I'll agree that the refrigeration system would probably be unworkable, or wildly expensive to implement in a workable manner......it was just the most radical concept I could come up with, so I figured I should throw it out there. If it's possible, in theory, to be open year-round, why can't they get open before late November.....?!?!thebigo wrote:I think you could technically pull it off but it would be a confluence of the perfect terrain, massive snowmaking efforts whenever conditions permit and altitude. Definitely not refrigeration. Look at tuckermans the natural snow typically lasts into july. Theoretically if you lined similar terrain with those high output fan guns and ran them at full capacity whenever conditions permit you could get the snow to last year round.Look, year round skiing, while cool, isn't going to be feasible. After it gets going, it would probably have only a small profit (if any), and while it would have a great PR boost, it is going to cost way too much to put in all the infrastructure.
but...
It would never be financially feasable and it would never get permitting.
but...
If you want to give it a shot highwaystar Ill buy a couple tickets
However, I still belive it would be possible to offer summer skiing off that proposed high altitude lift. Look at those temperature plots, and subtract 12 to 15 degrees to get the temps at Killington Peak.
With a high density of tower mounted fan guns, using chilled water and snowmax-type additives, you would probably have small windows of snowmaking until late May or even early June, and then starting again in September.....blow large quantities of snow during those short windows.
The key is to capitalize on the spring, blowing snow on those upper 3-4 trails through April and into May while the rest of the mountain is shutting down, to build a 20+ foot base to carry you out to August. Preserve existing snow - use insulated and thermally reflective tarps to cover the snow on weekdays while closed, and only operate on weekends. Make sure those trails are protected from water runoff, with a gravel base and concrete water bars, etc.
Use the K-1 to ferry hundreds of tons of ice in 1000 to 2000 lb blocks up mountain in August, and shred them to replenish the base on a single trail, Upper Downdraft, until snowmaking can resume in mid-September........
Have you ever considered the possibility of sitting on a Patriot missile and having someone fire it? Please...STFU already. 