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V O L . X X I I I N O. V M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 7 18 W E S T E R N M A I N E F O C U S Austin. "And if you don't have enough snow, it's whether you have cold- enough weather to make snow." at means keeping up with tech- nology. e latest in snowmaking, says Austin, is low-energy snow guns that require less compressed air. "Snowmaking is just water and air," says Austin. "You put water and air through a pipe at very high pres- sure, and it shoots through a nozzle and creates snow." e newest nozzles require less compressed air to make the same amount of snow. at means making more snow with the same amount of water and less energy. "We've added about 750 of these guns over last seven or eight years," says Austin. " ey make up well over half of our snowmaking fl eet. And we're continually updating our grooming fl eet: e big thing is energy effi ciency — using less fuel to groom for the same number of hours." At Shawnee Peak, snowmaking improvements include high-effi ciency snow guns, hydrants and pumps to turn 50 million to 60 million gal- lons of water into snow per year, even in years of high amounts of natural snowfall. "You're at the mercy of the weather, so you have to always invest in infra- structure, which is capital-intensive," Homer says. "When it's cold out, you have to be ready to go. ere's never a point when you can say, 'We're done.' You're never done. You have to have the infrastructure in place to optimize your snowmaking opportunities." Sunday River has invested over $7 million into its snowmaking infra- structure in the past decade, includ- ing energy-effi cient snow guns. During snowmaking operations, the resort pumps up to 8,000 gallons per minute. Challenges include round- the-clock snowmaking at night and in the dark, with teams of employees positioning snow guns, unfreezing pipes and connecting and disconnect- ing hose in freezing temperatures. At Ski Mount Abram, a small family resort in Greenwood, General Manager Dave Scanlan and his team serve a local, multi-generational base — up to 900 people on a busy winter day. Mount Abram also hosts summer events, including an annual music festival. "We've got a really loyal following. We call them our 'village people,'" says Scanlan. "We see a lot of families com- ing out. We have music playing out- side, and it's a really fun environment. What people take away most is the friendliness of our local contingency. It's akin to the old TV show 'Cheers.' Everyone knows everyone." But last year was an eye-opener for the industry, he says. "It's a concern for all of us and it is driving innovation in snowmaking, and also people looking at off ering four-season activities," Scanlan says. Mt. Abram innovations include solar-powered equipment. Installed in 2013 and partially funded by the USDA Rural Energy For America Program, the system provides 75% of the electricity required to operate the resort. And the mountain utilizes new Airless Snowguns, partially funded by a grant from Effi ciency Maine, to improve effi ciency, reducing air » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E J. Scott Moody, Economist Pam Villarreal, Texas Economist Barbara S. Schlichtman, JD, Elder Law Catherine Kaczorowski, PhD, JAX Amy Sneirson, JD, Maine Human Rights Commission Tim Armour, CEO, Cure Alzheimer's Fund Dave Clifton, Chair, Rotary International ADRAG Marilyn Gugliucci,PhD, UNE Dana Alliance panel: "Successful Aging" Learn from these experts: MemoryWorks 2017 Aging & Memory Conference The Costs of Growing Old in Maine March 30 / Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland www.memoryworks.org Register at: Is your business prepared? Find out what you need to know about: The aging-out of the Maine workforce The decline in spending among retired consumers Maine's aging population's impact on the workplace P H O T O / JA M I E WA LT E R Ethan Austin, director of marketing and communcations for Sugarloaf Mountain and Ski Resort, says despite snowmaking ability, weather remains 'the biggest factor in the business.' We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on We're also working on diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, diversifying our business, trying to become more year-round. — Greg Sweetser Ski Maine Association

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