[Big Bear Lake, CA] -- The sister resorts at Big Bear Lake have announced completion of another phase in their multi-year plan to further upgrade one of southern California’s most extensive snowmaking systems, adding 120 high-output fan guns that boost total capacity by nearly 50%.  Thanks to the efficiency of the new equipment, Snow Summit and Big Bear Mountain can now dish up 3-5 feet of fluff covering 95% of all marked trails in just a few days of snowmaking. 

Unlike traditional air-water guns, the new equipment from SMITM is essentially airless, with just a small on-board compressor to atomize water droplets.  By eliminating the need for piped-in compressed air, resort officials estimate that the two ski areas will use about 30% less diesel fuel for generators over the course of the season, saving money and helping to reduce their environmental footprint.  

“Compared to traditional compressed air guns, the SMI designs are much more efficient and self-contained,” commented Planning Manager Bob Sokolowski.  “In most conditions, they can deliver far more snow per unit of power.  We estimate that the amount of energy needed to operate just three air/water guns can run TEN of the new fan snowmakers,” he said. 

In addition to the energy savings, resort officials have found that the fan guns are each capable of turning about 140 gallons of water per minute into snow under good conditions, while air/water guns can convert only about 70 gallons per minute.  (For comparison, a garden hose typically supplies around 3-5 gallons per minute.)  With the latest stage of the multi-year snowmaking plan now complete, both resorts can convert 5,000-6,000 GPM, creating a powerful blizzard that would fill a large backyard pool in just a few minutes. 

Water for the snowmaking operations is virtually unlimited, supplied from Big Bear Lake and pumped into a massive holding pond at each resort, virtually guaranteeing a solid ski base and lengthy season.  The extensive snowmaking system is estimated to produce twice as much man-made snow as any other southern California ski area. 

The Equipment
Nearly all of the new fan snowmakers from SMI are the company’s Super WizzardTM model, developed for a long throw and excellent production in marginal conditions.  With five rings of heated atomizing nozzles and either a 20 HP (15 kW) or 25 HP (18 kW) fan, the design can be adjusted to achieve the optimum flow for specific conditions to maximize snow quality and quantity.  Of the 120 new machines now on duty at the two resorts, 107 are on wheeled carriages, so they can be moved wherever they’re needed most on a given day.  The remaining 13 are tower-mounted for exceptional reach and coverage. 

One of the key elements in the long-term upgrade is adding automation to the snowmaking systems.  With the completion of the latest phase, approximately half of the fan guns at Snow Summit are now fully automated.  Using SMI’s SmartSnowTM automation control software, the resort monitors temperature and humidity, automatically adjusting pumps and water flow via RF communication.  The remaining half of the Snow Summit fan guns are currently outfitted for manual startup, but can be adjusted automatically, and the goal is to continue building the infrastructure and eventually network the entire mountain.  Snowmaking on the Bear Mountain side is manually controlled at present, but automation is also part of the plan for its future.

“Any time we can increase our capacity and efficiency, so that we make more snow and use less energy, we consider that a significant achievement,” Sokolowski observed.  “We initiated the first stage of our long-term snowmaking plan in 2003, and we’ve invested around $12 million over the last few seasons.  From the beginning, we set out to make more snow than any of the other local resorts, most of which rely on limited supplies of well water.  It’s all part of our commitment to provide the most dependable snow in the region and deliver the best possible skiing and snowboarding experience for our guests.” 

Snow Summit offers 240 skiable acres (97 hectares) with 31 trails covering 18 miles (29 km), served by 11 chair lifts.  Peak elevation is 8,200 feet (about 2,500 meters), and the longest run is 1.25 miles (2 km).  Bear Mountain currently has nine chair lifts serving four different peaks, the highest of which is 8,805 feet (2,684 meters).  The resort features 17 miles (27 km) of trails -- the longest is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) -- on 198 acres (80 hectares) of developed land. 

SMI is a global supplier of cutting-edge snowmaking equipment, construction, and engineering services.  Headquartered in Midland, Michigan, SMI has flourished through more than four decades of consistent growth in quality, production and reputation.  The company has served over 750 resorts around the world, from simple to very complex designs, and typically has 30+ snowmaking and engineering projects in motion simultaneously.  SMI services customers ranging from marginal snow areas like Southern California, New Zealand and the lower Midwest United States to very cold climates such as Canada, Russia and Northern China.  For more information, go to www.snowmakers.com.