Bear Valley ski resort will have more control over its snow conditions for the 2016-17 season, thanks to a big commitment toward snowmaking.
The Central Valley ski resort recently announced more than $300,000 of improvements in its snowmaking and grooming operations in anticipation of this season. The enhancements include a better and more efficient snowmaking system along with new snowcats to groom the increased production of snow. Bear Valley’s new snowmaking system includes upgraded pumping capacity to the snowmaking holding pond at the top of the mountain.
“This will allow us to operate continuously during optimum temperatures for snow making,” said Bear Valley’s snow product manager, Tim Schimke. “The upgrade will provide the ability to move from 500 gallons per minute to nearly 1400 gallons per minute. This important improvement will allow uninterrupted operation of our snowmaking system for weeks at a time, translating into more snow production.”
In conjunction with the pumping enhancements, Bear Valley is installing a state-of-the-art, full automation snowmaking control system along with the addition of automated snowmaking towers on the mountain.
“Automation will provide the ability for our system to respond to optimal temperatures for more efficient snowmaking,” added Schimke. “We have also started the process of adding fixed emplacement towers for more efficient snowmaking in trouble areas on the mountain.”
Bear Valley, located between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe on National Scenic Byway Highway 4, plans to expand existing fixed snowmaking arsenal and upgrade to be fully automated guns that provide the ability to dramatically increase snowmaking proficiencies. As the cold temperatures move in this fall and early winter, Bear Valley will be more equipped than ever for its best snowmaking season ever.
To accompany the improved snowmaking system, Bear Valley is upgrading it snowcat fleet to process the snow and make it skiable by replacing several older machines with newer models.
“Bear Valley will have one of the cleanest, environmentally friendly, fleet of cats in the Central Sierra,” Schimke said. “The pride of our new fleet will be the 2015 Prinoth Bison X powered by a Tier 4 Final Caterpillar C-9 motor. This machine is truly on the cutting edge of grooming technology.”
The new fleet will include a 12-person Prinoth BR350 Cabin Cat to provide guests with comfortable access to the beautiful backcountry. This machine will better support the Bear Tracker Snow Cat Tours and service Ski Patrol for Avalanche control.
The Bear Valley ski and board area offer 1,680 acres of varied terrain, more than 70 trails, two terrain parks featuring more than 18 features, and 1,900 vertical feet.
For more information, visit www.bearvalley.com.
