Why I'm glad I bought a pass to Heavenly...

[jerryg]

I love where your head's at. Great info. Thanks for sharing!

@drjeff, they've had it approved to add snowmaking to since 1996 it appears. Definitely bet it's going to happen.

@deadheadskier: here is the snowmaking/resort master plan, and the map to go along with it.

http://www.trpa.org/documents/docdwnlds/Heavenly/5_SNOWMAKING.pdf
http://www.trpa.org/documents/docdwnlds/Heavenly/MAP_SNOWMAKING.pdf

For a quick summary (if I'm reading this right), and keep in mind this is as of May 2007.

California:
16,800cfm of permanant air
5 million gallon reservoir
4300gpm pumping capacity (2800 below dam/1500 above dam)

Nevada:
38,200cfm of permanent air
50 million gallon reservoir
3600gpm of pumping capacity.

Total pumping capacity: 7900gpm - (Not bad: Killington is 12000gpm IIRC).

However, they have very limited recharge rates on their reservoirs, it appears only around 800gpm on the CA side and 600gpm (for only 16 hours a day) on the Nevada side. They want to add 2500gpm of recharge to the system, as well as additional pumping capacity from the reservoirs. (No clue if it's been implemented).


If anyone is that interested, I can provide a bunch more related documents.

 

[snoseek]

From what I've been told they purchased water from the town a couple weeks ago, i presume this is big $$$.

They have a really good snowmaking system for the west, as does Northstar BUT in no way does it match up to the big boys in the east. It takes longer to open terrain and getting a consistent cold window where they can blow 24/7 has been a challenge. They are still making plenty now that its cold.

Olympic to Stagecoach has been open all along and provides a good long run to get in shape and work on skills. That must have taken a good long bit to cover.
The clouds are pushing in as I speak...

 

[bobbutts]

I remember reading somewhere that in the old days employees would shovel the snow out of the woods onto the runs at Killington during lean snow years. Every place moves snow around to some degree, sending it up on the chairlift seems crazy labor intense and inefficient, in other words awesome.

 

[jerryg]

I remember reading somewhere that in the old days employees would shovel the snow out of the woods onto the runs at Killington during lean snow years. Every place moves snow around to some degree, sending it up on the chairlift seems crazy labor intense and inefficient, in other words awesome.

They did this at Mt. Abram as well as they didn't get any snowmaking until the late 80's.