"Please stop snowing"

Ruapehu Bulletin, 20 August 1991, Page 6

"Please stop snowing"

Too much snow is not something ski area operators would normally complain about but that's exactly the problem at Whakapapa. The last two big storms have dumped over one and a half metres of snow on the ski field, burying lifts, buildings and cars. The official base depth is 2.5 metres but

that's a moot point as the snow stake is now buried under snow. Road clearing staff are working around the clock to keep access roads to the ski area clear and lift operations staff have been digging for the last week to keep buildings and lifts operational. Eight fulltime ski Patrol staff have had the busiest two

weeks ever on the ski field, controlling avalanche prone slopes. More than 600 kgs of explosives have been let off'as they work from 5.30am to 12.00 noon each day. The RAL fleet of six snow groomers are struggling to keep the tracks under the T-Bars clear and move snow off trails.

The Far West T-Bar is almost buried and RAL maintenance staff estimate there is two days digging with the snow groomers to get the lift operating again. The ski Patrol hut that services the area is two metres below the snow. "It's the most snow we've seen," said Scott Lee, Marketing Manager for Whakapapa. "You

won't hear ski area marketing people complaining about too much snow very often but we would like it to stop now. A few fine days would be nice and the skiing is going to be magic; beautiful powder snow with groomed trails right to the top of the Bruce. It really is fantastic. We'll be skiing until November."