December 2011 Archives

This could be you, in your backyard. Don’t want to wait in line at the slopes? Make your own. Backyard snowmakers make snow just like the resorts do, with compressed and pressurized air. You use a garden hose hooked up to household water supply, whether that be city or well water. “All you are doing is connecting two hoses into the air compressor and pressure washer,” says Matthew Pittman, owner of Snow at Home. “It’s truly that simple.” Backyard ski hills are rapidly gaining popularity as an opportunity to practice tricks at home, cut costs, and introduce snowsports to kids. Snow At Home sells a range of snowmakers ranging from $300 to less than $2,400, and his website, snowathome.com, still provides free plans if you want to do it yourself. The largest pump covers a 150-foot by 20-foot area with a half-foot of snow overnight. At the lower end, it sells snow machines that cover 40 feet by 20 feet to a six-inch depth. Pittman says it needs to be at least 27 degrees Fahrenheit outside with humidity at 25 percent and below—or else slush. Since refining his snowmaking equipment, Pittman has also developed boxes and rails for at-home terrain parks (visit his other site, jibsforcribs.com). He also has started manufacturing homemade rope tows for backyard ski lifts. Pittman’s lifts are electric-powered, and the rope is cut to the specific length of the backyard hill. Next on his list: grooming rakes. If you are handy and looking to cut costs on the mountain, then your backyard might be where you find your fall line this winter.

December 2011

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December 2011

No Lift Ticket Needed

As Tough As It Gets

Ski Porn

Mystery Mountain

High Five: December Outdoor News of the Weird

Switchback Results: Hunters & Hikers

Lemonade

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