2 replies to this topic

[andyh1962]

I cut and pasted this from the 2006 new lifts section. Now I think it deserves its own topic because of the unique addition work that is being done. (actually building the pile of earth to put the ski lift on. This is what I wrote in Late May 2006. I will post a reply and the pictures to go with it.


I wrote:
I drove by Mount St. Louis Moonstone in Barrie Ontario Canada this past weekend. It looks to me like the Resort is progressing on slope preparation to replace a 1972 era Poma chair known as the Timberline Double (328 feet vert, 1620 feet long) AND a 1979 era Skyway chair known as the Stretcher Triple (450 feet vert , 2300 feet long) (both being removed). To possibly be replaced with a Six Pack (make unknown). Check out their website at www.mslm.on.ca. Have a look at their trail map and you will see what REAL mountain building is all about. The natural hill is about 350 feet high. They have added 150 feet on top by excavating earth off a huge 300 acre field directly behind the ski hill. Several million cubic feet of earth dug out of that field and piled up to build the Hump. The Promenade Six Pack, Adventure Express Six Pack and Louis Express Detach Quad all terminate on man made earth piles. Now it appears that they are going for earth pile number 5 ( or is it six? )
The new lift alone took over a million cubic yards of earth to build the ski run. Are they in the ski business or the earth moving business?

[andyh1962]

So last weekend I went past Mount St. Louis-Moonstone in Barrie Ontario and yes indeed the mountain building is happening again.( sorry I am not an expert on the use of this forum so making the posting look pretty is not my expertise.

First picture shows (facing the resort) the far right side of the ski area known as the Moonstone side. The picture shows (from left to right, the Adventure Six Paxk Express (installed 1996), a Quad -name and date unknown, and on the right the Promenade Express Six Pack, installed 1999.

Second picture shows the left side of the ski area (in this picture from left to right) Timberline Double (to be removed this summer or next), Stretcher Triple (top station already off, mountain building in progress), and on the right side, the Mount St Louis Express Quad , installed 1989

Third Picture shows the back of the ski area. In the background of the picture is the mound built for the Adventure Six Pack and the Promenade Express Six. The real ridge is about 350 to to 420 feet high, everything above that has been added. On the Moonstone side (Adventure and Promenade lifts) , 70 feet in height has been added. On the Mount St Louis side (Stretcher Triple and St louis Express Quad, the total height added is a bit more. we will see what the final hieght is when the lift manufacturer releases their install specs.

Fourth picture shows current (2006) mountain building from the far left rear of the mountain on the Mount St. Louis side. If you think that pile of dirt is big, it is, between 2.5 and 4 million cubic yards of dirt (by my guess, adding up the ski resorts numbers)

Fifth picture showns the Timberline double again on the left, the Stretcher Triple (no Top) and the Mount St. Louis Express Quad on the right. You can see that the earth pile building is still happening this summer.

So the last mountain building in 1996 and 1999 gave them two Express Six Packs, this current addition will add another Six Pack to the family. I remember being told that the Promenade Six Pack in 1999 cost $700,000 Canadian dollars just to build the earth pile and that was only 550,000 cubic metres of material. This current building session is over 1,200,000 cubic metres (probably more) so mountain building the Huter family way (the owners) does not come cheap.

All pictures taken from public lands, no I did not trespass for my pictures.

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This post has been edited by andyh1962: 19 July 2006 - 08:04 PM

[skiersage]

well, first of all, mont st. Louis is not the first ski area to do this type of addition. Apple mountain for xample was built out of flat ground. Apple Mountain Pics It is very short but people ski on it.

second, it appears that these lifts are for sale on mad river's website.
skyway triple
Poma double
The thing that it says though is that they will not be sold until 2007. Which makes sence since they will not be installing the six pack until 2007 at the earliest. However, the strecher triple is already partialy removed. so are they gonna extend it for use this year or are they gonna go with out? It does not make sence to re install a return station for just one season of use.

Anyway, here are some pics that duck posted of mont st. louis last year.
2004.11.27 - Mount St. Louis-Moonstone