Photo by Gregory Rec

Snowmakers Bryce Barnes, lift in foreground, and Noah Morton ride up the Spruce Peak Triple lift at Sunday River at the start of their night shift.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Barnes steps over a hose while turning a water valve on at a hydrant station. At the start of their shift, the snowmakers have to open the valve at the top of the line they’re working on and wait until the water makes its way to the top.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Working near the top of Spruce Peak Triple lift, snowmakers Barnes, left, and Morton move a ground gun. The low temperature Thursday night was 3 degrees, which created problems with some equipment. “We were expecting stuff to be frozen up,” Barnes says.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Snow is made by forcing water through the nozzles of snowmaking guns with pressurized air, which, in cold temperatures, turns the water droplets into snow crystals. Barnes adjusts a nozzle on the head of a gun.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Barnes positions a ground gun on the Risky Business trail. Barnes, an avid hiker, has been making snow at Sunday River for seven years.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Under a sky lit up by a full moon, Barnes walks under the spray of the gun. “It’s so addicting to be out here all night long in the cold and in the elements and just working through them all,” he says.

Advertisement

Photo by Gregory Rec

A full moon shines through the plume from a snowmaking tower gun.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Barnes opens a water valve at the top of the Spruce Peak water line.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Barnes replaces a nozzle on the head of a snowmaking gun after clearing it of ice. “It’s a lot of working through the conditions and being very present in the moment and really, really intense problem solving, and I’m all for that,” he says.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Barnes examines snow crystals falling on his glove to make sure they have the right consistency.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Under the Spruce Peak Triple lift, Bryce Barnes positions the head of a ground gun.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Morton untangles the water and air hoses of a ground gun being set by Barnes. The hoses, which typically stay on the side of the trails in between snowmaking sessions, can get frozen and stiff, making them difficult to move.

Advertisement

Photo by Gregory Rec

With Orion’s belt visible in the sky above, Noah Morton walks into the spray of a ground gun he just set on the Risky Business run. Walking in the spray, they can make sure the mix of water and air is creating optimum snow crystals.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Dennis Cowerey monitors pumps from a control room during the night shift on Thursday. A computer screen shows the current status of the pumps at the station along the Sunday River, the water source for the ski area’s snowmaking operation. Another screen shows the pumps at the mid-mountain pump house.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Noah Morton untangles a hose at a hydrant station surrounded by snow-covered trees.

Photo by Gregory Rec

After putting some of his gear inside, Morton leaves a ski patrol cabin at the top of Spruce Peak.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Rolled-up hoses are stacked along a wall at a mid-mountain pump house. The ski area uses up to 30 miles of hoses at the height of the snowmaking season.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Barnes walks away from the base of the Spruce Peak Triple lift base station as a snow groomer makes its way down a run. Barnes was on his way to take a break to eat his dinner.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Ian McCluskey, snowmaking night shift supervisor at Sunday River, checks the flow coming out of a new HKD fan gun. The gun incorporates the latest technology in snowmaking, creating more snow and covering a wider area while also being energy-efficient.

Photo by Gregory Rec

Barnes walks across a ski run lit up by a full moon as snowmaking guns send plumes of snow crystals into the air. The higher guns allow more time for snow crystals to freeze before falling to the ground.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.