Hitman Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Didn't Sugarbush also but like 75-100 of the HKDs? The whole quality thing is hard to define because any gun can throw slop if it's being operated wrong, or not tended too when temps are rising or something. If used right, most of the guns these days will produce silky snow 95% of the time. I just feel the HKDs make a lot of snow in a short period of time, even if on paper they are supposed to throw similar amounts of water. The snowlogics may do it really efficiently, but the HKDs seem to produce an impressive amount of snow comparatively during like an overnight of snowmaking. It may be something where HKDs are good for getting terrain open early in the season where you have short windows that need to throw some deep acre feet numbers, and then use the snowlogics for cheaper resurfacing throughout the season, haha. Those things are a pain to move around though, might as well get a fan gun on wheels if you are aren't doing fixed towers but looking for something mobile in the base area. Personally, I think the issue with the sno logics is their bulk. They are undeniably difficult to maneuver. However last year they got some that are pole mounted placing them around 2 trail intersections. They also don't throw the snow as far as a fan gun certainly, and even other sled mounted guns (likely due to the minimal air being utilized?). It appears to me the fan guns are the way to go in the lower elevation base areas given the likelihood of marginal temperatures. It seems at when it's relatively warm, the fan guns out out a ton more snow. Sb is definitely lacking in the fan gun dept. although, they did add a lot of hkds in addition to the snologics. 20 of the snologics were bought by gmvs and they use them to blast the Inverness trail to get it open for race training, before they are moved to other areas. That is a wide straight trail seemingly made for a phalanx of fan guns. So someone must think they are a good choice to put down a good base. Or possibly there is an issue with getting enough electricity from gmp, but I'm really speculating about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Or possibly there is an issue with getting enough electricity from gmp, but I'm really speculating about that. This could be...more likely it's that fan guns cost a ton, and there's labor costs too (you need to run electric and put in power pedestals where you want those things). The plus side is that since they have on-board compressors they can just run continuously as long as temps and water are available. Stowe's fan guns in high traffic areas run almost continuously while snowmaking is taking place elsewhere, but they are really only useful in very wide areas like beginner fields, terrain parks, and base areas. Water capacity is also a reason to go against fan guns, and I was thinking about Mt Ellen where I've heard the pumping capacity is like 2,000-2,500gpm (vs 4,000 at LP). Fan guns eat around 300gpm per fan, so if Mt Ellen's capacity is what I've seen Win Smith say in some online postings, then you would run out of water if you fired up 7 of them. You could probably get 40-75 tower guns running instead depending on temps and their capacity. I would think fan guns would make more sense at LP where there's more available water and you aren't handicapping yourself as much when they run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Or possibly there is an issue with getting enough electricity from gmp, but I'm really speculating about that.The electricity thing you mentioned though is interesting because they have different rules from GMP that I wouldn't want to speculate on. Stowe has it's own town electric company, so does Ludlow/Okemo. That's sort of a competitive advantage that people don't realize, and it happened by chance with towns deciding to do their own power. Do you remember during the cold snaps last year you'd see on Sugarbush and Killington's reports that they were under power curtailment and couldn't make snow like they wanted to? Or they'd be on severely restricted snowmaking operations for couple days during the cold snaps? From what I understand, it's not necessarily a "fine" that the mountains get if they ignore a curtailment, but they don't get a paycheck. A large power company like GMP will pay to have a resort shut down it's snowmaking if the energy demand is huge like during a sub-zero cold snap. Maybe GMP does run it as a fine and not a bonus, it's hard to tell but it's effectively the same thing. It's enough money that the resorts curtail their ops regardless of whether it's technically a bonus or fine, and from a PR side it's easy to just say we had no choice. Places that have their own town electric company do not deal with that for the most part. I think Stowe and Okemo may be the only ones in VT that are more immune to a lot of that stuff because their towns have incorporated electric departments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 The electricity thing you mentioned though is interesting because they have different rules from GMP that I wouldn't want to speculate on. Stowe has it's own town electric company, so does Ludlow/Okemo. That's sort of a competitive advantage that people don't realize, and it happened by chance with towns deciding to do their own power. Do you remember during the cold snaps last year you'd see on Sugarbush and Killington's reports that they were under power curtailment and couldn't make snow like they wanted to? Or they'd be on severely restricted snowmaking operations for couple days during the cold snaps? From what I understand, it's not necessarily a "fine" that the mountains get if they ignore a curtailment, but they don't get a paycheck. A large power company like GMP will pay to have a resort shut down it's snowmaking if the energy demand is huge like during a sub-zero cold snap. Maybe GMP does run it as a fine and not a bonus, it's hard to tell but it's effectively the same thing. It's enough money that the resorts curtail their ops regardless of whether it's technically a bonus or fine, and from a PR side it's easy to just say we had no choice. Places that have their own town electric company do not deal with that for the most part. I think Stowe and Okemo may be the only ones in VT that are more immune to a lot of that stuff because their towns have incorporated electric departments. It happens once a year at sugarbush that they have to shut down snowmaking because of the power demand issue. So maybe they chose the sno logic guns over fan guns to keep the power requirements to a minimum (notwithstanding to save money by using less electricity). Here in ny, coned will pay residential customers to put a device on the home air conditioner that cycles it off when power demand is high. I checked out the specs on the hkd and sno logic guns last night. The max water output is similar for the hkd tower guns and the sno logic sled guns at about 80 gpm, but the snowlogic 6 phase (whatever that means) tower guns put out 140 gpm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HIPPYVALLEY Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I saw a bumper sticker on a truck today that read "honk if you make snow" I saw one at Wildcat this past winter that said "Nobody Cares That You Tele". lol (I do free heel sometimes but still thought it was hilarious) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I saw one at Wildcat this past winter that said "Nobody Cares That You Tele". lol (I do free heel sometimes but still thought it was hilarious) I saw one (from a boarder I presume) that said "Nobody Cares that you Ski Mad River Glen" I saw a dude in his wife's Jetta chasing after it with a pair of skis and a pony-o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I saw one (from a boarder I presume) that said "Nobody Cares that you Ski Mad River Glen" I saw a dude in his wife's Jetta chasing after it with a pair of skis and a pony-o Those ones have really exploded in popularity...I know a few MRG skiers that now have those on their trucks. If you can't laugh at yourself once in a while, you can't have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan76 Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 How about ''If you don't ski don't start'' stickers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 How about ''If you don't ski don't start'' stickers. lol what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Ben and Jerry's breaking out the Vermont Powder flavor for the Ski Vermont annual meetings, with chocolate pieces in the shape of ski boots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quakertown needs snow Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Awesome! http://www.thedailypow.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Some photos from Alta, Utah's powder day in the third week of June... I saw pics of accumulating snow even in downtown Park City, Utah which is at 7,000ft. Photos from Matt Baydala. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcwx Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 A little on the negative, but have you guys seen the crap going on about Park City?It all started because the current operator of Park City was late renewing the leaseJudge grants Park City resort’s eviction but puts it on holdhttp://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58090471-78/eviction-pcmr-order-hearing.html.csp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 A little on the negative, but have you guys seen the crap going on about Park City? It all started because the current operator of Park City was late renewing the leaseJudge grants Park City resort’s eviction but puts it on holdhttp://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58090471-78/eviction-pcmr-order-hearing.html.csp Crazy. Fascinating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT Rain Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I've been in squaw valley for a conference the last few days... What an incredible looking mountain. Would love to check it out in winter!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radarman Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I've been in squaw valley for a conference the last few days... What an incredible looking mountain. Would love to check it out in winter!! Yes you would Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderfreak Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 A little on the negative, but have you guys seen the crap going on about Park City? It all started because the current operator of Park City was late renewing the lease Judge grants Park City resort’s eviction but puts it on hold http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58090471-78/eviction-pcmr-order-hearing.html.csp This is one of the most fascinating stories in the ski industry in a long time. By far the largest clerical error in ski resort history...forgetting to renew your lease, at one of America's premier resort operations none-the-less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#NoPoles Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 oh for cryin out loud...i think i'm going to die, waiting for ski season to come back around...at least it's almost time for football! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.