At Canyons Resort, Managing Director Mike Goar says the investment in
snowmaking equipment and a 20-million gallon reservoir allowed the resort to start the season with much of the mountain open--from 9,100 feet to the resort village at 6,800 feet.
Thunder Bay's Candy Mountain Ski Resort is shutting down and its owner is concentrating its
snowmaking machines at Loch Lomond Ski Area.
Taos Ski Valley received only a "cautious recommendation" that year with a mediocre "C" grade, gaining points for limiting development, but losing them for intense
snowmaking and a failure to provide mass transit.
Snowmaking machines are being shipped to Russia today from the firm's base in Nailsworth, Gloucs.
In addition to record-breaking primo skiing and riding conditions (112 of the ski area's 120 trails and glades were open when I was there, probably the most in New England for the second week in December), Okemo has added more than 100 high-efficiency
snowmaking guns and has reconfigured three terrain parks, among other improvements.
Importantly, those glades will be served by
snowmaking. Generally, glades depend on natural snow alone, which reduces the amount of time they can be open.
"Things have changed over the past few decades because
snowmaking has made things remarkably better," Rafferty said.
With 45 million gallons of water being used for ASC's mountains each season,
snowmaking is one of the ski industry's heaviest environmental gluttons.
The resort, which includes villas, chalets, a restaurant and snowboarding park, made recent upgrades with the addition of new
snowmaking guns and the purchase of a Bombardier groomer with a half-pipe auger attachment to create a world-class snowboarding run.
Imagine more than doubling the size of your
snowmaking arsenal by adding 645 new energy efficient snow guns, in what could be the biggest
snowmaking upgrade in Vermont history.