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Highway Star
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by Highway Star »

skiadikt wrote:
ME2VTSkier wrote:
Southside_Bobby wrote:One year recently they got Lower East Fall open earlier, and I loved it. I think many of us would prefer that. But K isn't just catering to us. And it makes total sense that they would want to make GN their first priority before LEF.
It wouldn't be a bad idea if they made enough upgrades to be able to do both at the same time! :idea:

I mean come on, the temps are in the low teens there. Every gun possible should be running.
i get it but obviously getting an intermediate route to the base is the priority. also east fall probably requires more snow and the runout being flat probably more prone to melting out. you'd have to think they're maxed out at this point especially running upwards of 100 guns on superstar.
They have well over 100 guns on Superstar and Skyelark, probably more like 150. At this point they should consider upgrading their pump capacity by 25%, but that seems a bit excessive.
Last edited by Highway Star on Nov 10th, '17, 12:36, edited 1 time in total.
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Southside_Bobby
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by Southside_Bobby »

skiadikt wrote:
ME2VTSkier wrote:
Southside_Bobby wrote:One year recently they got Lower East Fall open earlier, and I loved it. I think many of us would prefer that. But K isn't just catering to us. And it makes total sense that they would want to make GN their first priority before LEF.
It wouldn't be a bad idea if they made enough upgrades to be able to do both at the same time! :idea:

I mean come on, the temps are in the low teens there. Every gun possible should be running.
i get it but obviously getting an intermediate route to the base is the priority.
I can also tell you that, from a ski patrol perspective, getting GN all the way down as soon as possible is important.

Early season, you can transport from the bottom of the NRT down to base with a vehicle, but that is far from an ideal way to transport a patient. A sled is still the best way down. And the sooner they can sled transport at least down to K1, and ideally all the way to their base at Ramshead, the better for everyone.
2014 - "A South Ridge trail is Pipe Dream. A South Ridge lift shouldn't be."
2019 - "A South Ridge trail is Pipe Dream. A South Ridge lift (operating midweek) shouldn't be."
2023 - Killington announces that the South Ridge lift will run five days a week.
2024 - Killington lied.
wjenness
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by wjenness »

Mt. Snow planning to have over 100 acres open tomorrow:

https://www.mountsnow.com/ski-ride/snow-report/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good news is, should keep the crowds down on the North Ridge.
rogman
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by rogman »

Bubba wrote:
Highway Star wrote:
Southside_Bobby wrote:
snoloco wrote:Answering Southside Bobby's post on the last page.

If there was no WC to prepare for then there would be no question in my mind that they would be blowing top to bottom on Snowdon. They always run that fan gun on Mouse Trap because it's a return line, so they blow snow when they have temps there as it doesn't require any air.

And I agree, the stairs are for use in late October when they are open for a couple weeks before anyone else even tests their guns. If Mount Snow and Okemo can be open this weekend, then Killington has the weather needed to open top to bottom. However, their efforts are going to the World Cup preparation, so they will not be top to bottom.

What I noticed on the 360 cam is they're blowing Gateway off the back of Skye Peak. Not really sure what the point of it is, although it could be to get a loop around the back of Skye Peak open to allow the lift and other trails off Superstar to be open during the event. I didn't think the FIS let anyone on a lift over a course though.
snoloco, unless you think K is lying when they say that their crew on the North side is the same size as years without the race, then the only way they could move expansion any faster is to add more crew than normal.

K's snowmaking operations are very labor intensive compared to a lot of mountains. That is a choice they made, and it certainly has disadvantages.

It's not like Mount Snow, where if it is cold enough they can light up Long John top to bottom with a flip of a switch (this is not as much an exaggeration as you might think.).

If the North Ridge had already been open a couple of weeks, they could be finishing a march down Snowdon by now. But they just got the North Ridge open yesterday. It takes at least some time to move on.

We'll see come next week who is right on this. You think WC prep is slowing the expansion. I don't think it is.

If we are still walking up and down a week from now, you may turn out to be right.

Regardless, I imagine each of us will be infinitely more likely to admit being wrong than "you know who". And we agree that K SHOULD be expanding as fast as possible right now.

One thing is for sure, all of this speculation went on last year. The rate of expansion of public terrain was like any other year, determined by the conditions during the prior weeks.

I have skied K Thanksgiving weekend when Caper was open by Saturday, and others when GN didn't get below the Snowdon Quad. If Caper isn't open this year, it will be pretty easy to speculate it was because of the WC prep. It would also probably be wrong.
You just wrote a lot, waved your hands a bit, and said absolutely jack sh*t.

YOU DON'T f*** KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SNOWMAKING AND ARE JUST TALKING OUT YOUR ASS.

Snowmaking is a process based on very well proven scientific principles and a wide range of engineering disciplines. I've researched the process extensively, and have the professional background that makes me qualified to speak knowledgably about it in a casual internet context.

There are VERY CLEARLY IDENTIFYABLE limitations to every snowmaking system. Killington's NOMINAL WATER pumping capacity is 12,000 GALLONS PER MINUTE, that has been publicly claimed by them. An acre-ft of snow requires about 180,000 gallons of water. In OPTIMAL CONDITIONS, KILLINGTON MAXES OUT AT APPROXIMATE 4 ACRE FEET PER HOUR, MAYBE +/- 10%.

IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU SPEW OR HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY HAVE ON A CREW, THEY SIMPLY CANT PUT MORE FROZEN WATER THAN THAT ON THE MOUNTAIN. THEY DON'T HAVE OR NEED CREW OF A HUNDRED GUYS OUT THERE WAVING THE GUNS AROUND, IT'S NOT ANY MORE LABOR INTENSIVE THAN ANY OTHER NORMAL SNOWMAKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS. THEY HAVE TO OCASSIONALLY MOVE THE GUNS TO KEEP THEM FROM SELF BURYING, OR THEY NEED TO TUNE THE A/W RATIO. THEY ARE NOT LIMITED BY MANPOWER AT ALL.
Isn't it about time you proved your credentials and took over Jeff Temple's job for a month? I'm sure Mike would be more than willing to trust your judgment and expertise over Jeff's.
Bubba, I'm going to have to back Highway Star on this one. I have it on good authority that he plays "Ski Resort Tycoon" on hard mode. :roll:
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RENO
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by RENO »

wjenness wrote:Mt. Snow planning to have over 100 acres open tomorrow:

https://www.mountsnow.com/ski-ride/snow-report/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good news is, should keep the crowds down on the North Ridge.
So they're advertising the most powerful snowmaking system in the east now? hmmmm...
Highway Star
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by Highway Star »

RENO wrote:
wjenness wrote:Mt. Snow planning to have over 100 acres open tomorrow:

https://www.mountsnow.com/ski-ride/snow-report/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good news is, should keep the crowds down on the North Ridge.
So they're advertising the most powerful snowmaking system in the east now? hmmmm...
Most powerful AND clearly the best managed.
"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
ME2VTSkier
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by ME2VTSkier »

wjenness wrote:Mt. Snow planning to have over 100 acres open tomorrow:

https://www.mountsnow.com/ski-ride/snow-report/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good news is, should keep the crowds down on the North Ridge.
Planned terrain for opening day includes top-to-bottom skiing on Cascade, Canyon, Free Fall, and Long John, which has undergone an extensive widening project making it more accessible for beginners looking to explore the mountain from the summit. Additional trails planned for Saturday include Deer Run, River Run, Little John, and Launch Pad, with more terrain scheduled to open through the weekend and beyond.

Carinthia Parks, named the number one terrain park in the East by Transworld Snowboarding and Newschoolers.com, will also open with features from top-to-bottom on Gulch, along with additional features on Long John. With a planned total feature count of 14, Mount Snow will offer skiers and riders more variety than anywhere else in the East, with additional features to be added as terrain expands with snowmaking.
And they didn't start until 3:30pm Tuesday afternoon?
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by madhatter »

ME2VTSkier wrote:
wjenness wrote:Mt. Snow planning to have over 100 acres open tomorrow:

https://www.mountsnow.com/ski-ride/snow-report/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good news is, should keep the crowds down on the North Ridge.
Planned terrain for opening day includes top-to-bottom skiing on Cascade, Canyon, Free Fall, and Long John, which has undergone an extensive widening project making it more accessible for beginners looking to explore the mountain from the summit. Additional trails planned for Saturday include Deer Run, River Run, Little John, and Launch Pad, with more terrain scheduled to open through the weekend and beyond.

Carinthia Parks, named the number one terrain park in the East by Transworld Snowboarding and Newschoolers.com, will also open with features from top-to-bottom on Gulch, along with additional features on Long John. With a planned total feature count of 14, Mount Snow will offer skiers and riders more variety than anywhere else in the East, with additional features to be added as terrain expands with snowmaking.
And they didn't start until 3:30pm Tuesday afternoon?
that's pretty impressive...
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Highway Star
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by Highway Star »

KILLINGTON = FAIL!!!
"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
yiddle on da fiddle
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by yiddle on da fiddle »

Highway Star wrote:KILLINGTON = FAIL!!!
HIGHWAY STAR = FAIL HIGHWAY STARS FATHERS CONDOM = FAIL HIGHWAY STARS SENSE OF HUMOR = FAIL..........................................
brownman
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by brownman »

.. doode .. your Epic pass is an epic FAIL at Mansfield right now .. :lol:

:chill
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DrJeff
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by DrJeff »

madhatter wrote:
ME2VTSkier wrote:
wjenness wrote:Mt. Snow planning to have over 100 acres open tomorrow:

https://www.mountsnow.com/ski-ride/snow-report/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good news is, should keep the crowds down on the North Ridge.
Planned terrain for opening day includes top-to-bottom skiing on Cascade, Canyon, Free Fall, and Long John, which has undergone an extensive widening project making it more accessible for beginners looking to explore the mountain from the summit. Additional trails planned for Saturday include Deer Run, River Run, Little John, and Launch Pad, with more terrain scheduled to open through the weekend and beyond.

Carinthia Parks, named the number one terrain park in the East by Transworld Snowboarding and Newschoolers.com, will also open with features from top-to-bottom on Gulch, along with additional features on Long John. With a planned total feature count of 14, Mount Snow will offer skiers and riders more variety than anywhere else in the East, with additional features to be added as terrain expands with snowmaking.
And they didn't start until 3:30pm Tuesday afternoon?
that's pretty impressive...
Mount Snow's mtn ops head posted some data about what the system is doing today in their passholders forum a little while ago.

Today is the first day they've had all the new pumps running and have maxed out the system during actual production conditions. They're currently pumping 11,800 gallons per minute to roughly 230 guns producing via the capacity of the mix of air/water guns (mostly HKD impulses) and the fan guns, about 5.1 acre feet of snow per hour.

Hints are being dropped by the marketing folks at Mount Snow that additional terrain, over the roughly 100 acres that will be offered up at opening on Saturday morning, is a possibility on Sunday if favorable production conditions continue for the forcasted amount of time.

I empathize with the slow expansion that many in the chatroom are feeling. However, I also can't wait to see what all that capacity going into burying Superstar will result in in just over 2 weeks, as the experience last year was amazing, and i'm sure this year will just build upon that. Nobody in the East, and arguably this country has put on such a well received ski racing event as the World Cup at Killington was last year! Additionally, come late April and May (and hopefully June again this season), Killington will once again be the only game in town for lift served in the East, and that's worth a bunch of respect as well!
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ME2VTSkier
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by ME2VTSkier »

That's huge, 5.1 acre feet an hour. Way to raise the bar for the industry.
DrJeff
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by DrJeff »

ME2VTSkier wrote:That's huge, 5.1 acre feet an hour. Way to raise the bar for the industry.
That was the current estimate in this cold, dry air, where they're really able to maximize the water flow through most every nozzle bank. Just a massive amount of snow per hour though!

I think that anytime, any ski area can raise the bar, be it on length of season, capacity of the snowmaking system, lift technology, etc, we all benefit in one way or another as other resorts will inevitably up their game as well! :like :like
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skiballz
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Re: Top To Bottom

Post by skiballz »

Wachusett opening this weekend. Even smaller mountains are pulling out all the stops.
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