Ski report

Loon Mountain Ski Resort reports that they have 10 inches of snow at the base and 18 inches of snow at the summit.  They also report having gotten 6 inches of new snow in the last 72 hours.  But I wondered how much snow they actually have around the resort.  Loon makes snow on 99% of their trails.  They boast a 2100 foot vertical drop with 61 trails and 12 lifts.  Being new to the ski world I hear a lot of talk about conditions and elevation and I wonder how accurate those portrayals are.  It seems to me that ski areas may pad their reported data to encourage patrons to make the trip from home and pay the exorbitant lift fees for a chance to fly down snow.  Do conditions dictate the number of patrons or is it more driven by the day of the week?

I used my Dual XGPS150A Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver paired with my cellphone to improve accuracy of GPS tagged data.  This is particularly important in a remote location like a ski resort where some spots are completely out of normal cell phone range.  At the different points around the resort I pulled off the main part of the trail and made estimates (based on snow levels in the woods off the trail) of snow depth on trail, at the side of the trail and off the trail.  If I ever get the chance for a ski get-a-way again I plan to attach a measurement rod onto a ski pole so that I can get a measurement versus using estimated values.  I recorded my estimations in a Data Collection Form with the myObservatory mobile app.  I also recorded elevation at each location, GPS tagged observations of atmospheric conditions and GPS tagged photos of trail conditions and general crowdedness.

Day 1: Martin Luther King weekend Sunday seemed like a peak ski day.  We had to park in the "Escape Lot" and take a packed shuttle 2 miles back to the resort!  The general conditions were 29 degrees, mostly cloudy, wind 3-5 mph with no snowfall in the last 24 hours.  The wait for the Seven Brothers lift was significant and discouraging.  Skiers and riders cued up 5 lines wide each line 30-60 people deep.  And the ride for the gondola was so long we never even attempted it.  We put in our time and made the most of the crowds.

Day 2: Martin Luther King Monday was a day East coast skiers dream about.  No lines, practically empty trails, a bit windy on top but otherwise great cruising weather at 25 degrees.  With two-four fresh inches of powder and full blown snowmaking efforts the resort was open and ready for the few of us still around.  I was able to really enjoy myself unafraid of barreling over the hoards of patrons from the day before.  Gently falling snow; I think I just might love this.