Seeded mougls

[snoskier]

I've been curious how ski areas "seed" moguls. If anyone can explain this I would appreciate it. I've looked only seen references to using cats, but never an explanation of how.

 

Anyone?

[C1erArt]

I've seen them doing this at Whiteface. They take a run with a fair amount of loose snow, and use a small cat. The cat moves forward, then reverses one tread spinning to the right, then moves forward and it reverses the other tread and spins to the left. It does this up the run, then turns and does the same thing going down the run next to the line it just made. It does this about a dozen times, and you have a nice mogul run. What the technique is for using the plow in front (if they lift it and lower it in the process), but I think they don't use the grinder in back. I'm sure there is a lot more skill to it than it appears watching it. Sure wish JF would seed a mogul field - they are a lot more fun than the natural mogul buildup after a snow dump.

[DiMe]

I've seen them doing this at Whiteface. They take a run with a fair amount of loose snow, and use a small cat. The cat moves forward, then reverses one tread spinning to the right, then moves forward and it reverses the other tread and spins to the left. It does this up the run, then turns and does the same thing going down the run next to the line it just made. It does this about a dozen times, and you have a nice mogul run. What the technique is for using the plow in front (if they lift it and lower it in the process), but I think they don't use the grinder in back. I'm sure there is a lot more skill to it than it appears watching it. Sure wish JF would seed a mogul field - they are a lot more fun than the natural mogul buildup after a snow dump.

 

Shaping snow with those machines is an art form, takes a ton of practice and skill I would imagine.

Edited January 15, 2010 by DiMeThIcOnE