Totally depends on the trail, pitch, and existing conditions. For example, we're running every gun on Free Fall right now, but every other on Long John. We've also got every other on Ridge, except for one pitch where we're running every one.
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Mount Snow: Inside Track
- Thread starter MountSnow
- Start date
Totally depends on the trail, pitch, and existing conditions. For example, we're running every gun on Free Fall right now, but every other on Long John. We've also got every other on Ridge, except for one pitch where we're running every one.
Update at 3:34pm
Currently, we're running 191 guns that are using around 50% of system capacity, or 5,000/11,800. The plan tonight is to have 250+ plus going.
Currently, we're running 191 guns that are using around 50% of system capacity, or 5,000/11,800. The plan tonight is to have 250+ plus going.
Yep. Started at the Summit and worked their way down as the temps dropped. The mid mountain cam now moves and shows more of the mountain.
Just checked the Mt. Snow cams and seems they're blowing snow just about everywhere. Nice!
Jully
Active member
Love seeing snowmaking maps like that! Impressive stuff.
KustyTheKlown
Well-known member
I've never cared for mount snow. the terrain just bores me. but reading this thread, i must give credit where credit is due. a huge +1 for being so communicative with us here, and a huge +1 for this impressive snowmaking investment and utilization. way to go.
drjeff
Well-known member
Damn!!! Loving the West Lake firepower!!
Newpylong
Well-known member
Last edited:
mister moose
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Geek question.
Where does the 11,800 number come from?
Manufacturer open flow number?
Manufacturer number for given pressure?
Does it take into account Mt Snow's pipe diameters?
Because I'm guessing no one ever put a bucket under every gun and measured it.
Are there flow meters anywhere in the system?
Thanks!
It's too bad that Peaks snowmaking efforts in New Hampshire have been a joke so far this year.
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Newpylong
Well-known member
Usually a systems performance is advertised as what the pumps can discharge. There is a performance curve for each pump based on pressure, flow and head height. IE Pump X can discharge 1,000 GPM @ 600 psi at 1300 TDH (total dynamic head or how high it can pump at those numbers). There flow meters in the pump house and usually on the mountain as well.
Jamie correct me if I am wrong but the new Carinthia pumphouse has 5 pumps 10,000 GPM total which is then boosted at Roy with 5 identical pumps to the summit. The main uphill line up Ridge is large enough to get all of this water to the summit. The remainder of the water 1800 GPM comes out of the Upper Carinthia pumphouse.
ss20
Well-known member
You know Mount Snow is their baby...
For sure, it's their cash cow, but if they neglect their NH passholders too much we will go elsewhere. I've voted with my wallet before. I could do it again. Cannon is looking mighty good right now.
Peaks owns three areas in the state. They'll likely still have only one of three open this weekend with zero novice terrain open at Wildcat. As someone with a toddler I'm eager to get skiing, it pisses me off that the only option I got this weekend is driving him 3 hours to Snow.
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chuckstah
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I agree. Being a new this season NH Peak passholder I have really liked the effort at Mt Snow. Great job. I've had a handful of good days there. However, I was also expecting more terrain in NH by this point. Many areas much further south than Crotched are open, and Wildcat has basically 2 and a bit runs. And no Attitash yet. Weak. I switched from a Boyne pass to the Peak pass this season for cost, but if I end up buying a bunch of early, or late, lift tickets to ski elsewhere it's no bargain. Boyne has lots of terrain open at 3 resorts, and I am missing my local option at Loon. I hope I feel differently by the end of my season, or I will certainly consider other options such as Cannon or back to Boyne.
Smellytele
Well-known member
To take a Highwaystar quote and put it to use for peaks. Peaks=fail!
Jcb890
Active member
Its a shame because the forecast for Wildcat Saturday evening looks pretty solid, I'm seeing 4-6" on snow-forecast.com, but if they've only got 2-2.5 paths down the mountain, I'll have a hard time selling the wife on that.
SIKSKIER
New member
I will say that Wildcat has the same acres open as Cannon but it feels like a lot more at Cannon because of how its broken up into the lift pods.Technically Cannon only has 2 ttb runs because there are only 2 trails open at the top.Many more options from mid down though.That will change soon as 2 more will open at the top soon plus Mittersill wont be far behind as they are there now.FWIW
This would be a cool thing to integrate onto the webcams page.
Jully
Active member
Agree! I'd love to see more ski areas do that. Sunday River posted a picture of the snowmaking map and what they were lighting up early season. It would be cool to see that as expansion progresses!
You asked, so here we go (had to go to our VP of Special Ops for this one, so it's going to get a bit techy):
The short answer is that Mount Snow has two pumping systems. West Lake Pumphouse at 10,000 gpm design and upper Carinthia Pumphouse at 11,800 design. Pumps all have pump curves - where the nameplate flow and head (discharge pressure) is at a point typically called Qopt. With a normal pump curve flow is inversely proportional to pressure. IE - if the flow increases (turn more guns on) the pressure decreases.
That’s based on theoretical design. Friction comes into play (most directly with pipe diameter)
This is what we’ve actually flowed this year:
West Lake Pumphouse has 5 pumps that are all 2,000 gpm pumps.
Carinthia Pumphouse has 8 pumps that are 1,000 gpm pumps that are rated to produce about 700 psi of total head. We don’t need this much pressure now, so by running those pumps further out on their curve we have been able to produce 9,600 gpm out of 8 pumps (measured by an ultrasonic flowmeter).
We also reconfigured upper Carinthia, so that it only runs down - which lets us run much further out on the curve there (don’t need as much pressure) We’ve seen 2,250 gpm (measured by an ultrasonic flow meter) there this season.
So technically our max flow to date has been 11,850. The key for opening terrain fast is the crew and gun infrastructure. We’re averaging well over 9,000 gpm for the season which is nearly an 80% utilization rate. For a system of this size - that’s the most important #.
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