22 was the last good season, he said. “Weather is something we cannot control, and when it is not in our favor, it is hard to operate,” Pierobon said. Villa Olivia makes its own snow and needs the temperature to be 27 degrees or lower with low humidity to optimize the process, he said. “Once the weather is cold enough to start making snow, we transition to three shifts, with two or three workers on each shift, so we can work around the clock,” he said. “We pay attention to which way the winds are blowing to make sure we are making snow with the wind rather than fighting the wind. And we also pay attention to temperatures to make sure we are making quality snow.” The colder it is, the better it is for the crew of eight to make snow, Pierobon said. It takes about five days of around-the-clock snowmaking to build the base needed for tubing and seven days for the runs used for skiing and snowboarding. “Past that, to keep things running smoothly, we make snow every opportunity we have,” he said. Snowboarders take advantage of the snow-packed conditions, which is sometimes man-made, on the hills at Villa Olivia, which is owned by the Bartlett Park District. (Villa Olivia/Bartlett Park District) To make snow, workers use up to 11 cannon-like SMI PoleCat machines. Each is attached to a hydrant, which funnels water through nozzles with 10-horsepower fans and creates snow they can shoot out 20 to 30 feet, Pierobon said. The piles of man-made snow are then moved around by a PistenBully, a piece of heavy equipment used to groom the hills for recreational use. Villa Olivia dates back to 1915 when it was built off Lake Street as an estate by lawyer Charles Erbstein, who named it for his daughter. The property was purchased by the Corrado family in 1966, who converted it into a country club and later added a ski run, restaurant and banquet facilities. The Bartlett Park District bought it in 2010. The setup now includes a large hill with an area for tubing, two ski runs, a chair lift and a terrain park with ramps and rails for advanced skiers and snowboarders. Four more runs and a mini-terrain park, all set up for beginners, are on a smaller hill. There are also four tow ropes to help skiiers make their way up the smaller hill and two tow ropes for the larger one. Pierobon has been Villa Olivia superintendent for three years. “I gave skiing a try when I was younger and decided it was in my best interest to be a tuber,” he said. Still, Pierobon said he enjoys seeing how busy it can get during winter and seeing what Villa Olivia’s employees do best, from making snow to teaching skiing or snowboarding. When Mother Nature doesn’t want to provide the real thing, employees at Villa Olivia can make it snow themselves thanks to special equipment that converts water into the white stuff needed to build up a base on the hills used for skiing, tubing and snowboarding. (Villa Olivia/Bartlett Park District) “Each and every employee plays such a big and impactful role in creating fun for our visitors,” he said. As for those visitors, Pierobon said some come from different states or countries. Some are seeing snow for the first time while others live right down the street or in the next town over, he said. “Seeing them have fun and the smiles on their faces is something I truly enjoy,” he said. In addition to being open for winter sports Thursday through Sundays, Villa Olivia is also open on Monday for Martin Luther King Day and on Monday, Feb. 17, for Presidents Day. For more information, go to bartlettparks.org/villa-olivia/winter-sports. Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.