When no snow falls at ski resorts, they make some

It may seem odd, but when resorts pump out snow before the ground freezes, it acts like a blanket, and the ground will not freeze all winter, no matter how cold it gets.

Mr. Woods pays a great deal of attention to snowmaking. The process requires huge amounts of water and electricity, and he doesn't want to waste either resource. He watches weather reports to see if the conditions will be right for snowmaking. He keeps track of every gallon of water the resort uses and files monthly reports with the state.

Like many resorts, Windham is located within an environmentally sensitive area. To save water, the snowmaking team collects the water from melted snow into ponds to reuse. To save electricity, the heat generated by the air compressors is used to heat the lodge.

Making snow is only half the job. Winter resorts also "groom" snow. At night, when guests are finishing their dinners or climbing into bed, the snow groomers begin getting the mountain ready for the next day.

Using what are called "snow cats" – large tractors made just for this job – they move piles of snow, break up ice that may have formed on the surface, and even out tracks left by skis.

Snow cats are big – 16 feet wide and more than 20 feet long. Instead of a steering wheel, many have joysticks like those used with video games.

The machines travel on belts driven by five wheels on each side. Each belt is about three feet wide and is fitted with cleats that resemble the blade of an ice skate. These cleats grip the snow as the 12-ton tractor travels up and down the slopes.

To keep from slipping on really steep slopes, the snow cat uses a winch, a cable attached to a large tree or another snow cat that stays at the top of the slope.

Snow cats look like giant, fat scorpions as they come out of the garage at night. Guided by bright headlights that resemble big, round eyes, they have metal grates that look like pincers moving in and out, collecting snow and depositing it in areas scraped down to the snow base.

The driver uses the front part of the snow cat to level and sweep the snow or to lift a large pile of snow.

As the snow cat travels over the surface, it packs the snow. In the back, there's a rake 16 feet wide with teeth three inches long that drags across the surface cutting a pattern that is referred to as "corduroy."

Nelson Armlin is the person in charge of the snowmaking and grooming crews at Windham. Since he was a boy, he has loved big machines and has known that he wanted a job where he could drive them.

He enjoys heading out at night in a snow cat to groom the slopes. He appreciates the stillness of the mountain at night, very different from the activity during the day.

Settling into the driver's seat, Mr. Armlin starts the engine, switches on the bright lights, and heads up a hill. As he guides it around a curve, the headlights shine on a fox at the edge of the forest, silently watching him work.

Mr. Armlin sees the fox many nights when he works, but it is always gone before the skiers arrive in the morning. By then, the groomers have gotten the snow ready for another day of skiing.

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