Well here is a thought I had for some state revenue. Tom you probably would know best if its even slightly possible? Could snow be man made up near the summit on most nights? Is it cold enough for some snow making machines? See if we could consistently make snow up near the top we could discuss all kinds of possible revenue makers. Personally I would love to see some extreme skiing and or ski jumping. Also holding ponds or lakes from the daily melted snow could offer lots of potential? Maybe some snow sales, where they load your truck full of the white stuff before you depart the summit?
I have gone skiing at least a half dozen times up there in the past(not sure if its still aloud)absolutely stunning and crazy dangerous. Mountain biking, hiking, and other extremes would be some narly adventures too. With such spacious observatories already there, with more sure to come. We should have a nice romantic place to eat near the top with plenty of entertainment too.
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Gypsy - I find it very difficult following your logic and contradictions. Just the other day you posted this:
"
[...]Would be nice to see mauna kea clean and free again from man and the garbage we drive up the mountain in.[...]"
http://www.punaweb.org/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20667
Perhaps you are just being sarcastic, but if so, it isn't obvious.
Tom, sorry to confuse you. Trying to come to grasp that geothermal or the observatory's won't be going anywhere anytime soon, in fact both will be expanding. So if these parts of my home aina won't be restored again to their natural ways, well maybe I need to view it differently then. Sorry for asking, since it obviously offended you. Had no sarcasm intended.
I did take part in a long distance run a few years back that had me day dreaming about Maunakea's beauty and potential for man made snow entertainment. The race was from coconut island to wiamea, halfway up, I was just glad we did not have to take a right and run up Maunakea any further. Anyway I love adventure, extreme sports, and living on the wild side. Maunakea is truly breathtaking.
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Gypsy, please don't apologise for asking questions. As long as they are genuine I have no problem. But in this case I wasn't sure it was a genuine question given what you had posted previously.
As for snow-making machines on Mauna Kea, well, no chance. All the other things won't happen either, and this is due to the extremely strict regulations that have been imposed on anyone wanting to do anything at the summit. Those restrictions are due to the cultural concerns of a relatively small group who want no development whatsoever at the summit. Hence my confusion why at first you agree with no development and then suddenly want to turn the summit into a ski resort.
Tom, you say no chance. O.k I know you mean that because of the small group opposing the development. My real question to you was, is it possible, you know are the conditions good for making snow? Of course we wait for the right systems with the right conditions to bring the snow as is. How many clear yet cold nights are up at the summit per year? I believe some of the best snow making temperatures are between 25 and 35 degrees. I do agree with you though that it would never happen.
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Gypsy, The temperature is not the limiting factor in snow on the mountain. the lack of water is.
The fact is that there is no water source up on the summit (other than the water in lake Waiau...but I am guessing no one would think of using that for a snow making source), all of the water used at altitude must be trucked in (by a beastly 4WD water haulin' truck!) so most likely the sheer expense haul enough water to then be made into snow, added to the power to run the snow making equipment would make it really high stakes expense snow (plus it is tough for workers to be doing the work at the upper elevations...)
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And just to clarify, I know next to nothing about snow making machines. I do know, however, that getting them approved and passed by OMKM and the DLNR would require a Herculean effort.
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That's true, Carey, water is delivered by truck to the summit facilities. However, I'm a bit ashamed to have entertained Gypsy's questions. Other threads have shown his questions are not genuine. It might be in other people's interest to ignore his questions in the future, but that's just my opinion.
Tom, thank you sir may I have another? Really wish I could sit right next to you most midnights, you remind me of my German friends. We would play many hours of chess, while drinking green bottled beer. Invite me up to the summit one evening to share your blessings, please.
