One Snow Makers Story
The sun was shining through my window when I woke that fateful afternoon. I laid in my bed as I wiped the sleep from my eyes. The alarm on my clock started screeching a couple of seconds later, which I promptly silenced with a click of the switch on top of the clock. Then lazily I rolled back over and closed my eyes for a few seconds thinking to myself it‘s time to get up already, the night had gone by to quickly. I would have laid there longer in my nice warm bed if it hadn’t been for the protest of my bladder, which forced me to get up.
As I walked down the hallway to the bathroom the thought of another bone chilling night didn’t appeal to me. The spray of hot water felt wonderful as it landed upon my back. The cool air upon my wet skin sent a chill through out my body as I stepped out of the warm confines of the shower stall. Once I had finished drying myself, I quickly threw my t-shirt and sweats back on and walked back to my room. Back in my room I pulled a pair of cotton socks and wool socks out of the drawer of my dresser. I started dressing by putting on the cotton socks underneath the bottoms of my sweats. Then over top of the cotton socks and the bottoms of my sweats I pulled a heavy pair of wool socks. Over top of my sweats I pulled a pair of jeans then I slid a pair of chainsaw pants on. Chainsaw pants are ideal for snow making because they’re water resistant and insulated.
The final step of dressing the lower half of my body was to slide my insulated boots over my feet. To prevent snow from working it’s way into the tops of my boots I pull the leg bottoms of the chainsaw pants over them and tie the draw string tight. Dressing the upper half of my body is a lot quicker, fore it only requires a pull over sweatshirt, a zip up sweatshirt and a jacket. Which I usually omitted until I arrived at work, then I put it on. Being a snow maker requires many layers to keep you warm. You can always take it off, but can’t always put it on. When I had finished dressing I grabbed my insulated coat and back pack. I carried them both out into the living room and set them onto the floor as I prepared my dinner for the night. As I stood peering into the refrigerator the sight of some fried chicken and mashed potatoes looked very appealing to me.
I dumped the two fried chicken breasts into a plastic container and sealed it shut with it’s cover. I did the same with the mashed potatoes, then slid both containers into the big pocket in the front of my back pack. A good meal is only one of the things you should have in your pack when you make snow for a living. Some other things are extra gloves, hats, neck warmers, and a sewing kit. I have all those things and a few things extra like a single propane burner with a small propane tank and a military mess kit. Incase I’m sent to the upper mountain to pump house #4 where there is no way of heating up my dinner. I also carry a radio or some kind of book to pass the time. There are nights when you think it’s never going to end and on the other hand the nights over before you know it. The worse time is during the spring when it’s too warm to make snow and all you do is circulate water up to the top of the mountain and back down.
By the time I had finished packing my dinner it was two thirty and time for me to head to Whiteface Mountain ski center where I work. I was sort of happy and sad when I walked outside and found that it was extremely warm almost forty five degrees above zero. The warm weather meant it was going to be an easy, but extremely long night. As I opened the door to my truck I tossed my coat and back pack onto the passenger side of the seat. Then reached into the bed of my truck for my shovel handle. Only to find that the two feet of snow that was in there last night had completely melted and my shovel was lying on the floor of the truck bed along with a few empty bottles made by Budweiser. I made a mental note to remove them later before they get broken some how. I tossed my shovel onto the passenger side of the cab next to my coat and back pack.
As I left my home the day couldn’t be better, the weather was warm and the music coming from the radio was some of my favorites. The forty two miles to work passed by quick. Before I knew it I was pulling up in front of Stewart’s grocery store in Ausable Forks. I quickly went in and grabbed something to drink for the night. After sticking it into one of the side pockets in my back pack I headed out of Ausable Forks towards Jay. Then I turned towards Wilmington where Whiteface Ski center is located. After taking a left in Wilmington it was only a matter of a few minutes before I turned into the drive way of the ski center. As I drove across the bridge I could see a few of my co-workers outside having a smoke before punching in for the night. They waved to me as I drove past and parked my truck near the bottom of the base lodge. I pulled my coat, shovel and back pack out of the truck and shut the door. As I walked up the stairs of the base lodge Bobby Sheldrake called out to me.
“Hellooo Deano”
“Hi, Bobby what’s up?”
“It’s going to be a long night.”
“Yea, it is.”
I left Bobby outside to finish his cigarette while I set my coat, shovel and back pack on a chair. As I punched in, Charlie Terry walked in. He’s one of the assistant foremen on my shift.
“Hello Charlie.”
“Hello Dean.”
“What’s the story for tonight, Charlie?”
“Your going to pump house #3 grab a radio and head up to mid-station.”
“Ok.”
After getting a radio I put my coat on and slid my arm through the shoulder strap of my back pack. I stood behind some skiers as they waited for one of the chairs to take them up the mountain for the last run of the day. One of the skiers asked me how do we get down after our shift is done. I responded by showing him my shovel and saying this is my ride down. If I had only known what a ride it was going to be. I might have walked down at the end of the night. Not all the way mind you just to the top of tower ten hill. The hill got it’s name from the tower of the old lift that was used during the Olympics.
I watched as the skiers slid out onto the ramp as the chair came around the bow wheel. They each sat down and were soon air born their skies dangling in the air. Then it was my turn I walked out onto the ramp and took a seat in the middle of the chair to keep it balanced. I had no more then sat down and I was air born. It only took a few minutes for me to arrive at mid-station. The lift slowed enough for me to get off safely then it sped back up to it’s full tilt of 650 feet per second. It’s easy to get off a lift during the day time it takes some skill to get off during the night when it’s running full tilt. After walking down from mid-station to pump house #3. I could hear the roar of water shooting out of the returns before I even opened the pump house door. As I walked in the A shift pump house man came out of the booth where we sit. He didn’t say anything as we passed, he didn’t have to because I knew what had to be done. I set my stuff on one of the chairs in the booth and grabbed the shift chart and took it out side with me to check the temperature.
My heart sank as I looked at the thermometer, 38 degrees above zero. Too warm to make snow I thought to myself. I was really hoping the temperature would drop and we could start making snow. But alas it was not to be for the eight hours of my shift the temperature never dropped below thirty five above zero. Groomers passed by the chateau where us snow makers hung out between runs as they groomed the trails for the next morning. The night was one of those that seemed as if it was never going to end, but finally it did. I said good night to the C shift pump house man and walked outside. When I stepped out of the pump house I knew in an instant the temperature had dropped. For the once sloppy snow that had covered the ground was now rock hard.
The trail was covered with ridges which was a bad thing. Fore the shovels we use to come down on at night had two rails on the bottom of them one on each side. When the rails on the shovels get into the grooves cut into the ice of the trail it’s very difficult to get them out. I looked the trail for a place to get on my shovel. When I thought I had found a place I walked over and sat down on the snow and slid my but into the bottom of the shovel and pushed off with my left hand. I had no more then pushed off and started picking up speed quickly when I knew I was in trouble. The more speed I got the closer I got to the opposing side of the trail. I could see the edge of the trail getting closer and closer to me. But, then ahead in the dark I saw the top of tower ten hill and thought for a brief second if I make to the top of the hill I’ll have it made. But, I never made it that far, in an instant I was flying through the air hitting boulders and trees.
Within a couple of minutes it was all over. I lay in the snow. My right boot had been thrown off from all of the impacts of the trees and rocks and my left leg was bent against a small tree. When I tired to move it I found that I couldn’t. It didn’t hurt, it just felt as if someone was sitting on it. Once I had cleared the cob web’s from my head I started checking myself for broken bones. When I was content that nothing had been broken I laid back and thought. What to do? Then I remembered that I had gotten a radio before going up the mountain. I had turned it off when I left the pump house. I quickly turned it on and called for help. Within a half hour I was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Lake Placid Medical Center.
