1/14 Rain Event: Recovery Mode--Who Is Blowing Snow?

[thetrailboss]

Thought I'd start a separate thread for people who have been out or following what is happening at their favorite mountains to discuss what is going on regarding recovery from this weekend. Who is snowmaking? Who went out? If this is redundant, we can merge it with the 1/14 Storm Thread.

Here's what I know:

Burke: Is blowing snow on multiple trails right now--Lower Fox's and Lower Bear Den as well as Binney Lane on the lower mountain. I think that they will move to other trails to resurface. This is a big change for a place that used to adopt the "Cannon Method" of snowmaking: blow on one trail at a time early in the season and that's it. With more HKD towers, they could do more efficiently.

Sunapee:Blowing snow last night and today. The report does not indicate where though :blink:

Pats Peak: Blowing snow on at least 6-8 trails right now

 

[stomachdoc]

I stayed in MA for the weekend 'cause I'm on call, but my wife says that they're blowing on Tippecanoe, Tyler, Lower Meadows and White Caps at WV. She also says it's a mess...

 

[hammer]

Any reports from Crotched? I'd think that they would be one of the areas that could recover well...

 

[Zand]

Wawa is blowing on the summit trails and in Monadnock. They lost 5 trails from the rain, including the entire Vickery Bowl.

 

[gores95]

Anyone up near Sugarbush? We are going up first week of Feb. In my opinion if any mountain is not blowing extensive snow the next few days they are squandering a big opporutnity of some really cold temps. Apparently another warm up this upcoming week is a real possibility.

Does excessive wind hinder snowmaking? In other words perhaps a mountain would choose not to blow snow and have it all blown into the woods? Just a thought...

Marc

 

[KingM]

Anyone up near Sugarbush?

Word from the guests at the inn is that they were blowing as many trails as possible today.

 

[ga2ski]

Sunday River started to but the winds made it a waste of time. or so I heard. i have been watching football and doing things around the house this weekend.

 

[billski]

Anyone up near Sugarbush? We are going up first week of Feb. In my opinion if any mountain is not blowing extensive snow the next few days they are squandering a big opporutnity of some really cold temps. Apparently another warm up this upcoming week is a real possibility.

Does excessive wind hinder snowmaking? In other words perhaps a mountain would choose not to blow snow and have it all blown into the woods? Just a thought...

Marc

It can. But there are ways to work around it, depending on the topology. Point low, windward pipes, make it in select places and push it around; make snow in protected areas 1st, (winds are usually transitional, based on fronts that pass through), then crank it up later on exposed areas when winds die down. Lots of ways to work it. You just don't want the temps too low.

Crotched mountain has a very good description of how and when to make snow for the casual observer. http://www.crotchedmountain.com/Snowmaking.html Suprising to see such material on a resort web site. Then again, they're carving a nice niche for themselves.

Regarding snowmaking a Crotched, this picture is worth a dozen snowguns:
http://www.crotchedmountain.com/page.php?cid=galimg141

 

[thetrailboss]

Wow. The forecast just adds more insult to injury. Continued cold and windy tomorrow. :x Jay is forecasting 65 mph winds at Summit. This is really bad...glad I'm not in the ski biz, cause this is just depressing

 

[poulu]

i decided to go check out the lyndon outing club this afternoon the face is down to grass with out any snowmaking it will take 6 or 8 inches and no wind to recover we"ll keep our fingers crossed. the passumpsic river has a lot of ice hopefully no jams will occur

 

[snowmonster]

Just got back from Pats Peak and it was great. Got there at about 9 a.m. while it was still snowing and no one was there so we had the place all to ourselves. There was powder all over and it was great. Guns were going all over the place to help things along. Skied under the guns on Tornado and Cyclone. You could see the damage of the rains. Despite the snowmaking, the right side of Tornado was a hockey rink. Skied Hurricane and the FIS Race Trail in the afternoon and the winds were really howling on the upper mountain. All the snow that came down in the morning was blown away and all you had was the ice. When you got to mid-mountain, it was all powder and all was good.

Stayed on for night skiing but they closed the lifts to the main mountain because of the winds. Overall, a great skiing day (though it was painfully cold). Monday looks promising since the winds are supposed to be done and, with all that snowmanking, the mountain should be in great shape.

 

[Tyrolean_skier]

I skied at Hunter today and enjoyed skiing the trails that they were blowing snow on. They were blowing on East-Side Drive and the Milkway. Also on in the area of Minya Konya and Crossover. I am not positive but there may have been snowmaking on The Cliff as well.

 

[billski]

Just got back from Pats Peak and it was great. Got there at about 9 a.m. while it was still snowing and no one was there so we had the place all to ourselves. There was powder all over and it was great. Guns were going all over the place to help things along. Skied under the guns on Tornado and Cyclone. You could see the damage of the rains. Despite the snowmaking, the right side of Tornado was a hockey rink. Skied Hurricane and the FIS Race Trail in the afternoon and the winds were really howling on the upper mountain. All the snow that came down in the morning was blown away and all you had was the ice. When you got to mid-mountain, it was all powder and all was good

Stayed on for night skiing but they closed the lifts to the main mountain because of the winds. Overall, a great skiing day (though it was painfully cold). Monday looks promising since the winds are supposed to be done and, with all that snowmanking, the mountain should be in great shape.

I am hopeful that on Sunday night all areas will have a chance to grind up at least some of that glare and make it at least seem like FRGR. So I laid back Sunday, plan to take the wee one out on Monday.

If it's still glare ice, I'll get a drag chute tethered to her (and me) ....

 

[skibum1321]

Smuggs was blowing a lot of snow during the day Sunday. I've actually never seen them blow so much at one time, not even early season. Nevertheless, they are still in really rough shape and need a bunch of natural to recover any worthwhile terrain.

 

[dmc]

Hunter is still making snow...

As Ty said - there was a lot of snowmaking all day yesterday.. They seemed to have the guns positioned perfectly to keep the snow on the trails...

 

[TwinTips21]

Ascutney is making snow but not in a recovery effort, instead an effort to open more terrain. (I'm happy because it's the trail that leads to my condo's front door)

 

[thetrailboss]

The damage done at Burke over the weekend. Not sure when it was taken...probably Saturday. Snowmaking is ongoing right now though.