153 replies to this topic

[SkiBachelor]

Did Hanson Hills run into some financial trouble back in the day and have to sell its double?

[skiersage]

Hanson Hills (or bear mountain back in the day) used to be very big and very popular with tourists from Detroit. The thing that happened to it was when the owner retired, he turned over the resort to the government with the intent that it would only be used as a non profit resort. It was at this time that Bear Mountain was renamed to Hanson Hills (or Hanson's Hill as I call it) after the former owner. Ever since then they have always seemed to have issues as far as money for repairs as well as other things. So they removed the double and put in one of the older T-bars to take its place. The area that is skiable area has significantly declined too.

[WBSKI]

Mid Tee was installed at Silver Star in '65, you probably knew that cause its on the silver star page but wasnt on the installation survey. By the way, nice pics!

[SkiBachelor]

So when the Mid Tee Bar lift was modified by Yan, it must have also shortened it since the length and vertical don't match what's currently on the trail map for that lift. However, it was probably done when all those condos were going to be built that sit right behind the lower station.

[SkiBachelor]

1964 Lift Installation Posted:

http://skilifts.org/install_na1964.htm

[liftmech]

The double at Baker is Chair 2.

[nathanvg]

Something is very odd about the lifts listed at vail in 64. I have always heard that vail first opened in 62 yet this survey indicates that vail opened in 64. I checked vails website and they add,

"Dec, 1962 Vail Mountain opens for skiing with two chairlifts, one gondola and a $5 lift ticket. During the inaugural 1962-63 season, the mountain recorded 55,000 skiers"

The lifts on the 64 survey include the gondola installed in 62.

64 survey lifts: (I've filled in the names)
Vail* Giant Steps (1) 2C Riblet N/A 4685 1165 970 N/A
Vail Avanti (2) 2C Riblet N/A 6150 1300 1050 N/A
Vail Wildwood (3)(hunkey dory at the time) 2C Riblet N/A 3340 800 1200 N/A
Vail Vail Village Gondola (16) Gondola Bell N/A 9548 1932 500 N/A (really 1962, maybe modified in 64?)

[SkiBachelor]

Yea, that's what I thought too. I did find some lifts being listed twice like the Dinosaur lift at Hyak and a few gondolas and trams. The reason for that is because the lift was started one year and not finished until the fallowing year. However, it doesn't take 3 years to install a double chair.

[poloxskier]

nathanvg, on Jan 7 2006, 05:10 PM, said:

Something is very odd about the lifts listed at vail in 64. I have always heard that vail first opened in 62 yet this survey indicates that vail opened in 64. I checked vails website and they add,

"Dec, 1962 Vail Mountain opens for skiing with two chairlifts, one gondola and a $5 lift ticket. During the inaugural 1962-63 season, the mountain recorded 55,000 skiers"

The lifts on the 64 survey include the gondola installed in 62.

64 survey lifts: (I've filled in the names)
Vail* Giant Steps (1) 2C Riblet N/A 4685 1165 970 N/A
Vail Avanti (2) 2C Riblet N/A 6150 1300 1050 N/A
Vail Wildwood (3)(hunkey dory at the time) 2C Riblet N/A 3340 800 1200 N/A
Vail Vail Village Gondola (16) Gondola Bell N/A 9548 1932 500 N/A (really 1962, maybe modified in 64?)

I think that the original sun up was installed before giant steps. Could, "Vail* Giant Steps (1) 2C Riblet N/A 4685 1165 970 N/A" instead be sun up?

[nathanvg]

poloxskier, on Jan 7 2006, 09:35 PM, said:

I think that the original sun up was installed before giant steps. Could, "Vail* Giant Steps (1) 2C Riblet N/A 4685 1165 970 N/A" instead be sun up?

Hmm, sun up (17) has only been around a little over 10 years. I skied many seasons at vail prior to its installation. Perhaps you mean the high noon lift (5)? The high noon lift was an original lift, along with mountain top and the vail village gondola. I hope that the 62 lift survey will include info on these lifts. All major lifts are accounted for in the lift survey except the three in 62.

Also the current vertical of high noon is nearly 2000' which seems to rule out any entry in the 64 survey. (note that the original high noon lift was shorter, but not by all that much)

This post has been edited by nathanvg: 07 January 2006 - 08:24 PM

[SkiBachelor]

I'm sorry, but there probably won't be a 1962 lift installation survey since SAM first started doing it in 1963. However, I guess SKI Magazine used to do the lift installation surveys so they might have some.

[nathanvg]

I can clear up a few lift names in the Midwest at boyne and big powderhorn

First big powderhorn. All 9 of big powderhorn’s lifts can be found on the lift install page but since there all riblet doubles and have many similarities in terms on length and vertical, it is hard to tell which is which. Based on stats, topo maps and historical trail maps, I have listed my conclusions below. I'm not 100% sure on all of them, but I think it will be very hard to prove or disprove my conclusions:

64
Big Powder Horn N/A T-Bar Hall N/A 1700 290 1200 N/A
Big Powder Horn (6) 2C Riblet N/A 2210 418 1140 N/A
Big Powder Horn (4) 2C Riblet N/A 1670 390 120 N/A
69
Big PowderHorn (3) 2C Riblet N/A 2436 374 1200 450
71
Big Powderhorn (9)N/A 2C Riblet N/A 2400 359 1100 450
76
Big Powderhorn (1) N/A 2C Riblet N/A 2175 235 1200 450
81
Big Powderhorn (7)N/A 2C Riblet N/A 1610 162 800 300
83
Big Powderhorn (5)N/A 2C Riblet N/A 2097 402 1200 450
87
Big Powderhorn (2)N/A 2C Riblet 75 2548 352 1200 450
93
Big Powderhorn (8)N/A 2C Riblet 75 2457 331 1000 375

Next boyne mt. I know a lot about boyne but its hard to match the lift survey up since so much lift work at boyne has gone unlogged in the survery. Boyne has moved and recycled most of there lifts (sometimes multiple times). With the exception of the high speed lifts and removed lifts, boyne hasn't had a lift in the survey since 73. Many of boyne's lifts are so old that I don't think the lift survey will ever cover them. Based on stats, topo maps and historical trail maps, I have listed my conclusions below. The only confusing part is the absense of the victor lift on the survey. It is a riblet quad just like the other 3. I'm hopeful it will be on the 77 survey when released.

64
Boyne Mt. Meadows 4C Heron N/A 1520 355 2400 N/A (later modified by riblet)
69
Boyne Mountain Ramshead 4C Riblet N/A 2159 351 2400 400
73
Boyne Mountain Super Bowl 4C Riblet N/A 2250 400 2400 400
82
Boyne Mountain N/A 2C Borvig N/A 1294 349 1200 450
This borvig has been relocated, modifed to a triple with riblet carriers and named boyneland.

[poloxskier]

nathanvg, on Jan 7 2006, 07:22 PM, said:

Hmm, sun up (17) has only been around a little over 10 years. I skied many seasons at vail prior to its installation. Perhaps you mean the high noon lift (5)? The high noon lift was an original lift, along with mountain top and the vail village gondola. I hope that the 62 lift survey will include info on these lifts. All major lifts are accounted for in the lift survey except the three in 62.

Also the current vertical of high noon is nearly 2000' which seems to rule out any entry in the 64 survey. (note that the original high noon lift was shorter, but not by all that much)

Yeah sorry I ment high noon. I couldnt remember the vert on it so it was just a guess. I thought that it went in before giant steps though.

[SkiBachelor]

The 2005 Lift Installation Survey is now up. I have included the two lifts that were accidently left out of SAM Magazine's Lift Installation, but I currently don't have the stats for the Headwall lift at Moonlight Basin.

http://www.skilifts....tall_na2005.htm

[nathanvg]

SkiBachelor, on Jan 15 2006, 10:20 PM, said:

The 2005 Lift Installation Survey is now up. I have included the two lifts that were accidently left out of SAM Magazine's Lift Installation, but I currently don't have the stats for the Headwall lift at Moonlight Basin.

http://www.skilifts....tall_na2005.htm

Something is wrong with one of the snowmass entries:
Snowmass Village Express 6C-Det. Leitner-Poma 10074 2174 3000 1050 6522

I don't think it has 10074HP!? or 6522 ft/min! (that's over 60 MPH!)

[SkiBachelor]

Yea, your probably right and I'm sorry for the mistake. I'm just so used to copying everything I see in a straight row but this year SAM included initial capacity with its lift installation survey and it's been goofing me up.

[Lift Dinosaur]

Ski Bachelor- They gooned ya on Imperial Express, too!

[SkiBachelor]

Thanks, both mistakes have been fixed.

[WBSKI]

I still havent got my SAM, how long ago did you get yours Ski Bachelor? Sorry its OT.

[SkiBachelor]

I got it on Thursday, but I have noticed that it takes longer to get mail from one country to another.