Cannon Mountain, located in Franconia Notch State Park, is owned and operated by the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation.
Crews and contractors at Cannon Mountain are wrapping up a $5 million energy-efficiency and capital improvement project at the state-owned ski area.
Installation of more than 400 new and upgraded high-tech snowmaking guns on Cannon Mountain is expected to be completed in time for ski season.
The most significant upgrade to Cannon’s snowmaking system in the history of the ski area, this new arsenal of guns will enable the ski area to make more snow and save up to 30 percent on energy costs.
The energy-efficiency initiative also involved installation of a new main trunk power line, upgrades to transformers, as well as insulation and lighting improvements to lodges and facilities.
“The new guns are so efficient, we were able to use most of our available water while only using one of our compressors,” said John DeVivo, Cannon’s general manager. “The snowmakers were almost jumping for joy at the amount of snow we were able to make in marginal temperatures for just a short period of time.”
Along with the energy savings, the Mittersill improvement project is expected to be completed this month. The project used money raised by Franconia Ski Club and donated to Cannon Mountain, the state of New Hampshire and a grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission to fund the installation of snowmaking on six major routes on Cannon’s Mittersill slopes. The project also involved significant trail improvements, the creation of the Taft Training Slope and the installation of the Valar T-Bar.
Cannon Mountain plans to open on Friday.
