Snowmaking at the Dartmouth Skiway: Taking the Wonder Out of Winter

Feelings should have have been running pretty high during the winter of 1956-57 for Dartmouth's winter sportsmen. Work on the College's new $125,000 skiway was complete, and the area was operational before the official opening ceremony was held on January 19. The Dartmouth Alumni Magazine ran a two-page spread featuring an aerial view of the Skiway and enthusiastically reported, "All trails and slopes are packed and smoothed by the Skiway's Sno-cat as soon as snow falls, and the area should provide excellent skiing well into the spring months."

In retrospect, perhaps the magazine was somewhat overly optimistic. Some years the Skiway's Sno-Cat didn't see much use because some years the Skiway didn't get much snow. As for skiing "well into the spring months," in some years there wasn't much skiing even in the winter months. Back in those days when a snow-drought struck, skiers had little recourse but to sit out the season because the competing ski areas in the region areas didn't have much snow either.

But the advent of snowmaking changed everything. Even though the winter of 1981-1982 recorded a record number of skiers (37,200) and a record number of days for skiing (112), skiers' perceptions of the Skiway were not helped during the winter of 1984-1985 when there were a scant 32 days of skiing. Inconsistent weather patterns hurt the Skiway. Skiers got out of the habit of considering the Skiway in their winter plans: why risk a day of so-so skiing when other nearby areas with snowmaking capabilities offered consistent quality?

Last winter marked the beginning of a new era for the Skiway. Fifteen snowguns and seven miles of pipe now convert 1,200 gallons of water per minute into snowcover for 50 acres of trails. Now the Skiway can compete on an equal footing with any ski area in the region when it comes to snow cover. This year Skiway manager Donald Cutter Jr. '73 plans to the start the lifts on December 15. By that time the snowmaking machinery will have been running about a month, and the slopes will be covered with up to three feet of snow. With snowmaking, not only are the prospects of a December 15th opening almost a certainty, but the odds of a long spring skiing season are better. Cutter won't predict when he'll shut down in 1987. He only says he hopes to keep the lifts running "until the the snow melts or the skiers stop coming." Cutter has reason to be cautious with his predictions because a lot still depends on the weather. Even with snowmaking the Skiway didn't set a new longevity record last season, although 100 days of skiing is nothing to dismiss lightly. Snowmaking literally kept the season from being a washout. Cutter notes with pride that last year the Skiway "never closed for a rainy day."

Besides the physical changes made at the Skiway there have been , some changes at the front office, too. Peter Hart, assistant to the Dean of the College, began handling the administrative details of the Skiway operation this summer. Of prime concern to Hart is marketing the area, especially to the Dartmouth family. "We are proud of this facility,"said Hart, "and we.want to make sure it is easily accessible to alumni."

Everyone associated with the College knows that the Skiway is one of those elements that makes Dartmouth special. Only one other college in New England Middlebury owns a ski area. Nor will anyone who ever skied the Skiway find the results of an opinion poll of skiers conducted by a group of Plymouth State College MBA students particularly surprising. The Skiway received high marks because of its proximity to Hanover, the price of lift tickets, and the lack of crowds. Even with the addition of snowmaking, the Skiway has maintained a tradition of low-cost lift tickets. The general public has been quick to recognize a bargain; sales of season passes have increased dramatically since snowmaking came online. The Skiway is perceived as a high-quality, medium-sized, family ski area. Even with all these positive attributes Hart observed, "Alumni have gotten out of the habit of going to the Skiway when they come to Hanover," and he wants to change this. Hart encourages alumni groups of 10 or more who are interested in a Hanover ski weekend to contact his office for information about discount rates at the Skiway and for help arranging lodging, or to obtain tickets for Hopkins Center or sporting events. Hart also envisions a closer working relationship between his office and the Alumni Affairs office in planning organized ski weekends.

Now that the Skiway has snowmaking, Hart believes it will act as a catalyst for bringing more alumni into town during the winter months. He's excited about creating a weekend outing that features skiing during the day and makes use of the College's distinctive night-time attractions. This season Hart and Lynne Gaudet '8l, assistant director of Alumni Affairs, planned a pilot-project involving the Boston and New York alumni clubs. Hart envisions a winter weekend this February that will incorporate skiing by day and a hockey game or perhaps an arts event during the evening. If the response is favorable, they hope to expand marketing of similar ski packages to more of the College's alumni clubs next season.

A view from the sky: The Holt's Ledge portion of the Dartmouth Skiway

Gale "Tiger" Shaw '85 sped to first place in both the slalom and giant slalom during the1982 Dartmouth Winter Carnival held at the Skiway.

President McLaughlin, center, and Young Dawkins III '72, associate director of capitalgiving, right, speak with an enthusiastic skier at last year's ceremony celebrating theinstallation of snowmaking machinery at the Skiway.