8 replies to this topic

[Backbowlsbilly]

Coming back from a ski day at Winter Park to the parking lots, I took the Village Cabriolet 8-Passenger Cabriolet gondola. Winter Park, as most of you probably know, is operated by Intrawest and the cabriolet was one of the first improvements they made. Looking at other Intrawest resorts or former Intrawest resorts, there is a noticeable trend towards the Cabriolet gondola and base village development. Here's the full list that I've put together.

1. Winter Park, Village Cabriolet
2. Blue Mountain, Summer Gondola (This lift is a detachable six passenger lift in the winter but they take off the chairs and put cabriolet cabins on for the summer season)
3. Mont Tremblant, Cabriolet
4. Mountain Creek, The Cabriolet
5. Panorama Mountain Village, Village Gondola (This lift isn't a detachable cabriolet but rather, a pulse cabriolet gondola)

One of the only other mountains that has a cabriolet and has no Intrawest history is Canyons. If we also include regular pulse gondolas, the list grows a bit further.

6. Whistler Blackcomb, Kadenwood Gondola
7. Steamboat, Wildhorse Gondola

Mammoth's Village Gondola could also be put onto this list but it would be a stretch since it is a more normal gondola installation. Any thoughts? Any non-Intrawest cabriolets that I missed?

[snoloco]

I wonder if any other mountain has a cabriolet serving regular ski runs like they have at Mountain Creek.

[skier2]

snoloco, on 11 January 2014 - 01:38 PM, said:

I wonder if any other mountain has a cabriolet serving regular ski runs like they have at Mountain Creek.

I've often wondered why Mountain Creek has a cabriolet serving regular terrain. It could be to control traffic while still having a high speed lift, or it could have just seemed gimmicky when it was installed and that added to its appeal. It seems like an inefficient and undesirable configuration for regular terrain to me.

[snoloco]

skier2, on 11 January 2014 - 04:13 PM, said:

I've often wondered why Mountain Creek has a cabriolet serving regular terrain. It could be to control traffic while still having a high speed lift, or it could have just seemed gimmicky when it was installed and that added to its appeal. It seems like an inefficient and undesirable configuration for regular terrain to me.

"The flying basket" was built in 1998 before the six pack really caught on. According to the chairlift gallery on this website, there was only one six pack in the east back then. It was the American Express at Stratton. They needed a lift with a high capacity since it is on the main peak of a mountain that gets lots of crowds. It has a capacity of 3000 pph according to the Doppelmayr World Book. The other benefit is that there are no misloads or misunloads since all you need to do is walk on or off. I still wonder why they didn't get a regular gondola. I am guessing that gondolas have a slightly lower capacity than cabriolets do. I do not know of any 8 person gondola that has a capacity of over 2800 pph. The triangular shape of the cars allows for close spacing in the contours which means high capacity. This lift also is used for mountain biking in the summer. No lift is easier to use for mountain bikes. All bikers need to do is walk their bike up to the bottom terminal, stand it up on the back wheel, wheel it in, and lean it over the side.

This post has been edited by snoloco: 11 January 2014 - 05:00 PM

[jaytrem]

When they built the Mountain Creek one there were BIG plans for the property at the top of the mountain. If I recall correctly they pretty much all got shot down due to environmental concerns. So in theory the lift would have been used for transporting a lot more than skiers. I also remember the articles mentioning how easily it could be used with wheelchairs. Since nothing is ever going to happen up there they should probably just get some chairs for it. Everyone I know that skis there hates that thing (I'm from NJ).

[Lift Dinosaur]

Backbowlsbilly, on 11 January 2014 - 11:37 AM, said:

7. Steamboat, Wildhorse Gondola

Intrawest has no connection to the Wildhorse Gondola, other than it provides access to Steamboat. It is privately operated.
Dino

[snoloco]

jaytrem, on 11 January 2014 - 06:08 PM, said:

When they built the Mountain Creek one there were BIG plans for the property at the top of the mountain. If I recall correctly they pretty much all got shot down due to environmental concerns. So in theory the lift would have been used for transporting a lot more than skiers. I also remember the articles mentioning how easily it could be used with wheelchairs. Since nothing is ever going to happen up there they should probably just get some chairs for it. Everyone I know that skis there hates that thing (I'm from NJ).

I would rather that they upgrade it to a bigger enclosed gondola. If it were a chair, then it would slow down and stop all the time and may even need to run at reduced speed. It usually runs in the 900 to 1,000 fpm range now. It would probably need to be run at about 800 fpm due to accidents. I would rather waste some time taking my skis off than have to sit on a lift that stopped multiple times on the way up. Look how well it works over at South. That lift now slows at least once a ride because they did away with the park pass that kept beginners away from that lift. The Cabriolet should never be converted to a chair unless they want to see some major misloads and misunloads.

[jaytrem]

snoloco, on 11 January 2014 - 07:12 PM, said:

I would rather that they upgrade it to a bigger enclosed gondola. If it were a chair, then it would slow down and stop all the time and may even need to run at reduced speed. It usually runs in the 900 to 1,000 fpm range now. It would probably need to be run at about 800 fpm due to accidents. I would rather waste some time taking my skis off than have to sit on a lift that stopped multiple times on the way up. Look how well it works over at South. That lift now slows at least once a ride because they did away with the park pass that kept beginners away from that lift. The Cabriolet should never be converted to a chair unless they want to see some major misloads and misunloads.

Most people I know that go there are snowboarders. It is more annoying taking a snowboard off everytime, tele skis are even worse. The other day I stuck with regular alpine skis at Killington just for that reason. But still, you're the first person I've ever heard say they don't want chairs on that thing. I haven't been there enough to have an opinion, just a couple weekdays many years ago.

[Aussierob]

Just to clarify, Kadenwood is a private lift that WB operates and maintains for the strata. Technically I would call it a gondola as it has enclosed cabins, rather than the open cabriolet style.

This post has been edited by Aussierob: 14 January 2014 - 05:32 AM