Skiing, Boarding, and the current climate

[ctenidae]

I honestly don't buy that reason, simply because the money is spent by Peak specifically on 'big guns' which are expensive to run, but at the same time, can produce a massive amount of snow in a rather short period. I suppose to a point it could be replacing older broken down equipment and the such, but many of us have physically seen what Peak is doing as far as new, big guns being installed.

As far as the length of the season, in my opinion seasons are shorter, the larger question is, are they shorter simply because areas don't try as hard to open early and stay open later.

To my defense I suppose, I only started actively skiing allot over the last few years, so my perceptions could be WAY off base.

Great snowmaking is Peak's schtick. It's what they do, and what sets Peak resorts apart from others. At least, in the marketing world, that's probably their line of thinking. Does it realy? That's for you, the consumer, to decide.

I don't know if seasons are shorter or not, either, and while I could hazard some guesses as to why they might be, if they are, they would be just guesses. I think most theories would be along that "not trying" vein, though.

 

[tjf67]

This gets more into the world of economics, budgets, profit margins, stock values and so on ... economics changed in the eighties. The way businesses are run have changed. It has become what is the bottom line for today. Do whatever you need to do but make the bottom line happen today and we won't worry about tomorrow. I remember when people bought and owned stock for the dividend generated but now stock is owned for the potential increase in the stock's value alone. Ski businesses are like any other business today, cut cost... maximize profits at my business it called maximizing the share holders' value. But I have have discovered maximizing the share holders' value is starting to come out of my pocket and my personal time. So everyone is cutting cost , maximizing values which cuts into another business bottom line who cuts cost, raises prices to maximize values and it just keeps going on in a vicious cycle with no end.

The dam efficiency ratio. It has beena PITA for past 5 years and only getting worse.

 

[tcharron]

During off peak electrical hours in ideal temperatures. IE a minority of the time in New England

In the current field of snowmaking, people have talked a whole lot about the efficiency of snow guns, etc. Peak seems to LOOOOVE the big cannons off the side of everyplace. How are they different in when/where/how they run vs the traditional snowmaking you see at larger mountains?

 

[threecy]

In the current field of snowmaking, people have talked a whole lot about the efficiency of snow guns, etc. Peak seems to LOOOOVE the big cannons off the side of everyplace. How are they different in when/where/how they run vs the traditional snowmaking you see at larger mountains?

This was talked about I think around page 8 or so of the lonnnnnnnnnnnng Attitash thread. I'd take an SMI fan gun over air/water for snow quality and efficiency.

For larger mountains, installing all fan guns is a proposition they can't afford. Air/water guns are relatively cheap and easy to move around.