How YOU can help make it snow NOW!

I've had it. The final blow came Thursday night, when the predicted 3-5 inches of snow overnight materialized as nothing but rain (note: at least Gore and Whiteface got a couple inches of snow). So, reprinted from Big Tupper's website, here is the secret of “how to get a snow day in 4 easy steps.”

1. Put your pajamas on inside out (bonus if your pajamas have feet).
2. Brush your teeth 2 x’s with the opposite hand (harder than it sounds).
3. Melt a minimum of 6 ice cubes in the kitchen sink (cubes….not crushed ice).
4. Sleep with a spoon under your pillow (don’t ask us why, just do it).

In the meantime, Gore Mountain has taken matters into their own hands, and announced today that 30 more high efficiency tower guns have been installed on the Showcase trail. I alluded to this possible acquisition in my Season Preview, Gore Outtake, and Snowmaking Tour posts. The press release from Gore today goes on to note that "the energy savings from these 160 new guns amounts to offsetting 1,428,721 KWH of electricity, which is 11% of Gore’s annual usage, or enough to power 260 average three-bedroom homes for a year!"

The new guns at Gore come just in time for the Christmas holiday period. My skiing outlook for the holiday week appears here on Adirondack Almanack.

In other ski-related news, the proposal to have ORDA operate the Belleayre ski center is back in the spotlight. The Press-Republican article notes the Belleayre operates at a $4 million annual loss. To me, that's all the more reason to move forward with this proposal, as I've argued previously.

Good news comes from Garnet Hill Lodge: the sale to new owners has been completed, and they are gearing up for the cross-country ski season. Obviously all that's needed now is snow...

Last, if the 4-step solution above doesn't coax some real winter weather, you might want to read this.

Snowmaking photo credit: Gore Mountain