New Snow Report Guidelines In New England
New England ski areas are issuing snow reports this winter under a new set of guidelines formulated by the New England Ski Areas Council (NESAC). The guidelines are included in the reporting instructions sent to ski areas in an effort to maintain consistency in the use of the adjectives which describe an area’s skiing.
Here is the full text:
EXCELLENT—Ample base well covering even the roughest and steepest terrain; superb surface conditions throughout the area. Surface has sufficient new powder and/or packed powder to withstand at least one day of skier traffic. No bare or icy spots.
GOOD—Ample or adequate base with surface usually powder and packed powder or loose granular over the greater portion of the area. Most trails and slopes readily skied from top to bottom; a few bare and/or icy spots may be present but not enough to impair conditions materially and not to be reported to the news media.
FAIR—Either (1) ample to adequate base but skiing rather impaired by frozen granular and/or icy spots in many sections, or (2) rather thin base over much of the area but skiable with care. Bare and/or icy spots to be reported.
POOR—Difficult skiing conditions owing to hard frozen or icy surface, thin cover, bare sections, etc., over most of the area.
LIMITED—Must be added to the above evaluations (or used alone) whenever skiing is confined to only a relatively small portion of the area.
NESAC feels the highly competitive nature of the ski business will keep reports accurate.
Are Your Lift Terminal Buildings A Fire Hazard?
Recently, there have been several serious fires which have destroyed wood-frame, open-end lift terminal buildings. When these structures, which are dry and quick to ignite, catch fire, they develop heat up to 2,000 degrees F. A metal roof will generally increase the heat. In the past two years, three wooden terminal buildings have been destroyed by fire resulting in a complete loss of the building, terminal equipment, and the parting of the main haul rope.
Research indicates heat will increase the strength of the steel as temperature approaches 500 degrees F. However, beyond 1,000 degrees F. the steel reaches its yield point. Heat has a similar effect on wire rope. In each of these fires, which occurred during the nonoperating season, the rope parted in seven to nine minutes. Should a similar fire have happened on a busy winter weekend, could you evacuate or clear your entire chairlift line in seven to nine minutes? If not, your existing wooden drive terminal buildings could be a serious fire and liability hazard.
The following steps can reduce this potential hazard:
- Keep the drive building clean and free of flammable material.
- Provide one or two 20#-CO2 or equal fire extinguishers.
- Thoroughly train all operating personnel on the use of fire equipment. (Fire must be controlled in five minutes.)
- Line the building with 5/8-in. gypsum board which will reduce exposed wood and provide a two-hour firewall.
- Establish a standard operating procedure in case of fire: Continue to operate the lift at maximum speed (to unload passengers and keep the wire rope moving through the problem area).
The USSA-NSAA World Cup Agreement
There have been misleading reports concerning the recent NSAA-USSA agreement on sharing the cost of World Cup events held in the U.S. in both February SKI AREA MANAGEMENT and January SKI Magazine. To clarify the situation, here are the facts.
The USSA must pay the ski area $5,000 for every racing event; a two-event race would result in a $10,000 payment, a three-event race in $15,000, etc. These amounts are not in addition to a $10,000 base payment as stated in SAM; the USSA is charged only by the race. The cost of staging these races is usually $30-$40,000. A $10,000 reimbursement reduces this amount to $20-$30,000. There is quite a difference between a $10,000 profit and a $30,000 contribution.
The term “sweetener” attached to the $3,000 to be paid NSAA is equally misleading. NSAA officials have attended days of long, drawn-out negotiating sessions all over the country and it is hoped that this sum will cover the expenses involved.
Reporters who have given inaccurate versions of this agreement are urged to double-check in the future. It will save much unnecessary confusion.
