Going up the lifts, especially ones set close to the tree-lined edge of the hill, the HKD guns, shaped like enormous silver flexi-straws eject a higher grade of artificial snow.  Wincing as you pass the tower, you pray that the lift won’t stop leaving you stranded in the heavy spray.  Years ago, I was stuck on the underside of an HKD during a two-hour test evacuation.  By the time they got to my chair with the rope harnesses, all my toes were numb and my cheeks had started to show the white patches of early frostbite.  Lowered to the ground, it was all I could do to get to the lodge before stiffly unhinging my boot buckles and calling it a day.