BOGUS BASIN, Idaho — Bogus Basin is expanding its snow-saving project Snow Secure, multiplying its ability to save previous seasons' snow times five.
Last year, Idaho News 6 introduced you to Snow Secure, a Swedish company creating cutting-edge snow-saving technology that allows mountains to save massive piles of snow for the following season. The pilot project was a success, and the Treasure Valley resort is going full steam ahead with more snow saving coming next year.
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“We are going to expand that system by about 5 times,” said Nate Shake, Mountain Operations director at Bogus Basin.
“That gives us a guaranteed opening for the coach lift, plus it gives us a jump start on those other runs to make snow and get the mountain open top to bottom,” said Shake.
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The goal is to open the coach run with a three-foot base when they want to open it. This would save 10 million gallons of snow-blowing water for other parts of the mountain.
Neighborhood Reporter Isaiah Sharp asked a local skier how she felt about skiing on last year's snow and if the concept felt odd.
“No, because anyone who has skied for a long period of time, any place in Idaho, we have man-made snow through snow guns,” said Kim Hovren. “I really think it's a family tradition in my book, and I want my grandkids to be on the snow as much as possible.”
Shake says in the future they could expand even more, getting other blues and greens open with the coach lift, with the chance of expanding Snow Secure even more.
