Ski areas putting snowmaking to test as they gear up for new season

Courtesy / Sugarloaf Sugarloaf tests its new snowmaking guns during Sugarloaf Homecoming Weekend Oct. 6.

Write a Comment

By Maureen Milliken

Maine’s mountains are still glowing orange and gold, but ski areas are gearing up to see white — thanks to continuing investments in their snowmaking equipment — as the winter season approaches.

“After a summer of hard work to enhance our snowmaking system, we’ve finally reached the unofficial start to winter,” said Will Bastian, snowmaking manager for Sunday River Resort in Newry. “Just give us a stretch of cold weather, and ski season will be here.”

Sunday River, Shawnee Peak in Bridgton and Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley all had news regarding snow-making last week. Many of the state’s ski area will open at the end of the month or early November, depending on temperatures.

While many ski areas have busy commercial off seasons, much of the focus is also on enhancing the experience to draw more winter visitors, including increasing snow-making ability.

Sugarloaf tested a new snowmaking system during Sugarloaf Homecoming weekend Oct. 6 and 7, when many “Sugarloafers” visit Carrabassett Valley to eat, drink, open camps and assess what the season will be like.

“Homecoming weekend went great, we couldn’t have timed the foliage better,” Noelle Tuttle, Sugarloaf marketing and communications manager, told Mainebiz. “And we were able to squeeze in a test of our snowmaking system with 20-plus guns running on Skidder at sunrise.”

The resort’s secondary snowmaking system was renovated over the summer, and the new 600-horsepower, 1,000-gallon-per-minute electric pump “will help improve efficiency and production on eastern and mid-mountain terrain during key early-season timeframes,” said a news release..

At Shawnee Peak, the resort “has just completed one of its busiest off-seasons in recent years, with major emphasis on continued improvement of the snow surface. This project represents the biggest investment in snowmaking in Shawnee Peak’s history,” said a news release.

Sunday River, meanwhile, took the first steps towards doubling its snow-making capacity over the summer. It completed its annual fall systems test last week.

“This test gives Sunday River’s snowmakers the go-ahead to crank the system at full capacity — 9,000 gallons of water and 60,000 cubic feet of air per minute, producing four acre-feet per hour — at the first sustained cold snap with temperatures between 25-30 degrees overnight,” the resort said.

Adjusting to temperatures

Photo / Maureen Milliken)

A banner welcomes “Sugarloafers” back to the mountain at Sugarloaf Homecoming Weekend Oct. 6.

Ski resorts in the state have had steady visitor numbers over the past few years — generally around 1.3 million, but warming temperatures and the virtually snowless winter of two years ago have put the focus on snowmaking. The industry has a direct economic impact of about $300 million a year.

"The weather is certainly the biggest factor in the business," Ethan Austin, Sugarloaf director of communications and marketing, told Mainebiz in March. “And if you don't have enough snow, it's whether you have cold-enough weather to make snow."

He said the latest in snowmaking is low-energy snow guns that require less compressed air and use less energy, but make the same amount of snow.

Sugarloaf’s include an under-construction expert-level terrain park. Enhancements will include greater visibility and access for spectators and elimination of some traffic congestion.

The resort has also thinned and maintained the developed glades on Burnt Mountain to allow an earlier opening of the all-natural terrain.

Sugarloaf is also hosting the first-ever U.S. Alpine Speed Championships, coming in March.

In June, the resort launched a new website that has a mobile-first design that caters to the more than 60% of web traffic that accesses the resort’s site via handheld devices.

“The new layout is also designed to drive more business through the resort’s ecommerce environment, with new booking widgets and prominent calls to action,” the resort said.

At Sunday River, a project to replace the two-mile long river pipeline that runs from the river to the snowmaking pump house with high-pressure ductile iron pipe was completed, and a new 600-horsepower pump was added. The changes mean a 15% increase in water capacity for making snow.

At Shawnee Peak, the new snowmaking system “will allow the mountain to open trails faster, refresh trails more frequently and ensure a continued strong snow surface,”

It’s also expanded food its beverage offerings, with an on-snow beer garden at the Main Base area and a revamped menu at the East Lodge and upgrading technology at the rental shop, with software replacing paper forms, allowing for advance reservation of ski and snowboard equipment and reducing lines in the shop.