Wet Guns

Seems most mountain are now putting out a really wet product to built bases.  Even at 0 degrees I am hitting wet spots.  I used to move early season with the guns and have a man made powder day wherever they were.  Lately I have been avoiding them cause I'm afraid of getting me leg ripped off.  I can see during the week when not much traffic is on the trails lay it down thick, but on the weekends seems like they should lighten it up if customers are going to be skiing it.  

Anybody else been noticing that over the past couple of years?  

Perhaps some places in the northeast are learning more about what works during early season that helps extend the season after early March?

At Massanutten, the early season snowmaking product has been wetter snow every since I started noticing about a dozen years ago.  Needed a solid base just to survive the inevitable January thaw.  Sometimes had slopes open with only 10-15 inches.  Remember man-made snow is the only reason there is a full-season (mid-Dec to mid-March) in northern VA.

I’ve noticed.

Shouldn't be a problem in the future as we will be banning guns.

I was Hunter 2 weeks or so ago, it was in the single digits. They were blowing pure pixie dust..

All snow seems more damp when you're not poaching!

It was pretty wet coming out of some guns at Magic over the weekend.  Fine by me though, we need the base.

I've seen it too.

I've never understood "base snow". That happens naturally through freeze thaw cycles, so why add to it? Why not make the best quality snow you can for the best skiing possible.

Granted it was a long time ago but when I made snow it was POW! If the snow stuck to your Carhartt  it was too wet.

Me to and if the boss came back inn the next morning and there were whales we would get our ass chewed.

tjf1967 wrote

Me to and if the boss came back in the next morning and there were whales we would get out ass chewed.

Exactly!!

I thinks you have me mistaken for someone else. Do I know you?  Helmet boy!!

The snow blown on the race trails I heard is blown to spec for that purpose.  I thought the rest of the snow blown has been good this yr.  

I think maybe we got used to natural?

Even if it's frozen shit, I'm happy.

tjf1967 wrote

.  I used to move early season with the guns and have a man made powder day wherever they were.  Lately I have been avoiding them cause I'm afraid of getting me leg ripped off.

Same.

I'm surprised there haven't been more injuries because of this.

campgottagopee wrote

tjf1967 wrote

Me to and if the boss came back in the next morning and there were whales we would get out ass chewed.

Exactly!!

You guys got it right. “Building base” is usually BS. They make crappier snow because they’re using low-e guns and not running a big enough crew to keep them properly adjusted. I understand making good snow is a lot harder and more expensive then blasting big piles of snot all over the place but I feel like “building base” is almost always an excuse

MC2 5678F589 wrote

tjf1967 wrote

.  I used to move early season with the guns and have a man made powder day wherever they were.  Lately I have been avoiding them cause I'm afraid of getting me leg ripped off.

Same.

I'm surprised there haven't been more injuries because of this.

I believe I may change my approach too. It's really risky.

Well Harv- you moved my post to the political thread - I’ll scream bloody murder when any even remotely political post from one of your buds is not instantly moved.

O right you big baby I moved it back.

Nobody responds to it in a political fashion, please.

Someone give Peetex a consulting job so he won't have time to hassle me.

Can you really blow spec snow. It's water and air. Did you really say that?