No sooner did we clear the last red faults did Mother Nature press the green light go to let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. The first fall of flakes always unveils a feeling of awe. It entices a quiet sigh of surprise to see swirls of white outside the window. Then, another look for the soft dusting on blades of grass and roadway, the confirmation that it is actually snowing and, if it sticks, maybe we’ll have off from work tomorrow.

Well, maybe you will.

For us, it’s go time. A snow day is our work day. It’s an extra boost from Mother Nature to set a strong foundation. The start to building a solid base for full trail cover and depth. This week, two inches of natural snow graced the mountain. We continued to cover with snowmaking on Easy Out and Vista, Midway, Main Street, and Come Around.

The cold is slowly settling in, but fluctuating temperatures have paused snowmaking momentum. Don’t let the wind chill fool you. We are still experiencing marginal temperatures. The water is too warm in the cooling towers, and without cold water, we can’t make snow.

The good news is, colder temps are in the forecast. The setback is, so is rain.

Our crew is now split to day and night shifts, each working 12-hour blocks for ’round the clock mountain ops coverage. This allows greater advantage for anytime snowmaking. We are pushing harder, with full crew and longer hours, to make snow as quickly and efficiently as possible— as soon as possible.

Amid the excitement of more and more snowmaking, we continue fixing leaks, repairing cats, and trimming trees. The hoses are all laid out, red faults cleared and guns ready to run, and seasonal lockers installed. Now, when the sun sets to rest on the horizon, the trail lights create their own mountain constellation.

We are looking forward to a warm Thanksgiving, a day off to rest and reboot before our big push to open the slopes. Our thoughts are set on turkey, but our hopes are high for colder temps. Before the snow sticks, what are you grateful for this holiday season?

Comment below—

and check in each Wednesday for weekly snowmaking updates!

See you on the slopes,

the snowmisers