Nakiska ski resort brings in new lift and to open season earlier.

Nakiska ski area in Alberta, the closest resort to provincial capital Calgary has undergone major enhancements ahead of the coming 2009-10 season.
Enhancements include a new, high speed Gold Chair Express quad, the second new quad in the province alongside the new lift at Marmot Basin near Jasper in a winter when very few North American resorts have added new lifts.
Nakiska’s new Leitner Poma built lift takes skiers up the slopes in just under five minutes, half the time of the lift it replaces and means the centre has high speed quads for all main lifts.
The lift replaces the original fixed grip, triple chair of same name built in 1986 and opened in 1987. It will have easier loading making the upper mountain accessible to all ability levels and an increased capacity.
There are also trail improvements including the new Monster Glades amp with more access points, wider trails, and increased runs in the trees. In addition, enhancements on existing runs compliment the skiing experience for guests and create vital conditions for race training. These include the widening of three runs to 60 metres and the extension of the core training run “Mapmaker” by 650 metres.
Nakiska has also added 15 more snow guns to the largest snowmaking system in Alberta, taking the tally past 160 and the centre aims to provide more snow coverage during early season than ever before.The arsenal includes 19 Fan guns including M18 models with high efficiency fan blades that use less energy to make the same amount of snow. The new snowmaking means Nakiska  plans to open on November 7th pending weather conditions.
Nakiska Known as “Calgary’s Closest Mountain” was the site of the Alpine events at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games and is still famed for its training facilities.
www.skinakiska.com

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