Superstar stockpiles!

[Domeskier]

Yeah ... that second cornice was puny last season

The fourth and fifth headwalls were great until close, however.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Looks bigger in person

 

[ALLSKIING]

Going off

 

[ss20]

I'd like to see Killington use these Ratnik airless snowguns. No compressed air needed. All you need are c-o-l-d temperatures (24 degree wet bulb). Seems efficient to me if you've got plenty of water.

http://www.ratnik.com/H2_gun.html

Anyone seen these before? Skied on their product? I'd imagine it's pretty icy. Blast the trail and cover it with some quality snow from portable fanguns to get a "skiable" product down.

 

[Newpylong]

If they were any good you would see them everywhere. Did you see the output at 300 psi? Not very good except with the largest nozzles meaning ridiculous low wet bulb. Would not be a good investment for someone around here especially with existing air capability.

FYI there isn't 480V all the way up Superstar and the trail is too steep for portable fan guns.

 

[snoseek]

So what are the odds k makes mid may? I would love to end my season lapping SS!

Sent from my LG-H345 using Tapatalk

 

[machski]

I'd like to see Killington use these Ratnik airless snowguns. No compressed air needed. All you need are c-o-l-d temperatures (24 degree wet bulb). Seems efficient to me if you've got plenty of water.

http://www.ratnik.com/H2_gun.html

Anyone seen these before? Skied on their product? I'd imagine it's pretty icy. Blast the trail and cover it with some quality snow from portable fanguns to get a "skiable" product down.

Yes, Tremblant has them on one of the trails in Versant Solei. Trail was not open when I was there and looked like they had yet to be used this year.

Can't imagine they have any throw distance which would be a poor option for a wide trail like Superstar.

 

[ALLSKIING]

So what are the odds k makes mid may? I would love to end my season lapping SS!

Sent from my LG-H345 using Tapatalk

All depends on mother nature

 

[180]

Looking good so far.

 

[drjeff]

I'd like to see Killington use these Ratnik airless snowguns. No compressed air needed. All you need are c-o-l-d temperatures (24 degree wet bulb). Seems efficient to me if you've got plenty of water.

http://www.ratnik.com/H2_gun.html

Anyone seen these before? Skied on their product? I'd imagine it's pretty icy. Blast the trail and cover it with some quality snow from portable fanguns to get a "skiable" product down.

From what I've skied on the last season and a half since Mount Snow installed 600+ guns in a mixture of Ratniks (not the waterless you referenced SS20), HKD's and Snowlogics's, is that the Ratniks make a wetter product, the Snowlogics when it's COLD out make a very dry product, but make a wetter product at marginal temps, and the HKD's make the most consistant, readily skiable product, regardless of what the wet bulb temp is!

I now proceed with caution whenever I'm approaching the roar of a ratnik and when it's mid/upper 20's and I'm approaching the by far most quiet of the 3 snow logic, and don't even think about a speed check when I'm approaching the very quiet hiss of an HKD. I have found there to not really be a difference in the quantity of snow made by all 3 types of low-e guns, but a definite difference of the immediate quality of the snow surface from them. Based on that, I'm guessing that that airless Ratnik would make some good "base type" snow at temps, but wouldn't exactly be a surface that most would find enjoyable until the whales have drained for a few days and been pushed around

 

[WoodCore]

Another potential issue with Ratnik's is the need for increased water pressure to run them effectively. Doubling the water pressure on aged infrastructure never ends well.

 

[Cornhead]

Doubling the water pressure on aged infrastructure never ends well.

This was at Toggenburg last Friday, we were right along side of it on the lift when it blew, I didn't see it happen, I thought someone crashed in the trees when I heard it.

 

[FBGM]

All said guns will make same quality snow. It's up to the snowmakers to do it right.

 

[jaybird]

Them guys did Fenway right

With harvesting in the usual spots, no question SS will make May.
Old style hog guns still rule. Some things better left unchanged.
Tower guns on OL have resulted in 1/2 that trail wasted

 

[ss20]

All said guns will make same quality snow. It's up to the snowmakers to do it right.

That's not how it works, my friend.

 

[FBGM]

That's not how it works, my friend.

At say 20* I can make the same quality snow with any air water gun. It's not rocket science. I wish more east coast ski areas would figure it out. Takes time, employees and training though.

 

[Newpylong]

We "east coast ski areas" can make snow with the best of them and have been since it was invented, thank you.

 

[drjeff]

We "east coast ski areas" can make snow with the best of them and have been since it was invented, thank you.

Exactly!! Those West Coast guys have it easy with all those low humidity days they get compared to the East Coast!!

 

[yeggous]

Another potential issue with Ratnik's is the need for increased water pressure to run them effectively. Doubling the water pressure on aged infrastructure never ends well.

True story. Ask the Peak Resorts guys about this. A few years ago they bought a bunch of new compressors and high efficiency guns at Wildcat. The result was an unmitigated disaster. That is how they blew a pump, frozen a main pipe, and had a constant series of train wrecks in their snowmaking department. They had blowouts left and right. The next year they were forced to replace their pump house and miles of pipe.

 

[SIKSKIER]

(not the waterless you referenced SS20),

Maybe Burke should look into those waterless guns.