EXPLORECNY Winter 2017
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Local ski hill owner prepares for winter fun, Sled for Red event By Jake Falge Contributing writer
W
alking out onto soft muddy ground at the base of a snow deprived ski hill in late November may seem like a cause of concern for the owner. Not at Four Seasons Golf & Ski Center in Fayetteville. And not for owner John Goodfellow, who as he stood at the base of his treasured hill oozed optimism and excitement, as his boots slowly retreated into the mud. “We’re always optimistic obviously,” said Goodfellow as he laughed, “But right now it’s starting to look pretty good, the weather patterns are starting to change in our favor and the timing couldn’t be better.” One of the biggest reasons for optimism is the addition of new Technoalpin snowmaking guns which will elevate one of the most crucial aspects of the business.
“The snowmaking is one of the things we’ve been investing in,” said Goodfellow, “Without that we really couldn’t be in business. This new equipment is more efficient, will allow us to make more snow in less amounts of time, and now we can recover quicker if we go through a warm spell.” Although the technology has changed in recent years, the overall goal at Four Seasons has not. “We’re educators,” said Goodfellow, “We’re teaching people how to have fun in the snow. It’s nice when people come back with their kids and say, ‘hey I learned to ski or snowboard here when I was younger’.” Dating back to the early 1960’s Four Seasons has been a wintertime retreat for Syracuse area families and snow lovers alike. While the hill has undergone many changes since its inception, the biggest constant has been Goodfellow. Born and raised in the Fayetteville-Manlius area, he left college
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and took control of Four Seasons after the passing of his father. “I was 19 when Dad died, and I was the oldest of six kids, I felt it was my responsibility [to take over the business],” said Goodfellow. In the years since he has developed Four Seasons into a fixture of the Fayetteville-Manlius community, all while becoming an integral part himself. He
maintains posts on the Board of Directors of the Greater Manlius Chamber of Commerce, and on the Board of Directors for the Ski Areas of New York. “It helps me personally because I see what else is going on, and it keeps me in tune with the chang-
ing environment.”, said Goodfellow. That changing environment includes the current state of the weather in upstate New York. After a November that saw Snow tubing l Page 2
“Right now it’s starting to look pretty good, the weather patterns are starting to change in our favor and the timing couldn’t be better.” - John Goodfellow, owner of four seasons golf & ski center jake falge
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