Snowmaking at Mt. Bachelor
November 17, 2023.
As our focus has completely shifted to winter operations in the last month, we took the opportunity last week to fire up the snow guns and start our snowmaking season. Here at Mt. Bachelor, we primarily rely on the 464” annual inches of snow to cover our mountain throughout the winter. But in the early season, snowmaking can be a valuable asset to jumpstart winter and help get the mountain ready. We caught up with the snowmaking crew to get an inside look at what it takes to produce man-made snow at Mt. Bachelor.
When do you decide to start making snow for the season and what are ideal snowmaking conditions?
We begin snowmaking for the season when we see a favorable cold weather pattern. Typically it is the first or second week in November, sometimes sooner.
Ideal snowmaking conditions are a combination of cold temperatures, less than 20°, low humidity, and minimal winds. We rarely see all these conditions together. Often, in the early season, we see temperature inversions. Temperatures at the top of Pine Marten will be too warm to make snow, and we can only make snow from the base of Pine Marten to the top of the halfpipe. Some days this fall, temperatures in the West Village parking lot were 20°, and the bottom of the halfpipe to the top of Pine Marten was 34°.
How is the snow made?
Mt. Bachelor makes snow using fan guns. Fan guns are better for making snow in more marginal conditions and we have a mix of automated guns and manual guns. The automated machines are much more efficient as they have their own weather stations and can adjust for increased, or decreased snowmaking conditions.
Our water is sourced from Mt. Bachelor’s well near the Nordic Center. It then enters our snowmaking pump system that runs up Thunderbird to the top of Pine Marten Lift.
There is a lot of thought that goes into where snow guns are placed too. We don’t have the snowmaking capability to have a machine at every hydrant, so early-season placement is critical. The main goal is to make snow at the load and unload areas of Pine Marten Lift first by placing guns near the top and bottom terminals of the lift. Then our focus shifts to making snow up Thunderbird (the run under the Pine Marten Lift line) from the base area. Once we have enough snow in one location, we will pick up and move the guns with snowcats to shoot snow at a new area.
What do you look for in the quality of the snow?
What we look for in snow quality will depend on the time of season. Early season, before opening, we will make snow on the wet side so that it will stick to the ground and create a long-lasting base. Once we are open, we aim to make drier snow for the best possible skiing and riding. Snowmaking checks every few hours help to ensure we are getting the optimal snow surface.
Who is responsible for making snow at Mt. Bachelor?
Mt. Bachelor’s snowmaking team is made up of the Grooming and Terrain Park departments. We have three shifts, with 4-5 people each. If conditions allow for snowmaking, all shifts perform gun checks. These checks include digging out hoses and power cables, knocking ice off, moving snow guns, and monitoring for any issues and changing conditions. If snowmaking is taking place while Mt. Bachelor is open, then typically day shift will help the night shift shut down snowmaking for operating hours, and the swing shift starts it back up.
The Grooming team is also needed to process the man-made snow. Usually, snowmaking guns deposit snow into large piles. These piles will sit for a day or two depending on how much moisture is in them. Once the snow has reached our desired texture, the Grooming team will push the piles out, working them to where the snow is needed. On the steeper areas of Thunderbird, a winch cat is needed to push the snow out and move it into place. A regular snowcat wouldn’t be able to back uphill or push the snow uphill because it is too steep.
Snowmaking at Mt. Bachelor is a joint effort.
What is the biggest challenge to making snow here?
The biggest challenge of making snow at Mt. Bachelor is also what makes Mt. Bachelor such a great place. We get a lot of storms. With the storms come wind, and usually lots of snow. Snowmaking in windy, snowy conditions creates an endless cycle of digging out guns, knocking off ice, and trying to find where the snow is ending up.
We are lucky to usually receive so much natural snow, so snowmaking here is just a boost to the natural snowfall. It allows us to build our lift areas earlier for opening, have extra snow stashes for padding up problem areas on Thunderbird, create a longer-lasting base into springtime, and build the halfpipe.
We will stop making significant snow once we have enough natural snow, or the entire mountain is open but will continue on a much smaller scale through February to prep for the half-pipe build.
The forecast next week looks favorable for both snowmaking and natural snowfall, so fingers crossed we can start to develop the base for the 2023/24 season. Big shoutout to the snowmaking crew for their hard work and for sharing what it takes to make snow here at Mt. Bachelor. We will be making snow around the clock, when conditions allow, in anticipation of opening day 2023!