Killington Snowmaking Improvements

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Highway Star
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Re: Killington Snowmaking Improvements

Post by Highway Star »

Spyderman wrote:So now that you've essentially provided a thesis on the various types of snowmaking guns at Killington, one very important question...........

What is your predicted opening day with all this firepower?
Fundamentally, this is all about reducing the consumption of resources, so clearly less electric and diesel to make compressed air. With the fixed low-e towers, this also reduces the manpower needed to move guns around and set them up. While the low-e guns on OL were a fiasco, they have had low-e guns on Lower East Fall and Lower Skyelark for several years now, and the snow quality and base depths on those trails has been very good. Having a solid 8+ trails with fixed low-e guns will be helpful.

However, while the sled mounted guns may be more efficient, they require much more time and effort to move around, so once they are placed somewhere, you have to expect they will be used for several days for base building then moved to their next location. They can't just leave them sitting around, meaning ground guns and existing towers will still probably used for quick refreshing.

For opening day, these new guns will probably not play much of a factor. They can blow enough snow on Rime to open early in less than 24 hours, the fastest and only way to do that in marginal temps is with a ton of air on the K3000 and ratnick guns. Conversely, the low-e guns will hopefully reduce their energy consumption during the critical trail roll out and base building phases, possibly allowing more frequent refreshes and more snow on the major trails.

Keep in mind they aren't increasing their water pumping capacity, so they won't actually be able to make any more snow when maxed out. Their air capacity was never really a limiting factor to begin with, except in marginal temps, where these low-e guns are completely ineffective anyway. What it will allow is for them to be able to afford running their water maxed out more often and for longer periods, when temps are good and air consumption is very low. For example, in optimal conditions, they could run 200+ low-e guns maxing out their water, on only two compressors.

They talk about cost savings, but I have to question if they have actually cut the snowmaking budget. If the budget has been cut, and they are forced into using less efficient guns in marginal temps for long periods, will they drastically cut their output? Other ski resorts have made this miscalculation when trying to implement low-e guns, or even worse, went 100% low-e and been unable to get open at all in marginal temps. I think mount snow could struggle this year because they seem to have eliminated all high-e guns.
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rogman
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Re: Killington Snowmaking Improvements

Post by rogman »

Killington Resort wrote:This latest investment of snow guns is valued at over $2 million,
This is about taking advantage of an opportunity presented to them. They bought snowguns "valued at over $2 million", doesn't say they spent two million. While it will improve their arsenal, I don't believe it is intended as any sort of game changer nor do I believe it will affect their trail rollout. However, they seem to tweak that every year anyway.
Killington Resort wrote:Statewide, Efficiency Vermont’s Great Snow Gun Roundup supports the purchase of approximately 2,300 new low energy snow guns for the upcoming season. In return the participating resorts will donate 1,800 older model snow guns to scrap, with proceeds donated to Ski Vermont’s Learn to Turn program.
Not sure how scrapping snowguns ends up with "proceeds", but I'll let that one go... My guess is this was put together by the power companies, to reduce power demand. There are similar programs in MA (though AFAIK not ski resort related). I think Killington did well to get 17% of the total available. Figuring they were going up against Mt Snow, Stratton, Okemo, Sugarbush, Stowe (all making big snow making pushes) as well as a host of smaller resorts. (I'm not leaving out Jay, I just don't think they are as committed to snow making as the more southern resorts).
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Highway Star
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Re: Killington Snowmaking Improvements

Post by Highway Star »

rogman wrote:
Killington Resort wrote:This latest investment of snow guns is valued at over $2 million,
This is about taking advantage of an opportunity presented to them. They bought snowguns "valued at over $2 million", doesn't say they spent two million. While it will improve their arsenal, I don't believe it is intended as any sort of game changer nor do I believe it will affect their trail rollout. However, they seem to tweak that every year anyway.
Killington Resort wrote:Statewide, Efficiency Vermont’s Great Snow Gun Roundup supports the purchase of approximately 2,300 new low energy snow guns for the upcoming season. In return the participating resorts will donate 1,800 older model snow guns to scrap, with proceeds donated to Ski Vermont’s Learn to Turn program.
Not sure how scrapping snowguns ends up with "proceeds", but I'll let that one go... My guess is this was put together by the power companies, to reduce power demand. There are similar programs in MA (though AFAIK not ski resort related). I think Killington did well to get 17% of the total available. Figuring they were going up against Mt Snow, Stratton, Okemo, Sugarbush, Stowe (all making big snow making pushes) as well as a host of smaller resorts. (I'm not leaving out Jay, I just don't think they are as committed to snow making as the more southern resorts).
Scrap metal is worth money, should be at least several thousand dollars.

http://www.scrapregister.com/scrap-pric ... states/260" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"I'M YELLING BECAUSE YOU DID SOMETHING COOL!" - Humpty Dumpty

"Kzone should bill you for the bandwidth you waste writing novels to try and prove a point, but end up just looking like a deranged narcissistic fool." - Deadheadskier at madhatter

"The key is to not be lame, and know it, and not give a rat's @$$ what anybody thinks......that's real cool." - Highway Star http://goo.gl/xJxo34" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"I am one of the coolest people on the internet..." - Highway Star

"I have a tiny penis...." - C-Rex

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Highway Star
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Re: Killington Snowmaking Improvements

Post by Highway Star »

Highway Star wrote: Looks like they have to install new bases because the current bases are not compatible?
Wanted to correct this....it looks like they are installing the new towers on some existing bases, such as superstar, while installing new bases on trails like lower ovation and vertigo which did not have them. I wonder where else will get new towers, if they are installing 150?
"I'M YELLING BECAUSE YOU DID SOMETHING COOL!" - Humpty Dumpty

"Kzone should bill you for the bandwidth you waste writing novels to try and prove a point, but end up just looking like a deranged narcissistic fool." - Deadheadskier at madhatter

"The key is to not be lame, and know it, and not give a rat's @$$ what anybody thinks......that's real cool." - Highway Star http://goo.gl/xJxo34" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"I am one of the coolest people on the internet..." - Highway Star

"I have a tiny penis...." - C-Rex

XtremeJibber2001 - THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA HAS YOU COMPLETELY HYPNOTIZED. PLEASE WAKE UP AND LEARN HOW TO FILTER REALITY FROM BS NARRATIVES.

"Your life is only interesting when you capture the best, fakest, most curated split second version." - Team Robot regarding Instagram posters
Highway Star
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Posts: 12009
Joined: Feb 7th, '05, 16:16

Re: Killington Snowmaking Improvements

Post by Highway Star »

rogman wrote:
Killington Resort wrote:This latest investment of snow guns is valued at over $2 million,
This is about taking advantage of an opportunity presented to them. They bought snowguns "valued at over $2 million", doesn't say they spent two million. While it will improve their arsenal, I don't believe it is intended as any sort of game changer nor do I believe it will affect their trail rollout. However, they seem to tweak that every year anyway.
Killington Resort wrote:Statewide, Efficiency Vermont’s Great Snow Gun Roundup supports the purchase of approximately 2,300 new low energy snow guns for the upcoming season. In return the participating resorts will donate 1,800 older model snow guns to scrap, with proceeds donated to Ski Vermont’s Learn to Turn program.
Not sure how scrapping snowguns ends up with "proceeds", but I'll let that one go... My guess is this was put together by the power companies, to reduce power demand. There are similar programs in MA (though AFAIK not ski resort related). I think Killington did well to get 17% of the total available. Figuring they were going up against Mt Snow, Stratton, Okemo, Sugarbush, Stowe (all making big snow making pushes) as well as a host of smaller resorts. (I'm not leaving out Jay, I just don't think they are as committed to snow making as the more southern resorts).
Bump for old people with poor memories. :violin
"I'M YELLING BECAUSE YOU DID SOMETHING COOL!" - Humpty Dumpty

"Kzone should bill you for the bandwidth you waste writing novels to try and prove a point, but end up just looking like a deranged narcissistic fool." - Deadheadskier at madhatter

"The key is to not be lame, and know it, and not give a rat's @$$ what anybody thinks......that's real cool." - Highway Star http://goo.gl/xJxo34" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"I am one of the coolest people on the internet..." - Highway Star

"I have a tiny penis...." - C-Rex

XtremeJibber2001 - THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA HAS YOU COMPLETELY HYPNOTIZED. PLEASE WAKE UP AND LEARN HOW TO FILTER REALITY FROM BS NARRATIVES.

"Your life is only interesting when you capture the best, fakest, most curated split second version." - Team Robot regarding Instagram posters
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