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Snow Gun Testing

Jully

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Yeah, I just looked myself actually. Unless something big changes I doubt we're seeing anything in the east for the next two weeks :sad:
 

leejoooo

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very hard to see buy arapahoe is blowing snow. finally can spend my works days watching snow pile up, instead of staring at my cubicle wall. haha.


chairone00001.jpg
 

dlague

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Loveland started last night as soon as the temps went low enough. Looks like we have 4 good nights to make snow. Then it will be borderline at higher elevation then returning to colder temps again at the start of next week. The funny thing is - they start now, but unlike the northeast where they make snow right into January, by the end of November they will shut down snow making operations.

lovelandsm.jpg
 

steamboat1

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But how about back east?????????

Nothing in the near future looks good outside of two short windows early next week at night.

Yeah, I just looked myself actually. Unless something big changes I doubt we're seeing anything in the east for the next two weeks :sad:
Difference is both Killington & Sunday River can get open with less than a 48hr. snowmaking window whereas Arapahoe & Loveland take considerably longer to get open.
 

bdfreetuna

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keep the faith
I think Killington was hoping to start this weekend but with warm temps until next week, and then possibly a hurricane bringing a bunch of rain, not gonna happen.

If I recall they usually try to open around Oct 20th so hopefully we have a North Ridge opening in a couple weekends.
 

Jully

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I've been watching that cold window a lot. I'm really hoping the storm shifts far enough east to clear up the long range forecast by Friday, or so, of this week. I would love love love for them to open next Tuesday or so, but I doubt its happening.

I don't want to wait a couple weekends...
 

Jully

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Difference is both Killington & Sunday River can get open with less than a 48hr. snowmaking window whereas Arapahoe & Loveland take considerably longer to get open.

The speed with which they've both been able to open in these past few years has been so impressive. Unfortunately it is only K with the ability to open super early this year. Aurora is just too big.
 

Newpylong

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Difference is both Killington & Sunday River can get open with less than a 48hr. snowmaking window whereas Arapahoe & Loveland take considerably longer to get open.

K on North Ridge and SR on T2 still both need a solid 36 hrs of marginal to nominal temps. We are talking maybe 12 hours next week (two short 6 hr windows, one each night). Not gonna cut the mustard.
 

slatham

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I think you guys are jumping the gun, both calendar wise (It's Oct 4th for god sake) and weather wise (nothing of note in the 10 day). Give it two weeks, and then only assuming a significant blast comes through. Other than a test, which could happen soon. But full on snowmaking, after Oct 15th, IMHO.
 

drjeff

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Saw on a snowmakers FB group page last night that the crew at Copper turned about 650,000 gallons of water into snow last night with a roughly 15 degree wet bulb temp (at someplace on the mountain at least) last night. The start of base building for the early season US Ski Team training and speed center is well underway there :fangun: :flag:
 

dlague

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Difference is both Killington & Sunday River can get open with less than a 48hr. snowmaking window whereas Arapahoe & Loveland take considerably longer to get open.

Well the advantage for Killington and K is that they open higher terrain serviced by a lift in that area. That being said, SR typically opens a single run whereas Killington opens a hand full of smaller runs requiring a hike up a few (wink wink) steps to return to the base.

Now A Basin and Loveland typically open before either of them but they also have he advantage of higher elevation. The only issue for AB and LL is they have to make snow on a longer stretch due to the way their lifts are laid out.

The issue with all of them - it can get crazy busy due to limited runs.
 

Jully

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I think you guys are jumping the gun, both calendar wise (It's Oct 4th for god sake) and weather wise (nothing of note in the 10 day). Give it two weeks, and then only assuming a significant blast comes through. Other than a test, which could happen soon. But full on snowmaking, after Oct 15th, IMHO.

I don't know if it was the heat this summer or what, but I've way more antsy to get skiing than usual. Its definitely really early and we are jumping the gun, but it doesn't mean I'm not going to get stoked about it!
 

jimmywilson69

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Saw on a snowmakers FB group page last night that the crew at Copper turned about 650,000 gallons of water

That seemed like a lot of water in 1 night of snowmaking. Then I looked up my small hill here in PA and they can pump 4000 GPM. So that's roughly a little less than 3 hours of snowmaking.
 

Jully

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Well the advantage for Killington and K is that they open higher terrain serviced by a lift in that area. That being said, SR typically opens a single run whereas Killington opens a hand full of smaller runs requiring a hike up a few (wink wink) steps to return to the base.

Now A Basin and Loveland typically open before either of them but they also have he advantage of higher elevation. The only issue for AB and LL is they have to make snow on a longer stretch due to the way their lifts are laid out.

The issue with all of them - it can get crazy busy due to limited runs.

I personally love the staircase. It makes for such a fun early season environment at K. SR is obviously a ton of fun too though.

I've never had too much difficulty with early season crowds. I just never go on Saturday. Sundays aren't that bad and if they are or if I hear nightmare stories then I just take a day off work.
 

dlague

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I personally love the staircase. It makes for such a fun early season environment at K. SR is obviously a ton of fun too though.

I've never had too much difficulty with early season crowds. I just never go on Saturday. Sundays aren't that bad and if they are or if I hear nightmare stories then I just take a day off work.

Over the past 6-7 years we have always gone for opening weekend with the exception of one. Never had an issue myself with the stairs, but I know some that do not like it. One year we went it snowed over a foot and people were poaching runs to the bottom.

I liked it when they used to have the grills fired up and the bottom of North Ridge and music blasting. Perfect early season stoke.

East Fall and Rime can get crazy!

Never been to SR for early season - earliest was Dec 24th on a 2 for 1.
 
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