Stepping into Winter

I always look forward to the moment when I first step into the snow. It gives me a line on what to expect from the ski days ahead.

storm-skiing-at-gore
Storm Skiing

On Tuesday, I was surprised by what I found. That first step into the snow step was soft-ish, with just a hint of crunch. Ten inches of compressed snow remained from the last liquid event and it didn’t feel super saturated. Of course it was just above freezing.

Now, I know the Almaguin Highlands guys don’t ski the pipeline before it sets, but that’s not how we roll down here on Christian Hill. If it’s skiable we’ll hit it, consequences be damned.

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Gore Mtn and Ski Bowl Developments Summer 2016

During this 2016 offseason Gore has continued the move toward snowmaking efficiency and improved early season operations. At the same time nordic trails are being developed at Ski Bowl Park.

quicksilver-fan-gun

Sixty (60) new Ratnik Baby Snow Giants have been purchased to replace the aging fleet of Ratnik ground guns.

These guns are spec’d to produce at temperatures up to a wet bulb of 31 degrees, while using 40% less air versus a traditional Ratnik ground gun.

In addition five new fan gun receptacles and one fan new gun have been added on the East Side.

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Gore Mountain Easter: The Upside

New York’s ski patrol took to the slopes for the first time, at Gore Mountain, on March 4, 1934. It was the start of the ski season that year; in those days you skied when it snowed.

rumor

In the 1950s, snowmaking was introduced in the Catskills, and soon technology began to change skiing. Sixty years later resort skiing has become a business that can survive even the leanest of winters.

I appreciate the advancements in manmade snow, but there is no getting around the total picture. Snowmaking can be loud, it’s expensive and the product lacks the magic of natural snow.

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