Group discussion at Santa’s Workshop next to the new SV10 Tower with on-board Compressor.

February 25-27, Snow Economics hosted 21 guests from 9 different resorts at our annual Seven Springs Snowmaking Seminar. On the agenda was a full system tour of the 30,000 gpm snowmaking system which included a close up view of the 40 lakes and ponds that provide the storage and recovery to support this tremendous system.

We also viewed the 6 HKD Express automated trails installed at the resort over the last three years. These trails are operated by a touch screen at Snowmaking Control and communicate wirelessly to the three valve houses. A total of 78 HKD Towers are automated on those 6 trails.

A visit to our R&D facility "Santa's Workshop" was another highlight of the trip. Guests were able to put their hands on every type of HKD Technology imaginable including our double valve, S-Series SV10201 with on-board air compressor, the modular LX4400, and the single valve MX6400 as well as a couple of our "top secret" models not yet in production. The 60’ snow piles provided a challenge to those adventurous enough to climb to the summit.

The show wrapped up with a gourmet Dinner at Helen’s restaurant that included some wonderful and colorful recollections of the early days of Seven Springs from Herman Dupre who spent his younger years living in the building now called Helen’s.

On board the tour bus with Bill Toye from Camelback, PA, Mike Thompson and Jon Mullenax of Silvercreek, WV.	Dave Tucholke, Vail, CO and Jason Whipple of Holiday Valley, NY study the piping layout in Rainbow pump house – one of the primary water recovery stations at Seven Springs.
Chris Baum, Nathan Teed and Tom Dekoning from Peek N Peak scale one of the massive piles of snow at Santa’s Workshop.	The mountain tour included stops at two of the (3) automated valve houses at Seven Springs. The Goose-bump / Avalanche valve house, that the group above is returning from, automates 23 HKD Towers that are started and stopped form a touch screen back at mountain operations.
Ian Jarrett, Snow Economics and Bill Toye, Camelback enjoy lunch at Santa’s Workshop with the gang from Holiday Valley including: Kirk Rowland, Jeremy Pearl, Jason Whipple and Phil Dille.	Charles Blier from Camelback, PA, Tim Ficke from Steamboat, CO, Bill Schenk from Peek N Peak, NY and Rob Stott of Snow Economics all enjoy an evening of fine dining at Helen’s Restaurant.
Tim Ficke of Steamboat, CO enjoys an up close view of an R&D tower that appears to be growing from the center of a 60’ snow pile. I think we left that one on a little too long!	Charle Blier, Camelback, PA and Herman Dupre, Snow Economics discuss water recovery at the Rainbow Pump House.
R&D at its best: 35 Deg F and 100% RH — snow quality was best checked form the porch of Santa’s Workshop.