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November 2024Making Snow The Cross-Country Way
Low-snow winters have convinced some operators to embrace small snowmaking systems. When it comes to natural snow, the climate these days isn’t always forthcoming. It was especially stingy last winter in the Midwest, where states like Minnesota and Wisconsin saw almost no snow. This kind of di Low-snow winters have convinced some operators to embrace small snowmaking systems.
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July 2024The Future of All-Weather Snowmaking
The market is growing for all-weather “snowmaking boxes” as the technology continues to become more refined. When Ski Ward in central Massachusetts fired up its Latitude 90 all-weather snowmaking machine in earnest for the first time in October 2023, it was like Christmas in July. White flakes The market is growing for all-weather “snowmaking boxes” as the technology continues to become...
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May 2024Snowmaking's Secret Sauce
Prioritize your people to perfec the snowmaking process and product. Imagine this: You’re a snowmaker on a snowmaking gun run. It’s 2 a.m., and the wind is howling with snow swirling about. Visibility is 10 feet, and every step fights you. Sled guns are poking through the snow like miniature v Prioritize your people to perfec the snowmaking process and product.
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November 2023New HQs for Mountain Ops
Mountain operations have expanded greatly over the decades, and so must the notion of “maintenance shops.” Maintenance shops are one of those capital expense items that are often difficult to fund. The guest doesn’t see them, and they can put a large dent in an area’s budget, knocking the Mountain operations have expanded greatly over the decades, and so must the notion of “maintenance...
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November 2023Construction Site : November 2023
It was a big summer for capital improvements at North American ski areas. CRANMORE, NH When Cranmore tore down its main base lodge in April 2022, it planned to complete the first floor of a new mixed-use building in time for the 2022-23 ski season. Covid supply chain and labor challenges It was a big summer for capital improvements at North American ski areas.
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September 2023Construction Site :: September 2023
Lift and facility upgrades for the 2023-24 season aim to enhance the guest experience. BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN, ID The summer of 2023 has seen the largest capital investment ever at Brundage, with construction underway on a new detachable quad lift and a 17,000-square-foot skier services building Lift and facility upgrades for the 2023-24 season aim to enhance the guest experience.
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July 2023Building for Efficiency
After Grand Targhee's old maintenance shop collapsed, the resort planned for and built a new shop with all the fixins to help its crew do their jobs right. The basic elements of an efficient maintenance shop have remained constant over the decades, though some shops still lack one or more of these After Grand Targhee's old maintenance shop collapsed, the resort planned for and built a new shop...
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March 2023Water in Reserve
As the need for high-volume snowmaking rises, water reservoirs can be a smart, efficient investment. With narrowing snowmaking windows and increasingly efficient snow gun productivity, water pumping capacities have been rising at a significant rate. However, water sources have generally remained t As the need for high-volume snowmaking rises, water reservoirs can be a smart, efficient investment.
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November 2022Smooth Operations
How to get the most out of today's impressive mountain ops management software. Mountain operations teams have traditionally functioned and stayed organized largely by routine, using paper checklists and clipboards, and relying on institutional knowledge. Introducing a new software platform that p How to get the most out of today's impressive mountain ops management software.
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November 2022New Products :: November 2022
Equipment, tools, and tech for ski area operators. SMI SNOW MAKERS: L120 The L120 is the newest and largest all-weather snowmaking machine from SMI Snow Makers. It has four, 30-metric-ton flake-ice evaporators that can run independently or at the same time, all housed in an 8’ x 40’ footpri Equipment, tools, and tech for ski area operators.
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May 2022The Best-laid (Snowmaking) Plans
Your snowmaking strategy and master plan should drive the bottom line. Here’s how. I remember sliding down Cupp Run at Snowshoe Mountain, W.Va.—not on skis, but on my back, desperately attempting to arrest my fall on the resort’s steepest run. I was making snow for the second time in my li Your snowmaking strategy and master plan should drive the bottom line. Here’s how.
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May 2021Piping Up
A look at the backbone of every snowmaking system's infrastructure. Since the major snowmaking installations of the 1970s and ’80s, snowmaking pipe has undergone a substantial transformation in terms of materials, sizing, and installation techniques. The major types of pipes on the market— A look at the backbone of every snowmaking system's infrastructure.
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March 2021Trial by Fire
Wildfire was just one of the challenges China Peak overcame in expanding its snowmaking system. Drought, forest fire, pestilence (Covid), and explosions. China Peak Mountain Resort experienced a mini- apocalypse in 2020. But this Central California ski area is back stronger than ever, than Wildfire was just one of the challenges China Peak overcame in expanding its snowmaking system.
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January 2021Snowmaking Hydrants
Exploring the current marketplace of this all-important part of snowmaking infrastructure. In their earliest incarnations back in the 1960s, hydrants used for snowmaking were originally designed for agricultural use. However, these hydrants weren’t equipped to handle the higher pressures Exploring the current marketplace of this all-important part of snowmaking infrastructure.
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July 2020Construction Site :: July 2020
Lift, lodge, and snowmaking projects are underway across the continent. ARAPAHOE BASIN, CO Arapahoe Basin is installing two new Leitner-Poma fixed-grip lifts, a double to replace the iconic Pallivacini chair and a quad to replace a small beginner learning lift, the Molly Hogan. Construction Lift, lodge, and snowmaking projects are underway across the continent.
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May 2020Quid Pro Snow
Advances in snowmaking technology have boosted snowmaking efficiency by up to 75 percent and reshaped the industry. An industry veteran gives context to the state of the art. Snow, natural and manmade, is a many-splendored thing. The Inuit of Labrador above the Arctic Circle have 10 basic words th Advances in snowmaking technology have boosted snowmaking efficiency by up to 75 percent and...
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March 2020Snow News is Good News
Resorts are adopting new snowmaking technology and ensuring a better experience for guests—and achieving a rapid ROI. The squeeze is on when it comes to making snow. And as snowmaking technology has made giant leaps forward in the past few years, that concept applies on two fronts: the e Resorts are adopting new snowmaking technology and ensuring a better experience for guests—and...
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March 2020Ice That's Nice
The making of a World Cup race course. For the last four years, the snowmaking crew at Killington, Vt., has begun a process in October that most snowmakers try to avoid: Laying out a deep blanket of the wettest, densest snow imaginable, aiming for a surface as close to glass-hard ice as po The making of a World Cup race course.
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November 2019How Deep is Your Snow?
Snow depth management systems enable more effective and efficient grooming and, increasingly, snowmaking. One of the wonderful ironies of modern grooming is that, in order to achieve snow-depth precision within an inch or two beneath a groomer’s blade, you must zoom all the way into Earth’ Snow depth management systems enable more effective and efficient grooming and, increasingly,...
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September 2019Building Snowmaking Teams
Resorts have realized it takes a lot more than a decent wage to successfully hire and retain good snowmakers. Employee hiring and retention isn’t getting any easier for the snowsports industry. Finding snowmakers is especially difficult, and we’re not even talking about keeping them ar Resorts have realized it takes a lot more than a decent wage to successfully hire and retain good...
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September 2019Construction Site :: September 2019
Major projects are in full swing at resorts across North America, including big lifts, snowmaking overhauls, and a base area renaissance. SQUAW VALLEY ALPINE MEADOWS, CAIn response to input from a guest survey, Alpine Meadows is replacing the base-area Hot Wheels CTEC Triple with a new, longer Major projects are in full swing at resorts across North America, including big lifts, snowmaking...
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July 2019Pumps and Compressors
It may be time to rethink this essential infrastructure in response to changes in snowmaking technology or a desire to maximize energy efficiency. Most snowmaking infrastructure is not visible to the general public. Snow guns tend to steal the spotlight, both for their visibility and recent techno It may be time to rethink this essential infrastructure in response to changes in snowmaking...
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March 2019Automated Returns
How a Midwest resort company on a tight budget transitioned from antiquated manual snowmaking to a modern, efficient system. When it comes to snowmaking, most North American ski areas are decidedly old-school. Many European counterparts turn to high-tech solutions to manage when, where, and how mu How a Midwest resort company on a tight budget transitioned from antiquated manual snowmaking to a...
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March 2019Snowmaking Upgrades Make a Difference
More-efficient systems are transforming the on-snow experience across the continent. Brendan Ryan, VP of projects for Peak Resorts, has spent the last three years supervising installation of a $30 million snowmaking upgrade at Mount Snow, Vt. Over the Christmas holidays, Ryan rode up the chairlift More-efficient systems are transforming the on-snow experience across the continent.
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May 2018Can Snowmaking Compensate for Climate Change?
A little-read study from the EPA suggests resorts can survive this century’s projected global warming—if they achieve greater efficiencies in snowmaking. In June of 2016, I got a call from Dave Mills of Abt Associates in Boulder, Colo. He and his team, all skiers, were in a late draft of a whi A little-read study from the EPA suggests resorts can survive this century’s projected global...
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