Oh Man!

Getting excited here as the list of things to do get shorter and shorter ..........leaving only ...........MAKE SNOW. And the weather forecast finally looks like we are going to get going with earnest..........maybe this weekend.......nights only.......but still it will be great to get a string of nights in...........

......are you ready???? Have you tuned the skis, found your winter equipment, got your season pass??? There is still time but if you want to be among the first on the fresh snow, the clock is running.

The complete line of Seven Oaks clothing will be on site late this week. Austin did a good job with some new colors, new looks.......be sure to check it out. Might be the Christmas gift you were looking for.

Sorry this is short but gotta get back to the ISU vs OU game now....... Go clones!

It Is Started

The snow making season officially got underway last night.

We turned on the guns at about 10 pm and ran til temps rose this morning at about 5:30 am. We know the immediate forecast is for temps that will not allow more snow to be made but we wanted to test the system. All the guns that were 100% tuned by Kris and the new/rebuilt snow making pump got tested.

The word is that the volume of water, the pressure of water and the snow making efficience from the guns were all MUCH, MUCH better than last season! Great news.

Got the winter season Seven Oaks clothing ordered and in fact it is being printed starting today. It will be on hand before opening day.......for those of you who want a Christmas gift.......or just can't wait to get the new colors.

Here are a couple pics from last night and one this morning after the sun was up.

I don't care who you are........ya gotta think that's cool......

At the top of Abby's Alley.......

Does this give you the bug???

We'll keep you posted on our progress of making MORE snow!! We need more cold nights......

It's getting closer

The nights are definitely getting colder........more frost........a little lower temps for day time highs......and some snow falling from the sky........all signs that winter is getting a little closer.
And we are 99% ready to get into full swing for the ski, snow board and snowtube season.

Newly rebuilt pump that supplys our snowmaking water is installed and ready. The water lines have been flushed. All the snowguns have been completely gone thru with new nozzles installed. The snowmaking pond is filling. Both chairlifts are serviced. We are ordering new Seven Oaks winter clothing on Tuesday. Yep we are getting closer by the hour.

Last night was the night we interviewed all the applicants that had an interest in working at Seven Oaks this winter. What a great bunch of gals and guys. I estimate there were about 110 or 120 folks present for the presentation and interview process. We had a lot of local people and a lot of DMACC and ISU students as well........and a lot of them had experience working or instructing at other ski areas in the midwest during their high school years. Very cool.

And had a lot of our employees from last season on site as well. That's great!

I will try to now be much more regular with posts throughout the winter season......promise.

I got a feelin this winter is going to be a good one!!!

Playing in the dirt........Again

Last week was fun.......got to play in the dirt again......this time converting the "borrow pit" that was created to get enough dirt for the unload of the Valley View chairlift into another holding pond for snow making water. By my calculations, this pond will hold enough water when filled to give us another full 24 hours of snowmaking up to even 48 hours. That is cool. That could mean earlier open. That could mean more trails open for first day. Any way you slice it, we like it. ......

........Here are a couple pics of the project as it was in process ............

.....Digging down to the clay that gives a good base for the pond and is good material to construct the dam.

It only took two days......

we'll have over a million gallons of additional water.........

and here is the trench that will hold the pipe used to drain the pond when we are ready for more snowmaking water........

Slip Sliding Away

I have not posted for almost a month and the time has simply slid right by. Kris, Ken, Joel and Rick went to the MSAA (Midwest Ski Area Association) summer meetings and trade show in Wisconsin earlier in the month for four days of seminars and product show...........and lots of great conversation with others in the industry after dinner every night. We got back home about twelve hours before the Iowa State Fair started..............so we took turns manning the booth for those eleven days...........twelve hours a day..............and saw and spoke to a lot of you that took the time to stop and visit............and tell us your story about experiences at Seven Oaks.............thanks for that...........

Then with the State Fair done on Sunday night, and tearing down the booth on Monday...........we headed to Iowa State University on Wednesday to set up the booth in the Memorial Union so we could take part in the ISU Welcomefest.

All during this time the river couldn't be more perfect and the temps couldn't be more perfect for floating than it has been the entire month of August and still is today............and we have been busy with campers, bikers and a lot of paintball groups as well. And as you would expect, we have had a whole host of folks using the lodge for weddings and wedding receptions and class reunions and business meetings.

Save the date......Sunday, October 16......is our Annual Season Pass Sale and Swap.......

One last thought, it is great to have our friends home from their respective tours of duty overseas.........welcome home Dave and Mike and Jason.......and THANK YOU for serving!

A Quick Update

Well, where do I start? The past couple of weeks have been busy with full service river floats....temps have been right there where they just beg everyone to come cool off in the water....and the river has been very steadily dropping to the point there are lots of sandbars to enjoy. Not sure when we will get more rain but there is still MORE than ENOUGH water for several more weeks to enjoy a river float......

....had another class reunion in the lodge last Saturday night and another one this coming Saturday night.......but before we get to next Saturday, we have a meeting in the lodge all day tomorrow and three churches from the town of Ogden are holding their ecumenical vacation bible school here all day Wednesday.......for the second year in a row.......

......last Monday we hosted a big company outing in the lodge all day with meals, refreshments and guest speakers......

.....paintball has been very busy even with the temps being what they have been.......and about five more groups have made reservations over the next ten days or so.......

.....have a cross country mountain bike race here Sunday, August 7.......

......several of us also leave Sunday night August 7 for the annual Midwest Ski Area Association Summer Meeting and Trade Show.......this year at Devils Head........near Madison Wisconsin......always a good time to visit and trade stories with others in the ski area business......and to learn what is new in the industry.........but don't worry.......we will have plenty of staff on site to take care of your river floats and paintball games while we are away.........

......get home just in time to open our booth at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday August 11.......stop and see us there too........we are in the same spot as we have been for the past ten years......on the north wall (west half) of the Varied Industries Building........we'll have some sign ups for chances to win some give aways...........

......a reminder to all that this Friday night is our August Friday after Five .........with Big G's Log Cabin BBQ providing the food........music by Billy Club from 7 pm to 10 pm........no cover charge......and the vintage tractor show on the lawn........with no admission fee.........so come on over and enjoy the evening with us........

.....Nick Dell, one of our avid snowboard instructors and all around good guy got his bus license so he can drive one of the shuttle buses for river floats...........but darned if he didn't blow the engine of one of the buses on his first weekend.......hah..........wasn't his fault but I can't resist putting the blame on him!!!!

......still plenty of time to get in some camping, paintball or river float this summer, even though a lot of schools start withing about two weeks or so......and the weather is sure cooperating now........

.......come see us soon

8 PM with Heat Index of 111 degrees

........and I'm guessing that's why so many were on the river today. One of the few places to cool off on days like this. next several days look to be right there too............hot...........but then again it is summer in Iowa isn't it.

Having some conversations now on the rapidly approaching Iowa State Fair.............what our giveaways will be..........who will work the booth each day and night........when to set up........We are in the same location we've been in for the past eleven years............along the north wall in the varied industries building..........be sure to stop and say hello........

......have a class reunion in the lodge Saturday night...........first of three in a row..........then some more wedding receptions and a couple meetings mid week sprinkled in.........

.......see you all soon........