Tissue boxes, recycled dispensers, and the many uses of Trex DIY TISSUE BOXES “Mike Rumrill, our lift ops supervisor, made five of these for each of our lifts this winter. He reused lumber that we had left over in our shop, scrap plastic left over from terrain park features, some PVC piping, and paint from our shop. He used small craft hinges to secure the lid on top, making it easy to open and close to refill the two tissue boxes. He made the boxes to fit two tissue boxes (access on both sides) and to fit trail maps on the outside. He then drilled a hole in the bottom of the box to fit the 1 1/2“ pipe, which is secured with two screws. It was easily secured in the ground by drilling a hole with the same drill we use to put fence in the ground for our lift lines. These boxes turned out to be a great resource for our guests skiing through the line.” —Tom Hinman, Lift Ops Assistant Supervisor, Mount Sunapee OLD TECH, NEW USE Snow Trails, Ohio, doesn’t let much go to waste, even when the resort upgrades old systems. So it seemed fitting when the resort restroom paper towl dispensers were replaced with electric hand dryers that the old dispensers found a new home. Thad Philpott, mountain manager at Snow Trails, and his crew installed the dispensers in the area’s lift motor rooms. Fire-proof trash cans were also installed in each motor room to not only collect the used towels, but also collect oily rags as well, helping to keep the machinery clean and safe. Now towels are handy, just where they are needed, and the landfill is spared some plastic trash. —Sam Geise TREX FOR EVERYONE The operation crews at both Sunlight Mountain, Colo., and Powder Ridge, Conn., realize the benefits of Trex decking materials. Sunlight most recently applied Trek slats to the base area’s outdoor seating and tables.“When the outdoor chairs at Sunlight Mountain Resort needed to be refurbished, staff here turned to a lasting solution by replacing the existing wooden slats with composite decking,” says Troy Hawks, Sunlight’s marketing/sales director. “Secured to the existing metal frame with 2-inch-long, 1/4 inch bolts, this is one maintenance project that’s bound to last as long as the sun shines.” At Powder Ridge, CEO Sean Hayes used this same idea for the area’s chairlifts, as we reported on recently, but has learned a thing or two since then.“The composite slats are performing great,” he says. “The only recommendation we would make is that, on double chairs or chairs with a dramatic rounded front edge of the seat, the facility should rotor the top edge of each slat that makes up the rounded curve. A squared edge on the composite board is rough on summertime passengers.” Photo: Powder Ridge, Conn.
