Plattekill snowmaking?

[ta&idaho]

Does this amount to much?

NEW FOR 2009-10:
* 3500' of MORE SNOWMAKING AND 30 NEW tower mounted snowguns!

http://www.plattekill.com/winter/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=122&Itemid=69

 

[Harvey]

Not sure how 30 tower guns equates to 3500 feet. That would be one gun every 115 feet? Maybe that's right.

30 tower guns is something. Any hill that got 30 tower guns a year on an ongoing basis would certainly be making progress. Not sure why but in all the marketing I've seen - tower guns seem to be associated with better/faster early season opening.

I know they make things a lot easier, but I don't like the way they look. Kind of a double standard though with all the stuff you look at when you ski lift serviced terrain.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

Does this amount to much?



http://www.plattekill.com/winter/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=122&Itemid=69

It depends on how you define "much." I think it does. At a smaller hill like Plattekill, 30 new tower guns probably adds coverage to one or two more trails. As to the 3500' number... that's marketing fluff. 3500' of snowmaking is a very ambiguous term. If it refers to length of pipe, it may be a lot, or it may be a little, depending on where the pipe was run, and if it was replacing existing pipe, or adding new coverage. If it refers to actual length of NEW snowmaking coverage, then sure... that's a decent upgrade for a small mountain.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

Not sure why but in all the marketing I've seen - tower guns seem to be associated with better/faster early season opening.

Tower guns allow snowmaking at higher temperatures because their height provides an increased hang time for nucleation and freezing of the water droplets.

 

[skiadikt]

i think it's great that plattekill is trying to stay in the game. they have some of the best terrain in the 'skills and probably get the most pow. nice upgrade for them.

 

[andyzee]

One good thing about Plattekill, they depend on natural snowfall, one bad thing about Platttekill, they depend too much on natural snowfall. Good to see they're getting this. Great lil mountain.

 

[dmc]

i think it's great that plattekill is trying to stay in the game. they have some of the best terrain in the 'skills and probably get the most pow. nice upgrade for them.

yup... That is cool.. It would be nice to have more days there. It would be great to connect the dots as far as connecting trail snowmaking.

And they did it without spending a penny of our tax $

 

[Tin Woodsman]

3500' for them would be nothing to sneeze at. That's probably 1 or 1 1/2 half trails for them. Then again, that's exactly why I think it's not referring to coverage on new trails - they almost surely would have named the trails they are adding snowmaking to. Even if it's just new pipe to replace old stuff, along with the 30 new tower guns that's a substantial upgrade for them. Good for them. Doing it on their own, and have a little wind in their sails due to the tree skiing trend. They get the snow.

 

[trtaylor]

I'd like to put Plattekill on my "hit" list this year.

 

[ta&idaho]

Interesting. I've loved the place when I've been there, but I've only been after decent-sized storms. Kinda curious what its like when the conditions are a little iffier.

 

[nycskier]

Any snowmaking at Plattekill is good snowmaking!

Love the mountain. Used it ski it a lot when I was a kid and was shocked at how small it was when I went back as an adult!

But for a little resort they got some great fun runs!

 

[MarkC]

The 3500' of new snowmaking is new pipe on the skiers right of The Upper Face. This will allow them to cover the Face trail from wall to wall and improve the snowmaking coverage in the terrain park. The 30 new snowguns are HKD towers. These will be permanently mounted in various spots around the mountain including on Blockbuster. There are also 3 new areko fan guns that will be used on the triple side of the mountain. With these additional snowguns they can spend less time moving guns around the mountain and more time making the white stuff.

 

[ta&idaho]

The 3500' of new snowmaking is new pipe on the skiers right of The Upper Face. This will allow them to cover the Face trail from wall to wall and improve the snowmaking coverage in the terrain park. The 30 new snowguns are HKD towers. These will be permanently mounted in various spots around the mountain including on Blockbuster. There are also 3 new areko fan guns that will be used on the triple side of the mountain. With these additional snowguns they can spend less time moving guns around the mountain and more time making the white stuff.

Thanks for the intel, and nice avatar.

 

[andyzee]

The 3500' of new snowmaking is new pipe on the skiers right of The Upper Face. This will allow them to cover the Face trail from wall to wall and improve the snowmaking coverage in the terrain park. The 30 new snowguns are HKD towers. These will be permanently mounted in various spots around the mountain including on Blockbuster. There are also 3 new areko fan guns that will be used on the triple side of the mountain. With these additional snowguns they can spend less time moving guns around the mountain and more time making the white stuff.

Nice! I'll have to get up there more this year.

 

[trtaylor]

The 3500' of new snowmaking is new pipe on the skiers right of The Upper Face. This will allow them to cover the Face trail from wall to wall and improve the snowmaking coverage in the terrain park. The 30 new snowguns are HKD towers. These will be permanently mounted in various spots around the mountain including on Blockbuster. There are also 3 new areko fan guns that will be used on the triple side of the mountain. With these additional snowguns they can spend less time moving guns around the mountain and more time making the white stuff.

Sweet!

 

[mangled_donkey]

they won't need snow guns this year. our good friend El Nino will drop by for a visit. and he isn't leaving anytime soon =]

 

[ts01]

The 3500' of new snowmaking is new pipe on the skiers right of The Upper Face. This will allow them to cover the Face trail from wall to wall and improve the snowmaking coverage in the terrain park. The 30 new snowguns are HKD towers. These will be permanently mounted in various spots around the mountain including on Blockbuster. There are also 3 new areko fan guns that will be used on the triple side of the mountain. With these additional snowguns they can spend less time moving guns around the mountain and more time making the white stuff.

Thanks for the info. Would be smart for Plattekill mgmt to pick up on the interest here and get more detail on the web site.

Reading between the lines it seems like the focus is to bolster coverage on the triple side of the hill, if that's where the 3500' of new pipe is set. BUT is permanent mounting of new snow guns on Blockbuster a new development as well? It's been more than a year since I skied Plattekill (b/c it was washed out whenever I had a Catskills trip and I ended up at Belleayre for the snowmaking ... ) but I don't recall any snowmaking on on the double lift part of the hill (i.e. the steeper side), certainly don't recall any on Blockbuster, which was a steep natural snow bumpfest (with a little grass and rock mixed in) on my last couple of visits.

 

[x10003q]

but I don't recall any snowmaking on on the double lift part of the hill (i.e. the steeper side), certainly don't recall any on Blockbuster, which was a steep natural snow bumpfest (with a little grass and rock mixed in) on my last couple of visits.

I have seen guns blowing snow on Blockbuster but I do not remember how far up the trail they went. The guns look like tower guns except they are on tripods. I am pretty sure they make snow on the North Face trail.

Blockbuster is a great trail.

 

[kingslug]

Interesting. I've loved the place when I've been there, but I've only been after decent-sized storms. Kinda curious what its like when the conditions are a little iffier.

Bring rock skis...cause thats what you'll be on.

 

[kingslug]

I have seen guns blowing snow on Blockbuster but I do not remember how far up the trail they went. The guns look like tower guns except they are on tripods. I am pretty sure they make snow on the North Face trail.

Blockbuster is a great trail.

One of the best trails in the Catskills!!