Whatta surprise! Snowmaking last night fired up three hours earlier than Tuesday night...so much for the accuracy of the remote sensors... All that snowmaking was blowing snow on trails we want to re-open, or open for the first time this season, so I felt like I was s*!^#ing in tall cotton!
I was grinding around with my window open...I did all the ramps that swing shift didn't get to, buried some more trouble spots on the bunny hills, and finally started making my long passes about the time my shirtsleeve thermometer told me that it was warming up...damn inversion was creeping up the slopes to make more mischief...
I hailed Jeweler on the 2-way: "Is it getting warmer?" I queried. "It is" Jeweler replied. Jeweler said they were shutting down...best to not make rain...I made a pass to the top of the mountain...for snowmobile pilots from Vehicle Maintenance who needed to retrieve a downed snowmobile in the AM.
I made another long pass from the Work Orders...and ran out of fuel. WTF?
I fueled up Wednesday morning after my shift, and nobody else ran the cat before I got in it at the beginning of my shift. No Idiot Lights, No alarms, No Go...No restart either. I hailed Jeweler on the 2-way again...no answer. I phoned him and asked "Are you still here? "Nope, I'm on the road" I pleaded my case...Jeweler said he'd come get me after he dropped off on of his crew. He was all of two miles from My Mountain, and would be less than three miles away when he dropped of his guy. He said he'd give me a ring when he was close.
The symptoms were those of a fuel delivery failure. I grabbed my flashlight and started looking for a broken wire or disconnected wiring harness. I haven't learned where the fuel shutoff relay or solenoid live on the BR350s...it's never been an issue like it was with the BR275s. I didn't find anything. My phone rang...
Jeweler was almost back to the shop and asked what I wanted to be rescued in. I asked him to bring a snowcat. Ten minutes later Jeweler phoned again: "I fired up the older Bison, and it made horrible noises...like rod knock noises...listen...I couldn't hear anything over the phone. I said: "Why don't you bring Driller's cat...it's only been parked for an hour and a half"..."OK" Jeweler replied.
Driller's CenterX Bison picked me up a half hour later..."You jump in the other seat and give me a driving lesson on our way down the hill" I suggested to Jeweler. I haven't run a CenterX yet...Jeweler gave me the lowdown, and the machine was leaving corduroy like butter...or buttah, I should say.
Nice machine in many ways, but all the important stuff is behind the operator...that would be the 2-way, the window latches, and the iPod dock. I finished the shift, fueled up, filed my report and talked to the mechanics about my tractor...all before punching out at 0830.
Looking forward to getting back in my own BR350 tonight, though.
Showing posts with label BR275. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BR275. Show all posts
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Stoopid Human Trix
Serendipity can't be beat! Here I am, deftly ignoring the hole in my soul left by the finishing of this year's Tour de France. I'm feeling a little numb...which is to say, I'm not feeling anything...not excited about anything today. Then I'm winding down before bed, surfing the web...when I find a video that just plain cracked me up.
In my 30+ years living in the High Sierra and working in the ski industry, I've witnessed a fair number of stupid human tricks...so many frickin' follies that I've become jaded to the foolishness and the dumb as a stump screw-ups.
Every season I'm sure I've seen it all...that there's no possible way to be shown a new low. And every year my faith in mankind's remarkable survival these many millions of years is renewed despite man's ability to outsmart himself and court injury, property damage, and even death while walking upright..."It's OK...I've got it this time..."
Most of these stupid human tricks sort of evolve in real time as the out-thinker links a series of bad decisions, faulty assumptions, and knee-jerk reactions, resulting in the inevitable disaster for them, and any innocent bystanders (read fellow motorists, chairlift partners, chain installers, snowplow drivers...the list is endless) These are organic accidents...happenstance..."bad luck".
Tonight's video is something I've never seen in these 30+ years of mountain living and working. Sadly, this is a Premeditated Stupid Human Trick.
Behold the AUDI Snowplow:
This is wrong on so many levels...
As a Red-Blooded American Male, I've been a lover of cars since I was a boy in the late fifties, the era of chrome, tail fins, and big American V8 horsepower. I came of age in the Muscle Car Era, and learned to appreciate European Sports Sedans during the Disco Dust fueled Go Greed Go 80's.
When this AUDI 90 Quattro was showroom fresh, it was a highly desired ride by skiers, snowboarders and posers alike. Style, performance, comfort and solid Teutonic utility, all wrapped up in one refined package.
At the time, my auto-lust was for the AUDI's contemporary, the BMW 325ix, though I remember lamenting out loud that the 325ix didn't come as a convertible...hey...a removable hardtop would have made the 4X4 ixRagtop the perfect TruckeeMobile! No snowplow attachments allowed!
Reality? When these rigs were new...1986/1987, I was driving a '74 Power Wagon and buying a new leftover 1982 Yamaha 750 Maxim motorcycle.
You know, the AUDI Snowplow reminds me of another weird mountain mash-up machine, Alpine Meadows' "Bandwagon"...now that I've thought about that contraption for a season, I believe it too is wrong on so many levels.
I guess that these poor "performance artists" actually enrich my life in the long run...I hope they never run out of ways to surprise me.
In my 30+ years living in the High Sierra and working in the ski industry, I've witnessed a fair number of stupid human tricks...so many frickin' follies that I've become jaded to the foolishness and the dumb as a stump screw-ups.
Every season I'm sure I've seen it all...that there's no possible way to be shown a new low. And every year my faith in mankind's remarkable survival these many millions of years is renewed despite man's ability to outsmart himself and court injury, property damage, and even death while walking upright..."It's OK...I've got it this time..."
Most of these stupid human tricks sort of evolve in real time as the out-thinker links a series of bad decisions, faulty assumptions, and knee-jerk reactions, resulting in the inevitable disaster for them, and any innocent bystanders (read fellow motorists, chairlift partners, chain installers, snowplow drivers...the list is endless) These are organic accidents...happenstance..."bad luck".
Tonight's video is something I've never seen in these 30+ years of mountain living and working. Sadly, this is a Premeditated Stupid Human Trick.
Behold the AUDI Snowplow:
This is wrong on so many levels...
As a Red-Blooded American Male, I've been a lover of cars since I was a boy in the late fifties, the era of chrome, tail fins, and big American V8 horsepower. I came of age in the Muscle Car Era, and learned to appreciate European Sports Sedans during the Disco Dust fueled Go Greed Go 80's.
When this AUDI 90 Quattro was showroom fresh, it was a highly desired ride by skiers, snowboarders and posers alike. Style, performance, comfort and solid Teutonic utility, all wrapped up in one refined package.
At the time, my auto-lust was for the AUDI's contemporary, the BMW 325ix, though I remember lamenting out loud that the 325ix didn't come as a convertible...hey...a removable hardtop would have made the 4X4 ixRagtop the perfect TruckeeMobile! No snowplow attachments allowed!
Reality? When these rigs were new...1986/1987, I was driving a '74 Power Wagon and buying a new leftover 1982 Yamaha 750 Maxim motorcycle.
You know, the AUDI Snowplow reminds me of another weird mountain mash-up machine, Alpine Meadows' "Bandwagon"...now that I've thought about that contraption for a season, I believe it too is wrong on so many levels.
I guess that these poor "performance artists" actually enrich my life in the long run...I hope they never run out of ways to surprise me.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Churning
Last night was more welcome than home made ice cream right from the churn!
Snow started falling in the evening across the Tahoe Sierra. I parked in three inches of new fallen snow when I got to work. Swing shift were happy as clams! What's not to like? Freezing temps, new snow, and for the first time in weeks...no digging projects!
My tractor was running like new. We've been trying to track down a glitch in the drive for two weeks now. Not always the easiest chore...yesterday it came to me, or rather I remembered the fix from a season or two ago. The shop replaced the potentiometer in the left FNR lever and problem solved!
BR350's, like all modern grooming machines are electronic over hydrostatic systems. The FNR sticks control the track drives. My Ol' Faithful has more than 8700 hours on the clock, but it never has suffered a total loss of hydrostatic fluid, so the pumps and motors are still in like-new condition. The glitch we've been chasing looks like impending pump or motor failure that every groomer who's spent much time in BR275's or earlier snowcats is all too familiar with.
When Bombardier designed the BR350, not only did they up the ante horsepower-wise, they also used a lot more hardline and a lot less high pressure hose in the drive system. The bottom line is a whole lot fewer total fluid loss events and consequently a whole lot longer drive system life. All it takes is one or two of these fluid loss events to fry a pump and/or motor...their tolerances are that tight. Then it's $8000+ to rebuild a pump or motor, and a bunch of down time while repairs are made.
The FNR pot is a cheap component, and a quick fix. They are a wear item, and eventually they grow a flat spot...this is what I remembered and the shop fixed.
I warmed up the ol' girl and set off into the snowstorm. It was blowing like stink, and the conditions finally were in our favor...we would have time to start grooming some secondary trails that have seen little love during the siege of snowfall followed by a long week of balmy temps.
I rumbled over to the study plot to look at the 24 hour snow stake...it was laying on it's side. I started grooming my way up the mountain...seeing wasn't the greatest, but nobody was complaining! The winds were picking up. I called Jeweler on the 2-way. I wanted to know how the winds were up top. "50-60MPH steady from the Southwest" came Jeweler's reply.
With the 24 hour stick out of commission, I called the Snow Removal Crew to get an idea of how much snow had fallen since morning. They said two or three inches, max. It had been snowing and blowing for almost four straight hours, but it didn't seem to be stacking up. Oh, the wind was playing havoc with our freshly made corduroy, but it was getting blown away, not buried.
At 0400, I called the Ski Patrol Boss like I do every Storm Night. We discussed the snowfall and wind, and he makes the Go/No-Go Call for Avalanche Control. Despite the dearth of snowfall, the winds were the determining factor. A/C is a Go.
We refueled the fleet by 0500 and we packed up and made the push to the tops for the lift mechanics. By the tine I hit the Big Blind Meadow, twilight was dawning making navigating a snap. Lots of drifting up top, but no genuine accumulation. Thankfully no digging was required to open the lifts...just a quick till of the maze areas.
My crew re-rolled everything basic and headed up to help the Park Guy down the stretch. Patches of blue sky were breaking through the clouds, and sunglasses were deployed. Back at the Groomer's Ready Room, the guys were ebullient...the mood was joyous for a change.
Better than home made ice cream fresh from the churn!
Snow started falling in the evening across the Tahoe Sierra. I parked in three inches of new fallen snow when I got to work. Swing shift were happy as clams! What's not to like? Freezing temps, new snow, and for the first time in weeks...no digging projects!
My tractor was running like new. We've been trying to track down a glitch in the drive for two weeks now. Not always the easiest chore...yesterday it came to me, or rather I remembered the fix from a season or two ago. The shop replaced the potentiometer in the left FNR lever and problem solved!
BR350's, like all modern grooming machines are electronic over hydrostatic systems. The FNR sticks control the track drives. My Ol' Faithful has more than 8700 hours on the clock, but it never has suffered a total loss of hydrostatic fluid, so the pumps and motors are still in like-new condition. The glitch we've been chasing looks like impending pump or motor failure that every groomer who's spent much time in BR275's or earlier snowcats is all too familiar with.
When Bombardier designed the BR350, not only did they up the ante horsepower-wise, they also used a lot more hardline and a lot less high pressure hose in the drive system. The bottom line is a whole lot fewer total fluid loss events and consequently a whole lot longer drive system life. All it takes is one or two of these fluid loss events to fry a pump and/or motor...their tolerances are that tight. Then it's $8000+ to rebuild a pump or motor, and a bunch of down time while repairs are made.
The FNR pot is a cheap component, and a quick fix. They are a wear item, and eventually they grow a flat spot...this is what I remembered and the shop fixed.
I warmed up the ol' girl and set off into the snowstorm. It was blowing like stink, and the conditions finally were in our favor...we would have time to start grooming some secondary trails that have seen little love during the siege of snowfall followed by a long week of balmy temps.
I rumbled over to the study plot to look at the 24 hour snow stake...it was laying on it's side. I started grooming my way up the mountain...seeing wasn't the greatest, but nobody was complaining! The winds were picking up. I called Jeweler on the 2-way. I wanted to know how the winds were up top. "50-60MPH steady from the Southwest" came Jeweler's reply.
With the 24 hour stick out of commission, I called the Snow Removal Crew to get an idea of how much snow had fallen since morning. They said two or three inches, max. It had been snowing and blowing for almost four straight hours, but it didn't seem to be stacking up. Oh, the wind was playing havoc with our freshly made corduroy, but it was getting blown away, not buried.
At 0400, I called the Ski Patrol Boss like I do every Storm Night. We discussed the snowfall and wind, and he makes the Go/No-Go Call for Avalanche Control. Despite the dearth of snowfall, the winds were the determining factor. A/C is a Go.
We refueled the fleet by 0500 and we packed up and made the push to the tops for the lift mechanics. By the tine I hit the Big Blind Meadow, twilight was dawning making navigating a snap. Lots of drifting up top, but no genuine accumulation. Thankfully no digging was required to open the lifts...just a quick till of the maze areas.
My crew re-rolled everything basic and headed up to help the Park Guy down the stretch. Patches of blue sky were breaking through the clouds, and sunglasses were deployed. Back at the Groomer's Ready Room, the guys were ebullient...the mood was joyous for a change.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Well Done
When it rains it pours goes the old adage...unfortunately I had to live it first hand Friday night.
I should have suspected the continued pummeling when I parked the parts runner in the freshly plowed parking lot. As I got out from behind the wheel, a huge gust of wind blew my watch cap off my head! I grumbled as I looked in vain for it. Oh, there it is...some 40 feet away!
Walking up the shop road with the wind at my back, I had no idea what faced me...until I walked into the groomer's ready room and felt the defeated vibe...three cats down will do that...especially when there's so much work to be done!
Once everyone punched in, my fate was sealed...everyone would have a cat to run once Driller finished his shift in the Terrain Park. Two of us would have to run winchcats, but we wouldn't be hooking up and pulling new trails...just digging and the basics...this was no time to wallow into bottomless secondary runs!
Of the three downed cats, the Bison would be the quickest fix...once the Graveyard Wrench punched in. My Ol' Faithful was still awaiting a new injector so I took it upon myself to run the Shop Cat until further notice. I wanted all the guys to at least run BR350s...the guys running winchcats as free groomers felt put upon enough already...
I set about getting the Shop Cat started...I rounded up the hot shot battery charger and an extension cord. Eskimo hauled me and the charging kit up to the parking hill and back-bladed away the drifted snow around the old warhorse. I embarked and thanked him for the ride, and slogged to the cat.
The Shop Cat is a patchwork quilt of retired front line groomers. She began life as a 2001 Bombardier BR275 Olympic Winchcat. We bought her on the cheap because she was a demo cat. Bombardier made a fleet of these Olympic Cats available to the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee for use at the 2001 Olympic Trials, the dress rehearsal for the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games. The cat has the signature livery featuring the 2002 Olympic Emblem, a stylized snowflake. Ours had just a few hundred hours on the clock when we took delivery, and she served as a frontline winchcat for several years before being put out to pasture.
On the back, the winch has been replaced by a tilting aluminum pickup bed from another retired demo groomer...one of the two Euro-Spec BR400MPs we bought around Y2K. One of those EuroCats was my daily driver, I hated those pickup beds...they did a great job of totally obscuring the tiller's cutter bar...not to mention how much snow they'd catch in a shift...snow that you have to shovel off at the end of your shift!
I schlepped the charger around to the pickup bed, brushed the snow from the batteries, and hooked up the leads. I ran the extension cord to the power pole and plugged her in. Back at the Shop Cat, I could hear the charger doing it's thing. I turned the key...nothing, no lights either...I looked around for the Main Electrical Shut Off Switch...nothing...then I remembered that our mechanics had installed the big switches in the cabs back in the day, and that the OEM location was back in the engine compartment. A little more snow sweeping and I found the Mains. Back in the throne, I turned her over...I got a good five seconds before the starter drained the pitiful battery bank.
I tried again every few minutes before I got some encouraging coughs and ignitions, but still not enough electrons to get her to catch. I busied myself looking about the cab. I put the rear view mirror back on it's stalk. I turned her over again...more good sounds, but still the Cummins engine refused to run on it's own before the juice ran out.
I think I know how the thoroughbred race horses feel in the starting gate. Waiting more than five minutes between tries was torture. Finally she caught and stayed running. It was almost 2AM
I still couldn't relax...the lights were dim, the heater blower was barely moving any air, and the voltmeter hadn't moved one millimeter...diesels don't need any electricity to run once they've started. I kept the lights off while I warmed it up...I figured the the Graveyard Wrench could council me on the cat's foibles...he'd be in any minute. I throttled up to drive down to the fuel dock and the volt meter came to life at 1000RPM...I'm saved!
I put the charging gear back in the shop and got my things arranged in the old cat's cab. I filled it up and the Graveyard Wrench walked in. I gave him the thumbnail of the state of the fleet, grabbed a handheld 2-way, and finally rumbled off into the night...now it was 0300...
I started mashing down the homeruns and maze areas...it was really deep. I could barely see...the defroster just wasn't getting the job done. Cats of this era had windshield defrosters on a timed circuit. Turn on the defroster and it turns itself off after 15 minutes. There's an indicator light on the dash that shows when the defroster is on, but it's notorious for failing...today's cats still have the timer, but the timer resets every time you move the blade, so the windshield defroster only goes off when the cat's not working.
I turned the heat up and tried to run with the window open, but those gusty winds were bringing in more moisture than the heat was moving out. It was like a sauna in there...without the relaxing part.
I ran this way for seven hours...now I know how a pot roast feels coming outta the oven!
The Bison was back online around 0600, and my Ol' Faithful was ready to rumble at 0900.
I can't wait to groom in the 21st Century tonight! (Though I'd be lying if I said these days don't remind me of 1981/1982)
I should have suspected the continued pummeling when I parked the parts runner in the freshly plowed parking lot. As I got out from behind the wheel, a huge gust of wind blew my watch cap off my head! I grumbled as I looked in vain for it. Oh, there it is...some 40 feet away!
Walking up the shop road with the wind at my back, I had no idea what faced me...until I walked into the groomer's ready room and felt the defeated vibe...three cats down will do that...especially when there's so much work to be done!
Once everyone punched in, my fate was sealed...everyone would have a cat to run once Driller finished his shift in the Terrain Park. Two of us would have to run winchcats, but we wouldn't be hooking up and pulling new trails...just digging and the basics...this was no time to wallow into bottomless secondary runs!
Of the three downed cats, the Bison would be the quickest fix...once the Graveyard Wrench punched in. My Ol' Faithful was still awaiting a new injector so I took it upon myself to run the Shop Cat until further notice. I wanted all the guys to at least run BR350s...the guys running winchcats as free groomers felt put upon enough already...
I set about getting the Shop Cat started...I rounded up the hot shot battery charger and an extension cord. Eskimo hauled me and the charging kit up to the parking hill and back-bladed away the drifted snow around the old warhorse. I embarked and thanked him for the ride, and slogged to the cat.
The Shop Cat is a patchwork quilt of retired front line groomers. She began life as a 2001 Bombardier BR275 Olympic Winchcat. We bought her on the cheap because she was a demo cat. Bombardier made a fleet of these Olympic Cats available to the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee for use at the 2001 Olympic Trials, the dress rehearsal for the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games. The cat has the signature livery featuring the 2002 Olympic Emblem, a stylized snowflake. Ours had just a few hundred hours on the clock when we took delivery, and she served as a frontline winchcat for several years before being put out to pasture.
On the back, the winch has been replaced by a tilting aluminum pickup bed from another retired demo groomer...one of the two Euro-Spec BR400MPs we bought around Y2K. One of those EuroCats was my daily driver, I hated those pickup beds...they did a great job of totally obscuring the tiller's cutter bar...not to mention how much snow they'd catch in a shift...snow that you have to shovel off at the end of your shift!
I schlepped the charger around to the pickup bed, brushed the snow from the batteries, and hooked up the leads. I ran the extension cord to the power pole and plugged her in. Back at the Shop Cat, I could hear the charger doing it's thing. I turned the key...nothing, no lights either...I looked around for the Main Electrical Shut Off Switch...nothing...then I remembered that our mechanics had installed the big switches in the cabs back in the day, and that the OEM location was back in the engine compartment. A little more snow sweeping and I found the Mains. Back in the throne, I turned her over...I got a good five seconds before the starter drained the pitiful battery bank.
I tried again every few minutes before I got some encouraging coughs and ignitions, but still not enough electrons to get her to catch. I busied myself looking about the cab. I put the rear view mirror back on it's stalk. I turned her over again...more good sounds, but still the Cummins engine refused to run on it's own before the juice ran out.
I think I know how the thoroughbred race horses feel in the starting gate. Waiting more than five minutes between tries was torture. Finally she caught and stayed running. It was almost 2AM
I still couldn't relax...the lights were dim, the heater blower was barely moving any air, and the voltmeter hadn't moved one millimeter...diesels don't need any electricity to run once they've started. I kept the lights off while I warmed it up...I figured the the Graveyard Wrench could council me on the cat's foibles...he'd be in any minute. I throttled up to drive down to the fuel dock and the volt meter came to life at 1000RPM...I'm saved!
I put the charging gear back in the shop and got my things arranged in the old cat's cab. I filled it up and the Graveyard Wrench walked in. I gave him the thumbnail of the state of the fleet, grabbed a handheld 2-way, and finally rumbled off into the night...now it was 0300...
I started mashing down the homeruns and maze areas...it was really deep. I could barely see...the defroster just wasn't getting the job done. Cats of this era had windshield defrosters on a timed circuit. Turn on the defroster and it turns itself off after 15 minutes. There's an indicator light on the dash that shows when the defroster is on, but it's notorious for failing...today's cats still have the timer, but the timer resets every time you move the blade, so the windshield defroster only goes off when the cat's not working.
I turned the heat up and tried to run with the window open, but those gusty winds were bringing in more moisture than the heat was moving out. It was like a sauna in there...without the relaxing part.
I ran this way for seven hours...now I know how a pot roast feels coming outta the oven!
The Bison was back online around 0600, and my Ol' Faithful was ready to rumble at 0900.
I can't wait to groom in the 21st Century tonight! (Though I'd be lying if I said these days don't remind me of 1981/1982)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The State Of The Mountain
...Is Strong.
Yes, I'm so glad to be outta the DaveCave and back on my mountain!
While I was off slicing myself silly, the Vehicle Shop got all the parts in for my tiller, and installed every one. Now my Old Thoroughbred, is running like a gazelle, and once again making perfect, berm-free passes.
This is a very liberating development! Now I'm free to groom in any manner I fancy...surprisingly, having to groom from only one side is more stressful than I thought...I can't say how much I enjoyed my shift last night!
Our blustery East Wind is blowing Arctic Air into the region, so the snow that fell overnight Saturday is staying cold and dry...Hero Snow for sure.
Graveyard shift kicked it last night...right after swing shift did. We groomed almost everything...with just six shifts...it used to take twelve shifts and a lot of good luck to do that when we were running BR275's.
Here in the 21st Century, we run two winch shifts and four free cat shifts, all in BR350's and Sherpa Winches (BR350 Winchcats) The BR350's cost more than the previous generation groomers, but with that sweet extra 75 horsepower, we've cut the labor by half!
Is it possible to halve the labor while doubling the operator's enjoyment? Almost!
I've been running BR350's for 4-5 years now, and I still marvel at how much work these cats do. The extra 75HP, the great visibility, on a frame that's perfectly balanced, and the peak of Gunfighter Grip Evolution controlling a snappy fast, perfectly aggressive blade, still cause nearly nightly grins and giggles...
Oh, and my finger slice doesn't fall on any of the Gunfighter Grip's buttons...cue grins and giggles...
Yes, I'm so glad to be outta the DaveCave and back on my mountain!
While I was off slicing myself silly, the Vehicle Shop got all the parts in for my tiller, and installed every one. Now my Old Thoroughbred, is running like a gazelle, and once again making perfect, berm-free passes.
This is a very liberating development! Now I'm free to groom in any manner I fancy...surprisingly, having to groom from only one side is more stressful than I thought...I can't say how much I enjoyed my shift last night!
Our blustery East Wind is blowing Arctic Air into the region, so the snow that fell overnight Saturday is staying cold and dry...Hero Snow for sure.
Graveyard shift kicked it last night...right after swing shift did. We groomed almost everything...with just six shifts...it used to take twelve shifts and a lot of good luck to do that when we were running BR275's.
Here in the 21st Century, we run two winch shifts and four free cat shifts, all in BR350's and Sherpa Winches (BR350 Winchcats) The BR350's cost more than the previous generation groomers, but with that sweet extra 75 horsepower, we've cut the labor by half!
Is it possible to halve the labor while doubling the operator's enjoyment? Almost!
I've been running BR350's for 4-5 years now, and I still marvel at how much work these cats do. The extra 75HP, the great visibility, on a frame that's perfectly balanced, and the peak of Gunfighter Grip Evolution controlling a snappy fast, perfectly aggressive blade, still cause nearly nightly grins and giggles...
 |
| Jeweler and the iPhone Camera catch me in full-stick flight Friday Morning |
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Spring In Da Hood
It was Springtime all night long on My Mountain. High cloud cover acted like a lid on a saucepan, and kept the temps up enough that the piste never attained porcelain status.
My worst problem was keeping the old eyes open...springtime brings more distractions and more trouble getting enough sleep...and I forgot my Kitchen Timer, too!
One rookie didn't show up, my telephone entreaties went to Voicemail, but things worked out fine...Work Orders 100% completed!
My trusty BR350 was adorned with and old Flex Tiller from a BR275, but it wasn't equipped with Cookie Catchers...still the wet spring-like snow behaved and didn't berm up.
Ground speed was way down, inducing the dreaded Highway Hypnosis...man, I couldn't buy a break!
Looking at the sensor data, tonight's gonna be full-on Springtime Grooming...the Swing Guys dealing with slop, and after midnight...bulletproof on grave. Gonna be a slower grind tonight. The afternoon highs were up 5F from yesterday, and the cloud cover is gone...forecast lows are in the teens and 20's
Tonight I'll be earning it...there may be a little Backdoor flurry or two coming through tomorrow afternoon, but the Reno NWS Guys didn't have much confidence in it.
I however, am confident that work will be work tonight...earning it for sure.
My worst problem was keeping the old eyes open...springtime brings more distractions and more trouble getting enough sleep...and I forgot my Kitchen Timer, too!
One rookie didn't show up, my telephone entreaties went to Voicemail, but things worked out fine...Work Orders 100% completed!
My trusty BR350 was adorned with and old Flex Tiller from a BR275, but it wasn't equipped with Cookie Catchers...still the wet spring-like snow behaved and didn't berm up.
Ground speed was way down, inducing the dreaded Highway Hypnosis...man, I couldn't buy a break!
Looking at the sensor data, tonight's gonna be full-on Springtime Grooming...the Swing Guys dealing with slop, and after midnight...bulletproof on grave. Gonna be a slower grind tonight. The afternoon highs were up 5F from yesterday, and the cloud cover is gone...forecast lows are in the teens and 20's
Tonight I'll be earning it...there may be a little Backdoor flurry or two coming through tomorrow afternoon, but the Reno NWS Guys didn't have much confidence in it.
I however, am confident that work will be work tonight...earning it for sure.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Still Groovin'
Actually it's more like "Still Smug" Yes, there was Hero Snow from top to bottom last night. One Winch Cat Pilot called in well, and I phoned for reinforcements...Voicemail City I'm afraid...Out came the Blue Pencil while none of the guys returned my calls. (To be fair, I called the Calvary after 0200! I needed to see what the Graveyard Wrench had to say about the Parked Fleet's issues. There were two cats good to go, both BR275's...with, it turned out...no Pilots.
Anyway, it was me, one winch, and one Rookie. Great snow saved our bacon! As the evening wore on, I started restoring the trails that I edited at the outset. We got the Work Orders 90% done....thanks to the fine conditions.
We've got another system due in Friday night, and a string of 'em across the Pacific, to keep the snow flying into next week. Just what the Doctor ordered!
To continue with my Smug Theme...this is the first blog on the new laptop. I spent the morning cleaning out the Bloatware, downloading and installing the Security Software, importing my Bookmarks, and generally marveling at the state of the Gadget World.
It's bedtime, so tomorrow I'll install my printer drivers, and transfer 12+ Gb of files from Carbonite.
I saw a Tweet last night: " As if the food world weren't already stacked against me, they brought peanut butter bacon cookies to set."
Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies? Are you kidding me?! A quick search, and I've got the recipe...looks like I'll be doin' some baking come my days off!
Damn right I'm still smug! mmm, mmm, mmm!
Anyway, it was me, one winch, and one Rookie. Great snow saved our bacon! As the evening wore on, I started restoring the trails that I edited at the outset. We got the Work Orders 90% done....thanks to the fine conditions.
We've got another system due in Friday night, and a string of 'em across the Pacific, to keep the snow flying into next week. Just what the Doctor ordered!
To continue with my Smug Theme...this is the first blog on the new laptop. I spent the morning cleaning out the Bloatware, downloading and installing the Security Software, importing my Bookmarks, and generally marveling at the state of the Gadget World.
It's bedtime, so tomorrow I'll install my printer drivers, and transfer 12+ Gb of files from Carbonite.
I saw a Tweet last night: " As if the food world weren't already stacked against me, they brought peanut butter bacon cookies to set."
Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies? Are you kidding me?! A quick search, and I've got the recipe...looks like I'll be doin' some baking come my days off!
Damn right I'm still smug! mmm, mmm, mmm!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Suffering For My Art
Well, Craft...
I paid the price last night, alright! One hour of Nap Time does not a full night's sleep make. (Sometimes I think I'll never learn)
So here's how it all shook out...
As I trudged up the Shop Road I heard my guys exclaim: "Dave's here!" Strange I thought, I'm supposed to be here... as it turns out, the Boss gave me the night off...and forgot to let me know!
Cool I thought...my suffering will be at the DaveCave, fighting to stay awake while working on my music collection project! Swing Shift was still on the Mountain, so the Graveyard Crew chewed the fat while waiting...looking at the Situation Board, I noticed two of our cats were already down.
Swing Shift started arriving at the Fuel Dock, and they trickled in...every one of them looking crestfallen and stressed...Not Good...
As they spun their tales of woe, I reconsidered my plan to take the night off. My cat was on the Board as down, and I quizzed the operator who downed it. Same tiller electrical problem that's been plaguing her for the past two weeks.
The other cat on the Board had a life-threatening hydraulic leak at the stinger, and the Graveyard Mechanic was enjoying his weekend...so my fate was seemingly sealed...
OK, Spring wasn't false today, the Hero Snow had morphed into Swing Goo/Grave Porcelain...I had to stay...the Guys were starting way out in the weeds, I have the patience to keep ahead of the electrical gremlins with my tiller, and the crew needed me to edit the Work Orders into something realistic...and attainable. (Let me say here that my Boss is still in training...he means well, but there's no substitute for experience) The Work Orders were of the "Most Optimistic Ever" variety, and the Swing Guys let the Orders psych them a little too much...
I did a little mental inventory, and found a cat for everyone...provided I was in my BR350. I made a mental deal with myself...I'll run her long enough to get the Guys onto a positive plane, do all the leftover Special Projects, finish the Ramp Work, edit the Orders, and when I can't keep the eyes online...I'll call it a night...and the Sow's Ear will be as close to Silk Purse territory as possible.
So confident was I of my Plan, that I left my lunchbox and backpack in the Locker Room, and armed with my trusty iPod and MiniMag flashlight, rumbled off into the night. It took reality just twenty minutes to disabuse me of said Plan...and I returned to the Shop, fetched my stuff, refueled my steed, and got down to business.
The Psych had been in full effect apparently...more than an hour of details didn't get taken care of by swing...so I did 'em, and edited some more.
About an hour and a half in, my tiller quit. Less than five minutes of fiddling with the wiring, and she was good to go, and the problem was diagnosed a little more finely. It didn't even hiccup the rest of the night.
Now my real fight began...my eyes wanted to close so badly! I was almost delirious, and the hard snow wasn't helping...grinding along the Flats at Full Slow Ahead is the textbook definition of Highway Hypnosis...I was doomed...once the nodding off began in earnest, I pulled up and took a 15 minute cat nap. That did the trick...for about 30 minutes...then I handed off the Great Wide Open of the Flats and went to some North Facing Tree Trails for relief...not much there either...
About 0330, one of the BR275 utility cats gave up...auxiliary hydraulic leak...an hour later back-up cat number two goes down...coolant leak with overheating. More editing...
I caught a little relief when the pre-dawn color began to silhouette the trees, and we ended the show on time, and without further drama.
The edits of the Work Orders tallied out to about 25 percent of the list...just reality...I told the Boss to use the results to keep making the case for leasing our fleet to the Big Boss.
I had enough life left in me, that I did some grocery shopping on my way home. I got a full day's sleep today too!
I paid the price last night, alright! One hour of Nap Time does not a full night's sleep make. (Sometimes I think I'll never learn)
So here's how it all shook out...
As I trudged up the Shop Road I heard my guys exclaim: "Dave's here!" Strange I thought, I'm supposed to be here... as it turns out, the Boss gave me the night off...and forgot to let me know!
Cool I thought...my suffering will be at the DaveCave, fighting to stay awake while working on my music collection project! Swing Shift was still on the Mountain, so the Graveyard Crew chewed the fat while waiting...looking at the Situation Board, I noticed two of our cats were already down.
Swing Shift started arriving at the Fuel Dock, and they trickled in...every one of them looking crestfallen and stressed...Not Good...
As they spun their tales of woe, I reconsidered my plan to take the night off. My cat was on the Board as down, and I quizzed the operator who downed it. Same tiller electrical problem that's been plaguing her for the past two weeks.
The other cat on the Board had a life-threatening hydraulic leak at the stinger, and the Graveyard Mechanic was enjoying his weekend...so my fate was seemingly sealed...
OK, Spring wasn't false today, the Hero Snow had morphed into Swing Goo/Grave Porcelain...I had to stay...the Guys were starting way out in the weeds, I have the patience to keep ahead of the electrical gremlins with my tiller, and the crew needed me to edit the Work Orders into something realistic...and attainable. (Let me say here that my Boss is still in training...he means well, but there's no substitute for experience) The Work Orders were of the "Most Optimistic Ever" variety, and the Swing Guys let the Orders psych them a little too much...
I did a little mental inventory, and found a cat for everyone...provided I was in my BR350. I made a mental deal with myself...I'll run her long enough to get the Guys onto a positive plane, do all the leftover Special Projects, finish the Ramp Work, edit the Orders, and when I can't keep the eyes online...I'll call it a night...and the Sow's Ear will be as close to Silk Purse territory as possible.
So confident was I of my Plan, that I left my lunchbox and backpack in the Locker Room, and armed with my trusty iPod and MiniMag flashlight, rumbled off into the night. It took reality just twenty minutes to disabuse me of said Plan...and I returned to the Shop, fetched my stuff, refueled my steed, and got down to business.
The Psych had been in full effect apparently...more than an hour of details didn't get taken care of by swing...so I did 'em, and edited some more.
About an hour and a half in, my tiller quit. Less than five minutes of fiddling with the wiring, and she was good to go, and the problem was diagnosed a little more finely. It didn't even hiccup the rest of the night.
Now my real fight began...my eyes wanted to close so badly! I was almost delirious, and the hard snow wasn't helping...grinding along the Flats at Full Slow Ahead is the textbook definition of Highway Hypnosis...I was doomed...once the nodding off began in earnest, I pulled up and took a 15 minute cat nap. That did the trick...for about 30 minutes...then I handed off the Great Wide Open of the Flats and went to some North Facing Tree Trails for relief...not much there either...
About 0330, one of the BR275 utility cats gave up...auxiliary hydraulic leak...an hour later back-up cat number two goes down...coolant leak with overheating. More editing...
I caught a little relief when the pre-dawn color began to silhouette the trees, and we ended the show on time, and without further drama.
The edits of the Work Orders tallied out to about 25 percent of the list...just reality...I told the Boss to use the results to keep making the case for leasing our fleet to the Big Boss.
I had enough life left in me, that I did some grocery shopping on my way home. I got a full day's sleep today too!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Gettin' My Goat? NOT!
Typos are bitch!
One Enjoyable Night!
Last night wasn't one for the Ages...but I'll take it! No weather, everybody made it to work on time, and we groomed the Mountain from Wall to Wall. We groomed every Groomable Acre...and did some plowing to get ready for the coming weekend.
Getting every groomable acre done in a single night used to be like finding a needle in a haystack, or finding the Holy Grail! Last time I remember feeling this good by accomplishing this feat, it took thirteen shifts (when we had twelve shifts scheduled) back in the BR275 days.
Last night we got'er done with seven BR350 shifts. Three winch shifts...four free cats. Granted, excellent conditions made the going good, the winches made quick work of the steep ungroomed trails that we hadn't gotten to before last night. My Swing Shift winch Operators are animals...no dilly-dallying with these guys...they take no prisoners!
I'm still high from one of last night's projects...the one I was called away from twice the night before. I even got a little Free-Fall action on three of the passes! Normally, we'd winch anything steep enough to get a snowcat to toboggan into free-fall, but this little corner of my Mountain is thick with lift towers and outbuildings, while trees and other potential pick points are MIA so no winches need apply. Oh, we could park a groomer at the top and use it as a winch anchor, but that's so last Century!
What can I say...the only thing that kept last night from being perfect was the high cloud cover. It wasn't deep enough to obscure the moonlight, so our world was totally illuminated, but it did hide the moon from our direct gaze. We did catch a short unfiltered glance at Earth's only Natural Satellite shortly before it set into the approaching storm front's harbinger clouds. What a beautiful icy sight! I imagined what our moon would look like in the heavens if the moon was made of snow instead of the gunmetal gray Moon Rock that the Apollo astronauts collected on the moon and returned to earth for study.
I saw some Moon Rocks back in the 70's on display at the California Academy of Science in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. For a total NASA-head like me, that was a wonderful thing to see!
Friday night is the night of the Full Moon. It will be a stunner! If you think tonight's Moon looks unusually big, you're right. It's the biggest full Moon of 2010. Astronomers call it a "perigee Moon," some 14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons of the year.
I hope the forecast is off, I want to view the Perigee Moon in all it's glory...I may see it through the cloud deck...or not. Time will tell...
One Enjoyable Night!
Last night wasn't one for the Ages...but I'll take it! No weather, everybody made it to work on time, and we groomed the Mountain from Wall to Wall. We groomed every Groomable Acre...and did some plowing to get ready for the coming weekend.
Getting every groomable acre done in a single night used to be like finding a needle in a haystack, or finding the Holy Grail! Last time I remember feeling this good by accomplishing this feat, it took thirteen shifts (when we had twelve shifts scheduled) back in the BR275 days.
Last night we got'er done with seven BR350 shifts. Three winch shifts...four free cats. Granted, excellent conditions made the going good, the winches made quick work of the steep ungroomed trails that we hadn't gotten to before last night. My Swing Shift winch Operators are animals...no dilly-dallying with these guys...they take no prisoners!
I'm still high from one of last night's projects...the one I was called away from twice the night before. I even got a little Free-Fall action on three of the passes! Normally, we'd winch anything steep enough to get a snowcat to toboggan into free-fall, but this little corner of my Mountain is thick with lift towers and outbuildings, while trees and other potential pick points are MIA so no winches need apply. Oh, we could park a groomer at the top and use it as a winch anchor, but that's so last Century!
What can I say...the only thing that kept last night from being perfect was the high cloud cover. It wasn't deep enough to obscure the moonlight, so our world was totally illuminated, but it did hide the moon from our direct gaze. We did catch a short unfiltered glance at Earth's only Natural Satellite shortly before it set into the approaching storm front's harbinger clouds. What a beautiful icy sight! I imagined what our moon would look like in the heavens if the moon was made of snow instead of the gunmetal gray Moon Rock that the Apollo astronauts collected on the moon and returned to earth for study.
I saw some Moon Rocks back in the 70's on display at the California Academy of Science in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. For a total NASA-head like me, that was a wonderful thing to see!
Friday night is the night of the Full Moon. It will be a stunner! If you think tonight's Moon looks unusually big, you're right. It's the biggest full Moon of 2010. Astronomers call it a "perigee Moon," some 14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons of the year.
I hope the forecast is off, I want to view the Perigee Moon in all it's glory...I may see it through the cloud deck...or not. Time will tell...
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Get On The Bandwagon
In Friday's edition of the local paper, the page two story chronicles the creation of an Over the Snow Music Stage built by Alpine Meadows' Vehicle Maintenance Crew on a BR275 Snowcat. The wrenches removed the Stinger and the Tiller, and replaced them with a Fold-out 250 sq.ft. Stage, added some amplifiers and loudspeakers, and voilà ! Rolling Rock 'n Roll Show!
The Sierra Sun has a nice Slide Show of the Bandwagon's Construction and Debut Show.
Now I've driven some amazing Shop-Built Grooming Creations over the years, but not one of them was dedicated to pure fun for fun's sake like the Party Cat!
I think it's totally appropriate that Alpine featured a Reggae Band to kick off the thing...I've always been fascinated by how well the tropical Reggae Music compliments skiing in it's alpine locale...the bubbling rhythms of reggae just plain fits skiing's innate exuberance!
Song Tip: Put Peter Tosh's song "Stepping Razor" on your iPod for your next day on the slopes and hear how well reggae illuminates a run down the mountain!
"Stepping Razor" is from Tosh's 1977 Album "Equal Rights" and is his best Studio Album, since he left Bob Marley's Wailers. It's available Remastered/Reissued now too. "Get Up, Stand Up" is nicely covered, and "Downpressor Man" is a stand out too.
The Sierra Sun has a nice Slide Show of the Bandwagon's Construction and Debut Show.
Now I've driven some amazing Shop-Built Grooming Creations over the years, but not one of them was dedicated to pure fun for fun's sake like the Party Cat!
I think it's totally appropriate that Alpine featured a Reggae Band to kick off the thing...I've always been fascinated by how well the tropical Reggae Music compliments skiing in it's alpine locale...the bubbling rhythms of reggae just plain fits skiing's innate exuberance!
Song Tip: Put Peter Tosh's song "Stepping Razor" on your iPod for your next day on the slopes and hear how well reggae illuminates a run down the mountain!
"Stepping Razor" is from Tosh's 1977 Album "Equal Rights" and is his best Studio Album, since he left Bob Marley's Wailers. It's available Remastered/Reissued now too. "Get Up, Stand Up" is nicely covered, and "Downpressor Man" is a stand out too.
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