Castlerock Snowmaking

[007]

Conservatively speaking, and with consideration of the Castle Rock Area "heritage" as exclusively "natural" terrain, adding a respectable amount of snowmaking to the base area only of the Castlerock Double would keep it open a few weeks earlier and later each season, without the need for cost prohibitive farming and relocating of snow from other areas of the mountain.

As we experienced with this season's noteworthy (and much appreciated) efforts to maintain a reasonable runout back to the lift those last few official days of Castle Rock opening, we really could lengthen the experience (even to those of us who hike over) without overtaxing available resources.

4-6 small snow guns strategically hidden would be reasonably adequate, with the express stipulation that no further snowmaking will be added.

Welcome any pros, cons, opinions, suggestions, discussion, etc.

[win]

We can actually pull in a few guns where you are thinking, and if the winter had given us the opportunity to allocate time and effort when we could have made snow, we would have done this. We had also planned to go this on the headwall of Domino just like we did on Bravo and lower Moonshine this year and Hammerhead last year. Hopefully, next winter will allow us to get to the bottom of The Rock. Keeping it open as long as possible would make Hardy and me as happy as you. Thank for the thought.

[Tin Woodsman]

Conservatively speaking, and with consideration of the Castle Rock Area "heritage" as exclusively "natural" terrain, adding a respectable amount of snowmaking to the base area only of the Castlerock Double would keep it open a few weeks earlier and later each season, without the need for cost prohibitive farming and relocating of snow from other areas of the mountain.

As we experienced with this season's noteworthy (and much appreciated) efforts to maintain a reasonable runout back to the lift those last few official days of Castle Rock opening, we really could lengthen the experience (even to those of us who hike over) without overtaxing available resources.

4-6 small snow guns strategically hidden would be reasonably adequate, with the express stipulation that no further snowmaking will be added.

Welcome any pros, cons, opinions, suggestions, discussion, etc.

I completely agree. As Win alludes to below, SB has tried to cover the inrun to Castlerock by stretching the hoses and pushing snow around. While that's an important start, I don't think we should forget about the last pitches on Liftline and Troll Road that get crushed by the sun almost all year. I think two hydrants would do it. One near the final intersection of Troll Road and Liftline and one near the top of the last steep pitch on Liftline. Between those two, you'd essentially be able to cover everything that melts out quickly or, in the case of Troll Road, gets skied off quickly.

[Treeskier]

When Allen Wilson was GM he tried to pull the snow guns down and blow snow but He said it did not work (I think it was the distance the produced not enough presure) and advocated installing 5-6 guns permenantly. Interesting the differance in views.

[summitchallenger]

How about just installing a water line and using the self-contained fan guns that MRG uses? Save some $$$ on the air line, but then again, the new fan guns would be more $$$ so the savings would probably cancel out the cost. Just a thought.

[007]

How about a couple of these permantly posted amongst the trees on the side of the runout????

http://www.teamsnow.com/products/waterstick/index.htm

NO air or power required.

Water line pressure loss could be overcome with a small booster pump station near the lift shack (for power), and a larger diameter supply line.....

[007]

Correction "permanently" (I rely on spell check way too often these days)..........

[skiladi]

We can actually pull in a few guns where you are thinking, and if the winter had given us the opportunity to allocate time and effort when we could have made snow, we would have done this. We had also planned to go this on the headwall of Domino just like we did on Bravo and lower Moonshine this year and Hammerhead last year. Hopefully, next winter will allow us to get to the bottom of The Rock. Keeping it open as long as possible would make Hardy and me as happy as you. Thank for the thought.

Nah. The less people willing to drop in there , the better. ; }

[castlerock]

We can actually pull in a few guns where you are thinking, and if the winter had given us the opportunity to allocate time and effort when we could have made snow, we would have done this. We had also planned to go this on the headwall of Domino just like we did on Bravo and lower Moonshine this year and Hammerhead last year. Hopefully, next winter will allow us to get to the bottom of The Rock. Keeping it open as long as possible would make Hardy and me as happy as you. Thank for the thought.

Nah. The less people willing to drop in there , the better. ; }

Actually I agree. The Domino headwall isn't a cover issue. It is just icy. Leave it alone. Keep the traffic down.

[kcyanks1]

We can actually pull in a few guns where you are thinking, and if the winter had given us the opportunity to allocate time and effort when we could have made snow, we would have done this. We had also planned to go this on the headwall of Domino just like we did on Bravo and lower Moonshine this year and Hammerhead last year. Hopefully, next winter will allow us to get to the bottom of The Rock. Keeping it open as long as possible would make Hardy and me as happy as you. Thank for the thought.

Nah. The less people willing to drop in there , the better. ; }

Actually I agree. The Domino headwall isn't a cover issue. It is just icy. Leave it alone. Keep the traffic down.

I agree too. Domino is one of the first non-snowmaking trails to open, it seems, along with Spillsville. While I've been on it in thin cover situations, I don't think adding snowmaking is necessary. Also, I don't like the idea of adding snowmaking to headwalls of the non-snowmaking trails. I can see making snow at the way, way, way bottom of Castlerock (like the last pitch on Liftline that always has terrible coverage), the trails to get to Castlerock, and the runout - but any snowmaking on the "real" parts of non-snowmaking trails ruins them, in my opinion. I'm not meaning to compare Domino to Castlerock as far as its sacred-ness, but it's a fun alternative to Downspout to get to Heaven's Gate or Castlerock, and I wouldn't want to see it ruined.

[007]

My vote (if we had one) would be in favor of foregoing the unnecessary snow making on Domino or anyplace at Castlerock other than the immediate base of the Castlerock lift and the "s" curve run out that leads to it where the crew had trucked in snow this season.

There's alot to be said about maintaining this area's heritage.

The resources that would be used to make snow on the Domino headwall could be better utilized on other parts of the hill......only my opinion of course.

[win]

good input