Sorry for the loss Jay. I was wondering the same after the accident.

To bring it back to skiing again though ---

you are right, it might be too warm for snowmaking in the Twin Cities area,
BUT I am totally surprised a "ski tunnel" like in Sweden and Finland hasn't
popped up yet. Private donations, sponsors, vendors, and yearly memberships
surely might make it a worthwhile money maker (or at least break even?)
There seem to be soooooooo many skiers from your area who travel travel
travel... How many times have you skied your brains out on your own self
packed 1-2km loop ??

JKal.