The Snowmaking/Operations Outlook Thread

Ethan Snow wrote

I haven't seen them,ise those old guns at all this year. I know they still have them around the mountain, but I've seen them blow a few times this year, and I haven't seen one of those running. On belt, many of them have been replaced with low-e towers already, and where they were still in place, they put HKD 10' sleds there. They also used the 10' sleds on Colonel's alternate this year.

Peak Resorts must've gotten rid of a ton of them over the summer.  I don't ski there this year as I'm an ORDA Ski3 passholder, so I missed any upgrades over the summer.

I was skiing Hunter almost weekly from 11-12 to last year, and every year they phased out more of the old, outdated snowguns.

From looking at the report, looks like the LWF chair at Whiteface broke and they're running Mountain Run instead (shorter lift next to it).  Good to see that this time that a lift broke that they opened a different one go the same location.  They also have Approach open now, so you can get to that area from the gondola.

Brookside and Danny's Bridge terrain parks also opened today.  Summit not yet open.  I think they should open it because Killington now has more skiable vertical since they opened Skyeship Base today.

they will open the Summit when they can.  The Summit, even Parrons, is steep and covered with very large rocks and boulders.  It takes a lot of snow to cover it.   Think about it, we have gotten 3 feet in the last month, and that is not enough.

Lets hope it stays cold next week.

Says on Facebook that the summit opens tomorrow.  Not sure if it's only Paron's or if Skyward will also open.

It frees up a lot of snowmaking capacity to be used elsewhere once they open it.  Often times they move onto Wilmington Trail after Skyward, but I think they might also move back to LWF and open Wilderness, Mac, and the full lengths of Parkway and Thruway first.  

According to the report, only Paron's/Follies open today.  Snowmaking appeared to have been shut down on Paron's, looking at an Instagram photo, but the report showed both as under the guns all day.  Was below freezing up there all day too.  I'd expect Skyward to open on Tuesday.  Snowmaking temps all day tomorrow, but a warm up with r*in that changes over to snow on Monday into Tuesday.  Will also need to groom it before it opens if there is r*in.

Time will tell what comes next after the summit is done.  That's a ton of capacity freed up by finishing there.

I think they can blow 2 of the following trails at the same time, Wilderness, Mac, Thruway, and Parkway.  My opinion is they should blow two of the four, then go up to Wilmington.  Once that is done, go to Hoyt's and LBO at the same time, and then finish the other two on LWF.

snoloco wrote

I think they can blow 2 of the following trails at the same time, Wilderness, Mac, Thruway, and Parkway.  My opinion is they should blow two of the four, then go up to Wilmington.  Once that is done, go to Hoyt's and LBO at the same time, and then finish the other two on LWF.

you've said that a few times now.

Niagara has not been blown yet so Skyward won't be open that soon

Don't they normally open it to Weber's Way at first?

At Gore, the only unopened terrain that they are making snow on is upper steilhang. They had been making snow on open pit and oak ridge and have stopped. Something seems more wrong than normal.

tom

Maybe there's only favorable temps that high up.  Whiteface was blowing Skyward, but appears to have shut it down, while leaving Paron's lit up.  Paron's ends at a higher elevation than Skyward.

Something is definitely wrong with the report, again.  Shows 7 degrees on top, but no snowmaking, except on Paron's/Follies.  Let's see if it changes tomorrow.  Hopefully whatever ncp hits them Monday into Tuesday isn't enough to require massive resurfacing, which will set terrain expansion back a lot.

It shouldn't be too bad. Nothing like the crap we were getting a year ago.

Face4Me just posted a photo comparison of this year to last year in the Whiteface Conditions thread.  Very big difference.

snoloco wrote

Don't they normally open it to Weber's Way at first?

No they usually open Niagara

We have been having issues with inversions all week.  Today it was much colder on the bottom.  Warm air s coming in aloft and cold air is trapped in the valley.  Could be some nasty freezing rain tonight.  

Better than non-freezing r*in.  On my last visits to WF before winter break, I looked up Niagara from the top of Victoria.  It had been skied already on natural snow, and it looks like it wouldn't take too long to get it open.  Probably blow snow there once Paron's is completely finished.

It takes a lot of snow to get that open.  The bottom half is a big rock shelf.

You are not skiing here for another couple weeks.  Show some patience

Coach Z wrote

You are not skiing here for another couple weeks.  Show some patience

Actually might go later this week.  Belleayre was mediocre today and Gore will likely be crazy busy on limited terrain.  Might try and talk SnoDad into a WF trip, which should be quite easy as it's his favorite mountain like anywhere.  We're both Ski3 passholders, so it'll be cheaper to pay the hotel room for 1 night to ski WF than to pay for lift tickets anywhere within day trip reach if we don't want to ski Belleayre or Gore.  Would like Skyward to be open if we go.

It's pouring right now
Supposed to get a nor easter Thursday night

Coach Z wrote

It's pouring right now

OUCH!!  .

Hopefully they don't have to spend a week recovering from it.  At least it'll put more water in the river.

snoloco wrote

Better than non-freezing r*in.

I get this. Skiing is extremely important.

However freezing rain can be a matter of life or death.  The amount of snowpack saved by freezing rain vs plain ol rain isn't worth dying for.