Snowmaking on Lower Moonshine.

[007]

Now if they could just figure out how to do that on the last turn before the lift on Castlerock.

Answer:

http://gearjunkie.com/videos?v=ski-gliding-the-eiger

This may be habit forming...

[Hawk]

They have done this in the past! Which has allowed it to be open in the spring!

In the past, have they ever made it to Lower Twist with the hoses and guns?

How could they? That's a long way from Spring Fling or Steins.

Necessary PSI and Water Flow rate should be available at both those points of connection and elevation; it's just a labor intensive project to run out and coil up very long hoses.....

You shouldn't drink and post.

[Hardbooter]

http://gearjunkie.com/videos?v=ski-gliding-the-eiger

Am I missing something? Or are you comparing the last turn on Castlerock to ski-gliding the Eiger? Personally, I've always though that gondoliar is our Eiger.

BTW, I have a pretty good video of a paraglide ride that I took across from the Eiger in the summer. Not quite as thrilling as that video but it was thrilling enough for me and spouse (strapped to a different swiss para-dude.)

[Tin Woodsman]

They have done this in the past! Which has allowed it to be open in the spring!

In the past, have they ever made it to Lower Twist with the hoses and guns?

How could they? That's a long way from Spring Fling or Steins.

Necessary PSI and Water Flow rate should be available at both those points of connection and elevation; it's just a labor intensive project to run out and coil up very long hoses.....

I should have been more precise. It's likely so labor intensive as to be financially impractical and highly unlikely in practice. By the logic you provided, they could make snow all over Castlerock by running hoses across from Lower Ripcord.

[Tin Woodsman]

FWIW I believe that a couple seasons ago they did blow some snow in the CR entrance.

They've done that a few times over the last 6-7 years by dragging the hoses down the run-in. It's a rare event though.

[shadyjay]

While Upper Moonshine/Upper Twist are close together, Lower Moonshine/Lower Twist have quite the separation, and that Lower Twist dumps out at the Mall and Lower Moonshine onto Spring Fling. So running guns over to Lower Twist would involve also covering a portion of the Mall, which theoretically could be done from Coffee Run, again with some very long hoses. But is that worth it? I'm guessing the decision to make snow on Lower Moonshine was that it needed it and could be done with relative ease, plus there may have been excess capacity, and rather than firing up a trail on the other side of the mtn, why not use the excess to blow on Lower Moonshine.

As for the 'Rock, yes a couple years ago they did make snow but I think only as far as the hoses would reach from the Lower Downspout entrance. Cats can do amazing things with pushing snow around. But installing a line all the way up the Runout or off Downspout, would it really be worth it to gain the extra couple weeks it could buy you? I thought part of skiing/riding Castlerock is the adventure. Oh yeah... DID WE MENTION ROCKS?

Snowmaking power seems to be pretty good this season at LP... with multiple trails being fired up at once, and being able to groom out Sleeper after a couple days of snowmaking. It was riding really nice today... even the chutes!

[Plowboy]

They have done this in the past! Which has allowed it to be open in the spring!

In the past, have they ever made it to Lower Twist with the hoses and guns?

I think Twist and Lower Twist are piped. I think the lower part of the Mall is piped too.

[Lostone]

They hit the C_Rock entrance, this year, but that last turn is a long way from the entrance. (Seems pretty quick on skis. )

[vonski]

OK Portable Fan Gun could be moved around at the Rock base!

[shadyjay]

OK Portable Fan Gun could be moved around at the Rock base!

Any fan gun requires power, which is lacking at each "station". However since the pole line does pass right by the entrance to Castlerock from Downspout... I suppose it could be possible. But you still gotta run all your hoses and the power down there from the closest station. And that'd be a lot of hoses to deal with.

[summitchallenger]

I wonder if they could get a permit to draw water for a fan gun from the stream that is right there? Most likely not, but that would only require the installation of power instead of extending a water line....since most fan guns have onboard compressors.

[Hawk]

OK Portable Fan Gun could be moved around at the Rock base!

Any fan gun requires power, which is lacking at each "station". However since the pole line does pass right by the entrance to Castlerock from Downspout... I suppose it could be possible. But you still gotta run all your hoses and the power down there from the closest station. And that'd be a lot of hoses to deal with.

Actually there is 480V power and a transformer right at the castlerock lift base. Running temp cables and a waterline from one of the hydrants on lower downspout would not be that hard and would not cost that much. All they really need to do is blow a huge pile on the other side of the bridge and push it up around the corner.

[MntMan4Bush]

The last two years I skied the Rock on it's last day open. In fact I usually do, but the last two are fresh in my mind. I remember skiing down Middleearth hopping huge patches of mud hoping I didn't land short and double eject. I recall trying to piece a trail together by dropping into the woods to get around a large bare patch that jumping over was not an option and I remember taking my skis off or leaving them on and walking over gigantic patches f grass that brought back memories of hiking the Long Trail in the summer.

So I'll ask. How much later do you want the Rock to be open? You're welcome to "ski" it all summer long if you hike it and enjoy that kind of thing. I think having that rugged mud and rock chute to get to the lift sends a message to all attempting, giving little to no false hope. There is thin cover. Beware.

As for snowmaking I say since the Bush is so stingy of where they make it, why waste it there. They made snow last weekend on Sleeper Chutes and the quality and quantity were great. I almost never ski over there because it doesn't ave much sustained pitch or anything to keep m e interested, but I did laps on that just to enjoy the good quality of snow. See what we're missing? Now how about some of that on the big boys. The guns were going before on Ripcord. Let's keep them going. Or Organgrinder. The bumps on the "headwall" of Sleeper Chutes were so soft and fun I can only imagine if it was a sustained line. I'd set up camp there. Hell snow like that might even inspire some people to come on down off the Tobin Bridge after last weeks Pats fiasco. I certainly hope so. The parking for the bridge is getting outrageous. They're charging admission now. Cash only though so bring correct change.

[Hawk]

Blow a big enough pile and you could push snow all the way up to the Castlerock connector. It's One fan gun that they already own I am talking about. The water is already being pumped up the hill. The hoses they already own. The only cost is hooking up a power cable into the existing panel in the lift house and the cable it self. i would think the mountain employs an electrician in the maintenence crew so its the cost of materials. In years past I have only seen the problem at the bottom from where Cotillion meets the connector. From there up was not bad.

[gone.skiing]

Keep in mind that runout to the base is usually gone by then as well.