Snowmaking Time!

For many, the most wonderful time of the year is the Holidays but for me, it has typically started a few weeks before the holiday season.  

It is time to make the pearly white snow we all love!  As soon as this cold front comes through the pattern will change and we’ll be lighting up the snowmaking system on Rib Mountain.

This year we’re going to begin our campaign with the Blitzen & Santa chairlifts. This will include trails such as Sundance, Slalom, Meadow, Hot Cocoa, Mystery, Woodspur, Carmie’s, and maybe Superstition. 

UPDATE – EARLY START

Snowmaking started early!  We were able to fire up on Friday afternoon around 2:30pm!  Our first night was pretty marginal but it did allow us to at least get our guns going and snow on the ground.  The tail end of the week looks very promising with lows in the teens.  We even are getting a little help from Mother Nature.  

Why the change?   

Two answers really.  Yes it’s different than our normal approach but it’s more acreage actually and our team thinks this will help us move faster.  It’s good to try new strategies and this has been discussed in years past.  Remember that fire we had back in May? See blog post. That does have something to do with it as well. Work to replace, repair and upgrade what was lost is just about finished up but we need a few more days to get equipment off the hill and also tested. 

Wisconsin Power Supply, Intercon Construction, and Van Ert Electrical along with other contractors have been working with us since day one to get this system back up and running as well as ensure its safety for the future. As we all know the supply chains since the pandemic have been slow to recover and that certainly hindered some of the progress. Every individual and company working on this project since May has been doing so as fast as possible and I can’t thank them enough for their hard work.  

The opportunity to start snowmaking was something we were not going to miss. Our approach will be to fire as many guns (up to 90) on these trails and then move to the Comet region as soon as we can once complete. Trails such as Miracle and Birch may not be available on day one but others such as Woodspur, Sundance and Slalom should be ready for yo-yo laps off the Blitzen mid-station for many of our experienced skiers and riders which we tend to see more in the early season.  

What about a terrain park & the Cranberry Jam?  

Freestyle fans, don’t worry, we are going to build an early season mixed park in the Grom Park location and we are still 100% planning on our early season Cranberry Jam on November 26th featuring fun features and of course Turkey Legs for tricks on the lower portion of Aspen. 

Granite Peak is still slated to open up on the 23rd

As we know we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature and while the forecasted temps look good for the immediate future we’ll continue to monitor and keep you updated as we get into the latter half of next week with all the info on what’s open etc. You know our approach, we’ll keep you updated and informed with photos, video, and more on social media and here. 

November 15th Deadline

If you haven’t picked up or purchased your season pass now is the time! November 15, 2022 is the next deadline for pass increases and after November 15, the unlimited Gold & Legendary Passes will no longer be available. Also, multi-day holiday and weekend tickets are also available at 20% off window rates.  Single-day availability for our busiest time of the year will be available soon. 

DNR Master Plan  & Expansion Updates

Many of you have chimed in on this in the past and you have another opportunity through November 14th as the DNR has released its Draft Master Plan based on feedback from you all and others in the community. We are excited about it but also ask that you continue to show your support towards making Granite Peak a year-round destination while also adding to our skiing and snowboarding offerings and trails.  

A few things could have been different in my opinion, and there is still time to send your comments in support.  

The draft plan provides for 65 acres of new ski terrain to the east (area 4 on the map) in the plan below. This will be a nice addition for intermediate and advanced skiers, but the terrain is too steep to create beginner and novice ski terrain.  The draft plan offers a meager 35 acres of new ski terrain to the west (area 5 on the map). Due to its limited size and location below the top of the mountain, this small addition would not be viable ski terrain. Granite Peak’s goal from day one in asking for more ski terrain has been to serve families, beginners, and novice skiers. This can only be provided adequately on lands to the west.

 COMMENT BEFORE NOVEMBER 14TH!

Regardless of how this all pans out we are excited about the project and that the DNR has continued to develop this plan with the interest of outdoor recreation.  Additional hiking & multi-purpose trails with one encompassing the whole park as well as mountain bike opportunities and trail builds are included in the draft plan! 

To show your support for the current plan or to chime in and make other suggestions such as those that I outlined above here is where you can do that:  https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/30dfa266f7544404b482df7bf39937bc

One final thought on this Veteran’s Day. 

Thank you to all who have served and to the families who have sacrificed for our freedom and this country we call home!  

Think cold thoughts and let the snow fly! 

Greg