After a brief warm spell, our snowmaking team is back in action just in time for the first day of winter with a promising 72-96 hour snowmaking window. We anticipate running up to 350 snow guns across the mountain continuously during this time, including in the Orchard. Wind directions are expected to shift from winds out of the north to winds out of the south, which will enable us to get snow coverage on both sides of the trails.
When making snow, careful planning is essential to manage the output effectively. This involves redistributing existing snow from one side of the trail to the other, to create room for the new machine-made snow. It’s a delicate balance—we aim to make as much snow as we can, which results in large whales that can be up to 20 feet tall. These snow piles require significant time and effort to groom. Each large pile can take 2-3 hours to push out, followed by additional tilling to ensure smooth trails. And we only have about a 12-hour window to groom overnight. After a heavy snowmaking session, grooming operations may take 48-72 hours to catch up. This will be a key focus for us over the weekend and into early next week.
Please note that while we are actively snowmaking, the conditions will be variable on-hill. There may be low visibility at times, snowmaking whales on trails, and stickier snow underfoot. This is expected while we take advantage of this snowmaking window and manage the influx of new snow. As a reminder, please ski in control and within your ability level based on the early season conditions.
Orchard Opening Soon
We’re happy to announce plans to open the Orchard for early next week. To prepare, our team is focusing on 72 hours of consistent snowmaking in the area, followed by grooming and final preparations to get the trails ready for skiers and snowboarders. Once the Orchard is officially open, The Grind trail will follow for snowshoeing and ski touring daily from 9AM – 4:30PM.
Attractions Updates
Our skating trail is now open thanks to the recent cold snap. While we lost some snowbanks earlier this week along the trail, the snowfall from Thursday allowed us to rebuild them. These snowbanks are helpful for maintaining the ice quality by trapping water and preventing it from doming over when freezing. We’re now working on smoothing out the ice to provide the best skating experience. Over at Hike N’ Tube, we’re dedicating the next four days to blasting snow in the tubing area, with plans to open early next week.
Terrain Park
In the Terrain Park, we continue to maximize snowmaking in all park spaces. On Wednesday night we swapped out a few features in Yahoo to keep the park fresh and exciting. Stay tuned for more updates as we hopefully expand these spaces in the coming weeks, with the help of our snowmakers.
Weekend Weather Forecast
Looking ahead, the weekend promises very cold temperatures which are ideal for snowmaking and maintaining our trails. However, the weather is expected to fluctuate into early next week, so guests should prepare for variable conditions as temperatures warm up over the holidays.
We’re excited about the progress we’re making this early in the season! Wishing everyone a happy holidays from the Operations Team at Blue.
