45 replies to this topic

[highspeedquad]

So what I got from the article was that they are replacing the old gondi with a new one and they are moving the current River Run to the other side of the river. I'm guessing that the old gondi will then function as a people-mover to get them to the mountain or close to it.

[Kicking Horse]

liftmech, on Apr 2 2005, 05:43 AM, said:

The Snake River is the stream you cross to get to the mountain from the village/parking lots.
Even after they have removed Pack 1, Ericsson, Ida Belle, and Saints John?
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes. I personally think they should cap how many skiers / boarders can ski the mountain. Same With Breck.

[Mike]

Kicking Horse, on Apr 2 2005, 01:15 PM, said:

yes.  I personally think they should cap how many skiers / boarders can ski the mountain.  Same With Breck.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree that breck is WAY overcrowed during holidays (20,000+ people). However, can you imagine telling a family that drove 1500 miles that they can't ski that day because it's too busy? I can't imagine the bean counters allowing something like that...If it was up to them, we would have 20K every day! During the overcrowed opening weeks, we often slow the lifts to decrease uphill capacity.

[liftmech]

Wow- 20,000+ skiers/riders? We have more acreage than you but about half the visitors. Our record was one excellent spring day last season with 15,300.

[Kicking Horse]

John,

On any giving Weekend how many skiers / boarders does Copper See? How about during the week?

[Mike]

liftmech, on Apr 2 2005, 07:40 PM, said:

Wow- 20,000+ skiers/riders? We have more acreage than you but about half the visitors. Our record was one excellent spring day last season with 15,300.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Our record is like 22,000 give or take a few. An average weekend is like 12-15K. We had a few 20+ days around christmas this year. I don't know why we get the huge crowds...I guess it must be the excellent lift maint over here. J/k! I like the terrain at Copper much more. I think alot of people come to breck for the town...There's quite a bit of variety of things to do for familys w/ non skiers.

[liftmech]

Very true. Intrawest and the Village company are trying to liven things up over here but we're never going to be more than a ski area that happens to have a base village (not that there's anything wrong with that). We average around 9-10,000 on a weekend. Now that we've gotten

[Zage]

I am glad to hear that the Von-Roll gondola is being relocated other than removed. :)

[highspeedquad]

And it will remain where it currently is for at least one more year, and then the new gondi goes in.

[SkiBachelor]

I kind of doubt that Von Roll gondola will be relocated on the mountain if it's going to be replaced. It doesn't make any sense for a resort to install a detachable gondola that is only going to be 200 feet long. Also, it's pretty pointless to install an whole new gondola when Keystone put in all new drives for the gondola.

[Mike]

From what I understand, Keystone plans to move the bottom terminal of the River Run gondola across the river. I think this will basicaly be a new lift. I don't think they plan to modify the Von-Roll...just replacing it. The lift has alot of hours on it and is reaching the end of it's useful life. I think the only things they plan on re-using is the top terminal building and the underground storage (new park rails, though). This project is still a few years away so the Von-Roll isn't going anywhere soon.

[highspeedquad]

Ah, okay. Thank's for clearing it up.

[poloxskier]

liftmech, on Apr 2 2005, 06:43 AM, said:

The Snake River is the stream you cross to get to the mountain from the village/parking lots.
Even after they have removed Pack 1, Ericsson, Ida Belle, and Saints John?
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah since most of those never ran anyway. The back side is well suited with run space and lift capacity being fairly well matched but the front usualy has too much uphill capacity and causes the runs to be really packed.

[poloxskier]

Mike, on Apr 2 2005, 05:47 PM, said:

I agree that breck is WAY overcrowed during holidays (20,000+ people).  However, can you imagine telling a family that drove 1500 miles that they can't ski that day because it's too busy?  I can't imagine the bean counters allowing something like that...If it was up to them, we would have 20K every day!  During the overcrowed opening weeks, we often slow the lifts to decrease uphill capacity.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Days like that are the reason that I hardly ever ski at breck anymore, especially peak 8.

[highspeedquad]

But you never want to go to the very base of Peak 9, where the Quicksilver is. It only serves green terrain and despite being a six-pack the lines are enourmous!

I agree, the back part of Keystone has lifts laid out well, but not the front.

[floridaskier]

Even at the first light of day, there was a bit of a line building up at Quicksilver. They definetly needed the HSS there. The Beaver Run had the worst line as it looked, that's the only Super I didn't ride because of the line

[poloxskier]

The Beaver Run is always busy. Heres a diagram of the proposed changes to the River Run base at keystone taken from the Summit Daily.
 keystone_gondola.jpg (31.72K)
Number of downloads: 36

[highspeedquad]

Does anyone know or have any guesses as to who the gondi will be built by or whether or not the terminal will be enclosed?

[floridaskier]

The drawing makes it look like an open-air terminal because it's about the same size as the Summit terminal. Who knows though, it's just a drawing, and they might want to cover it up to make it look nicer.
Vail seems to be in a Poma phase, at least for Vail Mountain and Keystone's Ruby lift, but they do still get Doppelmayrs for Beaver Creek

[poloxskier]

Heres the actual article:

DILLON - Vail Resorts passed one hurdle Thursday night in its attempt to move the River Run gondola terminal to the north side of the Snake River, as well as replace the existing skier bridge with a new skier/pedestrian walkway.

The Snake River Planning Commission recommended approval of the proposed site specific development plan and site plan for the project after some discussion over a possible encroachment into a wetlands setback.

The required setback, or distance from the wetlands boundary near the edge of the Snake River to any development, is 25 feet. The plan calls for the new gondola terminal to be set back 37 feet from the boundary, but the gondola maze was planned to encroach five feet into the setback.

Photo by Summit Daily/Brad Odekirk
Skiers and snowboarders cross the bridge from River Run Village to the base of the mountain Friday morning. If given the green light, Keystone will extend the gondola north over the Snake River and make it more accessible from the village.
Summit Daily/Brad Odekirk
Click to Enlarge
Commissioners voiced concern over the possible disturbance of wetlands and the precedent that could be set by allowing development in the required setback area.

"You rarely see us asking for something like this," said Thomas Davidson of Vail Resorts Development. "You usually see us spending lots of money improving the river."

Ultimately, Davidson agreed to shorten the maze so it will not dip into the wetlands setback.

Other parts of the plan call for a 42-foot-wide bridge, with 32 feet allotted for a ski/ride way and an adjacent 10-foot structure for a pedestrian walkway.

The new bridge will be raised in elevation to create a 4.5 percent grade, which will allow for enough speed for skiers and riders to make it across the bridge. The bottom of the River Run trail will be reduced to a 6 percent grade.

The relocation of the gondola also allows for the Summit Express maze to be moved to the west side of the lift, creating room for a teaching area with two magic carpet lifts.

Vail Resorts will also re-grade the river bank just south of the new gondola terminal to improve bank stabilization, water quality and habitat in the Snake River wildlife movement corridor.

New River Run Gondola
• Terminal: 2,000 square feet
• Gondola maze: 8,625 square feet
• Skier bridge: 13,485 square feet
• Beginner area: 12,750 square feet
• Timeline: Construction won't begin until 2006 at the earliest

All numbers are approximate
Davidson said the project will go hand-in-hand with a development at One River Run in the River Run neighborhood. Although no specific plans have been presented for that project, Randy May, also of Vail Resorts Development, said a multi-family project and skier services are possibilities.

While about 10 residents showed up at the public hearing, only three spoke and no one opposed the project.

"I think it's a really worthwhile project for Keystone, and I want to see it go forward," Bob Follett said.

The Board of County Commissioners will have the final approval on the site plan and the site specific development plan, which asks for a six-year approval instead of the standard 18-month approval.

May said Vail Resorts is hoping to gain all the approvals now, so that when the funding comes through, everything will be ready to go. Vail Resorts approves its capital budget annually, and the 2006 budget would be the soonest the gondola project could be planned.

It seems rather than be repaced it seems that the terminal may just be relocated to the other side of the river. If that is the case I would assume that dopp will be doing the redesign as they absorbed Von Roll. Unless they wanted to replace grips and other equipment.

This post has been edited by poloxskier: 20 April 2005 - 02:25 PM