41 replies to this topic

[eagle628]

Conrad, on 14 March 2016 - 05:58 PM, said:

Some lifts never opened up this year like Knomes Knoll and Outpost at Pico and Duckling at Sunapee. I did have the opportunity to ride the Sundance Triple at Mount Snow this winter (mentioned above). Looking at the daily reports, it seems like it operates a good amount of Saturdays, and it was operating the busy Sunday I was there. I also notice the new Sunshine lift at Okemo was only open a couple of weeks this year...they must not have snowmaking yet.
Edit: Add Black chair at Magic

Think you can add Wilderness at Bolton Valley to that list as well. Weekends only in general and since everything off it is natural snow I don't believe it ever ran this winter.

[Aussierob]

Franz's chair at Whistler. Only runs a few days a year.

[skidude2]

Wildcat Triple at Snowbasin only runs a few peak days a year.

A few years ago, Middle Bowl was the same way and Wildcat NEVER ran, but now thankfully they have turned on Middle Bowl almost every day and run Wildcat most Saturdays in Jan, Feb.

[_litz]

What kinds of costs are involved for one of these lifts that is seldom used?

Presuming it's in good shape (doesn't need major repairs), and is wholly owned/paid for, what's the cost of having it inspected and ready for use ... for those places that then largely then don't use it?

[Smacpats]

Solstice at stratton. Its a long cold 7 minute ride to the middle of nowhere. It is literally flat and they run it 300 FPM like beginners are lapping it. I only have taken it five times when Sunrise had really long lines/one day when it broke down after 15 seconds of running every time they started it up for three hours straight.
EDIT:
Not to mention that I doubt it racked up more than 25 hours this year (I think they only ran it on MLK and Presidents day weekends)

This post has been edited by Smacpats: 28 March 2016 - 05:33 PM

[RibStaThiok]

skidude2, on 28 March 2016 - 09:03 AM, said:

Wildcat Triple at Snowbasin only runs a few peak days a year.

A few years ago, Middle Bowl was the same way and Wildcat NEVER ran, but now thankfully they have turned on Middle Bowl almost every day and run Wildcat most Saturdays in Jan, Feb.

Yup I noticed that as well. Since the 1998 upgrades at Snowbasin, Wildcat has been a weekends or Holiday/peak ski day use only. They have kept her maintained, but most folks are able to get to where they need to go via Needles or Becker. With the new mountain director at Snowbasin having expressed interest in replacing Wildcat with an HSQ and adding an additional lift into the Strawberry Bowl area that will be more tolerable to the wind conditions they get over there, I wonder how soon that might happen. A few years ago, they realized that Middle Bowl actually does attract use when they run her. Lots of folks will go up via Needles Gondola and then ski down to MB and use her to access those awesome runs in that area, vs skiing all the way back down the mountain and getting back on Needles, or Becker. (or Wildcat, like I used to do in the old days, would trade off between Becker and Wildcat to access MB) MB also offers decent late season skiing when the rest of the lifts are shut down (aside from Needles to get you up to the top to access MB only, then you have to ride Needles back down to the bottom of the mountain)

[snoloco]

Smacpats, on 28 March 2016 - 05:32 PM, said:

Solstice at stratton. Its a long cold 7 minute ride to the middle of nowhere. It is literally flat and they run it 300 FPM like beginners are lapping it. I only have taken it five times when Sunrise had really long lines/one day when it broke down after 15 seconds of running every time they started it up for three hours straight.
EDIT:
Not to mention that I doubt it racked up more than 25 hours this year (I think they only ran it on MLK and Presidents day weekends)

I rode it a while back. Only serves some beginner terrain and some parks. I think it's about a 10 minute ride. Definitely the "lift to nowhere". The need to keep it though, in case Sunrise breaks down or goes on wind hold. No other way out of the Sun Bowl.

[Smacpats]

snoloco, on 30 March 2016 - 02:20 PM, said:

I rode it a while back. Only serves some beginner terrain and some parks. I think it's about a 10 minute ride. Definitely the "lift to nowhere". The need to keep it though, in case Sunrise breaks down or goes on wind hold. No other way out of the Sun Bowl.

When they installed it, they probably should have installed it to the top of main line (Pictured with the red arrow): http://s32.postimg.o..._9_02_27_PM.png
And from there you could ski down to Tamarack and the front side (yellow arrow) and finally be able to lap that big terrain park (Big ben, the map is from before it became a terrain park).

Sunrise needing VERY BADLY to be dropped below the treeline is a rant for another day. Stratton long ago abandoned the run below the top half of the lift, and anyone still skiing (Assumingly locals) it would be able to still ski if it was truncated.

This post has been edited by Smacpats: 07 May 2016 - 04:44 AM

[boardski]

Iron Horse at Mary Jane (at Winter park,co) formerly ran only Saturdays. Last season they started running it on some Sundays also which made me very happy. The diamond trails are accessible via the Super Gauge 6pack chair via an unpleasant traverse or a short walk up a hill requiring dismounting equipment but it is much more fun with iron horse running. Especially since those 20 plus minute lines with a disorganized cluster of a maze at the bottom of Super gauge was not so fun on a Sunday.

[RibStaThiok]

Those hold Heron's like Iron Horse there at WP are awesome lifts, glad they started running her on Sundays. I'm wondering how many of those 4 or 5 Heron's that were installed in 1974 are left there at WP?

[boardski]

RibStaThiok, on 02 July 2016 - 01:27 PM, said:

Those hold Heron's like Iron Horse there at WP are awesome lifts, glad they started running her on Sundays. I'm wondering how many of those 4 or 5 Heron's that were installed in 1974 are left there at WP?

All four are left. Two of them (Challenger and Galloping Goose) run every day.

[ajan]

Blue at Mt. Hood Meadows only runs on the busiest of days or if MHX is down. That's probably about 5-10 days per year.

[RibStaThiok]

Have they at least repainted her since this photo?

[ajan]

RibStaThiok, on 03 July 2016 - 12:34 AM, said:

Have they at least repainted her since this photo?

I believe so, but I see it when the bottom half of the towers are buried in snow (as it should be).

[snoloco]

Mountain Run at Whiteface, NY. CTEC/Hall double that parallels the lower half of the Little Whiteface Hall/Doppelmayr double.

It runs only on President's Weekend, as well as a couple days when the Little Whiteface Double or gondola is closed.

The Little Whiteface Double was first installed by Riblet in the 60's. Hall replaced most of the lift in 1978 in preparation for the Olympics in 1980. Around that time a Hall double double was installed where the FaceLift HSQ is now.

Before the gondola was installed 1999, the double double was the only way out of the base area, and it always had long lines. In 1989, CTEC upgraded half of it to a triple. The parts were used to build Mountain Run parallel to the lower half of Little Whiteface. They reused the sheaves, chair seats, drive, and bullwheels. They replaced the chair frames and return.

That capacity was needed then because before the gondola, the Little Whiteface double was your only way to that summit. It likely ran long waits too, and it also had some wasted capacity with people getting off at mid station. The Mountain Run lift could handle anyone going to mid station, and Little Whiteface could do 100% capacity to the top. When the gondola was installed, providing an 8 minute ride to Little Whiteface from the base area, it took much of the load off the existing chairs. The longer, Little Whiteface double could handle any skiers that didn't take the gondola, and Mountain Run was rarely needed. It runs President's Weekend as well as any days when Little Whiteface or the gondola is on wind hold. Most likely logs more maintenance hours than revenue hours.

[ajan]

ajan, on 27 September 2016 - 12:33 AM, said:

I believe so, but I see it when the bottom half of the towers are buried in snow (as it should be).

Freezing rain the night before meant that only the fixed grip lifts were in operation to start the day this past Saturday (12/3). It was back to riding blue, and yes, they have painted it.

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[Smacpats]

Don't remember whether I previously mentioned this, but I think I was the only person who used the old Kidderbrook at stratton. Sure it was 10 14 minutes of hell on the way up, but it served the only good terrain on the mountain. They just need to get people over there more. The terrain still is open, but a MASSIVE PAIN to lap. About 8 or 9 minutes on lifts, and the world's most painful traverse (about 5 minutes).

[Nof]

Blue is by far my favorite lift at Meadows, tough offload! They rarely run Daisy anymore...pretty much only on busy days or something is broken like Red or MEX.

[SkiBachelor]

Midway at Willamette Pass Resort has been decommissioned. All carriers are off the lift and the only mid mountain access now is via Twilight, a 1980s CTEC triple unless you ski down the black diamonds above it from EPA.

http://www.skilifts....dway/midway.htm

I'm not sure of the reason why it was decommissioned other than cost savings as this lift was crucial when Twilight was down.

[Conrad]

Willoughby Quad at Burke in Vermont. I was there on MLK weekend Sunday and it still hadn't been operated (and no man made snow had been pushed near the bottom station.