Aspen Ski and Board | Blog

Anyone who’s lived in Ohio for any amount of time knows the weather and temperatures fluctuate on pretty much a daily basis. As we enter the “January Thaw” of 2013, rest assured that the quality ski and snowboard conditions we have all enjoyed over the past few weeks will quickly return thanks to the regions snowmaking systems. The ski areas local to Columbus, Ohio have invested wisely, installing snowmaking systems capable of burying a resort five times their size. With years of experience and recently upgraded equipment, each resorts’ snowmaking crews make quick work of freshening up the skiing surface when temperatures drop after a warm spell. Their systems are capable of turning well over 300,000 gallons of water into powdery snow every hour which means packed powder conditions are fully attainable with one night in the teens.

Mad River Mountain Snowmaking Efforts

For Central Ohio skiers and riders, snowmaking weather isn’t over yet. An extended bout of cold and snow likely will return to the Ohio Valley with a vengeance during the second half of January. A weather story on AccuWeather.com’s website takes an in-depth look at the extended weather outlook and its frigid forecast. In the article, Alex Sosnowski from AccuWeather.com explains the phenomenon that should have the eastern two thirds of the United States dressing warm and digging out from heavy snow accumulations.

Prepare your equipment, clothing and plans to ski now. Just like the rapid onset of sweet ski conditions we experienced in late December, the snowmaking crews are ready to show what they do best. The Resorts across the East are poised and ready to make snow “as soon as temperatures permit” from Indiana to New York. With a solid base already in place, look for snowmaking efforts to be a little drier, even on the powdery side, as we transition into the next cold pattern.

This past fall, recently re-opening ski area, Clearfork Ski Resort upgraded the areas snowmaking hardware, adding 30+ TechnoAlpin T-40 fan guns bolstering their snowmaking capabilities drastically. Matt Argo from Aspen Ski and Board and Brandt Jarvis, Terrain Park Manager for Rush Parks, Clearfork’s signature terrain park took us on a tour of the resort to show off their new snowmaking system.

Clearfork Ski Area – the New Beginning
The resort served Central Ohio skiers and snowboarders for decades until 2006 when the resort owners opted not to open the slopes that winter and offered the resort for sale. In 2011 four local businessmen purchased the property and vowed to offer skiing on the slopes just outside Butler, Ohio for the 2011/12 season. Well as we all know the winter of 2011/12 pretty much stunk for skiers across the entire lower 48. That’s what triggered the owners to install the resorts state-of–the-art fully automated snowmaking system. On one of our runs, Brandt Jarvis mentioned, “The Techno-Alpin guns we have can create nearly perfect powder on most of our runs.” He pointed to the strings of 7 and 8 guns strategically placed on both sides of the terrain park.

Clearfork Ski Resort’s New Techno-Alpin Snowmaking System

For park riders and recreational skiers alike, this will allow the resort to blow plenty of snow for park features as well as “dust the slopes” with powder overnight after a warm period. While touring the resort, Thursday, we snapped a few photos of the resorts new snowmaking equipment and terrain. The pictures really indicate the reach of their new system. Clearfork’s expansive Upper Area offers some of the best terrain in the state. What used to take heavy natural snow can now be easily covered with only a few snowmaking days with their portable machines. Over the off-season, the resort staff gladed out large areas between the Main and Bowl area across to the Upper Area with future plans to open the steep terrain accessible on skiers right of the double. That area is quite fun featuring a consistent steep fall line for over a quarter mile.

Clearfork offers extensive snowmaking and terrain

Both Mad River Mountain and Snow Trails have serious snowmaking capabilities as well. MRM boasts having “Ohio’s Largest Snowmaking System” with the ability to pump out over 400,000 gallons of water per hour and the ability to completely bury the resort in a few days. This provides ample snow to construct Capital Park.

In the Fall of 2011, Snow Trails installed a special water cooling tower that helps drop the water temperature a few extra degrees. This really pays off in converting water to snow in marginal snowmaking temperatures. The cooling system coupled with several new fan guns allowed the Snow Trails staff to be the first resort in Ohio to turn their lifts for the season.

Whichever ski area you choose to visit on your next ski outing, you will find they put a big emphasis on their most important item, Snow. When the temps drop and the snowmaking systems fire up, you don’t need to worry if there’s no snow in your front yard, the ski areas have plenty of it in their backyard.

Upcoming January Blog: Ohio Terrain Park Update

Aspen Ski and Board – 1170 E Powell Rd on Polaris Parkway in Northern Columbus – Lewis Center, Ohio (614) 848-6600
Aspen Ski and Board – 1175 Old Henderson Rd Upper Arlington, Ohio (614) 459-6666