New Lifts for 2013
DonaldMReif
12 May 2013
silence, on 12 May 2013 - 08:45 PM, said:
So is Breck putting in a HSS instead of HSQ on Peak 6? Thought they originally said a quad on http://www.breckenri...nfo/Peak-6.aspx and I know thats what has been discussed here but now it says a "high speed, six person"...
The plan shows two lifts - the Zendo fixed grip quad from the junction of Lincoln Meadows and Monte Cristo up to the clearing where the Kensho SuperChair starts, and Kensho is a high speed six pack, also accessible by cat track from the Independence SuperChair.
This post has been edited by DonaldMReif: 21 October 2013 - 03:57 PM
NoPainNoJane
16 May 2013
I drove past Vail today and work on chair 12 has started. The chairs were removed, cable was off, and the top terminal was missing.
boardski
19 May 2013
Farewell to the last remaining Riblet double chair. I remember growing up and going to Vail, almost all the lifts were like chair 12. It looks like (by webcam) work may have started on chair 4 also but the panoramic cam was not working, just the cam at PHQ. It looked like tracks from heavy equipment has been near the top of 4 though. Apparently they are not worried about anyone appealing the NFS s green light to begin work on 6/1. It would be rather silly to block that project anyway since it is merely replacing older equipment with a slight capacity increase. I have never thought HSSs are good solutions for crowded HSQs anyway since once the additional stops and slows for misloads are factored in, the capacity really does not seem to change that much but it will be interesting to see if it helps.
liftmech
20 May 2013
I'm interested as well, as the plans for replacing my baby are for a sixpack.
Yeah it was old, but it's still sad to see another Riblet go down. Considering Vail was built with many of them originally, it's the end of an era on the other side of the pass.
Yeah it was old, but it's still sad to see another Riblet go down. Considering Vail was built with many of them originally, it's the end of an era on the other side of the pass.
DonaldMReif
21 May 2013
liftmech, on 20 May 2013 - 06:08 PM, said:
I'm interested as well, as the plans for replacing my baby are for a sixpack.
Yeah it was old, but it's still sad to see another Riblet go down. Considering Vail was built with many of them originally, it's the end of an era on the other side of the pass.
Yeah it was old, but it's still sad to see another Riblet go down. Considering Vail was built with many of them originally, it's the end of an era on the other side of the pass.
At least Breckenridge, Winter Park, and Steamboat still have a lot of old lifts, Riblet and Heron-Poma included. Looking Glass has been around 48 years, so I keep wondering when that lift's on the replacement board.
jaytrem
23 May 2013
Some info on the new Crows Peak chair at Sugar Bowl...
http://www.placer.ca...lCrowsPeak.ashx
To summarize, it's a triple chair west of the the existing ski area, length = 2765, vert = 890. Two new top to bottom trails and connections to the existing Overland trail.
This post has been edited by jaytrem: 23 May 2013 - 06:55 AM
http://www.placer.ca...lCrowsPeak.ashx
To summarize, it's a triple chair west of the the existing ski area, length = 2765, vert = 890. Two new top to bottom trails and connections to the existing Overland trail.
This post has been edited by jaytrem: 23 May 2013 - 06:55 AM
boardski
24 May 2013
While checking out Wolf Creek's (CO) website, yesterday, I noticed removal of Treasure lift is well underway. There was also an annoucement that it will be reinstalled (The former triple chair) to become the "Elma" lift. The new lift will begin near the bottom of Alberta and terminate near the main base.
DonaldMReif
24 May 2013
boardski, on 24 May 2013 - 06:03 AM, said:
While checking out Wolf Creek's (CO) website, yesterday, I noticed removal of Treasure lift is well underway. There was also an annoucement that it will be reinstalled (The former triple chair) to become the "Elma" lift. The new lift will begin near the bottom of Alberta and terminate near the main base.
I have a visual approximation attached.
Attached File(s)
-
Elma.jpg (213.49K)
Number of downloads: 66
Peter
24 May 2013
Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec is replacing the Le Trip triple with a Doppelmayr high speed quad.
http://www.firsttrac...on-dollar-lift/
http://www.firsttrac...on-dollar-lift/
boardski
25 May 2013
Peter, on 24 May 2013 - 06:50 PM, said:
Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec is replacing the Le Trip triple with a Doppelmayr high speed quad.
http://www.firsttrac...on-dollar-lift/
http://www.firsttrac...on-dollar-lift/
Will the name change to Le Quad?
DonaldMReif
25 May 2013
boardski, on 25 May 2013 - 03:12 PM, said:
Will the name change to Le Quad?
What about Le Quatre?
Andy1962
26 May 2013
Dr Frankenstein, on 30 April 2013 - 05:55 PM, said:
Regarding Jay Peak, the chairs of the Bonaventure Quad are now off and the bottom station has been dismantled and stored on a nearby lot, but all the towers and the top station remain, with the rope still on them. The rope has been unspliced and rolled on the ground at the foot of tower #1 (or is it #2?)
I've heard from two sources so far (and one of them has spoken directly with the mountain's staff) that the six pack project has been scrapped (or, more likely, postponed), and that they're only moving the base station of the Bonaventure to make room for the new lodge and hotel.
I've heard from two sources so far (and one of them has spoken directly with the mountain's staff) that the six pack project has been scrapped (or, more likely, postponed), and that they're only moving the base station of the Bonaventure to make room for the new lodge and hotel.
Jay Peaks Statement from their website of what they are building this summer:
http://www.jaypeakre...n-development-1
Leading into the 2013+14 season, we'll be investing more than $25 million in resort-wide improvements. New additions will include a new Stateside facility with an 80,000-square foot base lodge offering restaurants, locker rooms, a rental center and hotel, 84 new mountain cottages, and completely revamping the resort’s entrance. ":"
Descriptions and pictures on Jay's website show only that the Bonaventure Quad base and maybe a couple of towers were temporarily moved to allow construction of the new Stateside Base Lodge. Let's hope they can overcome the state regulator paperwork and get the new Six Pack done in the next couple of seasons. Good luck Jay. Like what you are doing on the construction side.
This post has been edited by Andy1962: 26 May 2013 - 03:15 AM
nathanvg
27 May 2013
DonaldMReif, on 24 May 2013 - 06:01 PM, said:
I have a visual approximation attached.
According to the forest service website, that approximation is a bit off. http://www.fs.usda.g...prdb5402064.pdf
Peter
01 Jun 2013
agillskis, on 06 May 2013 - 03:49 PM, said:
This from Red Mountain's Facebook:
"From Howard Katkov, President of Red Mountain Resort.
'On May 31st, 2013, I will make a formal announcement regarding the installation of the Grey chairlift this summer. Until then, please disregard any rumors or conjecture that may be circulating throughout the community.'"
Does this mean that the quad for Grey has been postponed?
"From Howard Katkov, President of Red Mountain Resort.
'On May 31st, 2013, I will make a formal announcement regarding the installation of the Grey chairlift this summer. Until then, please disregard any rumors or conjecture that may be circulating throughout the community.'"
Does this mean that the quad for Grey has been postponed?
The latest from Red...
Quote
Hi Friends,
We promised you a May 31st update about the new chairlift, but we are not quite ready to make a formal announcement. We'll have an update for you in the next couple of weeks, but we promise that it will be worth the wait.
Cheers,
Howard
We promised you a May 31st update about the new chairlift, but we are not quite ready to make a formal announcement. We'll have an update for you in the next couple of weeks, but we promise that it will be worth the wait.
Cheers,
Howard
Aussierob
03 Jun 2013
I posted this in the images thread as well. Construction blog update today. http://www.whistlerb...blog/index.aspx
This post has been edited by Aussierob: 03 June 2013 - 02:12 PM
This post has been edited by Aussierob: 03 June 2013 - 02:12 PM
SkiBachelor
04 Jun 2013
Looks like the new HSS at Vail is going to be built by Doppelmayr.
http://www.realvail....ift-this-summer
http://www.realvail....ift-this-summer
DonaldMReif
05 Jun 2013
SkiBachelor, on 04 June 2013 - 05:27 PM, said:
Looks like the new HSS at Vail is going to be built by Doppelmayr.
http://www.realvail....ift-this-summer
http://www.realvail....ift-this-summer
It also says it will have a loading conveyer belt, the first of its kind on a high speed six pack or quad in North America. Yep, I expect a lot of misloads during the first few days of its operation.
I think the lift will bear a lot of resemblance to Durango's Purgatory six pack (also a Doppelmayr). That it's going to be a Doppelmayr is a bit surprising given that they were using Leitner Poma last year to build Gondola One.
It will also be my first Doppelmayr high speed six pack to ride, given that all of the ones I have ridden have been in Colorado and are the Poma constructed ones (Christie Peak Express, Panoramic Express, Ruby Express, Quicksilver Super6, Independence SuperChair and Super Bee).
Quote
Vail officials Tuesday received final U.S. Forest Service approval to build a new high-speed, six-passenger Doppelmayr chairlift to replace the four-passenger Mountaintop Express Lift ( Chair 4) from Mid-Vail to to Patrol Headquarters at the top of Vail Mountain.
Construction will begin immediately and the lift will be operational for the 2013-14 ski and snowboard season, officials said.
The new Mountaintop Express Lift will feature loading gates with a right angle load and a loading conveyor system, which has been shown to reduce the number of lift stops and slows and increase the efficiency of the lift.
The systems have been widely used throughout European resorts for years and this will mark the first loading conveyor on a high-speed, six-passenger lift of its kind in North America.
The new lift will result in a 33 percent increase in capacity, or 3,600 people per hour, which is the same capacity as Vail’s new Gondola One.
The old Mountaintop Express Lift was installed in 1985 and provides access to Patrol Headquarters and a number of surrounding areas including the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin.
“The Mountaintop Express Lift is one of the busiest lifts on Vail Mountain,” said Chris Jarnot, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “Upgrading it to a six-passenger lift and adding capacity will make a noticeable improvement in wait times and skier/snowboarder circulation. The use of the loading conveyor, which is a common feature at top European resorts, is an added luxury and reduces the frequency of misloads as well.”
The new lower lift terminal of the Mountaintop Express Lift will be located approximately 90 feet to the east of the previous terminal, resulting in a lift maze configuration that will decrease cross-traffic of skiers and snowboarders in the surrounding area. The upper terminal location will undergo minor adjustments to accommodate a more efficient circulation of skiers and snowboarders.
The resort has also received final approval to replace the Gopher Hill Lift (#12), a fixed-grip double chairlift, with a fixed-grip triple chairlift. The Gopher Hill Lift (#12) in Golden Peak – a fixed-grip double Riblet chairlift installed in 1974 – will be replaced by the old Rose Bowl lift (#4) from Beaver Creek, which was removed in the spring of 2011.
The fixed-grip triple Doppelmayr lift will increase capacity by 50 percent over the existing lift, which mostly provides access to the Golden Peak area for beginners as well as access to Vail Village. The lower terminal will be adjusted slightly in both location and elevation to allow beginner guests easier access to the lift and to facilitate better use of both the west and east lift mazes.
“The new triple lift in Golden Peak will allow for twice the capacity of our three to six year olds enrolled in lessons, as they are required to ride the lift with an adult,” said Chris Jarnot, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “While this upgrade may seem small to our more experienced guests, it’s a critical improvement for our newest and youngest visitors to get them on the hill and learning faster.”
The majority of both old lifts will be recycled and some components will be kept as spare inventory for Vail or other Vail Resorts mountains.
Construction will begin immediately and the lift will be operational for the 2013-14 ski and snowboard season, officials said.
The new Mountaintop Express Lift will feature loading gates with a right angle load and a loading conveyor system, which has been shown to reduce the number of lift stops and slows and increase the efficiency of the lift.
The systems have been widely used throughout European resorts for years and this will mark the first loading conveyor on a high-speed, six-passenger lift of its kind in North America.
The new lift will result in a 33 percent increase in capacity, or 3,600 people per hour, which is the same capacity as Vail’s new Gondola One.
The old Mountaintop Express Lift was installed in 1985 and provides access to Patrol Headquarters and a number of surrounding areas including the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin.
“The Mountaintop Express Lift is one of the busiest lifts on Vail Mountain,” said Chris Jarnot, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “Upgrading it to a six-passenger lift and adding capacity will make a noticeable improvement in wait times and skier/snowboarder circulation. The use of the loading conveyor, which is a common feature at top European resorts, is an added luxury and reduces the frequency of misloads as well.”
The new lower lift terminal of the Mountaintop Express Lift will be located approximately 90 feet to the east of the previous terminal, resulting in a lift maze configuration that will decrease cross-traffic of skiers and snowboarders in the surrounding area. The upper terminal location will undergo minor adjustments to accommodate a more efficient circulation of skiers and snowboarders.
The resort has also received final approval to replace the Gopher Hill Lift (#12), a fixed-grip double chairlift, with a fixed-grip triple chairlift. The Gopher Hill Lift (#12) in Golden Peak – a fixed-grip double Riblet chairlift installed in 1974 – will be replaced by the old Rose Bowl lift (#4) from Beaver Creek, which was removed in the spring of 2011.
The fixed-grip triple Doppelmayr lift will increase capacity by 50 percent over the existing lift, which mostly provides access to the Golden Peak area for beginners as well as access to Vail Village. The lower terminal will be adjusted slightly in both location and elevation to allow beginner guests easier access to the lift and to facilitate better use of both the west and east lift mazes.
“The new triple lift in Golden Peak will allow for twice the capacity of our three to six year olds enrolled in lessons, as they are required to ride the lift with an adult,” said Chris Jarnot, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “While this upgrade may seem small to our more experienced guests, it’s a critical improvement for our newest and youngest visitors to get them on the hill and learning faster.”
The majority of both old lifts will be recycled and some components will be kept as spare inventory for Vail or other Vail Resorts mountains.
This post has been edited by DonaldMReif: 06 June 2013 - 04:24 AM
boardski
06 Jun 2013
I was thinking the same thing about that loading carpet on new #4 given the high frequency of misloads Colorado chairlifts seem to have. The minute that conveyor moves the first group forward, they will dog-pile on top of each other- that is my prediction. Then they will fall in "the pit" because of the surprise of the 90 degree turn after loading. Hopefully folks will eventually grow accustomed to it though. :-)
liftmech
06 Jun 2013
I think you're right, boardski. When we had loading carpets at Crystal years ago we ended up not using one at all due to the increased (rather that decreased) frequency of misloads. We tried everything-- load gates, two operators at the wait board, ramps down to the carpet, flat approach to the carpet. Nothing worked. Hopefully Vail gets more use out of theirs.
On a somewhat related note, why do you suppose there are more misloads in CO? I've noticed that as well.
On a somewhat related note, why do you suppose there are more misloads in CO? I've noticed that as well.
Peter
06 Jun 2013
liftmech, on 06 June 2013 - 07:02 AM, said:
On a somewhat related note, why do you suppose there are more misloads in CO? I've noticed that as well.
Because a lot of people are on their once a year ski vacation? In places like WA, the crowd is day skiers who go more frequently.
