330 replies to this topic

[Aussierob]

It's our first new lift since '99, which seem like forever ago. John, didn't you get a new lift a few years ago?

[vons]

last new lifts a Copper where B and E in 98'

[Kicking Horse]

It's Rumored that Zep will be replaced with the Six Pack that is suppose to go up the timberline bowl and the Zep will replace timberline. This is just a rumor.

[mcjones55]

In regards to sterling, it sounds like the Mtn bike patrollers job will be expanded to lift ops, trail building, first aid, and now shuttle driver. A truck or van shuttle from btm wasatch to the top of SLE. Won't be too bad as long as the AC is working.

[liftmech]

Aussierob, on Mar 31 2006, 08:53 AM, said:

It's our first new lift since '99, which seem like forever ago. John, didn't you get a new lift a few years ago?

As vons mentioned, B and E were new in '98 and were the last big lifts we built. It does seem like forever ago, doesn't it? We've had several carpets since then, I guess. Which ones were new at Whistler in '99, Fitzsimmons and Garbanzo?

[Aussierob]

Yep, we haven't put a lift on Blackcomb since I started there in '95

[yetigonecrazy]

any projects down the road on blackcomb other than replacing the crystal chair?

maybe something that adds some new terrain?

and whats this on their website that calls for future lifts in the piccolo/flute region, where are those going to go? i thought they were trying to keep flute an "inbounds backcountry". and whats beyond flute for that matter? more bowls?

[Aussierob]

I don't think that there will be anything new on Blackcomb for a while. Crystal and Excalibur 3rd leg are the only "new" lifts that could be installed. The rest would be replacement/capacity upgrades for existing chairs. We already have lift access to all our terrain. See my earlier post/link for info on Piccolo chair. There is a long range plan for a lift up Flute as well. Immediately byond the top of Piccolo and Flute is Garibaldi Provincial Park, (with excellent backcountry skiing) so there can be no more expansion that way. I guess Flute will evenyually be just inbounds.

[NoPainNoJane]

Kicking Horse, on Mar 31 2006, 07:40 PM, said:

It's Rumored that Zep will be replaced with the Six Pack that is suppose to go up the timberline bowl and the Zep will replace timberline. This is just a rumor.

don't count on it, zep and timberline both will be replaced w/ 6 packs, but not for this upcoming season. this season will see the reinstallation of the outrigger chair on the backside of parsenn and it will run parallel to hi-lo. they're also planning on opening a gate to first creek on the backside en route to the cirque.

the following season will see zep & timberline get replaced w/ 6 packs and most likely moving zep to sunnyside if there isn't enough $$ to buy a new detach to replace sunnyside. sunnyside will be split apart and be used to replace the arrow chair and the looking glass chair.

also, it looks like iron horse will be kept, original plans called for it to be removed at the end of this season, but with the lines we had for SG this past season, Iron Horse has proved that it is still needed.

[liftmech]

That's good, sometimes you need a longer lift ride after a couple of leg-burners over there.
Outrigger will run parallel to Hi-Lo? Will that be from the bottom of the Cirque up to the top of Timberline?

[yetigonecrazy]

Aussierob, on Apr 3 2006, 06:31 AM, said:

I don't think that there will be anything new on Blackcomb for a while. Crystal and Excalibur 3rd leg are the only "new" lifts that could be installed. The rest would be replacement/capacity upgrades for existing chairs. We already have lift access to all our terrain. See my earlier post/link for info on Piccolo chair. There is a long range plan for a lift up Flute as well. Immediately byond the top of Piccolo and Flute is Garibaldi Provincial Park, (with excellent backcountry skiing) so there can be no more expansion that way. I guess Flute will evenyually be just inbounds.

yeah, with all the backcountry accessible in that area, it is kind of useless to have a tiny chunk of "inbounds backcountry". im stoked to ride that area though. i love the picture on whistler's homepage, that triple set of bowls in a row could pass as a ski area in itself elsewhere. there its just a tiny portion on the backside of the mountain. wb rules.

what about the peak to creek area? that a pretty hearty swath of trees through there, it would be a shame to see it get cut for trails. and doesnt kyhber go through there? the only time i was in whistler i asked around and nobody i asked even seemed to know what it is. and whats on the backside below that green run, what is it, highway 86? does that just go to nowhere or is there good access out?

[edmontonguy]

Unless the peak to creek base area was expanded tremendously i don't think it'd be vaible to add lift access. Currently half of the excitement of skiing peak to creek is knowing that you're committed to skiing the run with the largest vertical in North America. Even at during the best part of the season, when i skiied the run the conditions were only marginally good. Perhaps a new lift accessing the bowls to the left of the summit chair starting from mid peak to creak would be worth considering, high enough to be open earlier than some of the lower runs, yet still offering some of the peak to creek terrain and a lot of the summit terrain. Perhaps a quad with a midstation at the big red cuttoff, or even two lifts as i'd imagine any lifts on peak to creek would have to be of very large proportions.

[NoPainNoJane]

liftmech, on Apr 3 2006, 09:43 AM, said:

That's good, sometimes you need a longer lift ride after a couple of leg-burners over there.
Outrigger will run parallel to Hi-Lo? Will that be from the bottom of the Cirque up to the top of Timberline?

the planned installation is to go from the bottom of the cirque to the top of backside parsenn, no quite to the top of timberline. The primrose trail is on one side of the ridge, the top of the moved outrigger chair will be on the other side of the ridge.

this trail map would give you an idea if you were to draw a line parallel to hi-lo w/ the top of the lift taking you to the top of backside parsenn:

trailmap

[egieszl]

Can anyone share a little more about this reported Snow Valley (Running Springs, CA) High-Speed Six-Pack chairlift. Which lifts will this replace? I'd assume Chairs 1 and possible #2 and #3.

Snow Valley has so many chairs that no longer operate (#4, #5, #8, #10). Chairs #2 and #9 rarely run either. In 03/04 and this year they make you hike back to Slide Peak to ride Chair 11 since they won't run #9. They did run it in 04/05. I don't go there for this very reason, yet I like Snow Valley more than Snow Summit and Mountain High.

Eric

[Aussierob]

yetigonecrazy, on Apr 3 2006, 01:53 PM, said:

yeah, with all the backcountry accessible in that area, it is kind of useless to have a tiny chunk of "inbounds backcountry". im stoked to ride that area though. i love the picture on whistler's homepage, that triple set of bowls in a row could pass as a ski area in itself elsewhere. there its just a tiny portion on the backside of the mountain. wb rules.

what about the peak to creek area? that a pretty hearty swath of trees through there, it would be a shame to see it get cut for trails. and doesnt kyhber go through there? the only time i was in whistler i asked around and nobody i asked even seemed to know what it is. and whats on the backside below that green run, what is it, highway 86? does that just go to nowhere or is there good access out?

That triple set of bowls IS bigger than most ski areas. In the peak to creek area there is a long term plan for another access lift out of creekside with one or two more lifts above it in the Bagel bowl area. I don't know if more runs would be cut in the trees you mention. As for Khyber, That is out of bounds and has great skiing on big snow days, but there are some cliffs you need to watch out for. Do not go down the backside of whistler as you will be in for a long walk out.

[lastchair_44]

I was speaking with DoppTec construction supervisor this morning and he told me The Canyons is tearing out Tombstone and putting in a six pack! I guess they're sending the terminal pieces, chairs, and crossarms to another resort they own...they are ing crazy!

[SkiBachelor]

Okay, that's just really stupid. Why not relocate the lift where the new FG Quad is planned for this summer? I never thought the lift lines were that bad off of the Tombstone Express when I was there. However, the Canyons has moved a lot of lifts around shortly after they were installed. For example, the Dreamscape lift has been relocated twice.

My guess is that Tombstone will be going to Steamboat to replace the Sunshine lift since Steamboat has been wanting to instatll a HSQ in that area for quite some time.

[cascadeparks]

Thank goodness...

That triple needs replacing. I mean, it's not the bad of a ride. Except that it is a long lift (200+ chairs) and that it often stops or runs slow for beginners and intermediates loading and falling

[floridaskier]

?? ASC has enough to worry about before they replace Tombstone with a six pack, which doesn't have such bad lines to begin with. But it's consistent with the Canyons' history:
-Moving Raptor, a 90s CTEC fixed quad, to the Dreamscape line, leaving a 1965 Riblet double to pick up the slack
-Shortening Red Hawk, moving it to a completely different line altogether, converting it from a quad to a double, and renaming it Sunrise. And they don't even run it
-Renaming the high-quality Snow Canyon quad 'Sun Peaks Express'
-Renaming Lookout triple, which I think came from Steamboat, to 'Short Cut'

It wouldn't be complete without a new name to go along. Now the Flight of the Canyons gondola is the only Poma left in Utah

[lastchair_44]

Well...when Dopptec is just down the road....
It's the same for colorado...lots o' pomas there since they're outta Grand Junction