It's been a tough ski season here at Mt. Hutt. We've just had no snow. Hopefully it comes eventually. I've been through a couple of seasons at Vail where it was bad for awhile but eventually it came. Everyone has their fingers crossed. Businesses in town are losing money, and so is the mountain. I think I'll even miss my chance to watch (ogle) Julia Mancuso, the tiara-wearing US Ski Team downhiller/lingerie model. They train in New Zealand in the summer but I think they went down to Queenstown where the snow is better.
We could almost keep the mountain in pretty good shape if it wasn't for the wind. With the ferocious wind and freeze/thaw cycle, the mountain is in a constant state of disintegration. Rocks are showered onto the ski runs all the time, and as we groom the slopes we churn it into a slurry of snow and gravel. A lot of skis are being destroyed. There have been a lot of jokes made about getting loads of white spray paint to make the place more presentable. The management (I'm not kidding about this) have already had a company-wide exercise where everyone walks down the hill and picks up rocks and puts them in bags. They're planning to do it again soon. Luckily, I am excluded since I work at night.
The snowmaking crew has been working nonstop to try to help conditions. However, the product is pretty terrible. The temperatures are not very cold, so the snow guns usually blow a sort of snot/water mixture. The wind (and their questionable skills) means that they always blow the snow in the wrong spot (i.e. on the chairlift, on the side of a building, or onto their own equipment).
Work in these conditions is mostly drudgery, since you can't be very proud of your product. Lately the best entertainment has come from someone who has managed to get on the mountain radio frequency and interrupts radio conversations with... sheep noises. It's been going on for weeks now.
"15-8 Lifts, got a copy?"
"BAAAAAAAAA!"
"BAAAAAAAAA!"
"10-9, could you repeat?"
"I asked if you had the keys to the blue van."
"Oh, right. I think Ross has them."
"10-4. Ross, you got a copy?"
"BAAAAAAAAA!" "BAAAAAAAAaaaAAA!"
"10-4. Ross, you got a copy?"
"BAAAAAAAAA!" "BAAAAAAAAaaaAAA!"
".....blue van?"
"10-9 bro? I thought I heard a sheep."
Congrats to Luke and Monica for their new son. And Patrick and Veronika for their new daughter!
People still manage to fly off the road even when it's completely dry.
Ben the under-employed avalanche dog
The view of the mountain from Methven
My cover-up-the-rocks machine
