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31-07-2026
Effective Snowmaking Step-by-Step: TechnoAlpin supports ski areas across the U.S. Midwest
Today, modern snowmaking systems are essential not only for large international ski destinations. Small and medium-sized ski areas, in particular, are increasingly faced with the challenge of making the most of short snowmaking windows with a limited workforce. This requires solutions that are powerful, flexible, and efficient.
TechnoAlpin supports ski areas with comprehensive, turnkey solutions covering every aspect of snowmaking – from pumping stations and field pipelines to state-of-the-art snow producers and advanced automation with ATASSpro. The focus is not necessarily on a completely new system built in a single phase, but rather, more often than not, on a realistic masterplan. Existing infrastructure is systematically modernized, plants are expanded as needed, and solutions are tailored to the operation, budget, and on-site team.
This highlights the growing importance of automation. It helps operators make better and faster use of snowmaking windows and produce snow more efficiently – a key advantage for ski areas in regions with challenging conditions.
The examples of Trollhaugen and Buck Hill show how ski areas in the U.S. Midwest are working with TechnoAlpin to systematically advance their snowmaking systems.
Buck Hill: Greater capacity, shorter snowmaking windows
Located close to the city, Buck Hill is a unique ski area known for its diverse freestyle offerings, snow tubing, and highly demanding race hill, where consistent, competition-quality snow conditions are essential for training and racing.
The relocation of the pumping station proved a major challenge for Buck Hill. In addition, the project involved complex requirements for the water supply.
TechnoAlpin impressed Buck Hill with a well-developed concept and a solution-focused approach to implementation. The impact of the modernization quickly became evident: the new pumping station has significantly increased water capacity. As a result, Buck Hill has reduced its snowmaking times by half and can now make much more efficient use of favourable snowmaking windows.
For the resort, this translates into greater planning reliability, faster snow coverage at the start of the season, and increased operational flexibility.
Data transparency also plays a crucial role. Especially when using municipal water sources or when reporting requirements apply, automated systems help to collect, manage, and provide relevant operational data reliably.
Trollhaugen: A Long-Term Master Plan Instead of Short-Term One-Off Fixes
Trollhaugen in Dresser, Wisconsin, is a small ski area with a strong following among freestyle skiers and snowboarders. At the same time, the resort was facing a challenge familiar to many small and mid-sized ski areas: its existing infrastructure was showing its age—from the snow guns and piping to the pumping technology.
What Trollhaugen needed was not just a supplier, but a long-term partner to gradually modernize the entire snowmaking system. Together with TechnoAlpin, a master plan was developed to strategically upgrade the infrastructure over several years.
Step by step, pipelines were replaced, the pump station was modernized, and new snow guns were integrated. This allowed the system to be continuously improved over time.
For Matt “Boody” Boudreaux, Assistant Mountain Manager in charge of all night operations, the impact is clear:
“I love the quality of snow that TechnoAlpin machines make. As a snowmaker and groomer, breaking into a big pile of snow and knowing that it’s going to be the same top to bottom is so helpful. The guns we have invested in allow for a consistent trail quality no matter the run. Also, the service and sales teams are always willing to help you out, find you the answer, and walk you through a solution whenever needed. For us vampires on night crew, it’s important to know that we have help night and day out on the trails.”
The examples from the U.S. clearly demonstrate: Even small and medium-sized ski areas require snowmaking solutions that deliver reliability, efficiency, and long-term sustainability – regardless of how their circumstances differ from those of large destinations.
At the heart of this approach is close collaboration with customers. Together, we identify the steps that will deliver the greatest short-term benefits and create a realistic, sustainable, and future-proof roadmap for the snowmaking system in the years ahead.