The Snowmaking/Operations Outlook Thread

It is a bit of a riddle. Ethan, do you think maybe those fan guns don't work very well and need to be augmented with compressed air ?

If the mountain converted a location from air-water to fan guns, they've already got an air line in place, so it's cheaper to just use that than to install on board compressors on every gun.

Guns lined up on Lower Skyward yesterday.  Coincidentally, I thought I heard Lookout rusting.
#Sno

All fan guns require some compressed air. They are essentially just a large low energy tower constructed in a ring around a fan. It's just that most fan guns have on-board compressors. This also frees up additional air to be used elsewhere in the mountain.

D.B. Cooper wrote

Guns lined up on Lower Skyward yesterday.  Coincidentally, I thought I heard Lookout rusting.
#Sno

So you don't want Lookout open?

Opening Lower Skyward will be good because it will provide a way to avoid Victoria.  Next week looks good for 24hr snowmaking, so if they're not blowing Lookout by then, I'd be very concerned.

Since they moved the guns to Lower Skyward, I think that's a sign that blowing a deeper base earlier meant that they won't resurface except maybe with the permanent towers.

I think they should do Lower Skyward, Boreen Headwall Bypass, and maybe Lower Thruway during the week.  Not sure if Upper Mac was ever blown or if it's open on natural now.  If not that should also be blown.

Once those are done, it's time to make the move to Lookout.  Temps next week look good 24/7, so that's a good window to get WT open.  After that, Hoyt's and LBO can be covered at the same time and done quickly.  This would be the latest opening that Lookout had in a year where it opened, but not too much later than it opened in 13-14.

How long does it take to cover Lower Skyward and Upper Northway?  Snowmaking started on both last night.

Sno,

You asked how long it takes to cover Lower Sky and Upper Northway.  The answer is "it depends."  But generally it will take a few days.   Last year, they only had guns on Northway for 2 days and they opened it.   Lower Sky was never blown.

Thhen they can put the guns on Upper Mac (which according to the report is open with natural snow today-), Lower Thruway, Lower Parkway, and maybe Upper Cloudspin...(hasnt been blown since Lookout came around)

I am teasing about Lower P and T, you will likely hear that Willie is getting blown by Friday....

I guess you will just have to cut school next Tuesday/Wednesday to be one of the first ones down.

It would  be nice to have the guns on Upper Mac and Cloud though...

My estimate was that guns would be on Lookout by the weekend.  Next week looks great for snowmaking.

If that's the case, I think it's the best plan of attack.  No way they could've opened WT by this weekend, so get the trails done that they can and then go all out on Wilmington.  Lower Skyward wasn't blown since 13-14.

Lower Mac was open with manmade snow on MLK Weekend, but Upper Mac wasn't blown.  Nothing happened yet on the Boreen Headwall bypass either.  

Thanks for the info Grillman.  Maybe I'll see you this weekend again.

They are blowing on Upper Northway just to piss off Loco even more
Blowing that is great as it means those glades next to it will be skiable soon if the wind is blowing the normal direction

Where did I complain about the trails they were making snow on this week?

I think what they're doing is the right way to handle things.  If they went directly to Wilmington this week, it would've meant no terrain expansion for this coming weekend.  Lower Sky and Upper Northway can be covered by this weekend, and it won't really make much of a difference as Lookout wouldn't have opened till next weekend anyways.  Now if they don't get on Wilmington by the weekend, I'd have something to complain about.

Elevation also is another factor as Lower Sky is completely above 2600 feet, and Upper Northway is all above 3200 feet.  Wilmington ends at 1,700 feet and they weren't reporting any snowmaking below midstation.  Wilmington ends at 1,700 feet when it dumps you out on Boreen.

When are they going to blow Empire

Nature needs to take care of that one.

We should start a petition demanding that Whiteface management install snowmaking on that trail. It would be pretty easy to cover honestly.

Too late I beat you to it:

www.NoSnowmakingOnEmpire.com/Petition

I'd be opposed to adding snowmaking to empire unless they upgrade the plant to open 100% of their snowmaking terrain every year no exceptions.  This includes Upper Cloud.  I haven't skied Empire, but I think it would ski better as a natural trail anyways, and I think there would be better things to spend the money.  For example, installing snowmaking on both sides of the Tower 10 hill down to Fox to make coverage better in the early season and allow them to blow a deeper base for the spring, or putting permanent towers on more terrain.

I recall that in yeas past they pointed a gun from approach into the top of Empire.  That one gun can make a huge difference as the rockiest part is at the top and skiers naturally move the snow down the hill.  I'd not be opposed to doing that again.  I love that trail.

The Approach snowmaking line is on skier's right and all the trails that branch off of it are on skier's left.  Must've had to do it at night when the trail wasn't open, or bury the hose so people could ski over it.  Running a hose from the top of Mac would also be longer, but not need to cross the trail.

Looking forward to skiing Lower Sky this weekend.  Haven't been on it in a few years.  Will be interesting to see if they also blow Lower Thruway/Parkway or the Boreen Headwall bypass in this same cycle.  They were resurfacing a few areas overnight, but it appeared that they turned those guns off later on.

I think they should concentrate all snowmaking efforts onto Wilmington by the weekend.  Be great to ski good snow and not have to ski under any guns.  This weekend into next week looks cold and a perfect opportunity to get that long trail done.

I was partially kidding, but I like Coaches idea,,

That link looks sketchy. It looks like someone is trying to sell a domain name.

snoloco wrote

   Lower Skyward wasn't blown since 13-14.

You keep notes on this stuff, don't you Sno ? Seems like you must also thoroughly scan snowmaking set ups and lifts when you ski hills. Not that there's anything wrong with that.