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When is the last day for snowmaking

Newpylong

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Late start, late finish.

Snowmaking really got going in January, with part time-operations in December and November. Normally it'd be full-time blowing in December and January with part-time in November and February. I think we'll see blowing for another 2 weeks or so. This whole "budgets are maxed out" can't be correct since snowmaking started a whole month later than usual.

A disaster snowmaking year would be a cold November, followed by a blowtorch December that melts all the snow. We had the blowtorch December, but there was literally no snow made to melt.


I can't speak for all areas but at many it doesn't work like that. Snowmaking budgets are not necessarily a constant. They are made prior to the season assuming if revenue is X amount, we will spend y amount on snowmaking. You don't necessarily get to spend the whole enchilada if revenue is down. Conversely some areas will go over budget one year and hope to offset it the next.
 

drjeff

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The Superstar glacier is well under construction top to bottom. Very impressive watching it grow this week. The whole mountain recovered beautifully after last weeks weather, yes they blew all around. Best days I've had all season so far. Only downside is I think there are several notable trails that won't see any love this year (Fiddle, Virtigo, lower Ovation & lower Downdraft). I could be wrong though.

It will be interesting to see if K goes after those double diamonds you mentioned this year or not as the guns they've lined SS with, or at least a good amount of the tower guns are the Snowlogic DV4's which use a ridiculously low amount of air compared to other guns, especially in COLD temps and can make some HUGE whales in a hurry!!

It gives K the ability to create the "SS Glacier" way more cost effectively than in the past.

Will that translate into snowmaking on Fiddle, Vertigo, Ovation and Downdraft in the next week or 2?? Who knows....
 

steamboat1

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It will be interesting to see if K goes after those double diamonds you mentioned this year or not as the guns they've lined SS with, or at least a good amount of the tower guns are the Snowlogic DV4's which use a ridiculously low amount of air compared to other guns, especially in COLD temps and can make some HUGE whales in a hurry!!

It gives K the ability to create the "SS Glacier" way more cost effectively than in the past.

Will that translate into snowmaking on Fiddle, Vertigo, Ovation and Downdraft in the next week or 2?? Who knows....
K 3000's on the headwall, low e's middle supe, a mixtutre of K 3000's & several fan guns & low e's on lower supe. They were actually using the 5 hydrants on the other side of the trail on lower supe with K 3000's in addition to 20 some odd on the other side. First time I've ever seen them use those hydrants. Several low e's at the tippy top behind the headwall. Very impressive. It's already huge & think they've just begun.

Huge whales on lower Double Dipper after a 3 day assault with K 3000's & they moved them over to Cascade today which already skied beautifully beforehand (they closed Cascade today for the assault).
 
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drjeff

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K 3000's on the headwall, low e's middle supe, a mixtutre of K 3000's & several fan guns & low e's on lower supe. They were actually using the 5 hydrants on the other side of the trail on lower supe with K 3000's in addition to 20 some odd on the other side. First time I've ever seen them use those hydrants. Several low e's at the tippy top behind the headwall. Very impressive. It's already huge & think they've just begun.

Huge whales on lower Double Dipper after a 3 day assault with K 3000's & they moved them over to Cascade today which already skied beautifully beforehand (they closed Cascade today for the assault).

Those ones on skiers right of the lower headwall were added a bunch of years ago to help combat the "S" that typically forms in the lower headwall and causes them to have to push a bunch of snow from other areas into the S to keep late season going.

As a self proclaimed "snowmaking geek" I can't wait to see what K likely installs along SS this summer to help ensure that as long as mother nature is remotely cooperative that the weekend before Thanksgiving this year that the FIS course officials will declare that SS is worldcup race ready!!

My hunch is a second set of LARGE diameter water and air lines gets installed along SS or the water line along SS gets dramatically increased in diameter and turrets installed at an even closure distance than they are now!!! :fangun: :snow:
 

xwhaler

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Ragged active re-surfacing snowmaking on Barnyard, Village Green, Wanna Be Wild (terrain park)
New snowmaking on Upper/Lower Chutes in an effort to get open for the season.
 

SIKSKIER

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Sure, most places have had to do lots of resurfacing, BUT the total number of days of potential snowmaking due to mother nature's fickleness this year is below what most every resort typically plans on by this point of the year, and whether or not those guns had to run on the same say 15 core trails many times over or run on say 50 trails just once or twice doesn't alter the fact that the total number of snowmaking days to date this season is below what they plan and budget for at likely the overwhelming majority of NE ski areas this season

I'll disagree with you somewhat on that point.A lot of the snowmaking days have been marginal this year.I know at Cannon I have seen very few of the giant whales.It costs about the same to run in those temps as it does in colder conditions.The output has been far less from my view than it could be.The good news?That should change bigtime these next 3 days.
 

oldtimer

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Hats off to Nashoba Valley. They are killing it across the entire mountain. Something like 50 guns going.
 

JDMRoma

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"Cannon remains committed to enhancing conditions as much as possible over the next couple of weeks - expect to find some of the best snow surfaces in the state at Cannon for the remainder of the season".

NO BS there !! Cannon is skiing well today. Impressive recovery for sure


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chuckstah

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Unofficial word is that Boyne will keep blowing until, or possibly into March at the eastern resorts on an as needed basis. If a good storm cycle ever rolls in i'm sure it will end quickly. SR and Sugarloaf are still expanding, while Loon has all their snowmaking terrain open and is resurfacing and deepening the base on core spring trails. SR and Loon have a lot of large groups from Britain and elsewhere booked into April, and will do what is necessary to stay open til then.
 

VTKilarney

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Unofficial word is that Boyne will keep blowing until, or possibly into March at the eastern resorts on an as needed basis. If a good storm cycle ever rolls in i'm sure it will end quickly. SR and Sugarloaf are still expanding, while Loon has all their snowmaking terrain open and is resurfacing and deepening the base on core spring trails. SR and Loon have a lot of large groups from Britain and elsewhere booked into April, and will do what is necessary to stay open til then.

Why do so many British come here to ski when the alps are much closer?
 

chuckstah

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Why do so many British come here to ski when the alps are much closer?

Ones I have spoken with are mainly students. They take a two week "Holiday" with one week dedicated to skiing, and the next for visiting cities such as Boston or NY. Many are first time skiers who find the smaller, more orderly resorts here better than the Alps. And there's always the exchange rate as pounds to dollars wins big. It does seem odd visiting NH or Maine in April from that far away, but it's big business for the resorts who go after it.
 

JDMRoma

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Ya and my family wants to bag going skiing this weekend due to the cold!

It's gonna be cold , could be painful but better than not skiing. Bar opens at 9 !!


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dlague

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Why do so many British come here to ski when the alps are much closer?

I spoke to some and they say it is cheaper to ski here by the time they travel to the Alps lodging, food and ski areas lift ticket costs. Over here the Euro gives them a little exchange advantage.


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ScottySkis

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I spoke to some and they say it is cheaper to ski here by the time they travel to the Alps lodging, food and ski areas lift ticket costs. Over here the Euro gives them a little exchange advantage.


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Kind of dumb when we fly out west we don't save .money we due for amazing snow and big mountain skiing that the point of paying for for ski vacation in the alps.

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