Porter Heights aiming for big season when making snow

Press, 1 June 1989, Page 31

Porter Heights aiming for big season when making snow

When snow is being magically made by machine at Porter Heights next year, the operators will be budgeting for a big ski season of 80 days. This is quite a contrast to the most recent figures, the last two mild winters bringing very short seasons of 27 days and 25 days respectively. Those were disappointing statistics after the bumper season of 1986 but even without snowmaking the ski season of 1989 should be rather better than the last two.

When the next good snowfall arrives Porter Heights (the closest skifield to Christchurch) should have the use of two groomers rather than one. A new • groomer, a Kassbohrer PB 270 and

bigger than the present machine, is on the way. With a “fleet” of two snow-groomers the operators of the field will be able to groom more than twice the present area — including, the more expert skiers will be pleased to hear, the steeper, upper slopes. A new “state-of-the-art” grooming bar has been bought for the existing machine. Also helping the prospects for a good season is the summer grooming work on the field.

Porter Heights staff have removed rocks from the No. 3 T-bar area, graded and rolled the trails through the Back Basin and carried out similar improvements to the No. 1 T-bar area.

According to the gen-

eral manager, Uli Dinsenbacher, the slopes services by the No. 1 T-bar are now "as smooth as a baby’s bottom,” The father of one is in a position to know.

As a result less snow should be required to get the field underway with access to the upper slopes.

Meantime Porter Heights is continuing to experiment with snow retention and several snow fences have been built for evaluation this season. Three weeks of snowmaking trials are due to begin about this time. A temporary pond established near the beginners’ area will allow tests with snow guns. The installation of snow-making equipment over the summer (subject to approval of various agencies) is part of a $1.5 million project for Porter Heights next year. A new button lift for intermediate skiers will also be installed.

According to the chairman of Porter Heights Skifield, Ltd, Rick Keeling, snow-making equipment will allow the area to operate from early June to the middle of October. “Studies have been made which indicate that conditions are ideal for making snow over the entire area from around the middle of May,” he said.

Mr Keeling’s enthusiasm for snow-making was given a lift over the northern winter when he skied

at the Heavenly Valley resort in California. There he saw the benefits of snow-making at a ski area about 20 times the size of Porter Heights. It was used even on slopes as steep as Porter’s famed “Big Mama” (out to the left) which has been sadly lacking in snow for the last two seasons.

The field’s general manager and former ski school director, Mr Dinsenbacher, says that there is no mystery about making snow. “Most large North American and European ski areas are equipped for it. The main requirements are a good reliable supply of water and energy.”

The water is available only 150 vertical metres below the car park and will be pumped to a yet-to-be-created holding pond in the Back Basin.

Initially it is planned to supply snow to the runs adjacent to the No. 1 Tbar, beginners and intermediate lifts. But by 1992 it is intended to have snow-making for the runs adjacent to T-bars 2 and 3 and eventually the Back Basin trails will be covered.

Mr Keeling added that by the mid-1990s the operators of Porter Heights were reasonably confident there would be a chairlift servicing the lower slopes. The energy for snowmaking will come with the electrification of the ski area this summer. With electricity, power

will be provided to pump water and produce compressed air. According to Mr Dinsenbacher there was a misconception by a lot of people that man-made snow was of a much poorer quality than the real stuff.

Disputing that, he said that the quality depended on conditions at the time of production. “The’ temperature must be below 2deg. Celsius with low humidity to make the best snow. However, with groomers packing and, where necessary, tilling the snow good conditions can be created from wet or icy snow.”

Mr Dinsenbacher said in past years Porters often had plenty of snow on the top half of the field but not enough to allow access over the bottom half. “Snow-making will, of course, solve this problem.”

Continuity will be a feature at Porter Heights this year. The rate for an adult lift pass stays at $3O and the key staff will also be the same — Uli Dinsenbacher, general manager, Craig Ovenden, operations manager, and Gerald Ottawa, ski school director.

• Porter Heights, Craigieburn Range, 89km from Christchurch Airport, three T-bars, beginners and intermediate tows. Vertical lift: 730 metres. Adult lift charge: $3O. Road toll: $5 per car. Hours: 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.