Fort Knox

After a visit from Mariner Door, the automatic garage door in the lower parkade is functioning correctly. The automatic timer was not kicking in so the door was staying open after use. Now you only have 30 seconds. Another issue with security is the blocking of doors. Doors that require keys to open, do so for a reason. Just sayin'. Of course if you are reading this blog, you are probably a  conscientious person and not responsible for these petty crimes ;). But if you do stop a door as you are loading or unloading a vehicle, please remember to close it when you are finished.
The sun did not break through the canopy today, so the solid ice (hardpack) was not softened to slushies by the afternoon. Unfortunately, conditions on the slopes have not been great lately. In regards to more snow...the forecast for this week doesn't look promising. But I'll take the sun and the slushies over the fog and the ice.

Sog n' Fog

If you aren't here, you aint missin much!
It's a couple degrees above freezing during the day. A persistent thick fog compromises visibility, and the light rain (or heavy mist) is keeping everything wet.
I'll be spending some time on the pool this week in preperation for a visit from VIHA. The rock chipping project caused a bunch of flying rock chunks to land in our pool. So it's time for me to dig out the mask and snorkel and clean up the debris on the bottom of the pool. On top of that I will be adding a large amount of chemicals to our new body of water to get it balanced and ready for inspection. If this weather keeps up I imagine guests will be spending more time in the pool and hot tub than on the slopes.
Anyone know a snow dance?

Ptaradise Ridge

I'm glad our name doesn't have any silent letters in it.
Well, the sun was out in full force today. It burned away the lingering fog early on, and spent the rest of the day softening the hardpack. This made for a gorgeous bluebird day with spring like conditions.
The pool is up to temperature and operational. A few more hoops to jump through, and we will be able to open with Health Board approval. The hot tub, as well, is operating great. With changes to the chlorination system, it is able to handle the high bather load safely and efficiently.

It's not Ice, it's Hardpack!

Apparently conditions aren't icy up here...it's hardpack, which is the mountains pleasant way of telling you that conditions are icy. There was some hardpack rain today too.
The rock bank between the pool and Ptarmigan Ridge was chipped away today, providing enough clearance for the Snow-cat to effectively clear snow from the courtyard.
Steve the Pool Guy gave his thumbs up today in regards to our pool system. The bugs are worked out, parts and plumbing have been replaced and things are functioning as they ought to be.

Flurries...of activity

These last couple days have been full of activity around Paradise Ridge. Engineers, consultants and tradesmen have all been working to get our pool up and running efficiently while meeting the approval of VIHA. There's a new door on the pump room entrance as of yesterday. Steve the Pool Guy continues to tweak our pool and hot tub system, replacing "mickey mouse" plumbing with professional workmanship. Steve will be back up today with chemicals to begin balancing the pool. An excavator has pulled down the snow drift that had mounted up around the railings of the pools perimeter. With the snow removed we are looking to chip away some of the rock wall between the pool and Ptarmigan Ridge. The new railing for the pool has restricted access for our snow removal team, making it impossible for the Snow-Cat to pass between the pool and the rock wall. By removing a portion of the rock wall, it will be possible to keep the snow levels down around Paradise Ridge, and primarily in the inner courtyard.

Enter the Melt

January 16th turned out to be a relatively sunny day up here, sitting at a warm 6 degrees. Snow is melting fast. Monday morning will see a heap of activity at Paradise Ridge. Tradesmen continue to diagnose and tweak our pool and hot tub system, but we're on the homestretch!
If you plan on hitting the slopes this week, you may be getting tan lines, but you wont be getting any fresh lines. 

January 15th 2011

Fluctuating between rain and snow, a lingering fog has kept conditions WET. The thermostat on my porch reads a balmy 2 degrees, making our wintery slopes more like spring slushies...minus the sunshine. I'd like to pass the rain and wet snow off as, "good for a solid base"...but I don't think we need anymore help with our base. So it's down to waiting it out. If the forecasts are correct, we may be waiting a while before we see any decent amount of snow...besides some 'westcoast powder'. Unfavourable conditions on the slopes makes for some treacherous commuting. All the melt of the day is freezing up at night, making for hard packed night skiing/boarding, and slick, slick roads.
The pool is full, and sitting at about 50 degrees(F), as we await inspection late next week. The Hot Tub is running full tilt, after having some down time for repairs.

Huge Success!

Things were looking pretty dismal this morning. The power was out, the roads were slick, and we had 3 feet of fresh snow in the pool. To add to the mix, the big snowblower broke 3 different times in 3 different ways. Ron had our driveway cleared first thing. With a bit of effort, Jeff Hill of Aquatic Angles, made it up Henry Road, and began powerwashing the pool as soon as it was cleared of snow. The two water tankers that were scheduled to fill our pool cancelled. Not to be beaten, our team filled the pool with water from the fire hoses. With a visit from Steve the Pool Guy, chemicals have been added to the glacial waters, and the punps turned on. The pool will continue to heat up as we wait for approval from VIHA to open...hopefully....maybe...end of next week...maybe.
A day to remember, for those fortunate enough to partake, with blue skies and fresh powder on the hill. There has been rumors of more snow tonight, but at 6:30pm the night is, so far, still.

January 11th 2011

A steady dry snow is being pushed around by an icy wind this evening, and by morning we can expect about 31 new cm by morning.
With a large crew of snow shovellers, we managed to get the pool emptied of its condensed, heavy contents. Now that the is pool emptied of snow, a hot water power washer is on its way up the hill at first light. On his heels, there will be water trucks transporting water from the valley and pumping it into the pool. The only forseen complication at this point will be whether the water trucks can make it up the mountain if the snowy conditions persist. Steve the Pool Guy will make another appearance as well, helping to get the pool up, running and chemically balanced. Having replaced parts for the hot tub system, the hot tub will open again tonight after a brief closure.

Sunday January 9th 2011

The sun is shining up on the mountain. With clear skies, snow and road conditions tend to be a bit icy...but you could still get a tan.
The hot tub is shut down right now for repair. A new chlorinator along with some other repairs will have the tub functioning at top notch in no time. It should be ready for action by mid-day Monday, perfectly balanced and operating correctly. A big thanks to Steve the Pool Guy, for his professional workmanship and advice.
Along with the hot tub, the pool is seeing some real head way. A crew will be shovelling out the pool on Monday. By Wednesday we should see the pool power washed and filled with water. A long awaited and anticipated event! Then, upon VIHA approval, the pool will be open for buisness. It is quite possible that our facility will be fully functioning in the the very near future.

January 4th 2011

With the majority of the holiday rush behind us, its finally time to catch up on neglected chores. Tasks that have been weighing on my mind, but simply not having enough hours in the day to complete them.
The snow removal team, Alpine Mountain Maintenance, has spent some serious time at Paradise Ridge removing literal tonnes of snow from our courtyard. This has renewed safe and convenient access to the pump room and fire exits, as well as providing access for "Wired" electrticians to continue work on the pool lighting.
The blue bird sunny days are gone, and have been replaced by flurries of snow once again.

New Years 2011

Happy New Year! The first day of 2011 dawned bright and clear, which is more than we can say for the majority the of residents at Paradise Ridge. New Years Eve came off without a hitch, with minimal parking issues, thanks to the preparatory work of Ron and his snow removal team. With few conflicts or issues, it was a great New Year's, with a local fireworks show put on by individuals throughout the village and Henry Road.
Yesterday we had a mini excavator working hard to remove the snow bank that has enclosed the second floor. With the bank removed, Mark and I were able to clear the second floor. A huge improvement from the former "single lane access", since the major roof avalanche.
With the high volume of patrons through the hot tub New Years Eve, the spa was closed for the majority of the day, as it received another major cleaning and re-fill. So once again the steam above the pristine waters is rising to another starry sky.