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New Lifts for 2010


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#1 SkiBachelor

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Posted 23 September 2008 - 05:30 PM

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Within the next two years, Mt. Bachelor plans to replace Outback altogether or completely overhaul its terminals, Rathbun said.

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...p;nav_category=

The Outback Express was installed in 1987 and is a Doppelmayr HSQ, currently the oldest HSQ at Mt. Bachelor.
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#2 Aussierob

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Posted 28 September 2008 - 05:31 AM

Purely rumor and speculation - Harmony to be moved to the Crystal zone on Blackcomb and replaced with a six pack.
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#3 Tin Woodsman

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 02:58 PM

View PostAussierob, on Sep 28 2008, 09:31 AM, said:

Purely rumor and speculation - Harmony to be moved to the Crystal zone on Blackcomb and replaced with a six pack.

Presumably to that liftline that was cut a long time ago to the North of the current Crystal lift? Would make a lot of sense and make it so much easier to do laps on Spanky's etc..

#4 Aussierob

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 08:09 PM

Yes it would. :cool:
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#5 Peter

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Posted 29 September 2008 - 08:27 PM

Speaking of W-B, what ever happened to the cabin upgrade on the Whistler Village Gondola that was supposed to happen?
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#6 Jonni

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Posted 01 October 2008 - 06:12 AM

I heard off of Snowjournal that Hidden Valley plans to be building a HSQ on their Morning Star area for the summer of 2010. Here's a link the post:

http://www.snowjourn...?cid=topic14066
Chairlift n. A transportation system found at most ski areas in which a series of chairs suspended from a cable rapidly conveys anywhere from one to eight skiers from the front of one line to the back of another.

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#7 Peter

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Posted 16 October 2008 - 01:58 PM

From Moonlight: We have had some plans to replace Headwaters with a longer fixed grip triple for about 2 years. It would load near the bottom of Lone Tree, have a mid-station unload at the current bottom terminal of Headwaters and a final unload at the current site of the top terminal of Headwaters. I think that may be why Headwaters was listed for sale, too bad, its really been a gem since we re-built it. I hope we hold on to if and if we replace it, we put it somewhere else.
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#8 Kicking Horse

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Posted 07 November 2008 - 06:00 PM

I'm going to place this here. Even though it may happen 09 Summer.

A-basin is planning on replacing the main lift out of the base area with a HSQ. They are waiting to see how this winter is $$$$ wise. This is coming from one of the Mangers that work @ A-basin.
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#9 twrrat

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Posted 20 November 2008 - 04:17 PM

White Pass expansion approved with no appeals. It's been along 24 years coming.
2 new lifts and a mid mountain lodge.It will almost double the size of the ski area.
Go to www.skiwhitepass.com :smile:

This post has been edited by twrrat: 20 November 2008 - 04:33 PM


#10 egieszl

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Posted 30 November 2008 - 11:02 PM

I've seen several articles with Mt. Baldy officials stating that if all goes as planned Mt. Baldy (Southern California) will replace Chair 1 (ancient double) with a detachable quad in 2010. The ski area finally completed their six-million gallon snowmaking reservoir this fall.

#11 Tin Woodsman

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Posted 01 December 2008 - 07:27 AM

View Postegieszl, on Dec 1 2008, 02:02 AM, said:

I've seen several articles with Mt. Baldy officials stating that if all goes as planned Mt. Baldy (Southern California) will replace Chair 1 (ancient double) with a detachable quad in 2010. The ski area finally completed their six-million gallon snowmaking reservoir this fall.

Then again, you've got to take what the owners of Baldy saw with a whole shaker of salt. They've had the same pending expansion page on their website for the Manker Flats area for about a decade. Great to see they got their reservoir in place, though 6 million gallons is still tiny. I'd be shocked if they throw down the $3-4MM necessary for a detatchable.

#12 Peter

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Posted 01 January 2009 - 12:01 PM

Vail's new Chair 5 passes key test
Vail Mountain also gets OK for new restaurant but not expanded racing terrain
Chair 5 in Vail Mountain's Back Bowls could be replaced by a high-speed lift in 2010. The resort company also plans to build another lift nearby.

Quote
“And everywhere else in Vail has high-speed lifts, so it won’t affect any of the charm of the place.”
— Brett Bergman
VAIL, Colorado — Getting in and out of the Back Bowls may in Vail, Colorado be faster and easier with plans for a replacement for Chair 5 and a new lift from Sun Down Bowl.

The resort is one step closer to getting the lifts after the U.S. Forest Service gave the green light for the projects earlier this week. Plans include replacing the three-seat Chair 5 with a four-seat, high-speed lift and installing a Sun Down Express lift, which would provide access from the western part of Sun Down Bowl to the ridge above Game Creek.

“There’s a purpose and need to do that,” said Forest Service Snow Ranger Don Dressler of the lifts. “Skier circulation will benefit and wait times will be reduced.”

Chair 5 was originally installed in 1979 and can carry 1,400 people per hour. The new lift would almost double that number. The Sun Down express would provide a more efficient way out of the bowls and reduce lines at both Chair 5 and Chair 11, reports said.

The mountain hopes to start on the lift projects in the summer of 2010 pending on the approval, said Chris Jarnot, Vail Mountain’s chief operating officer.

The Forest Service has done an environmental review of the project and published the results for public comment. The public has 45 days to comment on the improvements, and the Forest Service is schedule to make a final decision in the spring.

Some skiers an snowboarders said the faster lifts out of the bowls is welcome news. Skier Bart Cuomo called slow access at Chair 5 the “biggest problem” on the mountain.

“Have you ever had to wait in line at chair 5 on a powder day?” he said.

Skier Brett Bergman said that sitting on the slow lift in the freezing weather is his biggest complaint, and that he’s in support of any improvements that will get skiers out of the bowls faster.

“Anything’s better than what’s there,” he said. “And everywhere else in Vail has high-speed lifts, so it won’t affect any of the charm of the place.”

Others were more hesitant to see one of Vail’s only remaining older lifts go.

“I love the old Chair 5. It will always have a nice place in my heart,” said ski patroller Dawn Vogeler. “But it’s probably something they have to do eventually.”

Vail Mountain improvements
The following proposed projects for Vail Mountain got a tentative thumbs-up from the U.S. Forest Service:
• Upgrading Chair 5 (High Noon).
• New lift into Sun Down Bowl.
• New snowcat maintenance facility.
• New “fine-dining” restaurant at top of Chairs 4, 5 and 11.
• More snowmaking equipment for Simba run.

One did not:
• Expanding the Golden Peak race venue.

See the full environmental report under “projects and plans” at www.fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver
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#13 jerryg

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Posted 04 January 2009 - 09:34 PM

Heavenly was supposed to replace the old Galaxy Chair (SLI Double) with an HSQ this past summer, but I think that Bear Creek's bailout of the convention center debacle put that on hold. This should happen in the summer of 2009 with the summer of 2010 seeing the removal of the North Bowl Triple (Riblet/Yan) and the installation of a HSQ. The order should be reversed for these lifts, but I'm sure Vail has their reasons.

#14 hyak.net

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Posted 08 January 2009 - 11:19 AM

Very likely the Hyak HSQ will be installed this summer for next season. No official word yet, but I'd bet my house on this one.

#15 tahoeistruckin

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Posted 02 February 2009 - 09:16 PM

i would think alot of resorts are having second thoghtsright now about sending much on captial improvments, considering the current economy.

millon doolrs at least just for the lift, not to mention the price of dirt work, price electrical work, etc. vs. the $$ NOT coming into the reosorts this winter.

#16 SkiBachelor

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Posted 08 March 2009 - 10:21 AM

View PostDonaldMReif, on Mar 8 2009, 10:00 AM, said:

Not only is the High Noon lift a pain in the Sundown and Sun Up bowls, but the Sun Up lift is a pain. If I were the Vail Resorts manager, I'd lobby for both the High Noon Express lift and for the Sun Up Express lift, which would replace the triple Sun Up, but be longer starting at the bottom of the High Noon Lift. Best bet would be to buy one of defunct Tamarack's Leitner-Poma quads, Tamarack Express to be exact, refurbish it, and then install it as the Sun Up Express. As an added safety measure to prevent lift derailments if a skier jumps, the towers would be combination towers with wheels holding down and up the cable so that the lift wouldn't derail much.


Please Note: This thread is intended to inform users about the possibility of new lifts for 2010, not to share your opinions about what lifts should be replaced and their features.
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#17 Peter

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Posted 10 March 2009 - 01:24 PM

Looks like the lift lines have been cut and Doppelmayr (Which apparently is now German?!) will be building both the detachable and fixed quads in 2010 at White Pass.

White Pass Expansion Begins
Video here: http://www.kimatv.com/news/local/40990172....deo=YHI&t=a


Story Published: Mar 9, 2009 at 5:43 PM PDT
By Steve Wellman

It's been a local winter playground for decades and the increasingly popular slopes at White Pass are often over-crowded with skiers and snowboarders.

But after years of court battles with environmentalists, a major expansion is finally taking place. In a vast swath of pristine terrain behind the current resort there will be a lodge, two new chair lifts and new slopes tailor-made for the joys of winter sports.

So what's it like to be in this paradise right now?

To find out Steve Wellman hitched a ride with a survey crew from Dopplemayr, the German company that'll build two new ski lifts. Accomplishing that won't be easy because no roads can be built into the new area.

"It'll be challenging," says Randy Henry, a construction manager for Doppelmayr. "The logistics of getting the equipment out back will be challenging."

Kevin McCarthy, General Manager for White Pass says "You can't build a road but you can drive equipment over snow out here."

As we drove into the areas where the lifts will be built, in places we hit snow so deep the snowcat had a hard time getting through it.

McCarthy says all construction will be done using snowcats, snowmobiles and helicopters.

In a little less than two years the now-empty back country will be a playground with the ground left unscarred.

McCarthy gestures down the mountain. "What you're looking at is down the lift line toward the base of the detachable. It's about a 1000 foot drop."

For a preview of these runs we drop off two White Pass Ski Patrollers with a camera. They take off on a fantasy run to the bottom in untracked virgin powder.

"There's so much new terrain back here...over seven hundred acres, " says Steve Wellman. "13 new named runs and many others not even named yet."

Some pioneers have been hiking the area for years and having it all to themselves. But at least one veteran backcountry skier, Phil Gallagher says he's happy about the new lifts: "For guys like me it just makes it closer to get to the places we want to go."
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#18 Peter

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Posted 27 March 2009 - 07:57 PM

Looks like 2 new quads for Saddleback, Maine in 2010. Rangeley and Magalloway.

Saddleback Maine Purchases Oquossoc Cove Marina
Two Year Expansion Plan

RANGELEY, ME —

March 26, 2009

For Immediate Release


Contact: JoAnne Taylor

jtaylor@saddlebackmaine.com

207-864-5671, ext. 115

SADDLEBACK MAINE ANNOUNCES PURCHASE OF OQUOSSOC COVE MARINA

AND TWO YEAR MOUNTAIN EXPANSION PLAN

AUGUSTA, Maine -- At a press conference today in the Governor's Office at the Maine State Capitol, Governor John Baldacci joined Warren Cook, General Manager of Saddleback Maine to announce that Saddleback Maine has reached an agreement on a lease/purchase of a 60 slip marina on Rangeley Lake with capacity to add 60 more slips. The transaction, to be completed in early May, will improve the summer vacation experience for Saddleback property owners and guests, making the resort an even more viable year-round vacation destination.

This year, Saddleback's paid visits are up 22 percent over last year, with season pass year to date increases at 23 percent, and real estate sales at the Resort over the season total $4,000,000.

"I knew when Warren Cook and the Berry Family joined forces at Saddleback that things would happen, even in these tough economic times, but I did not expect it to happen this quickly." said Governor Baldacci. "This is exciting news for Franklin County, the State, and our vitally important tourism industry."

This marina is part of Saddleback's plan to build strong connections to the lake and to the villages of Rangeley and Oquossoc. It will allow property owners and guests the opportunity to enjoy all that the area has to offer, and be part of the history of the legendary Lakes region. Saddleback has plans to open a real estate office in the village of Rangeley. At both the marina and real estate office locations, they will offer vacationers tours of the lake, of the mountain and the area, introducing people to the history, culture, and outdoor recreational opportunities.

Current marina owner and Oquossoc resident, Larry Koob will continue to oversee the Marina as part of the deal. Koob commented, "I like the direction Saddleback is going and am pleased to be part of these exciting next steps. It will be good for the area and our customers."

Working collaboratively with the local community has been a key strategy for Cook, who was hired as general manager of Saddleback just six months ago. In addition, Cook often comments that Saddleback is a real ski mountain, and what differentiates it from other resorts is the nearby legendary Lakes. He says "Come ski for the winter and stay for the summer."

Given the robust winter real estate activity, including continued strong interest from the United Kingdom, Saddleback also outlined its plan to begin the design and pre-selling of an 80 room condominium hotel adjacent to the impressive Base Lodge at the base of the mountain. This sales effort will begin this fall and is part of the approved LURC ten year plan.

Additional summer projects for 2009 will include the design of a 1000 seat expansion of the recently completed Base Lodge; planning for the replacement of the 1962 Rangeley double chair with a quad chair; planning the installation of a new quad chair in the Magalloway area of the mountain that would serve one existing real estate development and two new areas totaling over 500 units when built out, as well as the ski trails above it. The planning and funding will be completed by the spring of 2010 with construction beginning that summer.

In connection with this expansion Saddleback is helping to fund and is participating in an affordable housing study being conducted by the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust. The study will look at ways to provide affordable housing for the additional staff demanded by the area's growth.

Saddleback is also looking at alternative energy solutions to support housing expansions and the resort's overall energy needs.

Both of these efforts are part of the Resort's vision of carefully crafting growth, with an environmental focus and a commitment to the community.

Saddleback Maine currently employs 40 staff members year round and during the winter season the staff increases to around 180. It is expected that with the expansion plan, Saddleback staffing will increase by 15 percent in the next year and an additional 15 percent when the hotel is completed. It is anticipated that local area businesses will benefit from this significant expansion, which will drive new business to this impressive part of Franklin County in Western Maine. Historically, the Rangeley Lakes region has been a noted vacation area of inland Maine for over 100 years and the current improvements are aimed at reinforcing that tradition.
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#19 boardski

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Posted 28 March 2009 - 06:35 AM

View PostSkier, on Oct 16 2008, 03:58 PM, said:

From Moonlight: We have had some plans to replace Headwaters with a longer fixed grip triple for about 2 years. It would load near the bottom of Lone Tree, have a mid-station unload at the current bottom terminal of Headwaters and a final unload at the current site of the top terminal of Headwaters. I think that may be why Headwaters was listed for sale, too bad, its really been a gem since we re-built it. I hope we hold on to if and if we replace it, we put it somewhere else.

It definately looked as though Headwaters is not native to Moonlight. Where did the chair come from?? The new triple chair sounds nice, not sure if the midway unload would be necessary unless it is for people who would accidently load that chair and begin to realize how steep the terrain is and want to bail out. Another good place for a lift, probably would have to be high speed due to length, is serving the intermediate and easier expert terrain on the backside of Lone Tree so people would not have to push accross the flats to get to 6 shooter. Is there a lift in this area coming soon?
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#20 liftmech

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Posted 28 March 2009 - 04:52 PM

View Posttwrrat, on Nov 20 2008, 06:17 PM, said:

White Pass expansion approved with no appeals. It's been along 24 years coming.
2 new lifts and a mid mountain lodge.It will almost double the size of the ski area.
Go to www.skiwhitepass.com :smile:


Sweet. I've been looking at that area since I was a little kid and the Hogsback lift was on the old trail map as 'proposed'.
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