Snow Trails’ hillside slopes are covered in white
Decision on resort’s opening day still hinges on weather conditions
The hillsides of Snow Trails were finally glistening white under the brilliant sun this week, a welcome sight for skiers and snowboarders alike.
Snow guns at the resort were producing powdery flakes from Monday evening to Thursday afternoon, according to Scott Crislip, the resort’s manager. It was 65 hours straight of snow production.
“That’s awesome for us,” Crislip said. It’s a sign the resort’s season will soon finally begin, but Mother Nature still needs to cooperate a little more for that announcement to be made.
Snow guns amazing to watch
The snow guns at Snow Trails came on for the first time this autumn on Nov. 22. Staff saw the freshly cut lawn become a winter paradise overnight.
“I’ve been at this for over 20 years,”
Crislip said. “It never ceases to amaze me to watch the snow guns.”
Some refer to the process as making snow, but that might be giving a little too much credit to technology.
“We’re really not making anything,” Crislip said. “We’re doing what Mother Nature does.”
The process starts with cold air and the right humidity. The wrong amount of either prohibits snow from flying across the slopes of Snow Trails.
“There’s a little bit of science behind it,” Crislip said.
Water pumps at the resort can send as many as 5,500 gallons of water per minute to the 69 snow guns positioned around the resort.
Piles keep snow from melting
Those guns oscillate during the season to ensure the slopes are covered evenly, but this time of year they are left still.
The goal is to produce as many giant piles of snow as possible.
“We call those whales,” Crislip said. Mounds of snow protect themselves from the three biggest enemies of snow: heat, rain and wind.
“Once we spread it out, it’s more vulnerable,” Crislip said.
The snow will stay in piles until the threat of melting is mostly gone. Some years that has been as early as Thanksgiving. Others, it’s been after New Year’s Day.
“A big time for us is the holidays,” Crislip said.
Opening day to be announced soon
When the forecast looks right and there’s enough snow piled into whales, the resort’s staff can spread out the snow to form a base.
“There’s no true number for the size of a base,” Crislip explained. “You can ski on six inches of snow, but we like to get a foot or two.”
The resort’s base is typically about five feet deep by the middle of the season.
Whether a large enough base will be in place before Christmas, though, depends on weather — and the weekend forecast of wind, rain and a high of more than 60 degrees was not favorable.
It’s not what the Snow Trails staff or their eager guests were wanting to hear.
“The enthusiasts are getting ready to go,” Crislip said. “It’s getting about that time. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.”
When the decision to open is finally made, it will be announced online at snowtrails.com as well as the resort’s Facebook page. ztuggle@gannett.com 419-564-3508
Twitter: @zachtuggle