Whats the weather like near you?

[Big J]

8 hours ago, Doug Tait said:

 

Amazing what they can do these days!

I was interested though along the lines of is there a lake to pump from or snowbowsers delivering it, what does it take to build a ski slope?

@Big J

 

Edit.  Actually, if snowbowsers exist, I can imagine BigJ driving one 

 

It was an interesting evening, looking at the mechanics of it!

 

There are two types of snow maker on the hill. The tall poles are driven by compressed air and the turbine type ones use what looks like a jet engine to propel a fine mist out. Both require the air temperature to be 4 or 5c below freezing, and due to the warming temperatures last night (minus 11 at 18:00 and minus 4 at 22:00), we shut down the snow production for the time being. 

 

The water is drawn from the lake and is driven up the hill by the largest water pump I've personally ever seen (110kw). 

 

Whilst the snow is being made, someone is always on site to supervise (24hrs a day). I don't think anyone is paid to do it. It's all volunteers. This was my first shift, and I'll certainly be back. I've never been skiing, but intend to learn. 

 

They are also eying me up to drive the piste grooming machine with my machine driving experience. That'll be something for the CV! This isn't the exact machine they have, but it's almost identical.

[Canal Navvy]

I'll certainly be proper jealous of seeing pics of you on a snow groomer 😁 , something I'd love a drive of ......... as would many others on here too I'm sure 😆

 

It's really quite refreshing seeing your new life and I'm looking forward to your machine arriving and the start of a new episode.

 

Good luck for the new year 🙂

[peds]

1 hour ago, Canal Navvy said:

I'll certainly be proper jealous of seeing pics of you on a snow groomer 😁 , something I'd love a drive of ......... as would many others on here too I'm sure 😆

Seconded. Incredible machines.

 

The really cool bit is when they start doing slopes too steep to drive up under their own steam, so they attach a cable to an uphill anchor and winch themselves up, still grooming, or lower themselves down. 

 

Care needs to be taken by enthusiastic ski mountaineers returning from after-hours adventures in the high mountains, often skiing along in the dark under the light of a head torch, some of whom have been not-quite decapitated but most certainly killed outright after skiing into the cables which are, inevitably enough, often found at neck height. Whoops!

[Big J]

13 minutes ago, peds said:

Seconded. Incredible machines.

 

The really cool bit is when they start doing slopes too steep to drive up under their own steam, so they attach a cable to an uphill anchor and winch themselves up, still grooming, or lower themselves down. 

 

Care needs to be taken by enthusiastic ski mountaineers returning from after-hours adventures in the high mountains, often skiing along in the dark under the light of a head torch, some of whom have been not-quite decapitated but most certainly killed outright after skiing into the cables which are, inevitably enough, often found at neck height. Whoops!

 

I think our slope is small enough not to require winching! At least I hope it is!

[peds]

12 minutes ago, Big J said:

 

I think our slope is small enough not to require winching! At least I hope it is!

Not with that attitude. I'm sure you could find somewhere on the hill if you tried hard enough.

[Doug Tait]

3 hours ago, Big J said:

 

It was an interesting evening, looking at the mechanics of it!

 

There are two types of snow maker on the hill. The tall poles are driven by compressed air and the turbine type ones use what looks like a jet engine to propel a fine mist out. Both require the air temperature to be 4 or 5c below freezing, and due to the warming temperatures last night (minus 11 at 18:00 and minus 4 at 22:00), we shut down the snow production for the time being. 

 

The water is drawn from the lake and is driven up the hill by the largest water pump I've personally ever seen (110kw). 

 

Whilst the snow is being made, someone is always on site to supervise (24hrs a day). I don't think anyone is paid to do it. It's all volunteers. This was my first shift, and I'll certainly be back. I've never been skiing, but intend to learn. 

 

They are also eying me up to drive the piste grooming machine with my machine driving experience. That'll be something for the CV! This isn't the exact machine they have, but it's almost identical.

 

Thanks J, very interesting. As Canal Navvy said it's been good to see your new beginning, I'm a little bit jealous to be honest, and I wouldn't mind a shot driving the piste groomer too! 

 

[AJStrees]

Cold this morning before the rain set in. 
 

 

[Big J]

A dusting of snow and minus 12c here this morning. Ski slope fully prepped now ahead of Boxing Day opening

[Doug Tait]

Looks fantastic J, very jealous as our winter wonderland has disappeared, it's 8c and intermittent rain.

[Big J]

20 minutes ago, Doug Tait said:

Looks fantastic J, very jealous as our winter wonderland has disappeared, it's 8c and intermittent rain.

 

We had 4 days of plus degrees (up to about 5c) but it wasn't enough to thaw the ground. I'm standing on the lake as I type, with 10cm ice thickness, so will be cracking out the ice skates this afternoon too 😎