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Thursday, December 11, 2003

Sandia Peak Ski Area Postpones Its Opening

Telegraph Staff Report
    Sandia Peak Ski Area has postponed its Friday opening because of a lack of snow, ski area director Tom Long said Tuesday.
    Sandia Peak, which never opened last season after a very dry winter, is tentatively scheduled to open Dec. 19.
    "If everything goes just right, we might be able to make it by then," Long said. "If not, we're shooting for Dec. 22 or 23. Before Christmas would be ideal."
    Long said 4 to 5 inches of snow fell during Monday's storm, but that was not enough to open the ski area on time.
    According to National Weather Service forecasts, more snow could possibly fall this weekend.
    In the meantime, Long said ski area maintenance superintendent Steve Gallegos is busy adding man-made snow to the mountain on a nightly basis.
    The addition of man-made snow is contingent on cold temperatures.
    "The colder it gets, the more water we can put through the snow-making guns and the more snow we can make," said Long. "Monday night, using two guns, we covered a 200 by 200 foot area at about 12 inches of depth."
    Long said for the casual skier, there's barely a noticeable difference between man-made snow and the real thing.
    According to Gallegos, it takes a million gallons of water to cover the mountain to a 4-inch depth of snow. Long said Sandia Peak's storage ponds, used exclusively for making snow, have about three million gallons of water.
    Long said because of last year's nonopening, the enthusiasm for this ski season is at a feverish pitch.
    "There's a lot of interest in skiing and snowboarding this year," said Long. "The ski shops in the area are reportedly doing very well."
    According to Long, even if no more snow falls in the coming week, the ski area should open sometime between Dec. 19-23 provided temperatures stay cold enough for mass production of man-made snow.
    "What we really need is about 30 inches of heavy, wet snow," said Long. "Then we'd be good until March."
    Sandia Peak will be open seven days a week, including Christmas, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. An all-day lift ticket costs $38 for adults, $32 for teens (13-20) and $28 for children (6-12).