Mountain Creek to add automated snow-making system
VERNON. The resort plans to spend $5 million on a state-of-the-art system for next winter.
Mountain Creek Resort plans to spend $5 million to install an automated snow-making system at Vernon Peak for next winter.
The state-of-the-art system will serve the primary peak from top-to-bottom, covering key trails, such as Upper and Lower Horizon, Cab Ride, Sugar Slope, and the Learning Area.
It will allow Mountain Creek to open earlier, expand terrain faster and offer the highest quality of machine-made snow possible.
Phase 1 of the new system is expected to be fully operational by November.
The upgrade will involve replacement of the old snow-making pipes, hydrants and pump stations and implementation of automation controls and durable ductile iron pipes. Mountain Creek also will install 40 new energy-efficient fan guns and will move its existing snow-making machines to new strategic positions on its trails.
The fan guns turn on and off automatically any time temperatures permit snow-making. The resort will be able to control the flow and output from the guns via an online app.
That means more snow can be made in shorter weather windows and overall energy consumption can be reduced.
Mountain Creek now has more than 1,000 snow-making machines. In ideal weather conditions, it can produce 3.5 million cubic feet of snow in 24 hours, enough to cover 80 acres of trail.