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sugarloaf-timberline quad

Hopefully Telluride Plunge and Coonskin Express lifts (Lifts #9 and #7) and sunshine gondola (#10).
Also hopefully if we get enough snow, stratton snowbowl express. Come on Intrawest, take a break at steamboat and stop neglecting us.

Smacpats, on 17 November 2016 - 02:22 PM, said:

And sadly, Intrawest hasn't even done all that much at Steamboat...not on the scale of earlier projects, anyway. I miss the days of the expansive, well-planned Intrawest base village -- Steamboat could really use some help in this regard. Not to mention the fact that, by the time the proposed new lifts are added, many of the original high speed quads and the gondola will need replacing. So we wait...

What kind of upgrades would you like to see at Steamboat?

I would like to see the planned upgrades (second Sunshine lift, new access gondola, perhaps more) as well as an upgrade to the gondola, if needed, upgrades to Sundown and Storm Peak, if needed, and a revitalization of the base area. Intrawest did great work at Copper, Tremblant and Blue Mountain with the resort villages and this is an area where Steamboat suffers. At some point, I believe work will also be necessary to add a second runout area as skier volume increases — the current layout is narrow and requires excessive mixing of beginner skiers and those returning to the base from the upper mountain. Just my 0.02.

skier2, on 17 November 2016 - 03:13 PM, said:

Yeah, between 95' and 01' we got 4 new lifts, 2 relocations, and everyone was happy at stratton. That was the last lift upgrades we got. The only thing since 01' that has changed in the lift system was the REMOVAL of kidderbrook quad, (I didn't really care much about gondi upgrade, the crowds make that lift never worth it anyways except for thanksgiving and closing week) which IMO served the best terrain on the entire mountain. At least the boat is getting elkhead. Hopefully intrawest throws a sixpack into thunderhead and puts the current thunderhead on snowbowl. Snowbowl is SO LONG OVERDUE.
See sure, Intrawest is neglecting both resorts, but our requests are a lot less overwhelming: Install ONE high speed lift to replace a FGQ. THEY CAN EVEN REUSE THE TOWER TUBES... COME ON!
This post has been edited by Smacpats: 17 November 2016 - 07:54 PM

Since they've gone with an all-new configuration for Elkhead, I could sooner see them relocating the existing Thunderhead to the Sunshine area of Steamboat as the proposed Sunshine II lift than move it to Stratton. From a logistical perspective it just seems like it would make more sense.

skier2, on 17 November 2016 - 07:49 PM, said:

We don't need some houdini magic over here, we just need a 1000 fpm lift running in this area. What about Zephyr from WP?
This post has been edited by Smacpats: 17 November 2016 - 07:58 PM

ZE is high hours. Installed in 1990 and used year round and also gets night use. I think there are 2 or 3 other Poma HSQs of that vintage still running there they would use parts for?

Smacpats, on 17 November 2016 - 07:57 PM, said:

Not to burst your bubble, but Zephyr is limited to 800 f/m due to its short terminals and is usually run even slower than that.

All joking aside, I believe that when (or if) Zephyr is replaced, it will be moved to Mary Jane to replace Sunnyside lift. That's been talked about for a while, but who knows if it will actually happen.

skierdude9450, on 18 November 2016 - 04:26 PM, said:

Alright, buy something from somewhere. Either buy something new (and they can reuse tubes) or buy a used lift. (If they are replaced with six-packs) MBE from Snowbird, Orient, Game Creek, Wildwood, Riva and northwoods at vail, Falcon from breck are all good options. And yes, I did know zephyr only does 800 fpm, but what i was trying to get at is that we need a HS lift.
And if you are thinking "Well, an old lift like one of vail's HSQs would not be reliable" Look at hunter mountain. They have a poma HSQ from 1987 (the pomas were known to break a lot) running without flaw on their backside. They modified it (tires in both stations, replaced grips, etc.) and it works perfectly fine. Nothing stops stratton from buying one and doing the same.

If we don't get some good snow up in SB and out on the east coast, I doubt there will be any lift upgrades. :(

Smacpats, on 17 November 2016 - 07:47 PM, said:

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but if you have spent any time at Tremblant you would know that lift system needs major upgrades!! The mountain is set up very similar to Stratton but instead of six packs, has HSQ's in their place. And more skier visits I would guess because of proximity to Montreal. We went up MLK weekend and lines were 30 minutes, exceeding 45 minutes on TGV (HSQ on upper portion of South Side). Village is wonderful, but the lift systems is totally inadequate for the crowds the village draws.

Back on topic, please.

Looks like The Beavers and Steep Gullies expansion at A Basin is a go,sound they are hoping for The Beavers Lift in 2018. (http://www.summitdai...-for-expansion/)

"He did say, however, that The Beavers project would happen first and likely take three years to finalize, with a best-case scenario of full access including a new chairlift for the 2018-19 season."

Replacements of similar capacity for Molly Hogan and Pali were approved as well.

Snowbird Mary Ellen Gulch is likely a go for 2018.
Big Sky Ramcharger also a likely possibility.

machskier, on 19 November 2016 - 04:37 PM, said:

I don't want to do a 300 word rant on this, but just so you know, this isn't just a tremblant. The six-packs are wonderful for weekends, but MLK is just a lift-wreck (ever seen a 90 minute-long line?). Anyways, lets get back on topic now.

SkiDaBird, on 30 November 2016 - 10:46 PM, said:

Possibly Supreme, Wildcat and Mount Baldy at Alta? They seem pretty reluctant with upgrading their lift system.

Vail, if they wanted to, could replace every single one of their 80s HSQs with six-packs except Born Free. Northwoods, Game Creek and Born Free are the only remaining (that I can think of off the top of my head), Northwoods and Game Creek can use six-packs, born free can get a new HSQ.
This post has been edited by Smacpats: 12 December 2016 - 02:39 PM

Smacpats, on 12 December 2016 - 02:39 PM, said:

Orient Express is still running too.

Taos to get new LP detach quad summer of 2018. This will be the new lift 1 and lift 5 will also be taken down to make way for the new quad. Only 1 lift out of the base area little nerve racking but think they may have something up their sleeve after completing this first phase of new lifts which is the two lifts in the beginner hill summer 2017 and this new detach. Things are speeding up in Taos should be interesting.

Just to bump this up. WB are getting a new 2 section gondola to replace Wizard and Solar, a new HSS to replace Emerald and Emerald moving to Blackcomb to replace Catskinner chair. The three removed chairs will be stripped for parts and the rest scrapped.