318 replies to this topic

[DonaldMReif]

Anything about the Flower Point lift that Whitefish is building for the 2014-2015 season? My best bet is that it's probably going to be a Doppelmayr lift, possibly as a high speed quad.

[Peter]

DonaldMReif, on 03 February 2014 - 01:29 PM, said:

Anything about the Flower Point lift that Whitefish is building for the 2014-2015 season? My best bet is that it's probably going to be a Doppelmayr lift, possibly as a high speed quad.

It is a used Yan triple, already covered earlier in this thread: http://www.skilifts....ndpost&p=101762

[DonaldMReif]

Former Easter lift, I guess?

[Peter]

DonaldMReif, on 03 February 2014 - 02:04 PM, said:

Former Easter lift, I guess?

No. Read the link above.

[Aussierob]

Not quite a new lift but we are getting new cabins for the Village Gondola. http://ht.ly/tgU4m

This post has been edited by Aussierob: 04 February 2014 - 11:13 AM

[DonaldMReif]

I see they are going to be the conventional Diamond cabins that can be found on close to every gondola around.

[Peter]

DonaldMReif, on 04 February 2014 - 01:58 PM, said:

I see they are going to be the conventional Diamond cabins that can be found on close to every gondola around.

Huh? I can think of only 5 or so gondolas in North America with Diamond cabins. Are you confusing them with CWA?

[Backbowlsbilly]

Sounds like a big summer for Leitner-Poma and Sigma but especially for Sigma, new cabins on Stratton's gondola and the Whistler Village Gondola, thsoe are two hihg profile contracts. Are there any new LPOA gondolas going in for 2014? On a side note, Winter Park is discussing the replacement of Zephyr Express with a high speed six and replacing Looking Glass (I believe it is the oldest lift in Colorado now) and Purgatory has been discussing replacing the Legends lift with a high speed quad for a long time. However, I don't think any of these are likely to get built for the 2014 season. Here's a picture from Whistler Blackcomb of the proposed new cabins.

This post has been edited by Backbowlsbilly: 04 February 2014 - 05:32 PM

[boardski]

The double chairs at Ski Sunlight are actually a little older than Looking Glass but the Glass is definitely not far behind. Is WP still considering relocating the existing Zephyr HSQ to replace Sunnyside and moving Sunnyside (FGT) to replace Looking Glass? Sunnyside would definitely be nice as a high speed chair. It stops more than it runs for misloads when they have to close Panoramic.

This post has been edited by boardski: 04 February 2014 - 08:30 PM

[DonaldMReif]

boardski, on 04 February 2014 - 08:29 PM, said:

The double chairs at Ski Sunlight are actually a little older than Looking Glass but the Glass is definitely not far behind. Is WP still considering relocating the existing Zephyr HSQ to replace Sunnyside and moving Sunnyside (FGT) to replace Looking Glass? Sunnyside would definitely be nice as a high speed chair. It stops more than it runs for misloads when they have to close Panoramic.

I haven't heard anything, although you're right that a high speed six pack would be more practical for the Zephyr Express lift and a Sunnyside Express lift and Looking Glass triple would be very practical. That both current high speed six packs are on Mary Jane and Parsenn Bowl is a bit unusual. The Winter Park section of the mountain does need the most uphill capacity.

[machski]

yan lover14, on 10 April 2013 - 05:56 PM, said:

A long awaited replacement for Killington's Snowdon Quad is expected for 2014-2015. They're also putting in the new South Ridge lift that season, which will be the old Snowdon Quad. They can't do it this Summer due to the new Peak Lodge construction.

snoloco, on 09 January 2014 - 02:17 PM, said:

The Village project at Killington is in the works now. Still the planning phase. If it happens, then it will make Ramshead and Snowshed base areas into one big base area. That will make Ramshead Snowshed the main base area. Currently, there is no clear main base area. Since Ramshead Snowshed will be the main base area they will receive much more skier traffic. That means that the lifts in those areas could be upgraded. This is only my speculation, but I think that there will be a new HSS on Ramshead to replace the HSQ and increase capacity. There is massive trail acreage on Ramshead, but only one HSQ. The Ramshead pod could easily handle 3600 skiers an hour. They also may rip out the HSQ and 2 double chairs on Snowshed and another HSS there. It is much more efficient to operate one HSS than 2 doubles and an HSQ. Since Ramshead Snowshed would be the main base area, there would be many people accessing the mountain through there. These lifts would be the first impression of many customers on Killington. You would probably want to have newer lifts in your main base area for this reason. If people see shiny new lifts when they first access the mountain, they will think that the place is well kept and well run. If they see older lifts, then they may think that the place is run down. They may also move the HSQ on Ramshead to Snowdon Mountain to replace the fixed-grip Snowdon Quad, since that lift is the only key lift left on the mountain that is a fixed-grip and it is long enough to have a detachable. Once again, this is my speculation but, these improvements are within the realm of possibility.

The snowdon quad was already discussed, so I doubt they will use Ramshead there next year. If they do upgrade ramshead as you speculate, they will likely re-use ramshead HSQ on the Pico interconnect. The original plans for that called for 2 new lifts based in the saddle between ramshead/pico, one going to the true and currently unused (though used in the past) summit of ramshead and the other up to I believe just below Pico's summit. We will have to see if they stick with that plan or redo the interconnect. I had heard the interconnect would only happen in the Killington Village plan gets approved.

[machski]

Yooper Skier, on 17 April 2013 - 02:36 PM, said:

Just off the rumor mill, Sunday River having Skytrac rebuild/replace Lift 8 (Spruce Peak Triple) with a fixed grip quad with carpet assist loading. We'll see...

I know its just paint, but Sunday River repainted Spruce Triple this past summer and has now brought all lifts into the black/silver/red livery. Since Spruce had not been repainted til then, replacement seemed more likely. But I know there has been concern the terrain pod could not handle any increase in capacity there. Anyone have any further intel on this?

[NoPainNoJane]

I wouldn't expect Winter Park to replace Zephyr anytime soon. While I agree it needs to be upgraded, it is also the workhorse for getting bikes to the summit during the summer mountain bike season which is huge business for WP.

[vons]

With good planning Zephyr could run all summer and then be replaced, however, it would require a large part of the work done in the 6-10 weeks between summer and winter, just don't look at the bill to long

[TheEpicPancake]

Yea I don't think WP would hold off on upgrading Zephyr just because of summer operations. There's the time between summer and winter, and they could always close it down a few weeks early. A high speed six would be good there.

[Midwestrider]

Heard Officially, that Granite Peak's next HSQ replacing the east side Cupid Double is a go for this summer!, it will be once again Leitner- Poma, probably a close twin to the Dasher Express built in 2012. Also have heard talk of removal and no replacement of the Prancer chair or "old Rib Mountain chair #1" (1969 Riblet Double). The chair is in still in great shape and still used on Saturdays , but the haul rope is nearing its life expectancy. Hopefully it will be fixed or, at least upgraded with new equiptment.

[DonaldMReif]

TheEpicPancake, on 05 February 2014 - 08:08 PM, said:

Yea I don't think WP would hold off on upgrading Zephyr just because of summer operations. There's the time between summer and winter, and they could always close it down a few weeks early. A high speed six would be good there.

Let's not forget that the Colorado SuperChair is going to become a high speed six pack this year, and it's the summer lift used for bike hauls. I believe Breckenridge has contingency plans to make another lift the bike haul lift for this summer. With the new zipline open, I believe that Lifts 5 and 7 will be used for summer operations this year, with Lift 5 for the Alpine Slide and Lift 7 for the Ten Mile Flyer.

[missouriskier]

Midwestrider, on 06 February 2014 - 08:42 AM, said:

Heard Officially, that Granite Peak's next HSQ replacing the east side Cupid Double is a go for this summer!, it will be once again Leitner- Poma, probably a close twin to the Dasher Express built in 2012. Also have heard talk of removal and no replacement of the Prancer chair or "old Rib Mountain chair #1" (1969 Riblet Double). The chair is in still in great shape and still used on Saturdays , but the haul rope is nearing its life expectancy. Hopefully it will be fixed or, at least upgraded with new equiptment.

Interesting. I would have expected that the Blitzen triple would have been upgraded before Cupid, but it will probably last longer. As I recall, it was very slow with lots of stops since the beginners all have to ride it most days of the week. I would like to see Prancer there for many more years, too, since it's such a classic lift.

[Midwestrider]

Blitzen was actually upgraded last summer, with a new drive and control system, so guessing that lift still has a long life ahead yet. With the midpoint unloading and loading i dont think they would spend the money for a mid point on a high speed for such a short lift. It worries me that if the Prancer lift is removed(also has mid station) , the blitzen and santa lifts will have extreme lines on the busy days

[skier2]

missouriskier, on 06 February 2014 - 10:33 AM, said:

Interesting. I would have expected that the Blitzen triple would have been upgraded before Cupid, but it will probably last longer. As I recall, it was very slow with lots of stops since the beginners all have to ride it most days of the week. I would like to see Prancer there for many more years, too, since it's such a classic lift.

Most of the terrain served by Blitzen--actually all but the top chutes--is accessible by the Comet HSS, so the upgrade of Cupid makes a little more sense. Still, Blitzen is very long and slow, and an upgrade there would be nice. Either that, or they could consider splitting it into two separate lifts--one as an additional "beginners only" chair that would end at the current mid-point, and another as an upper mountain lift to allow laps on the steeps.