Terminal Time

August was a busy month for deliveries with over ten semis making the cross-country trip from Canada carrying terminal components and chairs. The chairs were the first to arrive after a bit of a delay in the Port of Vancouver waiting for the offshoremen to return to work after their strike. Manufactured in Thailand, the chairs were sent over on a ship and then transferred to rail before being loaded on a truck for the last leg of their journey to Snowriver. Shortly after the chairs arrived, we received the first caravan of trucks from St. Jerome, Quebec. This group of 4 trucks brought the return terminal structure including the steel beams, runways, and tire turnarounds. These parts were all unloaded at the base of F.I.S. where many folks park in the winter to watch their athletes race. Thankfully Mother Nature provided a break from the rain to allow this marshy area to dry out enough to support the weight of the components and our forklifts, as it would have been a challenge to stage everything all the way over at Black River Basin. The drive terminal components arrived just two days later and were unloaded at the summit while preparations were underway for assembly to begin at the base.

After taking a week to stage and prep the components for installation, our partners from Keweenaw Crane Service were scheduled to begin work on Tuesday, August 22nd. The crane was brought over from Calumet on Monday afternoon and set in place to be ready for an early morning start the following day. Each terminal takes approximately four 10+ hour days of crane time to assemble. Each piece is lifted into position, where our crew meticulously bolts them together while the crane holds steady waiting for everything to be tightened up. It's a heavy equipment ballet as more and more pieces are brought from the staging area by forklift and then lifted into place by the 150-ton crane. After months of site preparation and pouring concrete, it's incredible just how fast the terminal comes together. In the week after the crane work is finished, the team meticulously torques every bolt to spec and works to install the finishing touches like windows and siding to enclose the terminal. After the majority of the work was completed at the base of the hill, attention turned to the summit where all of the drive station components needed to be pre-assembled in anticipation of the crane's return on September 12th. 

While the lift installation team is busy assembling terminals, our arborist crew has continued their work on glading new terrain across the mountain. I'm particularly excited about an area they've just finished up on the west side of Bear Creek. As a kid, I spent many weekends bobbing in and out of the trees on the right side of Running Bear, creating some of my fondest skiing memories. This small section of woods is the perfect place for someone looking to learn the ropes of skiing in the trees with a gentle slope and wider spacing of trees. We chose to name it Goldi's Glade, alluding to the story of Goldilocks, as it's not too steep, not too flat, but "just right" for anyone wanting to hone their tree-skiing skills. Further to the east, as the terrain steepens Densow and Lee opened up a new glade just off Grizzly. We've named this zone Papa's, after Papa Bear from Goldilocks, with a nod to the loss of Papa Charlies at Lutsen earlier this summer. The pictures below don't quite do justice to just how fun I think this terrain will be for new and seasoned sliders alike. With the addition of these two, we're up to a total of 20 named glades across both mountains. With the release of our new map, the secret stashes will be just a little easier to locate this season as each one will be named and signed out on the hill with it's own difficulty rating. These ratings are specific to gladed terrain and will be more challenging than cleared runs of the same designation. Always be cautious when exploring new terrain and expanding your abilities. 

Just as we did last season, we've borrowed Granite Peak's mower to give our slopes a trim just before we head into fall. It's great to be able to share this awesome machine that makes quick work of our steep slopes, allowing us to mow the whole hill in just a matter of weeks. The cat has a flail mower attached to the blade frame on the front, with hydraulic hoses running from the back of the machine. The pumps that typically operate the tiller during the winter are used to spin the mower blades, easily controlled from the same joystick our operators are already familiar with. Duane has been grooming here on the mountain for over 25 winters and working through the summers for almost as many. He has a detailed knowledge of each roll, rock, and ditch across the hill, allowing him to feel his way through the four-foot-tall vegetation without damaging the implement. All of his efforts will mean quicker coverage with less snowfall, getting more terrain open sooner this winter. 

As winter quickly approaches, it's time to start planning for your visit to Snowriver. If you're not quite ready to commit to a Legendary pass and the great value it provides, I wanted to clue you in to the discounted daily tickets we're currently offering. From now until November 15th, you can purchase advance lift tickets for 20% off the daily rate for prime season dates and 10% off for our holiday dates. Stack your savings by buying multiple consecutive days together or purchasing Adult/Child Combo tickets to save up to 50% off our in-season rates. After November 15th these discounts will each drop by 10%, so be sure to buy early to lock in our best rates of the season.

First Tracks Tickets   Prime Season Tickets