To get down to the critical $420,000 goal, Lutz worked
with Ultra-Tech Lighting to reevaluate the lighting plan.
Using buildings as substitutes for poles and changing some
pole spacing, the final fixture number was brought down
to fall within the available funds. The project was greatly
enhanced when Kelly Boyle, owner of City Service Electric,
agreed to take on the night skiing project at wholesale, with
very little profit made by his company. Additionally, Rocky
Mountain Power Company agreed to set the lights using
their equipment, which allowed the project to avoid addi-tional
installation costs.
Interestingly, Hogadon Basin is considering upgrading
chairlifts that would customarily require the use of poured
concrete foundations. Helical piles by TorcSill can be used
as foundations for lift towers and even buildings. Cost re-ductions
are equally impressive for other infrastructure that
can use helical piles for the foundation. This approach of-fers
enormous flexibility since the correct helical piles can
accommodate most soil conditions and can be removed,
moved and reused.
Hogadon Basin will enjoy its first season with nighttime
skiing and riding, lessons, training, competitions and events
in the 2019-20 ski season. Conservatively, slope lighting can
increase mountain availability by 25 percent. This actu-ally
increases labor utilization from lift operations to snow
maintenance like grooming and snowmaking. Also, food
services can expand to dinners, snacks and beverage ser-vice
with the added hours of operation. Tapping into night
skiing drives revenue. John Lutz and the Friends of Hogadon
expanded the potential of Casper, Wyoming’s snow sports
venue in a very significant way.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOHN LUTZ
PLANNING & DESIGN
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