Skilifts.org / SORT Forum

I've recently heard an update regarding the Deer Valley - Main Street gondola project. The alignment seems to be incredibly difficult to work out, but a new possible option would involve a 2 phase project. Phase 1 would be replacing Silver Lake Express with a Gondola, with a mid-station around the top of Lucky Bill. In Phase 2, a second gondola would run from the Transit Center and terminate at the mid-station on the Phase 1 gondola. Riders coming up from Main Street could then choose to go down to Snow Park or up to Silver Lake.

It seems like possibly a good option, having all 3 locations connected by a gondola system.
This post has been edited by TheEpicPancake: 25 June 2014 - 07:40 AM

Yesterday the Forest Service tentatively approved a new Learning Center at Loon Mountain's South Peak with 2 fixed quads and 2 carpets.

http://a123.g.akamai...LT3_1715536.pdf

Lift A
fixed grip quad
2,660 ft long
550 ft vertical
2,400 skiers per hour

Lift B
Fixed grip quad
1,800 ft long
350 ft vertical
2,400 skiers per hour

Glad that got approved. Will finally complete South Peak as a true access point for the mountain and Loon will finally get a dedicated learning pod.

Peter, on 04 July 2014 - 02:17 PM, said:

No date in this article, although it would likely be 2016. I do want to point out that when the article mentions that you cannot access Summit from Powderhorn, this is incorrect. It is possible if the gate is open and the snow is good enough to ski Milk Run, Middle Slope or Parachute, although I guess only for good skiers.

http://www.sltrib.co...t-http.html.csp

I miss the old days when the old Powderhorn was there and you could lap those runs that run off towards the base of Summit, great snow when it's there and no one goes over there.

Yeah. I think the new alignment is dumb because of how flat it is after the current bottom terminal. Lapping those still isn't too bad since Apex is only about 2 min long.

According to New England Ski History.com, Mount Sunapee won a lawsuit on July 11th that could pave the way for the long proposed West Bowl Expansion. If it does, that could see the current summit HSQ relocated to west bowl and the summit gain a HSS. Timeframe is noted as 2015-2019.

The Hermitage Club wants to build a summit bubble six-pack in 2015:

http://www.reformer....ent-at-haystack

I wonder what the price difference would be for a bubble quad. A bubble six seems like overkill at a private club area.

Peter, on 30 July 2014 - 08:17 PM, said:

Gore Mountain is already getting an LP HSQ to replace the Von Roll high speed triple. The triple will not be re-installed anywhere. I heard from someone who knows that originally the tower tubes were supposed to be reused when the High Peaks double is replaced. Now they have decided that nothing from the triple will be reused at all. The replacement for the High Peaks double will be a fixed grip because it is under 3,000 feet long. They seem to be using Partek for all their most recent fixed grip installations and LP for their detachables. That lift is in a spot where capacity should be kept low as the trails are mostly natural coverage and narrow. I have reason to believe that they will get either a Partek double or triple there. The North Quad is a long slow fixed grip that also needs an upgrade. I haven't heard this from anyone, but it could be possible where that lift gets upgraded to high speed and the current lift replaced the High Peaks chair.

I'm sure someone else saw this but it's worth posting anyway.

http://www.powder.co...-nordic-valley/

SkiDaBird, on 11 August 2014 - 12:42 PM, said:

Glad they went back to the old name. Another article with map...http://www.standard....ski-resort.html

jaytrem, on 11 August 2014 - 05:09 PM, said:

Should be a big improvement to the area. I always thought they should have replaced their old Hall double, Howling Wolf Chair, with the former Sterling triple they purchased from Deer Valley. Seemed like kind of a waste for a second beginner chair that ran side by side to the other beginner lift.
This post has been edited by CH3skier: 11 August 2014 - 05:27 PM

so what kind of lifts do they have there right now? Last time I had a chance to drive by there was summer time a few years ago when going to visit my sister and dad's grave site at the Liberty cematry, which is just down the road from Nordic Valley. Glad to see the old name back! I haven't had a chance to make it up to Powder Mtn lately either so not sure what's new up there.
This post has been edited by RibStaThiok: 11 August 2014 - 11:10 PM

Powder Mag did an article about the new Teton Lift at Jackson to be installed summer of '15. Supposed to be a high-speed quad.
http://www.powder.co...ews/teton-lift/

I saw something about the Teton Lift on Facebook. I saw that a ton of people are vehemently opposed to it saying that it will ruin the mountain. They say that everything will be tracked out quickly because gapers can roll off the lift and track up the snow. I don't know what is up with these people. If it is between struggling up a steep dangerous hill carrying heavy ski equipment or riding a lift, I would take the lift every time, even if the snow was more tracked out.

Earning your turns in sweet untracked snow isn't for everyone. I don't know whats up with that.

The terrain where the Teton lift is going was a permanently closed area until 2005. 2/3rds of it can already be accessed without any hiking from Casper and Apres Vous. The two new runs that have been cut and graded look awesome. I'll try and get up there and get some pictures in the next few weeks.

People forget that a ski resort is a business, if it isn't getting tracked out the resort is out of it.

I for one welcome the Teton lift. The word is out on Jackson, and lift lines are growing. This lift will increase capacity and relieve some of the crowding. I'm not a local, and can only afford visit for 2-3 days every 4 years, and don't want to waste my valuable time standing in a lift line.
Teton will be even more useful when Sublette is closed due to winds.

Where else should the resort expand to accommodate the new visitors? Make Thunder a detachable? Add the Lower Faces lift? Increase ticket and pass prices to thin the crowds?

If we want in-bounds, avalanche controlled powder fields, then ultimately we need to convince the USFS and "environmentalists" to allow new resorts to be built and new terrain to be opened.