Magic Mountain lift and snowmaking Upgrades

- The Black Line Quad has the experts from Poma and Kissling in working with our mechanics for a preventative maintenance project on the critical Quad gearbox. If that goes down, then the lift will be down for weeks. We've seen this happen at other mountains, and want to be extra sure it doesn't happen here. So while expensive and requiring a couple weeks worth of work to get at it (bull-wheel must be removed so lots of rigging equipment to take the rope off the line etc, etc), it's 100% worth it. And, so far so good in terms of the gears and "teeth" being all good, with fresh lubricant going in. 

- Next we have the lower snowmaking loop pipe replacement from the last Black Line ledges all the way across Red Line to the top of Show Off at its headwall. The new 6" pipe has been welded together and the team from Summit Resources is getting that pipe up the hill and laid into trenches. More work to still be done there and also later this month in the new Abracadabra "advanced beginner area" (former terrain park--which will now be under the Quad Lift on Hocus Pocus).   

- In tandem, with the new pipe, our investment in new HKD tower guns (below picture) and new, more efficient nozzles for many of our existing guns arrived today! The six new fixed tower guns will be making copious amounts of snow in the Abracadabra area for lessons and night skiing as well as on lower Hocus Pocus heading into the Quad lift entry area. There will be much more snow there for access to the lift into April spring skiing time!

All these snowmaking investments will improve the efficiency of our operations as well as putting more snow where we need it most for our families to enjoy a much longer season. 

And, not only longer, but earlier! We are planning to open this year for Thanksgiving weekend with a snowmaking trail down off Green Chair as well as the Abracadabra area with the handle tow. (Pssst, we're even planning a fun Season Pass Holder Appreciation afternoon starting with lift service on Black Friday, just for pass holder skiing, with a champagne party and toasts at the T-BAR to close out the day before heading to the Tavern for live music there open to all. Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend will have lift-served skiing for everybody! That's just a sneak peak, with more info coming, but wanted to get everyone thinking about their Magic Thanksgiving holiday plans. Now, all we need is for mother-nature to bring the cold come early November for snowmaking--fingers and toes crossed!)