DCSki Forums

Snowmakers

October 1, 2005

Member since 11/23/2004 🔗

222 posts

I havnt posted in quite a while, but yuo are the people that would have the best knowlege for my question.

Im lookin through passes for area resorts. This year, I will be given one for christmas from my family, and am looking to buy another.

I live in covington. Alleghany county is 20 miles south of the homestead. I attend AHS, and am released at 3:00pm.

I have been looking, and Wintergreen seems to offer a good deal. $169 for the midweek pass. Yet I am really wanting to get one to Snowshoe. It is 2.5 hours from me, and wintergreen is just under 2. The homestead is about 35 minutes, yet they offer no night skiing, so the midweek would do me almost no good. Their standard pass is a outrageous $395.

Wintergreen- Pay $165 for midweek pass- 2 hour drive.

Snowshoe- Pay $287 for midweek, or $455 for a standard- Almost a 3 hour drive when weather is taken into thought.
(Pss rate goes up in 30 days)

Homestead- Pay $395 for standard pass- 35 minute drive

Winterplace- Pay $599 for standard, $399 for midweek, and $209 for night only.-2 hour drive.

Im looking for some opinions as to what I should do.

Thanks.

Heather

October 1, 2005

Member since 02/24/2005 🔗

170 posts

Sorry Snowmaker, but it has been five or more years since I have purchased a season pass, and I am not familiar enough with your surrounding area to offer you any guidance. Hopefully someone out there in DCSki land will pony up with some info that may be ofhelp to you. Again sorry I couldn't help!

snowcone

October 2, 2005

Member since 09/27/2002 🔗

589 posts

If you want to ski Snowshoe cheap, you have to buy your pass before June/july 1 (they change the date every year). this year the pre-pre-season price was in the $350 range for full season .. a pretty good deal. Next year, watch their website April/May for season pass announcements.

JimK - DCSki Columnist

October 3, 2005

Member since 01/14/2004 🔗

2,989 posts

In your shoes/boots I think I'd lean towards that $169 midweek Wintergreen pass, especially since it includes Friday nights and allows skiing after 1230pm on Sundays. Doesn't Wintergreen have a pretty high percent of their slopes lit for night skiing? Do they maintain a pretty good park?

Also, I took a look at your website. Where'd you learn all the stuff about making professional quality snow in your backyard?

Roger Z

October 3, 2005

Member since 01/16/2004 🔗

2,181 posts

That is impressive knowledge of snowmaking... you're in high school? You've got a job as Moonshine Mountain snowmaking manager if you want it...

Murphy

October 3, 2005

Member since 09/13/2004 🔗

618 posts

Quote:

That is impressive knowledge of snowmaking... you're in high school? You've got a job as Moonshine Mountain snowmaking manager if you want it...

Of course an engineering degree from a good engineering school like...I don't know...maybe VT would help insure that job is yours.

Snowmakers

October 3, 2005

Member since 11/23/2004 🔗

222 posts

Quote:

Also, I took a look at your website. Where'd you learn all the stuff about making professional quality snow in your backyard?

I learned by checking out how the snowguns worked at real resorts way back in grade school. But about a year ago after I had been doing it for a while, I found a really good snowmaking forum. I have learned quite a bit, and am in the process of building a fangun like one that you would find at a resort.

Website -> www.snowguns.com

Murphy

October 3, 2005

Member since 09/13/2004 🔗

618 posts

Quote:

not to stir the pot, but there is a nice graduate engineering physics program at UVA, and it's awfully close to wintergreen.

but really, i wanted to add kudos for the website and the trail map is just too cool. i wasn't doing anything nearly that productive when i was in high school. you have a great future ahead of you.

oh yeah, there is an article in Powder about "widow moses free ski area" that a high school physics teacher put up in his backyard in vermont. no snowmaking needed up there, but it seems like you could get some pub for this also. heck, last year the today show even showed a guy in Charlotte making snow in his backyard.

You don't need a graduate degree in Physics to make snow. Have you ever met a physics graduate student (you aren't/weren't one were you?). Spending to much time thinking about the space/time continuum will mess you up. Used to know this 6'5" German grad student. Had a bald head with lightning bold shaped sideburns and lots of piercings...neat guy.

Snowmaker, if you ever were serious about an engineering degree from VT, PM me. My boss is a professor in ME there and every other engineer in my office is a VT grad

Snowmakers

October 3, 2005

Member since 11/23/2004 🔗

222 posts

Quote:

not to stir the pot, but there is a nice graduate engineering physics program at UVA, and it's awfully close to wintergreen.

but really, i wanted to add kudos for the website and the trail map is just too cool. I wasn't doing anything nearly that productive when i was in high school. you have a great future ahead of you.

Yes we do. Sorry tech guys but im a wahoo... A wahoo for life.

My rents did some prepaid tuition stuff, so I can choose from any college(s) for my 4 years. Im looking at liberty (Great hockey team) and UVA where I plan to magor in meteorology or engineering.

One day, Ill be puttin the white stuff down that all of us will ride on at Snowshoe. From there, who knows.

No disrespect to tech whatsoever, but I have been looking at UVA for a long time, and really like it.

Thanks for the comments too.

Snowmakers

October 4, 2005

Member since 11/23/2004 🔗

222 posts

Quote:

While we're on the subject , this young man, snowmakers, seems so bright and curious, but his "cavalier" attitude, idunno, i can't explain it. I look at his great accomplishments in developing his own resort and snowmaking system......wow it embarasses me that my greatest invention to date was the "gondola with a good ventilation system" . Where have we gone wrong u ask? We have failed to lead our youth astray, i say..........follow in my footsteps,......a mother's nightmare .

That was deep man...