Gore Mtn Snowmaking (10-11)

From Gore:

"Resurfacing coming along well.

Guns on Uncas and Showcase as well as Bear Cub, Sunway, Stokes, and Quicksilver.
 
Strategic changes start tomorrow.
 
Topridge needs snow, we will accommodate.
 
This weekend, look forward to skiing through guns on Hawkeye and Topridge.

We will also have some guns on Headwaters, U. Wild Air, Twister, the Lies headwall, and probably a few other spots."

Denis.N wrote

Hear anything about snowmaking on Sagamore/Echo?
Last year they opened for MLK weekend, looks like this year as well.

This is accurate.  

I posed this question earlier today.  I asked if Chatiemac or BR would be online by MLK.  

The answer was - "one or the other."

I voted for BRQ!  

My brother and a few friends skied today, they said it recovered pretty well from the warmup.

28 hours 'til I leave for Utah!

Fuj - have a great time out there man.  I am counting the days - I leave one week from today.  Hoping to hit powder mountain, snowbird, the canyons and maybe solitude/brighton.  Let me know how your trip goes.  The bird has been getting dumped on.

Guys,

Have a great time in UT. In my opinion, UT has the best snow, as their license plate reads. My best friend lives 3 miles from the Canyons. Air fare is painful to get there these days, however, once I am there, I am set. I need to get back to shopping for a reasonably priced flight to get there next month, pronto. I have been fortunate to get out there quite a bit over the years, and look forward to my next trip. BTW, my friends roots were deeply rooted at WFM, before he moved to PC. He is without a doubt one of the strongest telmark skiers I have ever seen and skied with, as he can ski multiple days in a row through the most challenging terrain (including the nastiest bumps all day long), flawlessly.

Have Fun!

I'm curious about the strategy for the ski bowl this winter.  I know they've blown the tubing park, but to my knowledge there has been no snowmaking activity on any of the new terrain there.  Over the summer we had discussed / debated whether that new terrain would put a strain on the snowmaking plant.  I (and others) made the case that the water for the snowmaking on the new trails is pumped from the Hudson River pumping station, where there is excess pumping capacity.  However, I think the compressed air is still provided from the main snowmaking plant.  So while there's plenty of water for the snowbowl, there isn't air.  Bottom line is that the snowbowl can't be blown independently from the rest of the mountain, otherwise it'd be open now.  I'm wondering if we'll ski those new trails much before Feb 1, unless we get a major storm or sacrifice other snowmaking trails (Chati, Open Pit, Rumor, BR).  As good a job as the snowmakers have done with the resources that they have, I think we're in for another winter where Gore's limitations in snowmaking capacity are very visible.  

I would guess they've had their hands full with the main mtn. I would also guess if the snow-not hole continues, the main hill may consume all of this season's budget for snowmaking.

This part is not a guess - A couple years ago, while trying to get ORDA to move ahead with the Ski Bowl, Uncle Mikie said the Ski Bowl would be the last to get snow blown each season. ORDA board members repeatedly questioned him to get assurances that the Ski Bowl would indeed only get snow blown after the main hill was done.

I would say unless there a huge snowmaking budget this season, Uncle Mikie may very well have a delicate balancing act to perform. He can ill afford to have a crappy snow year, especially since Albany may set ORDA financially adrift on it's own and soon to be high price of gas will strain everybody's budgets, Ski mtns and skiers unlike.

Understandably, everyone wants to ski the 46er, et al, but unless Ma nature starts putting out, skiing Da Bowl may not happen this year. To me, as long as Gore is making a geniune, hard push to keep the main hill in good shape during poor weather, I accept Da Bowl not opening.

Like Jeff said, their snowmaking system may not even come close to having enough capacity. It's already only half of Face's capacity  and those figures are likely before BR, Da Bowl and any malfunctioning equipment.

Snowballs wrote

the main hill may consume all of this season's budget for snowmaking.

While budget constraints are an important factor, I think it comes down to insufficient capacity.

Snowballs wrote

their snowmaking system may not even come close to having enough capacity. It's already only half of Face's capacity  and those figures are likely before BR, Da Bowl and any malfunctioning equipment.

I think the numbers go like this:  current capacity is 15 acre-feet per day, and there 400+ acres of trails with snowmaking.  Running at full capacity in optimum snowmaking conditions, it would thus take close to a month to blow everything with 1 foot of snow.  Keep in mind expert trails take something more like 2-3 feet.  Throw in periods of non-optimum snowmaking conditions, equipment breakdown, an ncp event or thaw (we've already had a few this season), and it's conceivable that working as hard as possible they still wouldn't be able to get everything open.  This isn't a criticism of management or the snowmaking crew at all:  I think they do a great job with the resources available to them, they just need more firepower.

Let's just hope that this weekend will make this a moot point.  I can't wait to ski 46er!  Positive vibes(remember the year Sagamore opened)
Think Snow!

Suds I think you're always drunk.

Adk Jeff wrote

I'm curious about the strategy for the ski bowl this winter.  I know they've blown the tubing park, but to my knowledge there has been no snowmaking activity on any of the new terrain there.  Over the summer we had discussed / debated whether that new terrain would put a strain on the snowmaking plant.  I (and others) made the case that the water for the snowmaking on the new trails is pumped from the Hudson River pumping station, where there is excess pumping capacity.  However, I think the compressed air is still provided from the main snowmaking plant.  So while there's plenty of water for the snowbowl, there isn't air.  Bottom line is that the snowbowl can't be blown independently from the rest of the mountain, otherwise it'd be open now.  I'm wondering if we'll ski those new trails much before Feb 1, unless we get a major storm or sacrifice other snowmaking trails (Chati, Open Pit, Rumor, BR).  As good a job as the snowmakers have done with the resources that they have, I think we're in for another winter where Gore's limitations in snowmaking capacity are very visible.  

The ski bowl is actually completely independent for the main mtn except for power. All of the water comes from the same place bt has virtually no affect on the snowmaking on the upper mtn. There is no air what so ever at the ski bowl/ tube park, only fan funs with onboard compressors are used. And both have been open already, excpet for the half pipe which had snowmaking on it before the meltdown.

the zach's wrote

There is no air what so ever at the ski bowl/ tube park, only fan funs with onboard compressors are used. And both have been open already, excpet for the half pipe which had snowmaking on it before the meltdown.

Zach, I should have been more specific.  I was talking about snowmaking on the NEW trails at the ski bowl.  Snowmaking for those trails needs compressed air I beleive from the main plant.  Those trails aren't blown with the fan guns.  I think Gore only has 4 of those fan guns anyway.  I think you're right about the water though.

Saw snow-making on Rumor - puzzling decision. Blowing Chatiemac would have made much less effort and more useful for coming MLK weekend.

Also blowing Fairview, which may be even more puzzling.

tom

I don't know this. It's my own speculation:

Many seasons the headwall on Rumor will slide. It's the perfect angle for it - 33* or so.

Because the headwall is usually mostly manmade snow it tends to slide as a single huge chuck.  Last year when it happened it took out a hydrant or two.

I'm wondering if putting snow on the headwall gradually, over time, could reduce the possibility of a slide.

I like the decision to hit Fairview. Hardly takes any resources, and gives experts a challenging route to the Saddle from the top of Bear.

Concerning Rumor...I think the wind had a lot to do with it as the snow they were blowing from the top was all landing nicely onto the trail.  The snowmakers seemed to have that perfectly in tune yesterday..They Rock!

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Any news on Burnt ridge snowmaking?

I ran into Mike Saturday AM in front of the Gondi.  I asked him... what's it going to be Chatiemac or BR for MLK?  He indicated that the decision would be made in the next 24 hours and it was going to be based on the upcoming wind forecast.  Echo would obviously be first.  If I find out more today I will pass it on.

Unofficial indications seem to point to work happening on BR this week.

70s Gore Kid wrote

 It's all about image:  a group of guys sees that Rumor is open and they make the weekend trip to Gore and spend $$$.  No Rumor?  Nah, they drive another hour to Kmart.

It should be about safety and better skiing experience:

- If the Rumor is open those guys might make it down Rumor one time and get hurt on the dangerously icy Hawkeye in the afternoon.

- If the Chatiemac is open everyone is spread out between Chati and Hawkeye and conditions hold up better, better skiing.