Pico Will Not Operate 7 Days A Week

[nycskier]

Here is a quick look at some of the snowmaking upgrades going on at Killington and Pico this summer:

• Pico Snowmaking pipe replacement on Upper Pike will begin in late August. We're spending more than $300,000 on this project that will greatly increase our snowmaking capacity and efficiency on the upper portion of the mountain. In addition, you’ll see new hydrants as well
• New Low E snow guns, both heads for existing guns and portable sled units are on order and will be here in time for us to start making snow in early November
• New computer hardware for Snowmaking Central to be installed

While these are not real sexy (i.e. new trails, lifts, lodges, etc.) projects, there are things that really, really needed to get done. But, what does that mean for skiers and riders? These upgrades will allow us to increased our snowmaking firepower from an air and water pressure standpoint. The new computer hardware will greatly increase our monitoring of on-hill operations, which will translate into increased efficiency.

The pipe is on order and will be here in late August. We'll have install photos on the k.com site once the project gets going.

Spin, thanks for the update! Glad to hear about the new snowmaking capacity. The more snow you guys blow the happier we are!!! :-D

 

[thetrailboss]

Here is a quick look at some of the snowmaking upgrades going on at Killington and Pico this summer:

• Pico Snowmaking pipe replacement on Upper Pike will begin in late August. We're spending more than $300,000 on this project that will greatly increase our snowmaking capacity and efficiency on the upper portion of the mountain. In addition, you’ll see new hydrants as well
• New Low E snow guns, both heads for existing guns and portable sled units are on order and will be here in time for us to start making snow in early November
• New computer hardware for Snowmaking Central to be installed

While these are not real sexy (i.e. new trails, lifts, lodges, etc.) projects, there are things that really, really needed to get done. But, what does that mean for skiers and riders? These upgrades will allow us to increased our snowmaking firepower from an air and water pressure standpoint. The new computer hardware will greatly increase our monitoring of on-hill operations, which will translate into increased efficiency.

The pipe is on order and will be here in late August. We'll have install photos on the k.com site once the project gets going.

Excellent. Am looking forward to that. As you know, Ms. TB and I are Pico skiers. Keep us posted.

 

[nycskier]

We will be painting a number of lifts, and the bathrooms at Snowshed and Ramshead will be upgraded. In addition, we have already installed new carpet in Snowshed. Other than that, pretty much all other projects are behind the scenes, such as computers, software and operational systems.

If I am not mistaken the new carpet in Snowshed was an ASC project not Powdrs.

They were already pulling out the carpet at Snowshed before the deal was closed. I remember joking with some friends at the time that ASC sold the mountain but not the carpets!

I was told by some people who worked at Killington that the snowshed carpet replacement was in the works for sometime and had been plan even before the sale was announced.

 

[SpinmasterK]

If I am not mistaken the new carpet in Snowshed was an ASC project not Powdrs.

They were already pulling out the carpet at Snowshed before the deal was closed. I remember joking with some friends at the time that ASC sold the mountain but not the carpets!

I was told by some people who worked at Killington that the snowshed carpet replacement was in the works for sometime and had been plan even before the sale was announced.

Yes, you are correct. However, I was just pointing out some of the new items.

 

[threecy]

Yes, you are correct. However, I was just pointing out some of the new items.

Thank you, I think you just did your area a great service here. It puts in better perspective for those outside the industry what $3M can buy.

 

[JimG.]

Here is a quick look at some of the snowmaking upgrades going on at Killington and Pico this summer:

• Pico Snowmaking pipe replacement on Upper Pike will begin in late August. We're spending more than $300,000 on this project that will greatly increase our snowmaking capacity and efficiency on the upper portion of the mountain. In addition, you’ll see new hydrants as well
• New Low E snow guns, both heads for existing guns and portable sled units are on order and will be here in time for us to start making snow in early November
• New computer hardware for Snowmaking Central to be installed

While these are not real sexy (i.e. new trails, lifts, lodges, etc.) projects, there are things that really, really needed to get done. But, what does that mean for skiers and riders? These upgrades will allow us to increased our snowmaking firepower from an air and water pressure standpoint. The new computer hardware will greatly increase our monitoring of on-hill operations, which will translate into increased efficiency.

The pipe is on order and will be here in late August. We'll have install photos on the k.com site once the project gets going.

Appreciate this feedback alot...keep posting.

Talk to us.

 

[Vortex]

Hope this is not a dulicate, thankx for posting tom. I think you have a tough job that you do with the right attitutude and goals. You will have the chance this witner to show what the mountain can do. Keep posting here.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Thank you, I think you just did your area a great service here. It puts in better perspective for those outside the industry what $3M can buy.

Not much.

 

[millerm277]

These upgrades will allow us to increased our snowmaking firepower from an air and water pressure standpoint.

Will you be able to use the Tower guns this year?

 

[SpinmasterK]

Will you be able to use the Tower guns this year?

Yes, that is the plan. However, there are different types of heads on tower mount guns. Some have new Low E heads (especially on the upper portions of the mountain) and most others have older models. Last year on Superstar we used the ground-based K3000 guns for most of the production due to marginal weather conditions, namely high humidity. Remember the fog banks the guns created there last year? Low E and some tower mount guns/heads work best in wet bulb temperatures (combined air temp and humidity) below 24 degrees. With the K3000, we are able to produce snow at web bulb temperatures up to 28 degrees. However, in those conditions we're using an incredible amount of air pressure!

 

[threecy]

Not much.

Why don't you help provide them with some additional capital? I mean if $3M isn't much, then getting them another $10M shouldn't be an issue. It's going to have a great return on investment, right?

 

[JimG.]

Why don't you help provide them with some additional capital? I mean if $3M isn't much, then getting them another $10M shouldn't be an issue. It's going to have a great return on investment, right?

This isn't productive.

I mean, if someone wants to take the approach that $3M isn't much, neither is $10M. You'll never understand that logic.

The real problem is that the new owners have to deal with and somehow satisfy this ethic.
The $3M bone was too small I guess.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Why don't you help provide them with some additional capital? I mean if $3M isn't much, then getting them another $10M shouldn't be an issue. It's going to have a great return on investment, right?

That's just silly. So because I don't think $3MM represents much in the way of capital, I would need to reach into my bank account to come up with a number that makes sense? Since you are the self-proclaimed industry insider, since when does new carpeting and fresh paint on the lifts represent a notable portion of an off-season capital plan? That just wreaks of spin and desperation.

 

[threecy]

since when does new carpeting and fresh paint on the lifts represent a notable portion of an off-season capital plan? That just wreaks of spin and desperation.

I don't recall spinmasterK citing that in his initial post highlighting the expansion. I recall lots of snowmaking. Though obviously not all of the $3M is going into snowmaking, $3M goes a lot farther with an air/water system than with a fan gun system.

SP/Powdr are putting more into Killington in their first partial year of ownership than ASC had recently. If you really think they should pour more money in, help them out or don't ski there. I think they're putting an adequate investment in for their first 7 months of ownership. They could get by without any investment if they really wanted to be cheap.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

I don't recall spinmasterK citing that in his initial post highlighting the expansion. I recall lots of snowmaking. Though obviously not all of the $3M is going into snowmaking, $3M goes a lot farther with an air/water system than with a fan gun system.

That's a pretty disingenuous statement. The reason SpinmasterK focused on snowmaking in his original post on the subject was due to the following preface:

Here is a quick look at some of the snowmaking upgrades going on at Killington and Pico this summer

I'd like to know the breakdown of the $3MM between real snowmaking improvements, back-office computers/systems, and paint/carpet nonsense. Even in the snowmaking number, it would be interesting to know what is just "stay in business" type stuff and what is actual improvement of the system. If you are replacing compressors or pipes that were on their last legs anyway, I really can't give you much credit for an "improvement" per se. You had to do it just to keep the system functioning.

SP/Powdr are putting more into Killington in their first partial year of ownership than ASC had recently. If you really think they should pour more money in, help them out or don't ski there. I think they're putting an adequate investment in for their first 7 months of ownership. They could get by without any investment if they really wanted to be cheap.

Talk about setting a low bar. From what I recall, ASC had been spending about $2MM per year in capital there. Sometimes more, sometimes less. That's not much of an increase over a bar which was set absurdly low. If they tried to get by without any investment, they wouldn't get by - they'd likely go out of business as things started to break down on a more frequent basis. You've already stipulated that the place has been run into the ground by a lack of capital from ASC. You've furthermore noted that notable upgrades at ski resorts are expensive. So are you trying to push the notion that the extra $1MM from POWDR this year is going to have some sort of noticeable impact? Even the snowmaking imprvements they've deatiled don't mean much if they are shortening the season yet again. Moreover, much of those improvements (Low Energy guns) are designed to save them money more than increase the quantity of snow produced.

 

[threecy]

Are you a season pass holder at Killington/Pico, or an owner of SP/Powdr?

 

[Newpylong]

I don't recall spinmasterK citing that in his initial post highlighting the expansion. I recall lots of snowmaking. Though obviously not all of the $3M is going into snowmaking, $3M goes a lot farther with an air/water system than with a fan gun system.

SP/Powdr are putting more into Killington in their first partial year of ownership than ASC had recently. If you really think they should pour more money in, help them out or don't ski there. I think they're putting an adequate investment in for their first 7 months of ownership. They could get by without any investment if they really wanted to be cheap.

There is no reason why they SHOULDN'T be putting more money into the place than ASC did. They have more money, and much needs to be done to make up for many years of little spending. When a rinky dink outfit like Peaks Resort is going balls out to show their commitment, and this is all POWDR is going to spend this year, puhlease. What a let down....

Yes, a carpet is definitely something that's needed. A red carpet for the herbs to roll in on. Nevermind one side of the damn Peak Lodge is falling off!

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Are you a season pass holder at Killington/Pico, or an owner of SP/Powdr?

D) None of the above

 

[threecy]

D) None of the above

End of story then.

 

[threecy]

There is no reason why they SHOULDN'T be putting more money into the place than ASC did. They have more money, and much needs to be done to make up for many years of little spending. When a rinky dink outfit like Peaks Resort is going balls out to show their commitment, and this is all POWDR is going to spend this year, puhlease. What a let down....

Yes, a carpet is definitely something that's needed. A red carpet for the herbs to roll in on. Nevermind one side of the damn Peak Lodge is falling off!

They've only had the place for a few months...it won't even be a full calendar year until next year...give them a chance, what they're doing now is already more than ASC did recently.