Gore Snowmaking: 2018 Improvements

Check it out!

https://www.goremountain.com/mountain/about-us/mountain-improvements

tom

Were there any noticeable snowmaking improvements for 2017-18?  There is a comment about making snowmaking more energy efficient but hard to know how that translates on the slopes.

A new pump house and more automation . . . that should make an obvious difference right from the start of snowmaking.

The Biggest Year for Snowmaking Since We Tapped the Hudson River!

A major overhaul to our snowmaking system for winter 18-19 will (with a little cold weather) deliver you the snowiest season ever at Gore.  We are constructing a new pump house, and this improvement will allow us to increase our water pumping capacity for snowmaking by 42%- that's 2,000 more gallons of water per minute now available to quickly turn into your on-snow fun!  We are also adding the newest automations and technology available to key areas of terrain, which help our crews make snow faster, smarter, and more efficently.  Significant investments in our pipe infrastructure and the purchase of four new air compressors will give our teams more power and flexibility- it's all about getting more trails open earlier in the season and improving the quality of your Gore Mountain experience.  These modernizations are integral to a multi-year commitment Gore has to making improvement of the snowmaking infrastructure a top priority.  Hundreds of high-efficiency guns have been added to our fleet over the last several winters that not only produce more snow, but do it in a more energy-conserving, more environmentally sensitive manner than traditional guns.  

marznc wrote

The Biggest Year for Snowmaking Since We Tapped the Hudson River!

This is funny, same quote about the gun purchase in 2011:

https://nyskiblog.com/gore-mountain-snowmaking-upgrades-2011/

I realize both could be true at the time.

This is essentially what Bone told me in his interview last fall, but didn't want to go on the record about it, because you never know.  A huge step forward, but don't assume that 42% increase in pumping means a 42% increase in snowmaking.

Snoloco is promising all lift by Christmas.

TomCat I changed the title of your thread, ad there are several with the same name, hope that is cool with you.

Cool with the thread name change. It would be interesting to hear what Bone thinks this will do to the overall capacity of the system.

I do think this is a significant step forward and it could have a big impact when combined with the high efficiency guns they bought over the last few years.

tom

And just like that, 2018/2019 ORDA pass looks a whole lot better.

Johnny you buying an ORDA pass this year? What is the deadline anyway?

Harvey wrote

 don't assume that 42% increase in pumping means a 42% increase in snowmaking.

This may be very true. It all has to do with how many pumps, compressors and guns they are willing to turn on which directly effects how much money is being spent. With more modern automation system, they should be able to monitor their energy consumption as well as snow production more precisely. if the new system is really as good as they say it will be, they very well be able to make more snow for the same amount of money.

I get sick of hearing about snowmaking "improvements" that talk about newer, more efficient guns with no mention of increased pumping capacity. The fact that this story even mentions increased pumping capacity, new compressors, and rebuilding the pump house is promising.

IMO it makes sense to do the low E guns first and pumping second.

It's all about making more snow in short windows these days. This should help.

Anybody know if Gore uses Snowmax?

marznc wrote

Anybody know if Gore uses Snowmax?

I doubt it

Harvey wrote

IMO it makes sense to do the low E guns first and pumping second.

It's all about making more snow in short windows these days. This should help.

I fully support the use of Low-e guns. They are astronomically more efficient than the old air/water guns and should be used as much as possible.  However, while the use of Low-e guns saves money and has less environmental impact, it doesn't usually do anything to increase snow production. If anything it reduces the amount of snow that can be made at marginal temps. i.e. a short window of cold before Christmas week.

I might. We Max passed last year and saved a little, but had a major time commitment arise. Not as many days as I wanted to.
Looks like price goes up August 17th this year.

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Another useless waste of money that ORDA and NYS are really good at doing! Adding a banquet facility to the existing bar does 2 things:

1. It robs $$ from private banquet facilities in our area

2. It will be a flop as ORDA and Centerplate do not have the employees available, especially in the summer to adequately staff it.

In this area, we already have a huge problem with lack of help (as evidenced last Winter with Gore not being able to open lifts, make snow, and groom). The problem is multi-faceted beginning with the poor wages offered by ORDA and Centerplate, compounded by the lack of affordable housing for employees. If ORDA wants to spend $$, they should be seriously considering purchasing and or constructing employee housing. But of course, they won't. This issue is not going away any time soon, and imo will only worsen...

APA soliciting public comment on changes to the Gore intensive use area.

https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2018/06/comments-sought-on-gore-mountain-plans.html

This is going to screw up some great stashes