Advanced snowmaking

Our Snow
is Different

We take our snowmaking and grooming seriously, and our conditions are superior. Behind every square foot of perfectly-manicured snow at Elk Mountain is leading edge snowmaking technology. We are proud to have invested in a complete makeover of our snowmaking equipment since the Winter of 1999.

Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes at Elk Mountain to bring you that perfect powder.

The History of Snowmaking
at Elk Mountain

During the winter of 1999 Elk Mountain had a mid-winter rainstorm that caused an electrical wire tray to short out. This had been constructed and used for decades. In less than 30 minutes the fire that followed leveled the compressor building at Elk Mountain. The next three days were spent making short term provisions to make snow and thanks to the efforts of Barhite Excavating, Wallis Electric, Head Mechanic John Reeder, PP&L, K&W Oil, and a handful of key employees on day three following the fire Elk Mountain resumed making snow.

The summer that followed was equally as intense as the first three days following the fire. Elk Mountain management met with insurance representatives and mapped out a plan to recover and build a new compressor building. It was decided to relocate the building for additional space. Management went shopping and purchased +/- 30,000 cubic feet of air. In 2000 Elk Mountain made snow with their five new compressors. However, things were quite different.

During the summer of 1999 Elk Mountain had installed fountains in their main snowmaking ponds. This was done to increase efficiency. The water fountains aerated the pond to prevent the surface from freezing and allow the water to cool down. While we never had the opportunity to see the efficiency during the 1999 season it was obvious during the 2000 ski season.