12 replies to this topic

[hoodoo]

1st I've heard of this... kinda interesting.


2007-06-12
Deer Valley: New Chair & Cool New Technology


Park City, Utah (Ski Press)-Deer Valley is building a brand new high-speed detachable chairlift this summer. The ski resort is also adding some high-tech new technology to help skiers find the deepest snow.

The new high-speed detachable quad chairlift, Lady Morgan Express, will be built in the Empire Canyon area. The area will include over 200 new skiable acres, 65 acres of gladed skiing and eight new runs

But before skiers even hit the hill, Deer Valley’s new Snow Scan Ground Penetrating Radar, combined with a GPS system, will provide color coded maps of snow depth on any part of the mountain, so that it will be even easier to find the best powder.

[Peter]

WTF? Just because the snow is deep does not mean it is powder. This seems like a gimmick.

[SkiBachelor]

Unless it uses some type of frequency like sonar to measure the density of the snow, I can't see how this would work.

What's wrong using the current snow measurement stick?

[SuperRat]

I've heard of groomers with ground penetrating radar that can measure snow depth. DV must be using it to generate their snow depth map for skiiers.

This post has been edited by SuperRat: 13 June 2007 - 03:55 PM

[Peter]

What is wrong with finding the powder by knowing the mountain? Oh wait, that probably takes too much effort.

[floridaskier]

It sounds like a gimmick that's probably not gonna work too well anyway. It's a step below Park City's GPS tracker thing where it gives you a map of where you skied at the end of the day, at least that could be a good souvenir to show your friends back home. Wouldn't it make the groomers with deep manmade snow pack look like deeper powder than in the bowls and trees where the only cover is natural? The only time that would ever really be useful is right after a storm, but then if you can't figure out where the powder is you should leave it for the ones who do

I like how the map they have in the article shows the entire mountain except the area where the new lift is going

[Snoqualmie guy]

Thats no fun, half the fun of powder/deep snow is looking for it. Wheres the fun there?

[tahoeistruckin]

I gotta go with you guys. Half the fun of skiing powder is getting to / looking for the powder. This kind of sounds like one of those fish finders radar things.
Of coures being a formaer employee, i know of stashes, that only get touched by those daring locals, and employees.

And yes DV does have the rentable GPS units, that tracks your run, and vertical. Think they started it this year.

[floridaskier]

DV put the improvements on the website, and it doesn't look like the snow depth radar will be used for people to look at, only for snowmaking and grooming crews

"The installation of Snow Scan Ground Penetrating Radar, combined with a GPS system, will allow Resort staffers to determine snow depth on any part of the mountain so that grooming and snowmaking operations will be more efficient"

http://www.deervalley.com/about-us/improve...r-2007-2008.jsp

[tahoeistruckin]

floridaskier, on Jul 1 2007, 06:23 AM, said:

DV put the improvements on the website, and it doesn't look like the snow depth radar will be used for people to look at, only for snowmaking and grooming crews

"The installation of Snow Scan Ground Penetrating Radar, combined with a GPS system, will allow Resort staffers to determine snow depth on any part of the mountain so that grooming and snowmaking operations will be more efficient"

http://www.deervalley.com/about-us/improve...r-2007-2008.jsp

Guess they are catching up with the modern times. They used to use a steel bar that you could slam into the snow, and get a rough idea of depth. Gee i wonder if the snow surface manager still gets to ride his snowmobile every morning to check condtions of the runs. And what about the Lead Groomers, who have been there before the resort opened, aren't thier judgements worthy any more? Likewise with the Snow making Manager.

[lastchair_44]

Do you remember those stupid little orange flags that the grooming manager would put out to mark where the toads should put their guns???? Our groomer guys ski around the mountain during the spring months when the coverage is getting thin and drill holes at various points on the run. Then they insert a high tech measuring device (tape measurer) into said hole to measure snow depth. Beats the hell out of slamming a piece of steel into the snow.

[tahoeistruckin]

lastchair_44, on Jul 1 2007, 06:02 PM, said:

Do you remember those stupid little orange flags that the grooming manager would put out to mark where the toads should put their guns???? Our groomer guys ski around the mountain during the spring months when the coverage is getting thin and drill holes at various points on the run. Then they insert a high tech measuring device (tape measurer) into said hole to measure snow depth. Beats the hell out of slamming a piece of steel into the snow.

Yes i do remebr the orange flags.
Another way to tell if coverge was thin, little pebbles would 'migrate' from the ground, upwards,, and then Mt. Hosts and lifties would have to go pick rocks, when it was slow.

This post has been edited by tahoeistruckin: 02 July 2007 - 09:09 AM

[lastchair_44]

Yep...I picked up a bunch of rocks when I worked there. I remember Wasatch top ramp being the hardest to maintain in the spring. Typically when all the J1's would go home, a mechanic could pick up an extra day of work playing liftie.