Killington snowmaking gun question

[slatham]

From pictures and cam shots, it looks like Killington is using a lot of on the ground, old fashioned guns (ratnicks?). I know they have high tech fan guns and tower guns, both portable and fixed. Can someone explain the reason for the guns they are using? Thanks.

 

[Puck it]

They are using some portable Low e guns and K3000's. The k3000's can blow snow at higher temps because of the added air they use.

 

[thetrailboss]

They are using some portable Low e guns and K2000's. The k2000's can blow snow at higher temps because of the added air they use.

Right. Also, ground guns generally make wetter snow that is better for base snow. They work better in warmer temperatures because they are low to the ground.

 

[millerm277]

From pictures and cam shots, it looks like Killington is using a lot of on the ground, old fashioned guns (ratnicks?). I know they have high tech fan guns and tower guns, both portable and fixed. Can someone explain the reason for the guns they are using? Thanks.

A/W guns can produce snow at higher temps than anything else, at the expense of being massively inefficient while doing it. (they're normally inefficient compared to other guns, but making snow in extremely marginal temps requires a pretty much exponential additional amount of air....however, since they're the only way to make snow in such temps, the early openers will do it anyway if they can't get a decent stretch of cold.

You'll see other ski areas do the same thing if they're desperate after bad weather before a vacation week or that sort of thing.

 

[drjeff]

The K2000's + LOTS of air (read as essentially all their MASSIVE system can deliver) ='s they're open and SR is semi questionable for tomorrow!

This just proves that inspite of what other marketing departments say, K IS the king of snowmaking power!!!!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[steamboat1]

Yeah & they even sell beer on the lift line.

 

[dmw]

Yeah & they even sell beer on the lift line.

Would be great if that was always the case!

 

[C-Rex]

I would be so much happier to stand in a lift line if someone was selling beer all the time. Maybe some sort of warm treats too, like soft pretzels.

 

[steamboat1]

I would be so much happier to stand in a lift line if someone was selling beer all the time. Maybe some sort of warm treats too, like soft pretzels.

They are also selling hot dogs & snacks on the lift line.

 

[marcski]

I would be so much happier to stand in a lift line if someone was selling beer all the time. Maybe some sort of warm treats too, like soft pretzels.

Stowe used to have the "Swiss Mister" giving out hot chocolate on the liftline.

 

[canobie#1]

North Ridge is too small for those big tower guns. It would be a total eye sore.

 

[Highway Star]

Right. Also, ground guns generally make wetter snow that is better for base snow. They work better in warmer temperatures because they are low to the ground.

Not correct.

 

[Highway Star]

From pictures and cam shots, it looks like Killington is using a lot of on the ground, old fashioned guns (ratnicks?). I know they have high tech fan guns and tower guns, both portable and fixed. Can someone explain the reason for the guns they are using? Thanks.

Yes, they use the K3000 and ratnick snow giant series snowguns mounted on tripods, fairly often, for several reasons. They are light, meaning they can be aimed and moved on and off a trail somewhat quickly. The self-burying issue is not as bad. They have reasonable throw, low blow back, and work well on narrower trails in windy areas.

The K3000 can consume tons of air meaning pretty good production at marginal temps vs. any other snow guns. At very low temps it can have the air shut down and be run with high water flow and low flow losses. Overall it is a basic design that seems reliable, but is not as efficient in the midrange. The Ratinicks use considerably less air with a more modern nozzle so they are better in midrange temps, ~20F. They will also have the HKD ranger portable towers up there that are very efficient but only effective in low temps and low wind. They will mix snowgun types on a line to get prefered water and air consumption.

 

[yeggous]

They have reasonable throw, low blow back, and work well on narrower trails in windy areas.

+1

 

[BushMogulMaster]

The K2000 and K3000 guns are propriety guns engineered for/under Killington years ago by Yaroslav (Slavko) Stanchek (http://www.the-snowman.com/services.html) in the engineering department. They work well, so why would they want to blow hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace effective snowmaking equipment that they invented?

Also, I'm sure it has already been discussed, but without reading all of the above, I'll just add that ground guns are not helpful in marginal temperatures because of the lack of hang time for the water particles. It's more difficult to achieve nucleation with less "air" time before hitting the ground. Tower mounted guns are better for marginal temps, but ground guns are much easier to move around for optimal placement. Air/water guns do tend to perform better in marginal temps in general, however, because the expansion of the high volume of compressed air mixed with water causes a rapid cooling effect (not "supercooling" per se, but the term is often used). Fan guns do not use nearly the volume of compressed air that air/water systems use, and may not perform as well in marginal temps. Either way, marginal temp snowmaking usually = low volume production, wet snow, and lots of $$$ spent (for better or worse).