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Snowflake is a weird lift

liftmech's Photo liftmech 06 Jan 2005

It's the only way to bend a fixed-grip lift that much. A Riblet clip can make an inside corner if it's not too great; Breck's 5-chair has a 5-degree bend in it. But a Poma or any other external grip cannot turn that way, and thus the two intermediate bullwheels on this lift.
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coskibum's Photo coskibum 07 Jan 2005

its quite a bend at that!
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djspookman's Photo djspookman 07 Jan 2005

liftmech, on Jan 7 2005, 01:50 AM, said:

It's the only way to bend a fixed-grip lift that much. A Riblet clip can make an inside corner if it's not too great; Breck's 5-chair has a 5-degree bend in it. But a Poma or any other external grip cannot turn that way, and thus the two intermediate bullwheels on this lift.
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Thanks! I'm used to seeing lifts that are straight here in the east, there's almost no lifts that don't go in a straight line here that's all :)
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Kicking Horse's Photo Kicking Horse 07 Jan 2005

it's a bumpy ride over that turn :) if i remember correctly.
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poloxskier's Photo poloxskier 07 Jan 2005

Yeah its really bumpy. If you watch an empty carrier go arround the turn it shakes violently. I think that they put the comfort bars on the chairs to give passengers something to hold on to for dear life! :---:
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floridaskier's Photo floridaskier 07 Jan 2005

I missed the chance to ride this when I was there last year, now I'm slapping myself.

Any idea how many sheaves are used for the heavy side of the turn?
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SkiBachelor's Photo SkiBachelor 07 Jan 2005

There is a total of 32 sheaves.
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coskibum's Photo coskibum 08 Jan 2005

for people back east: killington has a lift like this...i forget the name but it is a Yan triple chair
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ccslider's Photo ccslider 08 Jan 2005

coskibum, on Jan 8 2005, 05:42 AM, said:

for people back east: killington has a lift like this...i forget the name but it is a Yan triple chair
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Well, as I recall, Killington's lift (South Ridge lift) is laid out as a triangle so the return line takes an entirely different route from the uphill legs. They have a midway unload station at the angle point. This triangular arrangement deletes the need for the 270 degree loop that Breck's lift makes at the angle point.
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floridaskier's Photo floridaskier 08 Jan 2005

Does anyone have a pic of the South Ridge triple's turn?
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SkiBachelor's Photo SkiBachelor 08 Jan 2005

There's one on Dave's website.
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KZ's Photo KZ 08 Jan 2005

I see a picture of the top but not of the turn. Am i missing it?
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SkiBachelor's Photo SkiBachelor 08 Jan 2005

I guess I saw that picture then on the SJ forum, my bad.
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Duck's Photo Duck 11 Jan 2005

Thanks for the photos. This looks outrageous :)

-Iain
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SkiBachelor's Photo SkiBachelor 12 Jan 2005

Here is a picture of the curve on the South Ridge Triple at Killington. Well it's not the best shot.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/244995...244997568rRiUJj
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crazyskier91's Photo crazyskier91 13 Jan 2005

I've got pictures from my new years trip, I just am waiting for them to come back from being developed.
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crazyskier91's Photo crazyskier91 13 Jan 2005

After I get back from Breckeridge, that is, we will be back monday night.
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lstone19's Photo lstone19 15 Jan 2005

ccslider, on Jan 8 2005, 10:01 AM, said:

Well, as I recall, Killington's lift (South Ridge lift) is laid out as a triangle so the return line takes an entirely different route from the uphill legs.  They have a midway unload station at the angle point.  This triangular arrangement deletes the need for the 270 degree loop that Breck's lift makes at the angle point.
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I think it's been 20 or so years since I've skiied at Killington but if I recall, the turn uses two bullwheels with the rope making half of the needed turn on each bullwheel. It was definitely weird to go around a turn while attached to the rope.

Other lifts that turn while on the rope? The only one I've seen and/or ridden is Squaw Valley's Pulse lift which uses sheaves and slows down for the turn. Plus it's even weirder with the cabins on the inside rope having their hangars reversed due to the turn.
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SkiBachelor's Photo SkiBachelor 15 Jan 2005

Garaventa CTEC/ Doppelmayr CTEC has been building a lot of lifts that have turns in them lately, mostly all of them being high-speed lifts. Now they don't turn like the Snowflake, Pulse or South Ridge triple at all, but they are noticable turns, about 5 degrees or more on some.

Check out the pictures of the Six Shooter at Moonlight Basin, The Cabriolet at the Canyons and the Silver Strike HSQ at DV. You will see what I'm talking about if you are interested.

Welcome to the forum btw. :)
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floridaskier's Photo floridaskier 15 Jan 2005

Does Poma use that style of turn yet that all these Doppelmayr CTEC lifts are using? I haven't heard of it anywhere yet.

The Baldy Express at Snowbird has a turn too. They all seem to be the same style, three 8-sheave towers with the middle one a depression tower.
Could a fixed lift use the turn too?
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