Next Level Ops Report: The Grind, The Glow-Up, and The Blues

Ops Report 8/24/25: Concrete is the Worst, The Road Forward, Lifts Shining Bright, and Adventure Zone Blues

Hi friends, 

It's been a few weeks since we last corresponded. Sometimes, the call of the mountain is so strong, I linger on the trails, on the site, in the forest. I forget about my computer and that long list of monotonous tasks - the emails that pile up, the phone unanswered, to-do lists collecting dust on my desk. The mountain has kept us busy with projects and maintenance with no time to sit and reflect; but on this quiet Sunday, it is the perfect time to do just that. 

Concrete is the Worst

I don't know what it is about concrete trucks, but the sight of one headed up the mountain road makes even the chillest of us turn into a basket case. I thought, naively, that after the first tower was poured, we would all feel more self-assured and pour the rest with stoicism and quiet confidence. But oh no, that is not the case. The whine of the truck coming up the construction road is like a whistle that signifies it's time to start yelling and running up and down the mountain frantically, making sure everything is perfect, inline, no tools left behind at the tower just poured down the slope. What is the root cause of this chaos, you ask? Alignment. There is absolutely nothing more terrifying than aligning a lift - and once you pour that concrete, there is no turning back - your alignment is set. 

We have all of the fancy tools and layout implements - total stations, transits, offsets, backsights, foresights, survey markers - and the knowledge to use them all. But there is nothing like a concrete truck to make you second guess if your third round of trigonometry triple checking centerline was actually done correctly - or did you rush it or should we check it for a fourth time using another set of tools? No time! The truck is almost up the mountain and it's 95 degrees and that concrete left the factory an hour ago - just ready to harden upon contact with the air. I think, lucky for me, I am not the one who is doing the math. That would be Dylan. And poor Dylan got thrown right into this with me three weeks ago, when we picked the final alignment. He is the master of the total station now, but lucky for him, I'm the final arbiter of placement. If we pour a foundation too far off centerline, that responsibility will land squarely on my shoulders and not his. I am blessed to have the best of the best on my crew - Not just Dylan the Math Wiz, but Wally, Bacon, Rob, Ethan and Lino - Everyone with a special skill set contributing to these tower foundations - so when I say we are done fiddling with the placement of the tower, when the truck is coming up the road, I feel confident that these tower foundations will hold the lift, sure and true.

Let's leave the complications of alignment aside - making sure the towers are at the correct elevation, on centerline and at the correct distance from each other - let's pretend that's easy. The level of coordination it takes to have a successful pour day is another reason concrete is the worst... After building the forms, you must have the engineer come out and inspect and count the rebar before you can pour the concrete - this can be done at any time, but since we are always tight on time, it seems it's always the day before we pour. Then you must notify the Forest and the State 48 hours in advance and make sure they can be onsite if they choose to be. Additionally, you must also coordinate an independent concrete inspector to perform slump testing in the field while you pour - oh yeah, and you must also get a concrete truck on site at the same time as all of the other people involved AND up a mountain AND within an hour from the time it left the factory. The clock is always ticking, my friends. And when you do a monolithic pour, as we are doing on these towers, the concrete MUST be at the lowest possible slump for the spec of the concrete, else you make a whole mess of it, spilling out of the forms. And then you have to nervously await the concrete tests - slump, 7-day break test, 28-day break test, to make sure the concrete that you poured meets the engineer's spec. The anxiety is real, my friends. Concrete is the WORST. But as I look out over the mountain, it comforts me to know others were here before - feeling this same stress, pushing through it, to build something that will enhance our guest's experience on the snow. 

The Road Forward

We now have six tower foundations in the ground and I feel good about hitting our deadline to get this lift up. The last three weeks have been stressful on the team and pouring concrete takes a considerable amount of time and labor. We have a lot of catch up to do on other project related items so we are going to pause the concrete until after labor day - while we dig the next foundation holes, finish the last form, bring the rest up the hill and get them set on that perfect alignment. The next stretch of road going from tower 7 to the top bullwheel is treacherous just for a regular truck, let alone a fully freighted concrete truck. So we are also going to take the time to resurface the construction road, mellow out the last incline and widen the S turn at the top of Exhibition. A little rain would go a long way to help compact and bind the surface of the road, so the concrete trucks aren't churning up clouds of dust as they try to gain traction on that long climb up - but that's one thing we can't control - Mother Nature. So even though we never say the word "Rain" here at the ski resort, this week we are going to be doing a rain dance - to tamper down the dust, fill up the pond and rivers, and maybe bring a little green back to the trails.

We also have a lot to accomplish with our other projects and general maintenance and will focus heavily on that for the next ten days. Our resident welders, Rob and Mike, have successfully welded 8,000 lineal feet of snowmaking pipeline into sticks and most of these sticks have been put in place on the hill. With blasting done, they have mobilized the welder up to the top to start welding the sticks together to complete the pipeline. This process is long and time consuming and can be treacherous in its own right. How do you get the welding truck down the Chute to complete those welds and install the weld-o-lets for the hydrants? That will involve several team members, large pieces of equipment, winching, snatch blocks and possibly mobilizing a cat. We'll keep you posted on that adventure! 

We continue to fabricate the brackets and light posts for our permanent night lighting, as well as laying the electrical lines to connect them to our grid. We started our annual rail maintenance for all of our terrain park features and have several weeks left to get them in top working condition. Mowing of the mountain continues as well as priming the pumps, motors and compressors for snowmaking season that is right around the corner. Lots to do and the clock is ticking nearer to opening day. 

Next Week: It's Time for the Lifts to Shine

Lift Maintenance has been on an accelerated timeline all summer due to the building of the new t-bar. In the last three weeks, they have pumped out NDT on grips, line work, and have spent time with our Nidec technical team. Oh... And let's not forget.... Installing our new bubbles! Next week, we will delve a little deeper into the lift specific projects this team is tackling to get us ready for winter. 

Adventure ZONE Blues

Last month, I wrote passionately about the division in our community regarding our proposed Adventure Zone site plan. Over the course of the last month, our ownership worked diligently to compile all documentation requested by the board, invested funding into 3D site plans, surveying, and met with locals on a site walk of the land. On Friday, despite proposed conditions to address parking concerns, the Waterville Valley Planning Board requested more time to analyze potential parking issues, but unfortunately time is of essence, as we are pushing against the deadline of starting construction to be open prior to next summer. As timing and further evaluation could not harmoniously coexist in this case, the board voted to deny, without prejudice, our proposal based on the condition of insufficient information on parking.

Disappointed is the word I would use for how we feel, but it intrinsically feels bigger than that. I am deeply saddened for our Ownership who want to invest in this community but have been thwarted, for the small business owners in town who are dependent on increased guest visitation for their own prosperity and, in some cases, survival... for our seasonal employees who were looking forward to year-round employment, for our guests who want more engaging summer activities to enjoy with their children. For all of these people, I am sad. 

M

- Marissa P., Operations Manager