Snow Business on Queen’s Highway
Turns out, a little pipe dream goes a long way, especially when it gets you from Tramside to Stateside a whole lot sooner.
If you’ve wandered up Queen’s Highway recently, you may have noticed some fresh dirt and the faint smell of progress in the air. That’s because this spring, we upgraded one of our core snowmaking arteries along that trail, which is a key connector between both sides of the mountain.
We replaced about 2,600 feet of pipe that’s been in the ground since the 1980s, bumping the water line from 10 inches to 12. That’s a 20% boost in flow headed to the Stateside base area and surrounding beginner zone. The goal? Faster snow and more of it, wider coverage, and a better shot at opening that link earlier in the season.
We also added a dozen new hydrants along Queen’s Highway, giving our snowmakers more flexibility during temperature tangos and fleeting cold-snap windows. If you’ve ever watched them at work, you know it’s a beautiful kind of chaos, headlamps dancing in the dark, making something from nothing at 3am.
Recapping what this all means for you:
- A head start when the snowmaking window opens early.
- Earlier access to more terrain and convenience of the Tramside-to-Stateside link.
- Wider coverage and more space on key trails.
- Better flow for families, beginners, and anyone trying to get across the mountain, especially early season.
It’s not the flashiest project, but it’s the kind of behind-the-scenes upgrade that shapes your day, especially early season, when trail counts start their climb and winter temps are still temporary.
Shout-out to our Mountain Ops team for putting in the work.
Winter’s coming, Queens is ready.