http://www.snowmaking.com/
Their smallest model produces about 60 cu m/hour. That's about 180 sq m to a one foot depth. I believe I've heard its in about the $20,000 range. Smaller machines are really just for decorating your yard for Christmas, or making a patch big enough to turn small figure-8s.
on 1/15/02 11:43 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Great Scott, we should form a committee
basically, the response i got from the city is that they are willing to donate the 1) water and 2) power
Remember, however, the city is interested in snow both for skiing and for sledding on the big hill, i think it's important to make sure this doesn't become a "skier only" effort, if it's billed as something for all winter sports people, it stands a much better chance of gaining support of Ald. Linda Bellman (who represents the Elver area) and the rest of the city council
My dream is a 2K lighted ski loop running along the base of the hill in front of the new shelter, it would follow the old Gammon Road (which is now overgrown and used as a footpath) and loop back parallel to the bike path. More snow could be blown on the gentle slope in front of the shelter for a kid's play area
Having a man-made snow loop would allow scheduling of lessons, kids programs, high school practice, adult racing, etc. I would be the most used Nordic Center in southern Wisconsin and in low snow years would draw skiers from Milwaukee, Illinois and Iowa
Of course, when nature participates, the entire Elver Trail system would kick into gear
This is not a pipe dream folks, City parks director Jim Morgan is on board but it's up to skiers to make it happen
Any experts in snowmaking out there?
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Bachmeier [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: 01/15/2002 11:25 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [XC] making snow at Elver Park?
Mike Ivey brought up the subject of generating interest in snow making
at Elver Park at last night's MadNorSki meeting...and as I cycled home
from said meeting, I thought that we should try to keep some momentum
going on this idea.
I talked a bit today to a co-worker who helps with the snow making
activities at Blackhawk Ski Club. As one would expect, snow making
like they do at the downhill places is complicated and expensive,
with the major concerns being:
* water source
* high-pressure pump(s)
* piping
* snow guns
However, if we try to keep it simple and small-scale, I think adding
*some* snow making capability at Elver is possible. If MadNorSki has
some money in the bank, and if there is support from Madison Parks,
let's capitalize on these positives. We'd probably need MadNorSki
volunteers to operate the snow making equipment, but I think there
are enough of us (myself included) who would gladly do so if it meant
skiing earlier, better, and longer at Elver.
With our limited monetary resources, we might be restricted to
low-tech devices like the "Backyard Blizzard"
http://www.backyardblizzard.com
At $2000 each, though, perhaps we could set up a network of 3 to 5
of these units to blow some snow around the flats at Elver. I doubt
we could set something up to cover the wooded trail sections, but
maybe we could also blow a snow pile to be used for filling in
bare spots and whatnot in other sections of the Elver trail.
Just having a narrow oval track of reliable snow would please a lot
of folks in snow-lean times like these.
Anyway, these are my fleeting thoughts so far on the Elver Snow
Making Idea. Perhaps MadNorSki has already done feasibility studies
in the past -- I'm relatively new to the Club, so I don't know.
But if some sort of Ad Hoc "Snow Making Committee" is needed to
look into this further, I'm willing to volunteer...
-Scott
