The Last Patches

Within the ski area boundary, I think there are two small patches of snow left out on the Cornice Run. There are some years that patches in this zone never completely melt before snow starts accumulating again in October. These patches are getting pretty small so I am not sure if they will last another month or not. While not skiable, snow left in September is still a bit noteworthy.

Getting Snowmaking Ready

Our snowmaking team is working hard getting the system ready to go. The fan guns are out on the hill. Last week we started diverting water and the reservoir should be full soon.

Each snowamking fan gun requires water from a hydrant and a pipeline and high voltage electricity. We have literally miles and miles of buried snowmaking water pipelines and power lines. Over the summer weird things happen, ground shifts, critters chew lines, pipes rust, etc. Last week the team checked all the power supplies. All the guns were working well. This week we will start pumping water to test the pumps, the pipelines and the hydrants.

Our typical start date for snowmaking is late September or early October. Mother Nature calls that shot.

Little Lenawee Peak

I spent most of Friday out wandering (walking and driving) on the hill checking on current projects. I started over in the Lower Alleys and ended up on The Summit. On a nice little side hike, I walked to the Middle East Wall gate and ventured out on The Wall a little bit. The wildlife viewing was excellent, seeing mountain goats, marmots, pikas and a coyote. The views of Little Lenawee Peak from that zone are particularly good.

Top O' Pali Grading

Our Summer Projects have also included some grading near the top of Pallavicini Lift. We achieved two objectives. One, we widened the unload area a bit to the South. As people like to gather and talk and catch up, space for milling around has always been in short supply there.  Yes, a few people like to chit chat up there. Now there is more room for people to spread out.

The second component is that we graded a cat track from the top of Pali to the top of The Nose. In the past we have always made this snow road out of, well, snow. As a result, some years it took weeks or months to get established. Now with just a little bit of snow, skiers and riders will have very easy access to The Nose, West Wall and Davis trail in The Beavers.

Another PHQ Update

The PHQ remodel is progressing nicely. The framing is mostly done. The electricians are working away. Before long we will see shingles and siding.

For You Sweater Aficionados......

..........We have a new color for this coming season.

Great Evening, Great Deck

Today was certainly a beautiful afternoon/evening to be married on the Black Mountain Lodge deck.

Explosive Delivery System

For the Steep Gullies we are installing a fairly complex Explosive Delivery System that involves several cable lines that are commonly called Explosive Trams. Back in August 2014, I wrote a blog about our system on the North end of the East Wall.

There is a 20' tall tower at the top and bottom of each line. Kind of like a clothes line, the system allows our avalanche team to lower explosives to a desired location before detonation. 

Advantages of the system include being able to send larger shots and/or shots to places much further away than our workers can throw. By doing so, we reduce the exposure of employees to unmitigated terrain. The explosive work can more effective and more efficient in its use of time and resources. Lastly, this system in The Steep Gullies will reduce the time it takes to prepare the slopes for opening.

Today, with the helicopter, the Snow Safety Team placed all of their towers. They will spend the next several weeks setting the cables and fine tuning the system.