ANDALUSIA, Ill. — On slopes like these in Andalusia, it's a sign that winter is here.
"We're just out here having a good time," Said Everett Willson.
Willson and his friends spent their Sunday at Snowstar park in Andalusia.
"It's been a blast," Willson said. "I mean, a couple wipe outs but that's going to happen. But you're going fast, adrenaline's going. It's a good time."
Those wipe outs are because this is only Willson's second time on skis.
"Three years ago was the last time I went skiing," Willson said.
The last time Willson skied, he was at Snowstar. Things look just a little different now than they did that time Willson was here.
"We ask people to wear masks whether they're inside or outside and maintain social distancing," said Jenny Harper, one of the managers at Snowstar. "We are limiting the tube hill to two hour sessions so we can manage the numbers that are on the tube hill."
Harper worked with Rod Leatherman, the hills manager, to get the park ready to open for the season this weekend. The first day the slopes opened was Saturday, December 26.
"There is no off-season to this game," Leatherman said. "To open a place of this nature it's a year round process."
Leatherman said this year is different and unique, requiring the staff to adapt.
"We are anticipating bigger crowds not only through the holiday season but then continuing afterwards," Leatherman said.
Staff at Snowstar added more social distancing between chair lifts, and removed indoor dining options in the lodge. There is now a walk through process in the lodge, before people can eat outside. These changes, Harper said, is to meet Illinois state COVID-19 restrictions.
The tubing hill saw some changes too. Staff added signs reminding for groups to keep their distance, and are enforcing social distancing on the ramp leading to the top of the hill.
"It is a big task in the areas where people congregate," Leatherman said.
This is all with the goal that everyone can safely slide.
Snowstar is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. The park is open until 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
You do need to call before your trip to reserve a time slot for the tubing hill. You can find information about that, as well as other COVID-19 policies, on Snowstar's website.