Skilifts.org / SORT Forum

NoPainNoJane, on Mar 6 2008, 07:07 AM, said:

True, I've skied there and they even gave me a tour of the motor room. It's a marketing lift though, it replaced two T-Bars, and it's only like four towers long!

Judging from the lifts that are for sale on Mad River Lifts, I am going to predict that Powderhorn at Solitude is getting replaced with a high speed quad this summer, as well as some new lift at Ski Chantecler, Quebec.

Skier, on Mar 10 2008, 10:07 PM, said:

I think Solitude is doing something like the Collins Express at Alta. Replacing the Apex and Powderhorn lifts with a high speed quad and mid unload angle station.

From the Saddleback, ME website:

Greetings from Saddleback!
We'd like to keep you up to date on the
exciting things happening at Saddleback. NEW LIFT, TRAILS AND SNOWMAKING
The long hoped-for replacement of the Kennebago T-bar will take place this summer with the installation of a new 4 passenger Doppelmayr CTEC Quad Chairlift. The 2705 ft. lift will have a vertical rise of 1000 ft and will provide access to 13 trails and glades: 5 double black, 6 black, 1 blue square and 1 green circle. For the first time, lower level skiers will be able to experience high-elevation skiing from the summit on the easier 4400 ft. America Trail. Snowmaking is being added on three trails: America, Governor and Dazzler.

A new trail will be added to the east of the Warden's Worry Trail. This brings the total top-to-bottom black diamond trails and glades in this high-elevation bowl to 11, expanding what was already the largest self-contained advanced skiing facility in the East.

Also being cleared this summer are the trails for the proposed Magalloway Quad Chairlift which is expected to be built during the Summer of 2009. This lift will provide Ski In/Ski Out access to the Magalloway East private home site development, now available for sale. Half of these 22 lots have already been sold.
Saddleback continues on its way to becoming Maine's next big mountain ski resort -- while retaining Saddleback's unique character and environment.

Warren733, on Aug 9 2006, 04:46 PM, said:

Where did you get that????????
This post has been edited by Another LM guy: 17 March 2008 - 01:31 PM

The Town lift gondola or HSQ replacement has been talked about for a while, and there was once talk of building a bottom-to-top gondola from the First Time parking lot to the top, but I haven't heard anything about that for a while. I wouldn't expect to see either next summer though. The Motherlode HSQ is probably happening this year

Just heard that this summer PCMR is replacing the Ski Team double w/a HSQ, which will be extended to somewhere near the main base area and the top will be further left up the ridge from the current terminal to allow for access to Silver Skis and Crescent runs. Should really help upper mountain access on busy days!

I hope that's true, it would really take pressure off Payday and open up more of the lower mountain. However, it was in the Park Record that PCMR was planning to replace Motherlode this summer, so I don't know if they would do both in one year. It would be hard to have the bottom terminal anywhere other than where it is now, with the Alpine Coaster bridge cutting across the skiway, the Ziprider, and big crowds for Payday, it would be a tight fit. Skiing down to First Time to get up there would be the best solution. The original bottom terminal location (before 1996) would still be a bit of a hike from the Payday base. Where did you hear that?

I don't know that the bottom Ski Team terminal location is completely decided upon, it will definitely be somewhere in the base area and not where it currently is. I've heard that it depends somewhat upon how much earthwork can be done downhill from where the Ziprider base is. An official announcement should be out soon, hopefully with some more details!

sphrrt, on Mar 18 2008, 06:25 PM, said:

You almost got it.
One more try...................

Another LM guy, on Mar 24 2008, 11:55 AM, said:

Takin' a guess here...last I talked w/ my sources, a Gondola was a possiblity from the First Time parking lot up to Lorenz Meadows. Perhaps that was deemed too expensive and a DQ is now planned to run from a similar starting point to Crescent Ridge. A good way to get people up the mountain, but away from the overcrowded Resort Center area. Would make yoyo skiing ski team runs a little less fun, but serve as a badly needed alternative up the mountain. I will ask my sources.

Tele.

Another LM guy, on Mar 24 2008, 12:55 PM, said:

If it's not the Ski Team replacement, is the Motherlode high speed quad happening this summer? They almost said it in the Park Record at Christmas

Sounds like the new PCMR HSQ now planned for this summer will not 'replace' the old Ski Team double. The new lift will have the different alignment I've described and will cross over the existing lift. Hope to hear a decision as to where the base terminal will be soon.

I heard that Mont Saint-Sauveur in Quebec CANADA is getting a new fixed grip quad to replace the current Nordique Triple chair. They say the quad will have a loading carpet.

Do they run faster than standard fixedgrip quads or does the carpet only increase successful loadings? Can someone put links to chairlifts with loading carpets installed?

Any other details on this project?
This post has been edited by sseguin613: 28 March 2008 - 04:49 PM

I don't think they run faster than a standard fixed-grip. As far as I know, loading carpets are there to increase the amount of succesful loads, as you put it.

If you look at the Dopp world book it says that loading carpet fixed grip (fg) quads run at 2.6 m/s and non-carpeted fg quads run at 2.3 m/s.

skisox34, on Mar 29 2008, 09:41 AM, said:

You gotta watchout for that .3 m/s !!!!!!!

453 FPM versus 512- I suppose that's somewhat of a difference but in reality you wouldn't be able to run a fixed quad at that speed because of the still-traditional unload ramp. You've only eliminated problems on one end.

mjturley34, on Mar 29 2008, 06:13 PM, said:

does the loading carpet just move you from the waiting line to the load line and drop you there? or does it take you from the wait and convey you at a slower speed so there isn't too much speed difference when the chair arrives to pick you up?

i hope i'm explaining my question well enough.

sseguin613, on Mar 30 2008, 10:39 AM, said:

I've seen loading carpets that do both of the scenarios you describe. In my experience on a detachable lift they just take you to the waiting line. For fixed grip they convey you at a slower speed. In Europe it’s quite uncommon for the lifty to bump chairs of any type for loading. So for fixed grip lifts they either run very slow or have a loading carpet.