62 replies to this topic

[iceberg210]

Why do you think the Dino will be removed soon?

[SkiBachelor]

Booth has plans on replacing this lift with a HSQ. But I don't think they have the money to do that right now.

[hyak.net]

Their plans are for a Quad (fixed or HS is still undeterminded) that starts inbetween the lodge and ski patrol building, or in that general area and would dump off where dino drops up top. It seems the main concern is putting money into an area where they feel nobody wants to ski but there are MANY people who have been skiing up at Snoqualmie for years and have never even ventured over to Hyak because they think all there is at the area is a steep face and a short beginner chair.... They don't realize all the trails that are up behind the trees and to the north down the ridge......

It looks like the area is going to be doing well this year (The Summit as a whole) so hopefully there will be a lift in the future. Rumors say there will be a lot of activity this next summer with lift removals (old doubles) but don't know for sure which ones, and I hear Booth has decided they DO need a lift where they tore Thunderbird down so I hear they may put a fixed quad in there and remove Wildside........just rumors.....who knows.

[SkiBachelor]

Yea, The Summit sure does have a lot of lifts that need to be removed or relocated. Some seem to run right next to each other and access the exact same terrain and they are both short lifts.

The lifts that I think they should and can remove are Dodge Ridge, Easy Rider, Holiday, Easy or Reggies. Alpental and Hyak are just fine how they are. I haven't skied The Summit lately, but I would remove those lifts.

[KZ]

Northstar has some pretty big plans, so maybe booth is currently putting in all their money there to get the place up and running again. They have plans for a 6 seater, and some other new lifts and expansion, and dont forget the village. Sierra needs some expansion, i know they can do some. :)

[Bill]

Dodge Ridge stayed where its as a backup to Pacific Crest. If that goes down they still have a lift to the top. If they did put in a Quad over on Thunderbird, they should leave Wildside alone as a backup to the Quad. I would remove Easy Rider Triple and do a relocate on Little Thunder. My 2 cents worth.

[liftmech]

I agree with Bill, plus I would put something back in the Beaver Lake area. That's the only advanced skiing Snoqualmie has (maybe Wild Side)- otherwise you'd need to go over to Ski Acres. Hyak is just one of those undiscovered areas that with a little help could blossom. Who knows? I definitely think Booth is mismanaging the place, but maybe Zack's right in saying that they're concentrating on their other areas.

[iceberg210]

Snoquime has advanced skiing!!!

Ever heard of Apental

[Bill]

Us older folk tend to call them by their original names, Snoqualmie, Alpental, Ski Acres and Hyak. So in this instance when we mention Snoqualmie, we are refering to Summit West (new name) and then Alpental is Alpental. So yes, Alpental does have advanced where Snoqualmie's advanced is limited to Beaver Lake area ony, and possibly Wildside.

[iceberg210]

True and i am glad we call them by their old names so i will do likewise

[TomK]

liftmech, on Jan 9 2004, 03:30 PM, said:

I agree with Bill, plus I would put something back in the Beaver Lake area. That's the only advanced skiing Snoqualmie has (maybe Wild Side)- otherwise you'd need to go over to Ski Acres. Hyak is just one of those undiscovered areas that with a little help could blossom. Who knows? I definitely think Booth is mismanaging the place, but maybe Zack's right in saying that they're concentrating on their other areas.

Re: Beaver Lake , it has has that pesky swamp/lake at the base and. I've been told by an old timer patroler that if the beaver lift jammed, there were several chairs that could not be rope rescued. In it's later years, the Beaver chair would only run one day per year (for the tax/depreciation allowance) and that's all.
I havn't noticed anything to do with Beaver on the MDP wish list. (Which does include a gondy to the top of Alpental with a restraunt, a skating rink, and lots of other stuff they dreamed up to put in as negotiating point giveups)

There is an interesting backside run at Beaver. Get off the Wildside chair, and go straight back beyond the patroller's hangout (the old Beaver top shack) and then cut right down thru the trees. In high snow years you can even billygoat a couple of routes down the Beaver Lake cliff (This was the only double-diamond marked run up there on the old trailmaps at West)
The whole Beaver valley area is not boarder-frendly though due to the very flat hike out.

History explains the proliferation of side by side lifts. Origionally, all of the Snoq. pass areas were seperate and in competition with each other. Before HS and quads, the only way to increase ticket sales was to add more lifts, so we got the "lift wars".

Basicly, I see the following hierarchy of pass development.
West was done first 'cause it's got the ski schools and is first to open.
Central next as it gets the most business and has the largest inbounds area.
Alpental next as it gets them press and attention.
Hyak last as it just doesn't generate much traffic.


Booth's problem is the same as the all industries - how to justify the cost of improvments. Each year, they do something over the summer. Good year = lift replacement. Bad year = a "beach" at the lodge.

[iceberg210]

TomK:

Does parts of the old Beaver Lake chair still exist?

[Bill]

Yes, the counterweight and its structure are still on the site, and I know where a few chairs are kept and a few towers, also the drive and gearbox for it too. I have the pictures somewhere. :)

[Kicking Horse]

how much $$$ are we talking here???????????

[SkiBachelor]

What do you mean Jeff?

[Kicking Horse]

if skilifts.org is thinking of bring this lift back to life how much $$ do u think it will be?

[Bill]

Of course its just hear say, we are not going to resurrect that lift, too much money involved and there is no way we could raise that kind of cash. If I did then, I would donate the funds to get the lift named after skilifts.org

[Kicking Horse]

your no fun bill

[TomK]

Gotta agree with Mr Bill on the Beaver. It was only built becuase of the lift war and was very rarely used because it just didn't serve any terrain that isn't accessable from Thunderbird & Wildside lifts. It just made yoyoing the upper 1/4th of the hill possible.
I rode it only once Mayby twice?) over the years and that was more for the novelty than the runs.

[iceberg210]

I would be kinda interseting though to know how much money it would take to reserect the Dinasour