22 replies to this topic

[iceberg210]

Well it's the end of the quarter so I headed home (Salt Lake) to ski during finals week (thank you for not having any finals on finals week!) and the week of spring break. While I'm down here I figured I'd take some pictures of lifts, heck it's a fun pastime, and also figured you guys might want to see the pics of some of the newer lifts around here. So far I've been to Snowbird and Solitude so those are the only places I have pics of. Also is anyone is down here and might want to meet up on the hill I'm here for the next two weeks (minus this weekend) feel free to PM me and maybe we can meet skiing somewhere.

Anyway here are the pictures, I've got more of some other stuff but you've probably already seen pics of them, so if you want I'll post them as well (tell me what you want to see I'll see if I have it). Anyway thanks for reading and enjoy the pics!

For convenience sake I'll post the pics in separate posts to organize things better (plus you can only get so many in a post)

This post has been edited by iceberg210: 17 March 2009 - 09:35 PM

[iceberg210]

Well first up is just some random shots that I either really liked or don't really fit in with the other categories.

First up is a couple pics from Snowbird and one from Solitude.

Me in front of Powderhorn, one of my favorite lifts.
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Nice picture of Milly Express looking from
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A picture I took of the tram coming down part of Silver Fox
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A picture of the newly repainted (or at least semi recently) Mid Gad drive station.
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A picture down Dalton's Draw towards the Snowbird center. There was some nice soft bumps in there the other day.
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Number of downloads: 24

This post has been edited by iceberg210: 17 March 2009 - 09:08 PM

[iceberg210]

Now for the new Solitude quads. Apex and Moonbeam

Apex first

Bottom,
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Number of downloads: 36

Apex with it's new friends Powderhorn and Sunrise
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Number of downloads: 36

Further out view of the bottom to give perspective
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Top of Apex
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Number of downloads: 27

This post has been edited by iceberg210: 17 March 2009 - 09:09 PM

[iceberg210]

Moonbeam Express

Top
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Number of downloads: 35
Solitude's new twins (twin high speeders that is, tops of Apex and Moonbeam)  apex_moonbeam1.JPG (237.27K)
Number of downloads: 38
The new Moonbeam lodge
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Number of downloads: 22
Moonbeam Bottom
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Number of downloads: 21

Oh and Cameron I know that the chairlift database is getting a major facelift soon so when you need them feel free to use these. I also have larger versions as well if you prefer those, PM me or email me and I'll send them to you guys.

This post has been edited by iceberg210: 17 March 2009 - 10:07 PM

[Peter]

If you happen to make it to The Canyons, snap a few pics of Timberline and Frostwood please!

[Walt Askier]

Ok, I'm confused....

I remember the old Moonbeam chair, a fixed grip quad.

Two or three years ago I went back to Solidude and the "new" Moonbeam Express had taken it's place, but I seem to recall that the new lift was a fixed grip - they'd changed the unloading location, but it seemed like the same lift.

Now the picture shows what's clearly a detachable.

Am I remembering all this wrong, or did Solitude have a fixed grip as the "new" Moonbeam chair for a while?

[Peter]

Walt Askier, on Mar 18 2009, 06:42 AM, said:

Ok, I'm confused....

I remember the old Moonbeam chair, a fixed grip quad.

Two or three years ago I went back to Solidude and the "new" Moonbeam Express had taken it's place, but I seem to recall that the new lift was a fixed grip - they'd changed the unloading location, but it seemed like the same lift.

Now the picture shows what's clearly a detachable.

Am I remembering all this wrong, or did Solitude have a fixed grip as the "new" Moonbeam chair for a while?

Moonbeam Thiokol Triple: 1977-2005
Moonbeam Doppelmayr CTEC Fixed Quad: 2005-2008
Moonbeam Express Doppelmayr CTECHigh Speed Quad 2008-Present

[iceberg210]

Yeah don't worry Walt you're remembering correctly there was a fixed grip quad there the past couple years.

Solitude's lift replacement plan has confused me some as of late honestly. Why put in a FGQ just to replace it shortly afterwords with a HSQ. Plus it's not like they hadn't already proposed a HSQ I have a trail map from the early 2000's that has a proposed lift line for a Moonbeam Express. You wonder if they got all the permits, the money didn't come in quite right, and they just decided whatever we'll build a FG anyway.

Apex also confuses me a bit as they could have replaced Powderhorn with a HSQ and then left Apex. Since Powderhorn accesses all the terrain that Apex does you could just use Apex on busy days. In the current configuration you have to run both since Powderhorn accesses terrain that no other lift does.

Anyone else confused with Solitude's logic or have some logic that attempts to make since of the lift layout?

[SkiBachelor]

The plan I heared was to replace both the Apex and Powderhorn lifts with one detachable and have a mid station where the former/current Apex lift terminates.

[iceberg210]

Hmmm. The midstation there would have to turn if it wanted to get to the top of Powderhorn cause the top of Powderhorn is much to the East of the top of Apex. I guess they could do the turn station like Alta did but honestly even at that it doesn't make a whole ton of sense to me. Seems like Powderhorn would have been the one to replace as even before they built the new HSQ Apex wasn't used near as much as the other lifts cause again it doesn't access anything that Powderhorn doesn't.

Oh well, we'll just have to see, although I'm not really complaining since I love the old Powderhorn lift and since it's still just a FGD it helps preserve some of the powder up there. It's a great lift to great terrain, possibly my favorite lift (although Alpental's old Eldilwiess (sp?) is probably right up there, or Wildcat). There's just so much good stuff off Powderhorn whether you drop back into Honeycomb, drop off to the East towards Summit, or even run back down the lift line it's just a great area.

[Walt Askier]

iceberg210, on Mar 18 2009, 11:28 AM, said:

Yeah don't worry Walt you're remembering correctly there was a fixed grip quad there the past couple years....
Anyone else confused with Solitude's logic or have some logic that attempts to make since of the lift layout?

Thanks for the confimation that my memory is not completly shot....

When I was there in '03, the trail map indicated that the Moonbeam chair was going to be replaced by a detachable. I didn't understand why they'd replace that chair which serves beginner terrain when the other lifts seemed like better targets. It just didn't make any sense.

Then again, neither did their policy of closing the beer concession when the lifts closed.

[Skiing#1]

Iceberg210, Thank you for sharing these pictures of Solidute's new two chairlifts. I am happy to see these pictures. I was going to go there but I lost job last January . This year I don't go skiing very much.

Are you going to Brighton? There is a new building behind Milly Express. IF you do, take picture of that building and post this one.

Last January, I went to Deer Valley (my friend gave me a free ticket), and I noticed there is a new building at the top of Flagstaff Mountain. I don't know if they builted this one last summer or last year?

Have fun around Utah ski resorts.

[floridaskier]

The new building at Deer Valley is a new warming hut they put in last summer. There was a little shack up there before, and an outhouse, and another shack for patrol. The new Cushing's Cabin is a lot nicer and bigger and permanent. The Flagstaff ski patrol is in there too.

Did Solitude sell the Moonbeam fixed quad equipment, or do they plan on installing it somewhere else on the mountain?

[SkiBachelor]

If I remember correctly, Moonbeam will be reinstalled and will located near the top of the Moonbeam Express and terminate near the top of the Powderhorn lift.

[CH3skier]

Last January, I went to Deer Valley (my friend gave me a free ticket), and I noticed there is a new building at the top of Flagstaff Mountain. I don't know if they builted this one last summer or last year?

[/quote]

Here is pic of it, agree with Floridaskier, a much needed improvement for how busy that area is.

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[boardski]

SkiBachelor, on Mar 18 2009, 07:05 PM, said:

If I remember correctly, Moonbeam will be reinstalled and will located near the top of the Moonbeam Express and terminate near the top of the Powderhorn lift.

One plan I heard was to install the former FGQ Moonbeam from the top of current Moonbeam to the top of Powderhorn and remove Powderhorn. Hopefully they will reconsider. If Solitude is utilized any way similar to the Colorado mtns, that FGQ will be full of people trying to ski in terrain far beyond their abilities and will be stopped more than it will be running.

[iceberg210]

That new placement of a FGQ and then taking out Powderhorn in my opinion is a really really bad idea. The beauty of Powderhorn is it's one of the few steep areas of Solitude you can actually do laps on. You can't do laps on the backside of Honeycomb (well except for Navarro) while Powderhorn gives you the east face, the more nortern face as well as some nice cruisers down to Moonbeam then you cruise back to the base of Powderhorn and do it all over again. On a good powder day I've spent all day on that one lift (except for the occasional Honeycomb Return after dropping off the backside through the Powderhorn gates into Honeycomb.

I really think Powderhorn is the best lift at Solitude, it's one of the few lifts there that is actually long, and replacing it with basically a HSQ to a FGQ doesn't really replace it's versatility.



As you can see from the trail map if you want to do any of the double diamonds to the East of Powderhorn (East is left, into the map is south for reference) you need to use Powderhorn. If they were to replace Powderhorn with the previously mentioned lift system in order to do laps on that area you would have to ride two lifts instead of just one, which in comparison is just annoying. Now if they did add a FGQ from the top of Moonbeam to the top of Powderhorn and kept Powderhorn that might not be a bad idea because then the variety of black runs throughout that bowl would be easier to lap on although you could do the same from Powderhorn so it's not that big of a difference really. The only other advantage I see to that FGQ in that location is it would make it quicker to do laps on many of the gates into Honeycomb because you could ride that lift up, dump back into Honeycomb, ride the Honeycomb Return lift, ski Rhapsody down to the new lift and after riding it be ready to dump back into Honeycomb. That however seems like a pretty niche market and not enough I'm not sure to support a lift.

Case in point, I really don't think removing Powderhorn and not putting a full on replacement (ie same lift line) is a good idea whatsoever, but that's just me.

[Skiing#1]

These pictures are Cushing's Cabin at the top of Flagstaff Mountain at Deer Valley. It is really nice. I like it better (food, relax, and restroom) than have to ski down to the bottom Silver Lake or Snow Park. Bald Mountain has small restrooms between Sultan and Wasatch.

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Front of the cabin

This post has been edited by Skiing#1: 18 March 2009 - 08:53 PM

[Skiing#1]

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Number of downloads: 15 Back of the cabin

This post has been edited by Skiing#1: 18 March 2009 - 08:49 PM

[Skiing#1]

More pix...

Left picture: Nice Window to see the lifts.
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Right picture: downstairs to the restroom, upstairs to eat and warm area (left to exit)
(front of me, left to exit, too. there are two doors at the front)

This post has been edited by Skiing#1: 18 March 2009 - 08:58 PM