New and Noteworthy: East

Skiers considering a visit to Mount Snow in Vermont will enjoy the benefits of recent additions to its snowmaking system. Now skiers and riders can take advantage of earlier opening and later closing dates with more terrain and more homemade “powder days” in ideal conditions, thanks to 101 energy-efficient Polecat fan guns from SMI Snowmakers, Inc. Not only do these fan guns provide better skiing for visitors, but they are also environment-friendly, requiring less compressed air than traditional guns and less energy. This considerable investment gives Mount Snow the most fan guns in New England. Contact: 802-245-7669, www.mountsnow.com.

For the first time in 10 years, Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort in Snowshoe, W. Va, has added new trails to its existing slopes. Serviced by the Soaring Eagle Express high-speed quad, all three runs are marked for expert skiers. Visitors to Snowshoe who stay in the new South Mountain neighborhood now have ski-in/ski-out access to the trails from the gated community.

Although these new trails are not suitable for beginners, Snowshoe has enhanced the experience for novice skiers with a new Magic Carpet lift that will increase the mountain’s uphill capacity by 1,500 skiers per hour. Contact: 877-441-4386, www.snowshoemtn.com.

Changes have been made to the intermediate terrain at Lake Placid’s Whiteface Mountain in New York. Paron’s Run and Excelsior saw considerable transformation with corners and trails widened between the two for easier transitions, and a new connector to Lower Cloudspin was made to increase visibility and leave more space for maneuvering the slopes.

Whiteface also added a lift-serviced half-pipe and for kids, a more convenient connector between the Bunny Hutch Triple Chair and Kids Kampus Bronze Trail, complete with more snowmaking. Contact: 877-754-3223, www.whiteface.com.

A number of ski resorts in New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington Valley are beginning new green initiatives to reduce carbon footprints, including Jackson XC in Jackson Village. It has a new half-million-dollar grooming system that makes more efficient use of natural snowfall while potentially extending its ski season and reducing overall fuel usage.
Adjacent to Mt. Washington Valley, Shawnee Peak in Bridgeton, Me., recently announced a plan that will offset 100 percent of the 1,800 tons of carbon emissions it produces each year through wind power, carbon sequestration, recycling and more. Its new snowmaking pump delivery system contributes to the conservation program by increasing uphill water capacity by as much as 40 percent while saving energy through automatic pressure controls, start/stop sequencing, programmable logic controllers and variable speed technology.