311 replies to this topic

[Peter]

boardski, on 07 March 2013 - 06:38 PM, said:

Are they getting old #4 from Vail?

I doubt it. Mt. Brighton is tiny. I assume #4 will be used for parts like Vista Bahn was/is.

[missouriskier]

DonaldMReif, on 08 March 2013 - 03:22 PM, said:

Undoubtedly. At some of those tiny areas, you have to wonder if HSQ is overkill.

I'd think that at Mt. Brighton, yes. A fixed-grip quad should be plenty.

Even at places in the midwest that would be small by western standards, a HSQ can be nice, mostly due to misloads, etc. Granite Peak and Cascade Mountain in Wisconsin are examples that I have skied at, though both are much larger than Mt. Brighton.

[DonaldMReif]

Two cents I have on the Mountaintop Express lift upgrade:

1. That Vail has been in need of such a lift upgrade in a while. From the top of that lift, you can practically reach any area of the mountain, albeit sometimes via catwalks. The Mountaintop Express gets a lot of traffic because it is used by transitioning skiers going from west to east on their way to Two Elk Lodge or Blue Sky Basin, and because it has a run pod. Good choice to go to a high speed six pack.

2. I hope Vail is planning on installing gates at the lift or will configure it such that they can run it with minimal stops and slows for misloads or misunloads. 90 degree loading better not be used because the Ruby Express has a number of misloads with that (and that's a different resort, too). Based on the article description, it sounded like it might be a clockwise lift, since they are moving the bottom terminal slightly eastward.

It sort of echoes the entire transition from old lifts to new: the High Noon Express and Vista Bahn Express only existed concurrently for two years, and the Mountaintop Express now being replaced one season after Gondola One went in.

I also wonder if Vail would consider also getting a consistent font for their chairlifts. A lot of the high speed quads have Helvetica font for their lift names, but the High Noon Express and Gondola One have some new font matching the replaced trail signs (which used to be Times New Roman).

This post has been edited by DonaldMReif: 08 March 2013 - 03:43 PM

[skier691]

skier691, on 26 January 2013 - 04:29 PM, said:

local rumor is that they had the old Loki CTEC Triple re-engineered and it will be replacing Cheers and that Buck would be replaced with new in '14.

Guess I was wrong,Crystal Mountain, MI announced that the 1977-78 Riblet Quad "Buck Chair" is being replaced with a shiny new SkyTrac this summer. An additional trail is being cut off the north side and a few feet are being taken off the 'summit knob' to mellow the area. The "Cheers Lift" project (a St. Lawrence) must be happening at a future date.

[DetroitSkier]

skier691, on 11 March 2013 - 12:07 PM, said:

Guess I was wrong,Crystal Mountain, MI announced that the 1977-78 Riblet Quad "Buck Chair" is being replaced with a shiny new SkyTrac this summer. An additional trail is being cut off the north side and a few feet are being taken off the 'summit knob' to mellow the area. The "Cheers Lift" project (a St. Lawrence) must be happening at a future date.

Thanks for the update! As much as I kind of like the old center-pole Riblet doubles, I can't say I enjoy the center-pole quads, so this will be a nice upgrade. Interesting that they are taking off vertical for an area that is vertically challenged for Northern Michigan. I guess it's only a few feet. Does Buck really get a full 375 ft. in vertical? It's listed two years in a row in the SAM survey, and it increases from under 300 to 375 the next year. It never seemed like a full 375.

Is that St. Lawrence original? If not, any idea where it came from and when?

[DetroitSkier]

missouriskier, on 08 March 2013 - 03:37 PM, said:

I'd think that at Mt. Brighton, yes. A fixed-grip quad should be plenty.

Even at places in the midwest that would be small by western standards, a HSQ can be nice, mostly due to misloads, etc. Granite Peak and Cascade Mountain in Wisconsin are examples that I have skied at, though both are much larger than Mt. Brighton.

Anybody have a clue what it will replace? It certainly won't be an add...not enough real estate.

HSQ would be silly here, so smart to keep it a FGQ. Mount Holly (north of Detroit) has one, and it's definitely overkill...but a good marketing tool, I guess!

[Walt Askier]

DetroitSkier, on 11 March 2013 - 06:56 PM, said:

Anybody have a clue what it will replace? It certainly won't be an add...not enough real estate.

HSQ would be silly here, so smart to keep it a FGQ. Mount Holly (north of Detroit) has one, and it's definitely overkill...but a good marketing tool, I guess!

Sheer speculation on my part, but the most logical thing to do would be to replace the blue and the green double chairs with a single quad. Maybe leave the green in place for the really busy days.

The HSQ at Holly may be overkill, but you can do a lap in under threee minutes. that means that if you have the place to yourself you can do 20 runs in an hour. Where else can you do that?

[Lift Dinosaur]

Walt Askier, on 15 March 2013 - 09:04 AM, said:

The HSQ at Holly may be overkill, but you can do a lap in under threee minutes. that means that if you have the place to yourself you can do 20 runs in an hour. Where else can you do that?

Having never done "laps" like that...wouldn't you get dizzy after a while?
Dino

[DonaldMReif]

Lift Dinosaur, on 15 March 2013 - 10:57 AM, said:

Having never done "laps" like that...wouldn't you get dizzy after a while?
Dino

What about laps on Excelerator or the Sourdough Express on an uncrowded day?

[liftmech]

Don't know how long 14 is, but E is a three-minute ride by itself. A three-minute lap at Mt Holly includes the lift ride. Not the same.

[DonaldMReif]

liftmech, on 16 March 2013 - 04:38 AM, said:

Don't know how long 14 is, but E is a three-minute ride by itself. A three-minute lap at Mt Holly includes the lift ride. Not the same.

Ok. The Sourdough Express is about three minutes long (the ride part).

[Walt Askier]

Lift Dinosaur, on 15 March 2013 - 10:57 AM, said:

Having never done "laps" like that...wouldn't you get dizzy after a while?

It's a good idea to alternate between Woodward and Canyon so you make as many clockwise runs as counter-clockwise runs. (c:

[Lift Dinosaur]

Walt Askier, on 18 March 2013 - 05:52 AM, said:

It's a good idea to alternate between Woodward and Canyon so you make as many clockwise runs as counter-clockwise runs. (c:

Dino

[DonaldMReif]

Here's my guess on what Breckenridge's lift map will look like with Peak 6 added on.

 Peak 6 lift alignments.jpg (209.47K)
Number of downloads: 114  Breckenridge with Peak 6.jpg (230.77K)
Number of downloads: 110

Any idea if some potential names might be circulating for the Peak 6 lifts?

[Peter]

Walt Askier, on 15 March 2013 - 09:04 AM, said:

Sheer speculation on my part, but the most logical thing to do would be to replace the blue and the green double chairs with a single quad.

Mt. Brighton's new quad is in fact replacing Blue and Green.

[Andoman]

Lift Dinosaur, on 15 March 2013 - 10:57 AM, said:

Having never done "laps" like that...wouldn't you get dizzy after a while?
Dino

Actually you get bored since the terrain is so limited, still the best in southern michigan but its still michigan skiing.

[Peter]

Sugar Bowl is putting a new lift up Crow's Nest Peak.

Far right side of this map: http://sugar3.sugarb...ilMap.12-13.pdf

[DonaldMReif]

Do you know what kind of lift it may be?

[Lift Kid]

Lutsen is expecting a new high speed quad this summer. Word came from the CEO recently. It will be an LPOA HSQ running where the current Caribou Chair runs. There is some foreseeable doubt that it will happen this year, although it's been discussed all winter and seems to be getting more likely with each week.

Lutsen will have lots of construction going on this summer, including a complete mountain run-off and water management overhaul. Stay tuned.

This post has been edited by Lift Kid: 02 April 2013 - 04:15 AM

[skier2]

Lift Kid, on 02 April 2013 - 04:14 AM, said:

Lutsen is expecting a new high speed quad this summer. Word came from the CEO recently. It will be an LPOA HSQ running where the current Caribou Chair runs. There is some foreseeable doubt that it will happen this year, although it's been discussed all winter and seems to be getting more likely with each week.

Lutsen will have lots of construction going on this summer, including a complete mountain run-off and water management overhaul. Stay tuned.

Holy S*hit I almost started crying when I read this because I've been waiting for it for so long. Let's hope and pray it happens!