Snowmaking upgrades and other improvements...

[rogman]

Was up this weekend and Killington has been busy!
- New Snow Logic towers lining Superstar. Installation is almost complete, only the steep stretch of lower Superstar remains. That's the upgrade that is going to get us June. Be very excited about this! In action: http://www.snowlogicusa.com/gallery/
- There are about 15 of those same towers now on lower Ovation. I was shocked at how many they put there.
- The chairs are off the Superstar lift, and there is a large spool of cable nearby. Looks like it's getting a new haul rope.
- Over at Bear, it appears about 35 of the old Superstar towers are on the ground waiting to be installed along OL.
- Best mowing job I've ever seen. DF and OL, side to side (actually looks like the cut back to the snow making lines, so there are some interesting new lines with some large boulders skiers left of the Fiddle.

Place looks great. Just need some cold weather...

[Ragged#1]

Dear Lord,
Please let the Devil open up early this season.

[blakeslee_a]

- Over at Bear, it appears about 35 of the old Superstar towers are on the ground waiting to be installed along OL.

didn't they learn last year that the tower guns on OL just aren't practical.. if i recall they only covered like half the width of the trail?

[skiadikt]

- Over at Bear, it appears about 35 of the old Superstar towers are on the ground waiting to be installed along OL.

didn't they learn last year that the tower guns on OL just aren't practical.. if i recall they only covered like half the width of the trail?

maybe i'm wrong but it seems they mostly used ground guns on supe and rarely used the towers. moving them to ol doesn't make sense.

[Highway Star]

Was up this weekend and Killington has been busy!
- New Snow Logic towers lining Superstar. Installation is almost complete, only the steep stretch of lower Superstar remains. That's the upgrade that is going to get us June. Be very excited about this! In action: http://www.snowlogicusa.com/gallery/
- There are about 15 of those same towers now on lower Ovation. I was shocked at how many they put there.
- The chairs are off the Superstar lift, and there is a large spool of cable nearby. Looks like it's getting a new haul rope.
- Over at Bear, it appears about 35 of the old Superstar towers are on the ground waiting to be installed along OL.
- Best mowing job I've ever seen. DF and OL, side to side (actually looks like the cut back to the snow making lines, so there are some interesting new lines with some large boulders skiers left of the Fiddle.

Place looks great. Just need some cold weather...

$$$$$iiiiicccckkk!!!

[Highway Star]

- Over at Bear, it appears about 35 of the old Superstar towers are on the ground waiting to be installed along OL.

didn't they learn last year that the tower guns on OL just aren't practical.. if i recall they only covered like half the width of the trail?

maybe i'm wrong but it seems they mostly used ground guns on supe and rarely used the towers. moving them to ol doesn't make sense.

The guns in question are the old style towers with a pinched multi-port head, these can also be seen on double dipper and were previously in place on outer limits before they installed the HKD snowgun towers with inadequate throw a few years back. They are not low-e, but have pretty good throw. On trails with the old style towers, they alternate between them and ground guns depending on their needs, which was typical for OL. I'm curious where else we'll see the new low-e snowguns. I'm hoping the new low-e guns are compatible with the wind direction on Superstar and lower Ovation.

[Sgt Eddy Brewers]

Was up this weekend and Killington has been busy!
- New Snow Logic towers lining Superstar. Installation is almost complete, only the steep stretch of lower Superstar remains. That's the upgrade that is going to get us June. Be very excited about this! In action: http://www.snowlogicusa.com/gallery/
- There are about 15 of those same towers now on lower Ovation. I was shocked at how many they put there.
- The chairs are off the Superstar lift, and there is a large spool of cable nearby. Looks like it's getting a new haul rope.
- Over at Bear, it appears about 35 of the old Superstar towers are on the ground waiting to be installed along OL.
- Best mowing job I've ever seen. DF and OL, side to side (actually looks like the cut back to the snow making lines, so there are some interesting new lines with some large boulders skiers left of the Fiddle.

Place looks great. Just need some cold weather...

WOW! Sounds great...these kind of improvements can have better impact than a new lift. Thanks for the very informative update.

[skiadikt]

- Over at Bear, it appears about 35 of the old Superstar towers are on the ground waiting to be installed along OL.

didn't they learn last year that the tower guns on OL just aren't practical.. if i recall they only covered like half the width of the trail?

maybe i'm wrong but it seems they mostly used ground guns on supe and rarely used the towers. moving them to ol doesn't make sense.

The guns in question are the old style towers with a pinched multi-port head, these can also be seen on double dipper and were previously in place on outer limits before they installed the HKD snowgun towers with inadequate throw a few years back. They are not low-e, but have pretty good throw. On trails with the old style towers, they alternate between them and ground guns depending on their needs, which was typical for OL. I'm curious where else we'll see the new low-e snowguns. I'm hoping the new low-e guns are compatible with the wind direction on Superstar and lower Ovation.

i thought they were the same ones that were on ol before the "improvements" which is why i'm questioning their re-installation. but yeah they were better than the guns that eventually replaced them so it does give them the option of going both ways on ol. i'm guessing for the early season build, they use the ground guns and then use the towers for refresh.

[Woodsrider]

Awesome. At the end of the day K is a skiers mountain and snow is the best place to invest... Quality and quantity. Let's hope it gets cold and stays cold.

[rogman]

The towers that didn't work well on OL were the new Low E HK's. They are basically going back to the old ones that worked pretty well. My only concern about the Snow Logic towers is the throw, will they get the snow far enough across a boulevard like Superstar?

[machski]

One of the selling points Snow Logic likes to make on its guns is the throw distance its guns generate. The base of the gun at the control actually has a pressure gauge for setting the gun. With that said, SR has played around with these guns for 3+ seasons now. They have bought some each of the last 2 offseasons but not too many. They tried them out at the Spruce base junction last year, a notoriously wide and sun exposed area that needs throw distance and volume. While I saw quite a bit of throw distance, the volume was a disappointment IMO. I'm guessing the resort's too, as that area is back to the pinched head towers moving to OL for you all (BTW, those are known as SR type guns as that is where they were perfected). For the sake of late season skiing in NE, I hope the SL towers work well on SS!!

The towers that didn't work well on OL were the new Low E HK's. They are basically going back to the old ones that worked pretty well. My only concern about the Snow Logic towers is the throw, will they get the snow far enough across a boulevard like Superstar?

[KV]

OK when I started reading this I was thinking they lined Superstar with automated Fan Guns. Why haven't they done this yet? Fully automated, run them when the conditions are perfect throughout the winter. No labor necessary other than to press a button. Superstar is their signature trail and needs as much base as possible for the Spring. Fresh pow all the time (temperature permitting.) I understand that it is $$$$ but if Mount Snow can afford to do several trails can't Killington do the one that matters?

[steamboat1]

OK when I started reading this I was thinking they lined Superstar with automated Fan Guns. Why haven't they done this yet? Fully automated, run them when the conditions are perfect throughout the winter. No labor necessary other than to press a button. Superstar is their signature trail and needs as much base as possible for the Spring. Fresh pow all the time (temperature permitting.) I understand that it is $$$$ but if Mount Snow can afford to do several trails can't Killington do the one that matters?

Mt. Snow is carrying almost $43 million of debt at 10% interest. Peaks is trying to do another IPO to raise cash. Is this what you want for K?

[freeski]

OK when I started reading this I was thinking they lined Superstar with automated Fan Guns. Why haven't they done this yet? Fully automated, run them when the conditions are perfect throughout the winter. No labor necessary other than to press a button. Superstar is their signature trail and needs as much base as possible for the Spring. Fresh pow all the time (temperature permitting.) I understand that it is $$$$ but if Mount Snow can afford to do several trails can't Killington do the one that matters?

Mt. Snow is carrying almost $43 million of debt at 10% interest. Peaks is trying to do another IPO to raise cash. Is this what you want for K?

SB1 I appreciate many of your comments. You seem to have good knowledge of what is going on with the New England ski business. (I also enjoy your sarcastic remarks.)

[steamboat1]

http://www.newenglandskiindustry.com/vi ... toryid=174

"The pending event likely prompting the latest IPO attempt is a 10% interest only loan related to Mount Snow. $42.9 million is due on April 1, 2016.

According to the SEC Form S-1, Peak Resorts has $204 million in assets, $175 million in long term debt (most of it at 10% interest)"

Doesn't sound good to me but what do I know?