In 1997 a snowmaking gun tapped into the water line off Ponderosa Trail to cover the break-over allowing Season Passholders to ski Pondo at Christmas.
In ’98, over 550 inches of snow blanketed Mt. Rose that season putting an end to the alarming eight-year drought and setting a new record for the most snow in the history of Mt. Rose. Top-to-bottom snow-making was introduced to the resort giving the mountain the insurance policy it needed to have consistent early season openings.