It's back by popular demand.

The Mount Sima Ski Area in Whitehorse was supposed to close down this week, after a successful last weekend, but the hill will be open once again to the public on Saturday.

'It's basically because of public user pressure,' said Kevin Rumsey, president of the Great Northern Ski Society, which runs the hill. 'The snow conditions are still really, really good. There's about two inches sitting on the bottom of the hill right now.'

On Sunday, about 420 people made the trip to Sima for what was supposed to be their last chance. Rumsey said people were having a hard time leaving once the hill was closed because they were having so much fun.

'They were in denial for the season. They didn't want it to end.'

While a lot of the staff are done for the season, Rumsey said they were able to salvage some for Saturday a day which should be perfect for skiing.

The Whitehorse area is supposed to get more snow over the next couple of days and then the weather is expected to clear up, bringing sunshine on the weekend.

A movie crew from England is set to film scenes at the hill on Sunday, or else Sima might even be open then as well.

'We weighed whether to open the hill Sunday as well, but it would have put out the movie crew,' said Rumsey, adding the movie will be sold to the British Broadcasting Corporation down the road.

'That's quite the way to end the season.'

A season that undoubtedly, said the society president, was a huge success.

'There's no question, this has been the best year in the history of Sima.'

He expects next season will be just as successful, if not more so, since there is a lot of work being done to the ski area over the summer and throughout next year possibly including a brand new ski lodge in anticipation of the 2007 Canada Winter Games.

'For the last three years, since I've been president, I've been working very hard to build relationships, get the public out and just to make the place much better.

'All that hard work is finally starting to pay off.'