Quote Originally Posted by win View Post
Here is the answer to capacity. The maximum water capacity that we have is just under 4,000 Gallons Per Minute (GPM) at Lincoln Peak. In the past we could rarely get to that level with the older technology until it got very cold. We have three electric compressors that can generate 18,000 cubic feet (CFM) of air per minute The very old guns would need between 400 and 500 CFM. HKDs are using about 30 CFM on average and snowlogics use about 5 CFM. Let's to the math. If the guns used 450 on average we could run 40 guns. If they put our 30 GPM that would mean 1,200 GPM was being used. Well below our capacity. That is why in the past we and other mountains brought in supplemental diesel generators in the early part of the season. If we use the HKD's we theoretically could have 600 guns running. But if they are putting out 30 GPM then we can run 125 or so and that's it until we run out of water. But in colder temperatures they can be set at different stages which can get up to 50 GPM so you max water around 76 guns. But, we are getting trails open a lot faster and able to move on. For example, when we first blew on Snowballl and Spring Fling, those trails were opened in 36 hours instead of 4-5 days in the past. While you may see us making snow on fewer trails than you might like, we are completing those trails faster and able to then move on to others.

With respect to wetness, snowmaking does require constant supervision and small changes in temperatures and humidity can alter the quality. That is why we ski around and have guns adjusted if we see then getting too wet. You also have to realize with at times 100 guns running on multiple trails it can take time for our snowmakers to get to the area. Overall, while Bush is correct and I too spotted wet guns at times and called that in, I think the overall quality has been very good and the guys take real pride in doing the best job possible. it is a very tough job.

I am not going to reply to every time a lift has a minor issue. Those things just happen everywhere. But since Hawk made a point a saying we had three lift issues yesterday, I will comment. The Welcome Mat was due to icing and opened 25 minutes late. The two surface lifts are very vulnerable to icing. Castlerock was delayed due a loose wire that would not allow the emergency brake to reset. You have to first find the loose wire before it can be fixed and that is not always a simple job. That is going to happen especially in the NE climate. A lift can run perfectly and overnight something like this can occur. CR opened at 10:21am.



I appreciate your honest feedback and I hope all can appreciate that some of these issues are not quite as simple as they seem.
Thanks Win for the information and your ongoing engagement with this group of passionate SB skiers/riders. One suggestion perhaps for an enhancement to the SB app would be to add a GPS-enabled module for reporting snowmaking or other issues via crowd-sourcing. You and the mtn ops team can't be everywhere all the time, so why not let your customers help report issues to supplement your manpower?

Also, that question MtnMan had was worth dwelling on I thought. While you were blowing excellent snow on the GH/NL line, were you unable to do so simultaneously on the other lines across the basin? Also, are there plans in the works to replace any of that other lousy ASC-era pipe? Sounds like some of that bit you on Stein's this week.