Aspen Skiing Co. wants to make snow on the top of Aspen Mountain — pronto

Snowmaking saved Aspen’s bacon for the second season in a row this year, and now Aspen Skiing Co. is looking to expand coverage for the future.

Skico has submitted an updated master plan for Aspen Mountain to the U.S. Forest Service that includes expanding the capacity for snowmaking by another 50 acres. The master plan review process is underway by the Forest Service. It must also be submitted to Pitkin County, and then reviewed again by the Forest Service.

“Snowmaking to the top of Aspen Mountain remains a priority, and once we have approvals we will begin the project as quickly as possible,” Skico spokesman Jeff Hanle said.

The existing snowmaking system on Aspen Mountain covers about 172 acres of terrain on the lower two-thirds of the mountain — below about 10,600 feet in elevation, according to the draft master plan.

The reasoning has been that Mother Nature generally pulls through and provides enough natural snow at the top to start the lifts spinning when scheduled. However, Mother Nature doesn’t always get the memo. The last two seasons have proven there are no guarantees.

“During seasons with marginal early-season snowfall, top-to-bottom skiing can be delayed from the planned opening day, causing a burden on the overall resort and community economy,” said Skico’s draft master development plan. “To respond to this issue, ASC plans to extend snowmaking capabilities to the summit of Aspen Mountain, which includes snowmaking on approximately 50 acres on One & Two Leaf, Silver Bell, Dipsy Doodle, Buckhorn and North American trails.”

The expanded system would require a second water storage pond on Gent’s Ridge, where one is currently located, and another pond near the Midnight ski trail.

About 8,600 feet of snowmaking pipeline would be installed beneath the Silver Bell and Copper trails and 7,400 feet of pipeline would be sunk below Dipsy, Buckhorn and North American, the draft plan said. A pump station would be installed on Gent’s Ridge to feed the system uphill from the ponds.

Aspen Skiing Co.’s snowmaking systems cover 230 acres at Snowmass, 108 acres at Buttermilk and 121 acres at Aspen Highlands.

Skico has used 203 million gallons of water for snowmaking at the four ski areas so far this season, “about spot on with this time last year,” Hanle wrote in an email. Skico uses treated municipal water for snowmaking at Aspen Mountain.