Stowe

For Thursday's class we went to Stowe to check out the new lift that is going in! I learned that there is a LOT involved in installing a new lift and coming up with new processes. They are building a huge barn to store each chair of the lift in so that they don't freeze over night. I think this is a great idea to prevent freezing but it seems like it is just more work for the employees to do. Before this barn, if the chairs are frozen, they would have to go and get all the ice out of each chair and it is a long process. However, its a similar process to take each chair off the cable. I feel like either process is going to be time-consuming, but you wouldn't have to always chip the ice off the chairs if there's no ice to chip (when doing things the old way). I have faith that the employees who have to deal with taking the chairs off will eventually get used to it and there will be a good system in place for it. When they first start, there will be a lot of problem solving and kinks to work out. I think that eventually though, it will get easier for everyone involved. 

We also checked out the new ski patrol building and it is pretty impressive! I like the system they have up there for taking the excess hot air from the chairlift and heating the building with that excess air. It is environmentally friendly and will save energy costs! I have never seen or heard about a system like that and I got really excited when I heard about it. It sounds like Stowe has a pretty sweet Ski Patrol that includes doctors on staff as volunteers. Its great that a doctor will take time out of his/her busy schedules to help out Stowe's ski patrol as well as donate things to the building that will make the patrol staff happier. 

I'm really glad we got the opportunity to take this trip to Stowe! 

I can't wait to see what the rest of our field trips are like!