Hunter Conditions

[MarzNC]

I don't know the reason. But, IMO, the fact that all three owners didn't prioritize West means there probably was a good reason.

What is the water source for snowmaking at Hunter? When does snowmaking typically start on West? By mid-December or earlier?

I know Hunter used to be "first to open" in the Catskills. Was totally surprised it was open the Monday before Thanksgiving when I was driving up to Lake Placid when my daughter was at North Country School. We would spend that holiday in Lake Placid.

 

[SayvilleSteve]

When does snowmaking typically start on West?

This is really tough to gauge given the new ownership and the addition of Hunter North over the past half dozen years. Vail has seemingly been less aggressive in general regarding snowmaking than past owners and there has been a clear priority to get North open before West. And of course, it all depends on the weather.

 

[MarzNC]

This is really tough to gauge given the new ownership and the addition of Hunter North over the past half dozen years. Vail has seemingly been less aggressive in general regarding snowmaking than past owners and there has been a clear priority to get North open before West. And of course, it all depends on the weather.

Understand. I was thinking more about the last few years after Peak or Vail Resorts took over. If the water supply is the same as before, then the addition of North must have an impact on when snowmaking on West can start in earnest.

In general, any talk about the start of snowmaking is only meaningful within 3-5 years. Every resort that remains a solid business has been upgrading their snowmaking infrastructure one way or another. Whether or not there is automated snow guns makes a bit difference during short windows of opportunity.

 

[SayvilleSteve]

any talk about the start of snowmaking is only meaningful within 3-5 years

I would say Hunter snowmaking has regressed in the past 3-5 years. https://nyskiblog.com/hunter-mountain-snowmaking-silk/

 

[x10003q]

Some Hunter reporting from Dec, 2009. I doubt they have any water issues.

Hunter Snowmaking Success!!!

Highlands/E lift is open. Using the "normal" trail count for Hunter, they've only got three trails left to open to be 100% for a usual season....White Cloud, Upper Crossover, and either 44 or Annapurna.

forums.alpinezone.com

 

[MarzNC]

I would say Hunter snowmaking has regressed in the past 3-5 years. https://nyskiblog.com/hunter-mountain-snowmaking-silk/

Some Hunter reporting from Dec, 2009. I doubt they have any water issues.

Hunter Snowmaking Success!!!

Highlands/E lift is open. Using the "normal" trail count for Hunter, they've only got three trails left to open to be 100% for a usual season....White Cloud, Upper Crossover, and either 44 or Annapurna.

forums.alpinezone.com

The comments from these sources are more than 10 years old.

Hunter was a finalist for the I AM A SNOWMAKER contest in 2020. So clearly at that time they had a great snowmaking team. Does seem as if water supply is not an issue.

January 2020

 

[Milo Maltbie]

I doubt they have any water issues.

Their water source is the Schoharie Creek, which is controlled by DEP. In the past there were reports that they had violated their water permits, but maybe those were related to low flows in dry years. It’s ironic that their snowmaking depends on natural snowmelt.

mm

 

[MarzNC]

Their water source is the Schoharie Creek, which is controlled by DEP. In the past there were reports that they had violated their water permits, but maybe those were related to low flows in dry years. It’s ironic that their snowmaking depends on natural snowmelt.

mm

Is there a pond or tank to collect and store water for snowmaking?

 

[Milo Maltbie]

Is there a pond or tank to collect and store water for snowmaking?

They all have ponds but they are not big enough to cover the mountain. They all need to be refilled almost continuously. Everyone depends on a flowing water source.

mm

 

[MarzNC]

They all have ponds but they are not big enough to cover the mountain. They all need to be refilled almost continuously. Everyone depends on a flowing water source.

mm

Makes sense.

I remember following the story as Peak Resorts worked to create a huge new snowmaking pond at Mt. Snow. The old pond held 20 million gallons. The new one took years to get created and filled, with a capacity of 120 million gallons.

Wintergreen in VA built a 5 million gallon storage tank a while back. They draw from a large lake, but that lake also provides potable water for the entire resort. That was enough until relatively recently. There have been a few times in the last few years that they ran out of usable water when there was a cold snap that allowed 24-hour snowmaking for more than a day or two. They cannot draw the lake down too much. Used to be that Massanutten (an hour from Wintergreen) would run out of water while Wintergreen was able to continue making snow, but Massanutten built a 2.5 mile pipeline from the valley and got permission to draw from the larger stream. That's what made adding terrain on the upper mountain possible.