Snow guns blazing, Big Sky Resort opens for 52nd season
By Mira Brody VP MEDIA
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
– Robert Frost, “A Dust of Snow”
Just as a dust of snow elevated poet Robert Frost’s mood, early morning snowfall too, stoked the flames among those in line for their first runs of the season at Big Sky Resort for the ski area’s 52nd opening day on Nov. 26. The success of the day was a partnership between Mother Nature and the resort’s robust snowmaking team.
“We can’t do one without the other. Even with the best system in the world we still need it to be cold and it got just cold enough for us to make it happen,” Adam West, VP of operations told EBS over the sound of snow guns running behind him.
Despite a warm and dry fall that lingered beyond its welcome for lovers of winter, the resort’s snowmaking efforts by their operations team has paid off—helped along by some natural accumulation on Monday and Wednesday morning—providing enough base to open just over 110 acres. Ramcharger lift, a tow rope and a base area magic carpet were running, providing access to Ambush, Tippy’s Tumble and Hangmans runs for some hot laps.
Luck and planning all factored into a successful opening, as other regional ski areas—including all in neighboring Teton County—remain shuttered until more favorable weather arrives.
“It’s opening day, we’re skiing,” West summarized with a smile.
By Friday, the resort plans to open another 100 acres including Swift Current; this morning crews were pulling snow guns off of Mr. K, as cat crews moved snow into place. By Dec. 20, the new Explorer Gondola and Kircliff observatory will open, the latter to spectators until conditions allow for skiing off the peak. Gondola cabins are finally moving along the new Explorer line, which West said “is really exciting to see.”
Snowmaking efforts are made possible by a team of 40, who work a 10-person crew on 12-hour shifts, often through the night with 105 snow guns producing 2,500 gallons of precipitation per minute. Ideal temperatures for snowmaking rely on 26F or lower. He emphasized their goal of not just any snow surface, but a “good surface,” for skiing.
“It’s really come down to our snowmaking team’s effort, and the system that we’ve built for them to operate,” West said. “We made snow 177 to 188 hours leading up to this day and now it’s getting really cold and we expect this forecast to continue for the next couple weeks, so it’s really going to be a full sprint from here on out for the snowmaking team.”
West added that long-term climate models continue to project a very snowy winter.
“We’re a little behind on actual snow, but we’ve been really intentional about snowmaking for the last 10 years and it’s really paying off,” he said.
The wait paid off for anyone on skis or a snowboard this Wednesday morning as well, as shouts of delight carried riders down to the base area for another lap.
“My soul needed it,” a skier could be heard saying in the lodge to a murmur of agreement from his table full of friends.
