Transcript Slide 1
SNOWMAKING & LIGHTED TRAILS FOR CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING ELM CREEK WINTER RECREATION AREA AND HYLAND LAKE PARK RESERVE SNOWMAKING FOR CROSSCOUNTRY SKI TRAILS Ten years ago Elm Creek made snow for x-c skiing – 2.5 K In 2013-2014 Hyland made snow for x-c skiing – 5 K Skiing will never be the same! IMPACT OF SNOWMAKING Skiable Days Average days ski trails were open at Elm Creek the 10 years prior to snowmaking = 69 days Average days xc ski trails were open at Elm Creek the 10 years after to snowmaking = 103 days On average, you give the public an additional 34 days to ski/year Some years, such as the winter of 2011-12, you save the ski season as other local ski trails were only open for 18 days This past winter, 2013-2014 Elm Creek ski trails were open for 125 days Hyland opened their snowmaking trails in mid-December 2013 IMPACT OF SNOWMAKING Elm Creek Winter Recreation Area When Elm Creek is the only place to ski: Weekday daily average = 450 visits Weekend daily average = 800 visits When other Parks are open for skiing the average number of ski visits decrease by 50% IMPACT OF SNOWMAKING Hyland Park Reserve opened 5K of snowmaking ski trails in December 2013 Previous years without snowmaking Weekdays daily average was 118 Weekends daily average was 332 With snowmaking Weekdays daily average was 363 Weekends daily average was 633 Over 50% increase in skier visits IMPACT OF SNOWMAKING 2011-2012 other Parks were open a total of 18 days for skiing - Elm Creek was open 103 days with nearly 54,000 skiers Depending upon snow conditions, Three Rivers gets anywhere from 65,000-145,000 ski visits each winter. With the addition of snowmaking at Hyland we believe this range will jump to 90,000-160,000 visits. Elm Creek Winter Recreation Area with 2.5 K snowmaking and lighted ski trail Building a 5K Ski Trail at Hyland with Snowmaking and Lights Where does this all begin? An intake pipe was installed into Hyland Lake drawing water into a wet well. A pump house was built near the boat rental building that houses the distribution pumps and system controls. Piping and electrical lines were buried along the 5K trail. 65 above ground water hydrants and power outlets and 169 light poles How is the water moved around? •Three pumps distribute the water throughout the piping system. •A high-tech operating system adjusts water pressure and flow based on weather conditions and number of snowmaking machines in use. How does a snowmaking machine work? Cold water and highly compressed air splits water into many tiny droplets. Droplets are blown out by a fan and turn into ice crystals. Ice crystals travel through the air, collecting more water particles to form larger snowflakes creating piles of snow. How is a trail created? Crews work around the clock to strategically move snowmaking machines between hydrants creating the piles of snow. Then, they move the snow with grooming equipment to prepare the skiing surface. New snowmaking trail at Hyland Lake Park Reserve LIGHTED TRAILS FOR NIGHT SKIING Three Rivers Parks has lighted ski trails at 4 Parks French Regional Park (6.1 K) 1989 Hyland Lake Park Reserve (3.4K) 1997 (added 5K in 2013-14 with snowmaking) Elm Creek Park Reserve (2.5K) 1997 Cleary Lake Regional Park (4.6K) 2000 Totaling nearly 22 K of lighted ski trails Trail lights from the past How it began The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) has Sports Lighting Standards. No standard was found for XC Skiing. Simple solution was to create a ribbon of light with high wattage fixtures on 20 foot poles All Parks used fixtures that have an internal reflector that gives the most narrow beam spread Most fixtures are 100 Watt HPS, some are 75 watt HPS The poles are direct bury fiberglass poles which are 14 feet tall after installation. The poles are spaced are spaced at approximately 100-125 feet. The poles are located just off the edge of the trail, out of the way of the groomer, usually on the outside of the curves. Electrical power is 480 volts Control cabinets are spaced around the trail due to limits in how far the power can travel – voltage drop Lights are controlled by separate time clocks and photocell The direct bury cable is armored and sheathed in plastic What’s different about new lights at Hyland? 169 LED light fixtures spaced 125 feet apart carry a higher initial cost than conventional fixtures, but payoff by: Using significantly less energy, Having a much longer life, and Allowing a more precise and compact lighted footprint. Two types of LED light fixtures are used that focus light only where needed. Flood luminaires are used for one-way trails, aimed directionally along the trail. Shoebox-style luminaries are used to illuminate a broad area. Skiing under the lights at Elm Creek Park Reserve There’s magic in the air Adaptive Ski Lesson Racers training at night Snowmaking and lighted trails can be very costly. Is it cost effective for private resorts? Questions?