Whiskey is helping keep Monarch’s slopes safe
Monarch Mountain is using old malt bags for explosives when on avalanche control.
Last week there was so much snow in Salida, Highway 50 was closed and Monarch Mountain closed its slopes temporarily.
All that snow means avalanche control and keeping the mountain safe for visitors. A nearby distillery is helping out by providing some of their old supplies.
Deerhammer Distillery, based in Buena Vista, posted a video to their Instagram and Facebook pages on Wednesday that shows how Monarch is putting old malt bags to good use: “Monarch Mountain has been using old Deerhammer malt bags to build 25 lbs bombs,” the video read.
The video shows a small explosion after a malt bag is launched into the snow.
“So basically, Deerhammer whiskey has played a part in the controlled triggering of avalanches. We’re very okay with that,” Deerhammer wrote in its post.
Monarch Mountain Ski Patrol said they are, in fact, using the old malt bags because they’re the right size for the explosives that test that the snow is safe for people on the mountain.
How often and how much testing occurs depends on conditions, said ski patrol director Zach Moore. Those conditions include snow, wind, skier pressure and density.
