100 new low-E snow guns for Gore

The new guns were mentioned a day or two ago in another thread, but here's a link to the article:

Gore executives are planning to install no less than 100 new high-efficiency snow guns, primarily on the ski trails on the “Interconnect” route between Gore Mountain’s primary slopes and the North Creek Ski Bowl, Gore manager Mike Pratt said Nov. 24.

Permanently installed, the guns are expected to extend skiing over the Interconnect trails for weeks at both the beginning and the end of each skiing season, as well as enhance the skiing all season long, Pratt said.

Full article here, from Adirondack Journal.

Also interesting:  "four new internationally-sanctioned ski events are planned, and they are expected to attract skiing enthusiasts from all over the eastern U.S."  Not sure if that means planned for this year or next (I assume next).

Good news all around.

By the way, interesting choice of photos to accompany the Adk Journal article.  Looks like Lower Steilhang to me, any other guesses?

It never REALLY says in any of these articles, but are these going in this year? Or next? Assuming they're going in over the summer and will be in use next winter?

They do tend to leave the " when " unclear BUT it sounds like next season.

It is great that Orda is spending some serious coin on Gore's snowmaking. I didn't hit Gore once last year, but this year it truly seems like a whole new game. Impressive.

Another 100 new guns. Wow!

No doubt Mike Pratt deserves credit, too. Atta boy MP!!! Hopefully he reads here or Harv passes on our appreciations as I've seen others also express impress !

We spoke about this in early October.  At that point Mike was optimistic about getting the new towers in by this Christmas.  The installation work (drilling etc) has been done for these towers for weeks.  But there was something holding up the deal.

My guess is it was financing.  This was another truly fantastic piece of work involving National Grid and a large grant.  The art in those deals is in the paper work.  You've got to buy the equipment, pay for it with a short term loan and then repay the loan with the grant.  

You're on pins while the interest is accruing on the loan, waiting for the grant.  The nail biting with the first grant was off the charts.  HKD doesn't have 150 guns lying around the warehouse, they are made to order.  They need to be ordered well in advance.

I think Mike is consciously being vague about timing. This is pure speculation but I think he still feels there is an outside chance he could get at least some of those guns delivered and installed this season.  But, if true, no upside to saying so.

No matter how it comes down, this is another huge step forward for Gore Mountain.

Re: Pic location... I'm thinking upper Hawkeye.

bean valley wrote

Re: Pic location... I'm thinking upper Hawkeye.

I don't think Hawkeye.  The view from Hawkeye is of Chatiemac Ridge.  The view in the Adk Journal photo is of Pete Gay Mtn.

Yeah. It's obviously the top of Lower Steilhang. Alternate entrance to Dark Side Glades on the Right.

They really need to put these on the ski bowl and use them.  That way the lift over there won't just rattle in the wind all season every season.

FWIW, " Jimmer's friend the janitor " told me today that the bed tax money got shot down but MP was still in a cheery mood. JFTJ also said all is ready, posts, pipes and these new guns can even be moved around, i.e low-e guns could be relatively easily moved from Gore proper to the interconnect. Not that that would happen or even be desired, but an interesting side note.

JFTJ, expects Uncas to be open this weekend.

The hill skied good today. Low crowds.

Snowballs wrote

FWIW, " Jimmer's friend the janitor " told me today

I must have the same janitor friend.  Actually my guy's out in the lot.

Anyhow, if the guns are going to "the interconnect,"  which I take to specifically mean Pipeline, are there air pipes in place there?  I know there's water lines (the ones going to the reservoir).  Or, maybe their going to pipe up Barkeater?  That'd be cool, a glade with snowmaking.

Air and water pipes are said to by JFTJ to be already installed........ should be a " plug and play " operation from here. Which leads me to think it could happen quick once the Low-e guns arrive.

As to whether they're for the pipeline down or the trail back, I don't know.