19 replies to this topic

[DonaldMReif]

Skier, on 21 July 2009 - 01:47 PM, said:

Another day, another new lift for Doppelmayr CTEC. Solitude will replace Powderhorn with a high speed quad this summer. $1.5 million seems really cheap for a high speed quad. It looks like Powderhorn II will be in a completely different area than the current lift but with the same top station.

Solitude to replace Powderhorn Lift with new quad
July 21, 8:07 AM

Solitude Mountain Resort, located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, has announced that they have begun construction of a new high speed quad that will replace the Powderhorn double chair. The $1.5 million project is the latest upgrade to Solitude's lift system which included last year's installation of the Apex and Moonbeam high speed quads.

The new Powderhorn lift (known as Powderhorn II) will begin at the bottom of the Sunshine Bowl, halfway up the mountain, and end in the same place as the current lift. The thinking behind a mid-mountain start is to allow expert skiers and riders the chance to lap the steep runs and trees without having to ski the beginner runs to the bottom. This also means that in order to reach Powderhorn II, skiers and snowboarders will be required to first ride Apex, Moonbeam, or Eagle Express. The higher speed and shorter ascent means the new Powderhorn II quad will whisk people to the top in seven minutes as opposed to 12 minutes on the old lift.

According to Solitude's website, Powderhorn II is not only being built to get skiers to the top of the mountain faster, but to also create “greater on mountain flow,” and to, “utilize pockets of terrain which are naturally separated by the layout and slope of the mountain.” In a nutshell, this means that expert skiers will stay in the steeps, and beginners will stay on the bottom, as the lift placement and terrain will “segregate” the different ability levels, which will increase the enjoyment of everyone skiing at Solitude.

Although many people won't be sorry to see the 70's era Powderhorn double-lift retire, others will lament the fact that yet another old, classic lift is going away. Skiers will argue that a speedy lift will cause powder to be tracked out much faster than with a slower double, while the flip-side will say that the less time spent on a lift means more time making turn on the slopes. Either way, progress can't be stopped and Solitude will have a shiny new quad ready for skiers to ride for the '09-'10 winter season.


Summer 2009 Lifts:
Google Map: http://maps.google.c....169922&t=h&z=4
1 Badger Pass, CA Doppelmayr CTEC Double Badger
2 Bristol Mountain, NY Doppelmayr CTEC High Speed Quad Galaxy Express
3 Gunstock, NH Doppelmayr CTEC Quad
4 Massanutten, VA Doppelmayr CTEC Quad Chair 3
5 Northstar-at-Tahoe, CA Doppelmayr CTEC Pulse Gondola Highlands Express Gondola
6 Northstar-at-Tahoe, CA Doppelmayr CTEC Quad Bear Paw
7 Red River, NM Doppelmayr CTEC Triple Red
8 Solitude, UT Doppelmayr CTEC High Speed Quad Powderhorn II
9 Steamboat, CO Doppelmayr CTEC Pulse Gondola Wildhorse Gondola
10 Sugar Bowl, CA Doppelmayr CTEC Quad Judah
11 Sun Valley, ID Doppelmayr CTEC Gondola 8 River Run Gondola
12 Whistler Blackcomb, BC Doppelmayr CTEC High Speed Quad Timing Flats
13 Marmot Basin, AB Leitner-Poma High Speed Quad Canadian Rockies Express
14 Mount Pakenham, ON Leitner-Poma Quad Mika's Express
15 Nakiska, AB Leitner-Poma High Speed Quad Gold
16 Berkshire East, MA Used Triple Diamondhead Express
17 Shawnee Peak, ME Used CTEC Triple Summit
18 Moonlight Basin, MT Used Doppelmayr Double Stagecoach
19 Eaglecrest, AK Used Riblet Double Mid Mountain
20 Bruce Mound, WI Used Superior Tramway Triple
21 Sleeping Giant, WY Used Yan Triple

I've always thought that a high speed quad would be best for Powderhorn. It must be a good thing to replace it!

[iceberg210]

This new Solitude Powderhorn II I find to be well, how to say this politely, a poorly aligned lift in the least.

One of the things I loved about the old Powderhorn is that you could run the real nice terrain that was off the left hand side of the lift (looking up it, you went through that gate by the ski patrol shack) and you could actually do laps on it. However with the new lift alignment you can't do that anymore. The only thing you can do is run the runs right back to the top of Moonbeam if you want to do laps.

I really just don't understand what the point is here. You access less terrain and in my opinion actually make the lift design on the mountain worse. Even if you wanted to put a new lift at the spot where Powderhorn II is why not leave the old one? There's plenty of room to have both end up there on the top of the mountain.

Oh well, hopefully all will work out for the better, but somehow I'm very pessimistic on this one.

[Kicking Horse]

DonaldMReif, on 26 July 2009 - 04:34 PM, said:

I've always thought that a high speed quad would be best for Powderhorn. It must be a good thing to replace it!

Are talking about the ski area Powderhorn or the lift in Utah Called Powderhorn..........

[boardski]

iceberg210, on 29 July 2009 - 12:11 PM, said:

This new Solitude Powderhorn II I find to be well, how to say this politely, a poorly aligned lift in the least.

One of the things I loved about the old Powderhorn is that you could run the real nice terrain that was off the left hand side of the lift (looking up it, you went through that gate by the ski patrol shack) and you could actually do laps on it. However with the new lift alignment you can't do that anymore. The only thing you can do is run the runs right back to the top of Moonbeam if you want to do laps.

I really just don't understand what the point is here. You access less terrain and in my opinion actually make the lift design on the mountain worse. Even if you wanted to put a new lift at the spot where Powderhorn II is why not leave the old one? There's plenty of room to have both end up there on the top of the mountain.

Oh well, hopefully all will work out for the better, but somehow I'm very pessimistic on this one.

I echo your pessimism. I have been dreading this lift change since it was discussed two years ago. The FGQ being installed this Summer is the former Moonbeam FGQ which ran for 2 years. Seems they would have been money ahead just to leave the Powderhorn double chair the way it was. Not looking forward to waiting in line at Apex and then waiting in line for the new chair and having it stop and slow multiple times on the way up because beginner skiers unloading the Moonbeam chair see it and decide to ride it. For anyone familiar with A-Basin in Colorado, this change will be similar if (hypothetically) they removed Pallavacini and installed a FGQ from the top of Exhibition to the top of current Pallavacini. It seems punitive toward expert skiers and riders. I'll probably ski at Solitude once more and if the new lift arrangement is a problem, I will not likely return.

[nathanvg]

iceberg210, on 29 July 2009 - 12:11 PM, said:

This new Solitude Powderhorn II I find to be well, how to say this politely, a poorly aligned lift in the least.

One of the things I loved about the old Powderhorn is that you could run the real nice terrain that was off the left hand side of the lift (looking up it, you went through that gate by the ski patrol shack) and you could actually do laps on it. However with the new lift alignment you can't do that anymore. The only thing you can do is run the runs right back to the top of Moonbeam if you want to do laps.

I really just don't understand what the point is here. You access less terrain and in my opinion actually make the lift design on the mountain worse. Even if you wanted to put a new lift at the spot where Powderhorn II is why not leave the old one? There's plenty of room to have both end up there on the top of the mountain.

Oh well, hopefully all will work out for the better, but somehow I'm very pessimistic on this one.

I fully agree that this lift change is a bad call. Solitude has to be one of the only major ski areas to have so many short lifts. With the removal of powderhorn, all lifts will have under 1500 vertical and many even below 1000. Powderhorn was the only lift that allows you to lap double black runs. Advanced skiers will need to ride 2 or even 3 lifts for most of the good runs now. Very disappointing.

vertical/lift (approx numbers)
1300 eagle
600 moonbean
150 link
800 apex
1600 powderhorn (old)
1100 powderhorn II (new)
800 sunrise
1200 summit
600 honneycomb

It may seem like I'm bashing on solitude but it has some great ski runs. I like the place, I just wish the lifts were better planned.

[floridaskier]

It would have been cool if they replaced both Apex and Powderhorn with one high speed quad with an unload station at the top of where Apex gets off. I'm not sure how it would have worked out, but it seems like a better idea than what they're doing now

[iceberg210]

floridaskier, on 02 August 2009 - 07:12 AM, said:

It would have been cool if they replaced both Apex and Powderhorn with one high speed quad with an unload station at the top of where Apex gets off. I'm not sure how it would have worked out, but it seems like a better idea than what they're doing now

The thing is just about anything you do is better than what they are doing. What I would suggest would be to have replaced Powderhorn with a HSQ and then left Apex as it was. Apex is short enough as it is that you don't really need it to have more capacity. And especially since it doesn't access anything that Powderhorn doesn't in non busy times you could just run the new Powderhorn HSQ. Seems to me that would be the most effective lift design if they think they need a HSQ in that area.

The other thing I don't get is why they need to take out Powderhorn with the new Powderhorn. There isn't much up there on that ridge you could keep both lifts and have no issues, so why not keep I and then if you feel like you need it install the new II.

Regardless I still don't know what Solitude is thinking in terms of their lift design and I have this bad feeling it won't be getting any better anytime soon which is too bad as it's a great resort otherwise.

[SkiBachelor]

I remember when the plan was to install a HSQ w/ a mid station to replace both lifts.

[boardski]

SkiBachelor, on 03 August 2009 - 08:39 PM, said:

I remember when the plan was to install a HSQ w/ a mid station to replace both lifts.

Maybe they might eventually consider extending the current Apex lift to the top of Powderhorn leaving a midstation at the current top station (of Apex). I remember reading about the current project 2 years ago and it was stated that they are trying to cater more to beginner and intermediate skiers and riders.

[Peter]

Note: The above posts were taken from the New Lifts 2009 thread.

[Skier123]

What do they mean, "but with the same top terminal"? You can't have a detachable lift with a fixed grip bullwheel.

[Skier123]

Skier123, on 16 August 2009 - 03:05 PM, said:

What do they mean, "but with the same top terminal"? You can't have a detachable lift with a fixed grip bullwheel.

Oh, never mind. They mean it will end at the same location. By the way, according to Solitudes website, it's a fixed grip quad, not detachable.

[Skiing#1]

This morning, I went up to Solitude Ski Resort since I heard they replaced a new lift of Powerhorn II High speed detchable Lift. Powerhorn old lift already went down. I didn't see any new lift equipment on the parking lot. I went to the lift office and asked them some questions about a new lift. They said the new lift will arrive soon and they will install them up. They said it will be ready for Winter 2009-2010.

http://www.skisolitu...er/newlifts.php

I asked them....Why they have new Moonbeam Lift and Powerhorn II instead of one new lift on same area. They don't know why. The manager do that way. I think it is silly.

I wonder can they do fast to install the new lift in two months? I think impossible...who knows.

They still have old chairs...charge $250 each chair or a chair with the pad $295 each.

http://www.skiutah.c...le-at-solitude/

I took the pictures of Powerhorn old chairs. Also, I took the pictures of Eagle Express. The several grips (Eagle Express) are on the ground that I took pictures. I tried to lift the grip up and it is really heavy...about 250 pounds. I lifted it in half and I took picture of bottom of the grip. It is nice.

I will post the pictures tomorrow. Good night.

Attached File(s)

•  new_lift-20101.jpg (363.01K)
  Number of downloads: 27

This post has been edited by Skiing#1: 22 August 2009 - 09:44 PM

[boardski]

If I recall correctly, the FGQ which was the former Moonbeam FGQ was being stored at the Doppelmayr/CTEC plant in Salt Lake City from the time it was removed to install the HSQ Moonbeam until now or whenever they are planning on reinstalling it. Hopefully they have at least completed some of the concrete work. It's going to be difficult to dig in frozen ground and snow. Time will tell...

[Callao]

I'm looking at that $1.5 million price tag, and thinking that sounds like a steal of a deal, considering how much other resorts are spending on new lifts. Does anybody know why this lift is so cheap? Maybe this is why management didn't consolidate lifts, sticking with the same alignment?

I figured that a lift like this would cost around $5 million. Can anybody tell me what is reasonable as far as prices for this?

[boardski]

The $1.5 million is probably the cost for the reinstall and engineering to build the lift to run the new line. Since it operated for 2 years as the Moonbeam FGQ, the lift itself is already paid for or being paid for.

[Skiing#1]

Here are some pictures from old Powerhorn lift.

Attached File(s)

•  1.JPG (1.21MB)
  Number of downloads: 33
•  2.JPG (1.34MB)
  Number of downloads: 34

This post has been edited by Skiing#1: 24 August 2009 - 03:25 PM

[Skiing#1]

More pix

Attached File(s)

•  3.JPG (769.78K)
  Number of downloads: 7
•  4.JPG (845.29K)
  Number of downloads: 8

[Skiing#1]

more pix

Attached File(s)

•  5.JPG (1.17MB)
  Number of downloads: 28
•  6.JPG (562.77K)
  Number of downloads: 20

[iceberg210]

Thanks so much for the pics. Sad but interesting to see Powderhorn on the ground. I contacted Solitude asking what their plans were for the old lift and at least at that time they were planning on using the rest of the lift for parts.

However I'm sure that'd change depending on if another resort came in and offered the right price...