Idea #1: Portable Potty
The mountain crew at Mt. Hood SkiBowl, Ore., had the unpleasant job of moving a port-a-potty from the base servicing area to a mid mountain warming hut. They used a grooming machine to move the potty, which often splashed the contents on the cat and along the slope. Not to be stumped by this problem, the crew came up with this great idea. If you look closely at the photo, you will notice two snowboards attached to the bottom of the structure. Now, the potty can be towed by a snowmobile, which frees up the groomer, reduces messes and speeds up the transportation.
Because the potty is portable, the area not only uses it at the mid mountain warming hut, but also tows it to other mountain locations when needed for special on-slope events.
Idea #2: Bending the Rules
When signs are moved to accommodate on-slope activities, like a temporary slow sign for a ski school class, they are awkward to carry because of their rigid construction. At Massanutten, Va., the ski patrol director, Bartek Dreunoski, came up with a simple but excellent solution to the problem. He installed flexible rubber pipe 90-degree elbows between the PVC pipes. The elbows used in this photo are 1-1/2 inch size and connect to two straight 1-1/2 inch PVC pipes. Now the signs are easily folded for transportation. An added benefit: should a skier or snowboarder crash into the sign, it is more forgiving and easily repositioned.
Idea #3: Pointing the Way
Bob Lanners, General Manager of Eagle Mountain, Minn., was frustrated with his native state. Minnesota DOT promoted ski area direction signs along the highway but not snow tubing signs. Lanners set out to rectify the problem and sketched up the snow tube design shown in this photo and gave it to a local sign maker.
The tubing sign measures 24″ by 24″ and is made of aluminum sheet metal with reflective paint. The tuber sign cost $60 and the arrow below $20.
The signs are mounted on steel posts and positioned along the highways at intersections. They have become so popular that many have turned up missing (found in the local college dorm next to the “Unload Here” sign). To prevent theft, Tuff Nuts, which require a special tool to unbolt, are now used to secure the signs.
