Snowmaking can be the salvation of a low snow season. But as we enter the month of February the temperature has climbed into the 50s. At that temperature only God can make snow. The snow making team at Loon Mountain may not be divine, but they sure are a dedicated and highly disciplined cadre of expert snowmen.

The snow surface at Loon is in amazingly good shape. Every skiable trail, with the exception of the narrow woods paths, is completely dressed with a rich allotment of abundant snow. This is no small feat as the mountain has 2,100 feet of vertical, three peaks and a network of 61 trails. I can attest to recently navigating most of those trails on skis or on a snowboard and the efforts of the snow team deserve an award or at least a beer and pizza party.

When the snow surface is challenging, icy, or patchy, I will stick to skis. But this past week, the snow surface at Loon was so good, I spent a good part of my time on the snowboard and was very happy to find such an easily negotiable surface under my feet.

The snow team at Loon is divided into two camps, the Snowmakers and the Groomers. There are 30 Snowmakers, they work in alternating 12-hour shifts. They are a hearty crew, this is not an easy job. They are out in the elements, day and night, in the wind and the cold, trudging through deep snow, moving hoses and pipes, repairing leaks and performing all manner of maintenance.

As you can imagine, turnover is high. Some of the new recruits don’t last very long, they are known as the “one night wonders.” Completing a season as a snowmaker is a test of stamina, endurance, and the accomplishment of a serious personal challenge, like running your first marathon.

The Groomers number an even dozen. As soon as the lifts shut down at 4 p.m., the first crew mounts their machines and drives their iron horses till midnight. Crew Two immediately replaces them, working the mountain till 8 a.m. The amount of coffee consumed by this crew is staggering.

The Major General of the Loon Snow Corps is Ken Mack. He is a hands on leader that spends most of his time out on the mountain and not in a leather chair in the office.

The Snowmaking season begins on Nov. 1 and ends somewhere toward the end of February or the early weeks of March. In that three month window, 250 million gallons of water traverse through the many miles of pipe and hose.

Once the temperatures drop to 28 degrees the show begins. Depending on humidity, ideal temp is somewhere around 22 degrees. But making snow is more than just waiting for the weather to be cold enough to fire up the guns, five key elements are part of the mix:

• Cold temperatures

• Low humidity

• Compressed air

• Water

• An arsenal of Snow guns

Water and compressed air combine to create snow. The water source at Loon is the Pemigewasset River and the mountain reservoir. I was quite surprised to learn from Ken Mack that man made snow is actually more durable and longer lasting that natural snow. From my personal perspective, I really can’t tell the difference between natural snow and snow machine snow once the surface is groomed. What I do know is this: The snow at Loon is extensive, abundant and comfortably skiable despite the fact of Mother Nature is having a very lean year.

Loon Mountain is located in the southern region of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Although there is no direct highway route from our region to the base of Loon Mountain, there is a round-about highway drive (95 South to 101 West to 93 North) that will take two-and-a-half hours in decent weather.

Lift tickets are not cheap. Weekday or weekend the price of a single adult lift ticket never changes, it’s $85. However if you purchase a Frequent Skier Card for only $105 and you get one free day day of skiing (week-end, vacation day or weekend) and then take $25 off any additional week-day or $15 off any weekend or vacation day.

If you have the ability to ski during the mid-week and are on a budget, I highly recommend the purchase of a sevennight punch ticket for $327 at the nearby Kancamagus Lodge. You can use the ticket for any seven mid-week non vacation nights, but the seven nights must be redeemed during the current season. The Kancamagus Lodge has their own sports bar called CJ’s Penalty Box and is steps away from the Common Man Pub (The BLT pizza at the Common Man is memorable).

If you can put together a family group of six or a group of six friends, you can stay right at the base of the lifts in the super-lux Mountain Club for a little over $50 a person.

I remain in the faith that a big winter storm for our mountain region is still on the horizon.

— Greg Morell is a ski, snowboard and cross country enthusiast. He can be reached at [email protected].