Greek Peak 3/17/2010

[Powderqueen]

It was pretty darn nice out yesterday, so I bailed from work early and hit the slopes at 3pm. Night skiing is over at GP but they are running the lifts until 6pm.

Coverage was good in the snowmaking areas. Anything with no snowmaking was unskiable.

We did laps on Hercules most of the afternoon, as it had the best pitch, bumps and cover. Eleysian Fields was good too. Everything else had been groomed smooth and skied like cream.

I realized that last week's "peanut butter" was actually oil on top of the snow. My skis would stick and didn't glide smoothly. My ski tech (Bubba) had to use degreaser to get it off and applied new wax. Yesterday I wiped black oil and water off my skis before putting them in the car. Does this happen anywhere else? or is this a GP phenomenon? My friend said they put oil in the snowmaking water. Is this a normal practice?

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Yesterday I wiped black oil and water off my skis before putting them in the car. Does this happen anywhere else? or is this a GP phenomenon? My friend said they put oil in the snowmaking water. Is this a normal practice?

:lol:

 

[Rambo]

I have run into the black sticky stuff residue on my ski bases all the time at the end of the season during the warm spring meltdown in the East. I have encountered it at Greek, Hunter and Elk Mountain. I think someone once told me that when they shut down the snowmaking system they pump a small amount of oil through the pipes right before shut off. I guess at the end of the season this residue sticks to the ski bases and I clean it off with degreaser or mineral spirits.

 

[Marc_C]

I have run into the black sticky stuff residue on my ski bases all the time at the end of the season during the warm spring meltdown in the East. I have encountered it at Greek, Hunter and Elk Mountain. I think someone once told me that when they shut down the snowmaking system they pump a small amount of oil through the pipes right before shut off. I guess at the end of the season this residue sticks to the ski bases and I clean it off with degreaser or mineral spirits.

Nope. The residue is a mixture of tree sap, pollen, and airborne pollutants. There *might* be a little oil or hydraulic fluid drips from from snow machines, but not a major amount. No area blows oil through their snowmaking lines.

Also, never, ever use any kind of degreaser or solvent on the bases of alpine skis. Yes, you'll get the residue off, at the expense of weakening and shortening the life of your ptex bases since you'll also be removing some of the plasticizer compounds. Hot wax and scrape is the preferred method.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

never, ever use any kind of degreaser or solvent on the bases of alpine skis.

That's what I was thinking when I saw the previous post.

 

[Powderqueen]

Nope. The residue is a mixture of tree sap, pollen, and airborne pollutants. There *might* be a little oil or hydraulic fluid drips from from snow machines, but not a major amount. No area blows oil through their snowmaking lines.

Also, never, ever use any kind of degreaser or solvent on the bases of alpine skis. Yes, you'll get the residue off, at the expense of weakening and shortening the life of your ptex bases since you'll also be removing some of the plasticizer compounds. Hot wax and scrape is the preferred method.

Marc, no way is it just tree sap, pollen or airborne pollutants...it's got to be coming from the old compressors, the groomers and the lift towers, and maybe some from the snowmobiles. This is the first year we had this problem, so I think it is from something at Greek Peak gone awry with the ancient equipment they use there. And I wouldn't put it past Greek Peak to blow oil through their snowmaking lines...

 

[EMSC]

Nope. The residue is a mixture of tree sap, pollen, and airborne pollutants. There *might* be a little oil or hydraulic fluid drips from from snow machines, but not a major amount. No area blows oil through their snowmaking lines.

Also, never, ever use any kind of degreaser or solvent on the bases of alpine skis. Yes, you'll get the residue off, at the expense of weakening and shortening the life of your ptex bases since you'll also be removing some of the plasticizer compounds. Hot wax and scrape is the preferred method.

Marc, no way is it just tree sap, pollen or airborne pollutants...it's got to be coming from the old compressors, the groomers and the lift towers, and maybe some from the snowmobiles. This is the first year we had this problem, so I think it is from something at Greek Peak gone awry with the ancient equipment they use there. And I wouldn't put it past Greek Peak to blow oil through their snowmaking lines...

This is an issue not only at GP but most anywhere you spring ski. GP has most decidedly had the same conditions many times in the past. And primarily due to the pollutants discussed my Marc_C. At GP if you ar skiing within a few feet of lift tower that could come into play, but groomers are not leaving trails of grease and while snowmaking compressors may go through a small amount of oil over time it would be minuscule and immaterial compared to the surface area you are skiing (even at GP). How is the snow in the trees? the same goop?

I could go into details of numerous days of skiing that sticky goop at GP and elsewhere. It slowly builds up imperceptibly layer after layer and storm after storm in the snow pack and as each layer melts out in the spring the layer of goop on the surface of the snow gets thicker. Sometimes it is less apparent if there are lots of skiers hitting the hill or its groomed frequently enough to leave enough areas with 'fresh' snow, etc... Out here in the Rockies our biggest issue is often the dust layers blown in from the deserts over the course of a winter. Of course the typical tourist will never see those out here since it's often only apparent maybe by late April (we're still adding to snowpack till at least mid April in a typical year).

And as Marc_C indicated, only hot wax and then scrape to get it off your bases. Bad cases like it sounds this year might be, take a couple of waxings to wick all the gunk out of your bases instead of just one waxing. Can certainly be annoying to have to do though.

 

[Admin]

Nope. The residue is a mixture of tree sap, pollen, and airborne pollutants. There *might* be a little oil or hydraulic fluid drips from from snow machines, but not a major amount. No area blows oil through their snowmaking lines.

Marc, no way is it just tree sap, pollen or airborne pollutants...it's got to be coming from the old compressors, the groomers and the lift towers, and maybe some from the snowmobiles.

You're absolutely, positively wrong. Marc_C is right -- it's tree sap, pollen and airborne pollutants, mixed in with mold that forms on the snow's surface. It's a common spring phenomenon even at places without snowmaking.

 

[cornhead]

It's been a great week of Spring skiing at Greek. I went into work early Tuesday and Wednesday so I could leave early to ski. I can't count the times I've heard, "They still have snow there?" To which I say, "Yeah there's plenty of snow.", while making quotation marks with my fingers while saying the word snow. I noticed yesterday that the ungroomed areas have quickly gone from fields of white with brown spots to fields of brown with white spots. Mars hill will not last much longer, the trail right under the chair is still sweet however.

I think I saw the "Cornqueen" Wednesday on Hercules. I was the idiot wearing shorts and a tank top. It was still a little cool for that, I felt a little less the idiot yesterday. It would suck to catch an edge dressed like that I'm sure, full body sandpaper scrub, but the spray on your legs feels pretty cool. Yesterday I could not believe my luck. I was working on a job for a company from Syracuse, they called and said they really needed their parts and would send someone to Binghamton to pick them up. I said , "Can I call you right back, I might be able to deliver your parts to you". Well, not only did my boss think this was a good idea, she had one of her own, "Why don't you have them meet you halfway? Have a nice weekend.". So I ended up delivering the parts to the bottom of the Marathon exit ramp at 1:30.

I've been on Hercules more this last week than I have the entire season. This time of year the trail transforms from my least favorite trail to my most favorite. What a difference soft corn bumps make. Odyssey has been great also. The hill was open last night. I heard they would determine whether to open again at night if the turn out was adequate. As far as oil in the snowmaking, I've heard that comment from someone else on the hill, don't know if it's true.

I saw you Monday, it was right when you called it a day when the liftline was long. I hooked up with your friend Robert, and made some turns, nice guy. He wanted to know what wax I was using, I was quite faster in the flats. I told him the nearly 100lbs on have on him was probably the difference.

 

[Powderqueen]

OMG, YOU WERE THAT GUY IN THE TANK TOP AND SHORTS?!?!?!?! LOL!!!! of course I saw you.

It was not warm enough for that. How long did you last? It was still in the 50s and breezey that day.

I skied with Robert on Thursday of the previous week.

As for the greasy stuff...I skied all weekend at Gore, in the woods, on more natural snow than man-made, on pine needles, sticks, twigs, dirt...no greasy stuff. I think there's something added to the snow at Greek Peak...many ski patrollers at GP say that is why it is greasy.

 

[Admin]

As for the greasy stuff...I skied all weekend at Gore, in the woods, on more natural snow than man-made, on pine needles, sticks, twigs, dirt...no greasy stuff. I think there's something added to the snow at Greek Peak...many ski patrollers at GP say that is why it is greasy.

It's tree sap, pollen, other airborne pollutants and mold. Deal with it and stop being stubborn -- it's what it is. It's a widely known and understood phenomenon. Why do you have such a hard time accepting that? If you can't accept what it is, then just drop it and stop bringing it up. If you're convinced that it's oil from Greek Peak's snowmaking system, then just stop skiing there. :roll:

 

[Powderqueen]

It's tree sap, pollen, other airborne pollutants and mold. Deal with it and stop being stubborn -- it's what it is. It's a widely known and understood phenomenon. Why do you have such a hard time accepting that? If you can't accept what it is, then just drop it and stop bringing it up. If you're convinced that it's oil from Greek Peak's snowmaking system, then just stop skiing there. :roll:

that's a pretty obnoxious response from the host of this forum

 

[Admin]

Yeah, but anyone who disagrees with you is obnoxious by your definition. You were pretty damned rude to Marc_C when you asked a question and he gave you the correct answer. Nobody says I have to be nice when you're killing kittens left and right. You ask a question, you're given an accurate answer but you refuse to accept it - that's pretty damned obnoxious by itself.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

 

[Powderqueen]

Yeah, but anyone who disagrees with you is obnoxious by your definition. You were pretty damned rude to Marc_C when you asked a question and he gave you the correct answer. Nobody says I have to be nice when you're killing kittens left and right. You ask a question, you're given an accurate answer but you refuse to accept it - that's pretty damned obnoxious by itself.

Telling me not to ski at my lcoal ski area is obnoxious, especially for the web page administrator, regardless of what I believe causes grease on the bottom of my skis at my local hill.

I have been a regular contributor here for years. I have written resort features and kept threads going so you can keep your numbers high and get ads to pay you. Now what do I get? Nasty comments from you, the site admin. Thanks pal.

If you want me to continue participating, then you should be much nicer to me. I don't have to do this.

Posting TR's is more of a PITA on this forum than anything. I was only doing it because you wanted me to when you approached me years ago to ask if I would be a regular contributor. There are plenty of outlets for me to write about my favorite subject.

 

[Rambo]

I was at Greek on Sun. 3/21 and the machine made base was holding up amazingly well in 60+ degree temps.

I asked a Greek employee about the black residue and he said it comes from a combination of several sources such as: sap, air born pollutants, ACID RAIN, exhaust from snowmobiles which dumps down into the snow, drippings from the Pisten Bully grooming machines, drippings from lift towers... etc. I asked about oil from the snowmaking system and he said some oil is introduced into the air compressors but filters are supposed to catch virtually all of this preventing very little oil from ending up on the hill.

Before I left I looked in my cars trunk and found a spray bottle of Lysol household cleaner and sprayed 2 applications onto my ski bases and wiped it off with a paper towel and it removed 95% of the gunk. I think a 3rd application would have removed all the gunk residue.

Greek is proposing reopening on Fri. 3/26 and they do have enough base left to open IF it gets cold enough to groom and push some of the base down into the lower base area. However they seem to be running out of skiers.