Snowmaking

[riderossi]

I've heard from more than one person that Sno is locked into a deal with PP&L that does't allow them to blow during the day or something along those lines, but that they are trying to get out of the deal. Anyone know more about this

[Schif]

I've heard from more than one person that Sno is locked into a deal with PP&L that does't allow them to blow during the day or something along those lines, but that they are trying to get out of the deal. Anyone know more about this

 

I find that pretty hard to believe. Why are the other mountains allowed to blow during the day?

Edited December 8, 2006 by Schifdawg

[riderossi]

I find that pretty hard to believe. Why are the other mountains allowed to blow during the day?

Well i would imagine it was something involved with the sale. One of the people i heard about it from is a lift supervisor for Sno.. so i really don't have any idea. That's why i'm asking here.

[trackbiker]

Utilities often offer reduced rates to big users if they limit their high energy use activities to off-peak hours.

 

Has Sno started any serious snowmaking, or are they still in the installation/testing phase?

[riderossi]

Utilities often offer reduced rates to big users if they limit their high energy use activities to off-peak hours.

 

Has Sno started any serious snowmaking, or are they still in the installation/testing phase?

 

well it's 12:30 and they are blowing right now...

[Papasteeze]

well it's 12:30 and they are blowing right now...

 

reduced rates or not, I don't think anyone can afford to NOT blow during this cold spell.

[Schif]

The reduced rate thing makes sense in a way, but if you take into account how little time out of the year you can actually turn on snow guns I dont think it would be an issue.

[Ski]

I'm sure their not going to risk what will be over $25 million in investments trying to save 3% on an $8,000 bill. Perhaps the guy you talked to just wasn't clear...ski areas often buy pre-paid blocks and the ski areas obviously have their money go farther when their usage is off-peak. That's the same for all of us, though. And even if Lackawanna had entered into some crazy deal with PPL, every contract ever written can be broken.

[riderossi]

Just got back from the mountain, they are blowing at the top of iron horse in 2 or 3 places. And also 1 gun on the bunny which is about 1/4 of the way covered now.

[Schif]

Just got back from the mountain, they are blowing at the top of iron horse in 2 or 3 places. And also 1 gun on the bunny which is about 1/4 of the way covered now.

 

Was there any action on the North Face? There are a lot of changes up there, but its nice to see that they didn't do a lot to change the way the site is updated.

[Sno Mountain Skier]

Was there any action on the North Face? There are a lot of changes up there, but its nice to see that they didn't do a lot to change the way the site is updated.

Northface has been getting snowmaking, not sure exactly what trail but either lightning or Boomer couldnt tell from the road.

[Ski]

They better hit it hard while they have these temps, especially since they plan to open 12/15.

 

BTW, when you click on HOURS, they just have office hours and not lift hours. I can't imagine they won't start running the lifts earlier during midweek, rather than noon. Anyone see a brochure with hours?

[Ski]

I imagine it was just a matter of getting the new guns installed. They could make all the claims they wanted about a deep base by December 15th, but we're all a little smarter than that. From all of CB's snowmaking upgrades over the last decade, they should be able to open by October...and Shawnee supposedly opens every Thanksgiving.

 

The bottom line is always the same: Mother Freakin' Nature. Sno gets a pass this year because of the bullsh*t hold-ups by Washo.

 

Next season, when it's cold on Nov. 20th, we'll hold them to it, since there won't be any excuses for not blowing.

[riderossi]

They better hit it hard while they have these temps, especially since they plan to open 12/15.

 

BTW, when you click on HOURS, they just have office hours and not lift hours. I can't imagine they won't start running the lifts earlier during midweek, rather than noon. Anyone see a brochure with hours?

 

I almost shat my pants when i clicked on hours and saw those listed. When you call the phone number it lists the same hours for the office hours. The shifts for working lifts are 8-3:30 for first shift on weekdays, 7:30-3:30 on weekends.

 

 

Next season, when it's cold on Nov. 20th, we'll hold them to it, since there won't be any excuses for not blowing.

 

Am i the only one that sees no chance of opening on the 15th? There is barely any base whatsoever on the 3 trails up top that they were blowing on (upper's and whistler), you can still see grass poking through, and some major patches of grass in areas. They are not blowing every chance they get, more like about 20% of the time. When they are making snow it's a few guns here and there, not a full out assault like a place trying to open. I think they are taking their time with snow making because they don't have anything else ready. It's less than a week until the proposed opening day and the lodge still looks like a bomb went off inside, everything is laying around on the trails, and they don't even have the camera set up for season passes. They most likely don't have trail maps printed, and i wouldn't be surprised if they don't have what they need to print out lift tickets. I'm saying they are half-assing their way through snow making temps and then blaming it on the warm weather next week for not opening on the 15th. Whereas if they blew tons of snow and had a good base, but not ready in other regards to open, people would be bitching that there is plenty of snow and they should be open. I doubt they will be open for the weekend of the 22nd. I'm calling for an opening date between, or including, from the 24th through the 29th. I hope i'm wrong. It's making it tough for me because i have no idea what to do about my current job. I can't give them my notice that i'm leaving and then end up with Sno not opening and have no income.

[ski14]

Was just up the mountain, saw 1 gun going on top of whistler, bunny slope had a slight coating to 1 side, highball, mainline are solid mud, no way are the opening next friday with temperature in the 50s next week, after all the hype of all the snow power they had, they are a dissappointment

[Ski]

The shifts for working lifts are 8-3:30 for first shift on weekdays, 7:30-3:30 on weekends.

Am i the only one that sees no chance of opening on the 15th?

 

Cool about the new hours...

 

But, no, you're not the only one. The SMI system they have will require 48 to 72 hrs of good temps to open top to bottom, if I remember some of the stuff I read at the SMI website a while back. That's pretty typical, though.

 

The season is make or break at most ski areas with how XMas week goes, so I bet they are more concerned with getting the whole package set for then. IDK, there's just a lot of sh*t we don't know, like what's going on with vendors and insurance and all the other crap.

 

I would have done everything to get a couple of trails open, even if the ticket booth was a tent and concessions was a coke and candy machine.

 

The upside, though, is another full season of no lift lines. Eh, when they open...

[riderossi]

Cool about the new hours...

 

But, no, you're not the only one. The SMI system they have will require 48 to 72 hrs of good temps to open top to bottom, if I remember some of the stuff I read at the SMI website a while back. That's pretty typical, though.

 

The season is make or break at most ski areas with how XMas week goes, so I bet they are more concerned with getting the whole package set for then. IDK, there's just a lot of sh*t we don't know, like what's going on with vendors and insurance and all the other crap.

 

I would have done everything to get a couple of trails open, even if the ticket booth was a tent and concessions was a coke and candy machine.

 

The upside, though, is another full season of no lift lines. Eh, when they open...

 

It seems like not even they know what's going on with anything. It's a madhouse up there, you can just sense that there is much confusion in the air. It's all guessing games at this point.

 

If i were Sno, i would have made as big of a push as possible to be the first in the area or state to open. Even if it was just mainline and the bunny, it would have brought a lot of positive coverage for them. I'm hoping they are open by January, otherwise the season isn't going to be nearly as big of a success as many people are hoping. It's kind of hard sinking $500 into a season pass with the cloud of confusion (not snow from the "193 new guns") hovering over the mountain. We can only hope for the best at this point, and another year with no lift lines always sounds good until the news starts throwing it out to the public that they didn't have a productive season

[Schif]

This is just one messed up situation. They were trying to work in a very limited time frame and get everything done. We're now seeing that its just not enough time for an early opening. You can't blame anything for this later opening besides Washo at this point.

[riderossi]

This is just one messed up situation. They were trying to work in a very limited time frame and get everything done. We're now seeing that its just not enough time for an early opening. You can't blame anything for this later opening besides Washo at this point.

With all the new guns they should be open, unless my theory is correct, then it is on Washo. As Ski already said, this year they have an excuse, next year if they try to pull this we will be all over their asses.

[Schif]

At this point it doesn't really affect me all that much. I won't be home to ride for another week and a half anyway. Its not all bad for me then that they're waiting on an opening. I just feel bad for all the other locals back there. I wonder if they will have any kind of "grand opening" stuff going on?

[trackbiker]

I wouldn't be too hard on them yet. The deal only closed a little over a month ago. If they are installing all new piping, or even just new piping on the skiers right side of the mountain, that is a hell of a lot of work! Even if they could get the contractor to start right away and stay on the job full time.

I would think that there is a mile or two of piping to install. I would guess that it has to be welded, then buried? If it is welded piping, that is a lot of welds, plus then it has to all be flushed out to get rid of the weld flash inside of the pipes. (I don't think that fan guns like bits of metal being shot though them at high pressure!) Then the 193 guns have to installed, which includes wiring for electic for those type of guns.

 

I saw a Sno Mtn. billboard on the east-west PA TPK. last week out near Morgantown. I'm sure that they would have liked to put one on the N.E. Ext. but the spots were likely all taken. The message was about the 193 new snow guns.

 

To be honest, I wish them success but I wouldn't mind having a place to ski on MLK or Pres. Day Wkend. without lift lines for one more season!

[riderossi]

I wouldn't be too hard on them yet. The deal only closed a little over a month ago. If they are installing all new piping, or even just new piping on the skiers right side of the mountain, that is a hell of a lot of work! Even if they could get the contractor to start right away and stay on the job full time.

I would think that there is a mile or two of piping to install. I would guess that it has to be welded, then buried? If it is welded piping, that is a lot of welds, plus then it has to all be flushed out to get rid of the weld flash inside of the pipes. (I don't think that fan guns like bits of metal being shot though them at high pressure!) Then the 193 guns have to installed, which includes wiring for electic for those type of guns.

 

I saw a Sno Mtn. billboard on the east-west PA TPK. last week out near Morgantown. I'm sure that they would have liked to put one on the N.E. Ext. but the spots were likely all taken. The message was about the 193 new snow guns.

 

To be honest, I wish them success but I wouldn't mind having a place to ski on MLK or Pres. Day Wkend. without lift lines for one more season!

 

It's the fact that they have already blown snow that gets me frustrated. Sure if they were still installing guns and hadn't produced a flake yet then i would be a little more assured that the time frame they had to work with was a little too short. But they have blown snow. They haven't blown every chance they could. Maybe they are just testing the guns, maybe they are just wasting time. It's hard to tell without any updates besides "we starting making snow" anywhere to be seen. That's another thing that frustrates me. Sitting around the past years reading about the fresh 10 inches of snow everyday for weeks straight on the website. I was hoping with the change in ownership that there would be more of a relationship between the owners and the customers, along with plenty of updates. Haven't seen that yet, but it is a little bit better. Maybe it's just because they don't have all their shit together yet...who knows. But they have been calling for a december 15th opening for a while now, and even still were doing so this past week. I'm sure they knew last week they weren't going to be ready to open (again, maybe they will be ready for the 15th, but it just doesn't appear that way to me as of now), yet that didn't stop them from pouring out to the public that December 15th was the likely opening date. I'm being a bit harsh on them i know, but i am expecting a lot from them, and i think we will get it, but it may take longer than expected. Maybe they will bring in truckloads of snow and open on the 15th and surprise me. If they open on the 15th, feel free to call me an ass for the rest of the season, it will be well deserved. Looking ahead, the 19th looks to be the first day that will yield snowmaking temperatures again. Hopefully that will hold true, or come sooner and they will be able to open up on the 22nd, that is if they have all their shit together. And if they actually blow snow to blow a base, rather than just to make the grass look white from afar. Whether it be the 15th, 22nd, or next year, you can be sure to see me there for opening day.

 

edit: forgot to mention that i saw a picture of that billboard (or another) in the main office of the lodge the other day. That takes care of radio, press, and the billboard advertising. Now i'm just waiting for the TV commercials.

 

Nobody at Montage knows what lift lines are, maybe they are holding off on this season a bit so they can break us in slowly. They don't want any of us to walk up to a 10 minute wait at Phoebe and have a panic attack.

Edited December 11, 2006 by riderossi

[trackbiker]

I can understand everyone's frustration. I drove by Montage for years on my way to Elk and Greek Peak. The trail layout never really interested me. 1000' vert. but only two TTB trails. After skiing there last MLK weekend, I saw the potential. Plus the no lift lines on a holiday weekend!

My guess is that the snow that they blew were just trials of the new guns. I would think that the piping system has to be zoned because there is no way that they could turn on all 193 guns at once! If that's the case, I don't know why they couldn't complete the system one zone at a time and start making snow in the zones as they complete them. You're right about the website not being updated.

But then if the lodge is still a mess, they may be waiting to complete the work there before they open.

The bottom line is; I'm sure that they want to open as much if not more than anyone. But from a business point if view, it is wise to wait another week or two to be ready than to make a bad first impression.

It's like any service industry. Never go to a restaurant the first week they open. Wait a week or two until they get their sh*t together!

Elk isn't even opening until next weekend (maybe not with the weather forcast for this week). Would the old Montage be open by now?

I'm sure that come January, with the new snowmaking, you regulars are going to be in skiing heaven. In the mean time, ski JF/BB, Elk, Blue Mtn., CB, or where ever.

[riderossi]

It's like any service industry. Never go to a restaurant the first week they open. Wait a week or two until they get their sh*t together!

Elk isn't even opening until next weekend (maybe not with the weather forcast for this week). Would the old Montage be open by now?

I'm sure that come January, with the new snowmaking, you regulars are going to be in skiing heaven. In the mean time, ski JF/BB, Elk, Blue Mtn., CB, or where ever.

 

I thought elk was opening wednesday? As for Montage being open, yeah i think they would have most likely opened on friday with the usual 3 trails. I don't know why i'm complaining so much, i went riding on friday and i can still barely move i'm so sore . I'd love to be riding other areas more often, however i'm spending $529 on a season pass within the next day or two for Sno... that totally cleans out my bank account, and actually puts me in debt with my father for the next two weeks I might be able to get a friend to pay for me and get to ride jf/bb on thursday, but it's a longshot.