Mount Snow Construction pics

[drjeff]

I was up at my place over the weekend and took a nice hike Sunday AM up Snowdance, over to the bottom of Ripcord and then back to and down Canyon/Standard. Alot of constrcution going on(in addition to alot of Mtn Bike Racing)!

So far, they've installed 3 tower fan guns on Launch pad (to complement the 1 that was there already), 6 installed on the lower roughly 1/2 of Snowdance with another 4 or 5 tower footings in place and sites staked out all the way to the top of snowdance for more fan guns! 2 more fan guns are installed already at the bottom of Standard with footing for 2 or 3 more inplace already. Chair maintenance is taking place on Ego Alley. Lots of electrical line is being installed, and even brochures from some of the Peak Resorts midwest holding have shown up in the brochure rack in the base lodge(still no bathroom renovation work yet )

Not much happening (yet) over on the Carinthia side. Peak Resorts is really making a big statement so far and kudos to them for that!

Pics below:

 

[snowman]

What is most interesting to me is what you did not mention, but did take a picture of. 24 inch pipe. Why is that interesting? That is the same diameter as the proposed mains connection to the reservoir and is useless for anything but. It being on site is a clear indication they have the go on that project (even if it has not been announced) and are getting ready to proceed with it now!

 

[Vinny]

Thanks for posting your pics. Things are certainly going in the right direction.

Also "snowman", that's an interesting comment on the 24" pipe. I thought that even if they get approval it was going to be at least another year before they could connect to the reservoir. Are they panning to lay the pipe ahead of time, or am I wrong about the timing of the connection?

Boy, with a little help from Mother Nature we could be in for a great season. Reading through their plans, it appears that we should get a few years of continual improvement.

 

[snowman]

Thanks for posting your pics. Things are certainly going in the right direction.

Also "snowman", that's an interesting comment on the 24" pipe. I thought that even if they get approval it was going to be at least another year before they could connect to the reservoir. Are they panning to lay the pipe ahead of time, or am I wrong about the timing of the connection?

Boy, with a little help from Mother Nature we could be in for a great season. Reading through their plans, it appears that we should get a few years of continual improvement.

I have no inside information on Mount Snow's plans, but they obviously have inside information on the approval process. They would not be bringing in 24 inch pipe on speculation. Considering the cost of it and the carrying cost of just having a parking lot full of it doing nothing, they would not be bringing it in at all unless they planned to start laying it soon. I say they've already been given an inside nod and are going to start laying all the 24 on resort property this summer and head out to the reservoir this winter as planned. They would not be laying 24 for any other reason. I don't think they currently have the water supply and the pumps to preasurize 24's to the PSI required for snowmaking. :-o

 

[drjeff]

What is most interesting to me is what you did not mention, but did take a picture of. 24 inch pipe. Why is that interesting? That is the same diameter as the proposed mains connection to the reservoir and is useless for anything but. It being on site is a clear indication they have the go on that project (even if it has not been announced) and are getting ready to proceed with it now!

All the pipe in the foreground was the big diameter (looked more in the 15" or so range in person) and the pipe in the background was the smaller 6-8" diameter that lines most trails. I do know from having watched them lay it last MLK weekend that Mtn. Ops had to replace a few hundred feet of the big diameter pipe when the line from the Snow Lake pump house went. Also their pipe "stock" that they keep around the mid mountain pump house by Cooper's Junction/the base of the Sundance lift is/was quite low. My guess is that all this pipe is for regular(read as ASC defferred maintenance) pipe replacement since even the time line for the Somerset project has them placing the pipe at Mean low Winter water levels, not warm weather water levels. Just a guess.

 

[snowman]

All the pipe in the foreground was the big diameter (looked more in the 15" or so range in person) and the pipe in the background was the smaller 6-8" diameter that lines most trails. I do know from having watched them lay it last MLK weekend that Mtn. Ops had to replace a few hundred feet of the big diameter pipe when the line from the Snow Lake pump house went. Also their pipe "stock" that they keep around the mid mountain pump house by Cooper's Junction/the base of the Sundance lift is/was quite low. My guess is that all this pipe is for regular(read as ASC defferred maintenance) pipe replacement since even the time line for the Somerset project has them placing the pipe at Mean low Winter water levels, not warm weather water levels. Just a guess.

Ha ha....Deferrd ASC maintence! As in lets defer all maintence for years on end until after we sell the place :razz: ! The pipe looks like 24's in the pic (hard to guage without some sort of reference), but if you think it's only 15's or 16's you're probably right with your guess. I would bet there current main line is 15 or 16. This guessing game can only be settled with a tape measure :smile:

 

[snowman]

If the lodge is nasty at mount snow as some suggest, I wonder if they will buldoze it and build a modern building like they did at crotched? Although a modern, efficient metal building is the best way to go to keep all costs under control (as they did at crotched), I dislike the crotched "lodge", as it has more of an elementary school feeling to it than a ski lodge.

 

[Newpylong]

The main base lodge isn't nasty per say, but is showing its age and has been outgrown. The Sundance and Carinthia lodges on the other hand, aren't in the best shape. They are original mountain structures and are beyond old! They get packed on the weekends and they need to be replaced.

 

[clenois]

Hey guys,

The correct diameter of those pipes is actually 18" ... so no one wins the prize!

According to our Mountain Ops director, Dave Moulton, the pipes have a number of uses. They could be used to feed the new snowmaking technology, but they are also the same size as ones we use on Handle Road for snowmaking, so they can be used there if repairs are needed. While we did purchase these pipes with the Somerset project in mind, there are no plans for installing them this season unless needed for repair work, as we do not have the necessary permits yet.

We are submitting our Act 250 permit application later this week. In the best case scenario, building would begin in February 2008. At this point, there are no certainties about the approval process. We are working very hard to gain support for this project in the Mount Snow Valley. The best way to direct your enthusiasm, especially if you are a property owner in the state of Vermont, is to write, email or call town and state officials with your support for the project.

Chris Lenois
Mount Snow

 

[drjeff]

Hey guys,

The correct diameter of those pipes is actually 18" ... so no one wins the prize!

According to our Mountain Ops director, Dave Moulton, the pipes have a number of uses. They could be used to feed the new snowmaking technology, but they are also the same size as ones we use on Handle Road for snowmaking, so they can be used there if repairs are needed. While we did purchase these pipes with the Somerset project in mind, there are no plans for installing them this season unless needed for repair work, as we do not have the necessary permits yet.

We are submitting our Act 250 permit application later this week. In the best case scenario, building would begin in February 2008. At this point, there are no certainties about the approval process. We are working very hard to gain support for this project in the Mount Snow Valley. The best way to direct your enthusiasm, especially if you are a property owner in the state of Vermont, is to write, email or call town and state officials with your support for the project.

Chris Lenois
Mount Snow

Hey Chris, a quick ?? for you. I noticed when hiking around that between the unloading area for the Discovery triple and the last hit from Un Blanco Gulch, that 4 of the "footing" posts(like the one pictured in the 3rd picture I posted at the start of this thread) were set in the ground in real close proximity to each other (look like all 4 in about a 10 foot space). What's going to go there?? Is it 4 Polecats really closely spaced? Some type of sign board? Just curious.

Thanks! Dr J

 

[clenois]

Those are posts for tower mounts. Not sure if all are going to stay there or not. Placement plans for the new fan guns are not finalized at this point. But that is an area where we could blow a ton of snow and push onto various trails.

 

[snowman]

Those are posts for tower mounts. Not sure if all are going to stay there or not. Placement plans for the new fan guns are not finalized at this point. But that is an area where we could blow a ton of snow and push onto various trails.

Thanks for chiming in with the real answers and keeping us from speculation battle! :-D Is there anything you can state about my speculation a lodge or 2 might get bulldozed in favor of a modern looking buildings like crotched in the next couple years?

 

[Vinny]

Just read this. Another small step closer to approvals.

Wardsboro backs Mount Snow pipeline

 

[drjeff]

Those are posts for tower mounts. Not sure if all are going to stay there or not. Placement plans for the new fan guns are not finalized at this point. But that is an area where we could blow a ton of snow and push onto various trails.

I'm just picturing what those 4 polecats(if all installed there) could do when combined with the 5 on launch pad already there. You guys could bury the beginner hill with enough snow to keep it skiable until June!

What I really think they'd be used for given their location is to help augment the quantity of snow used for features on the bottom portion of Un Blanco Gulch