311 replies to this topic

[iceberg210]

Interesting to see Doppelmayr addressing the older lift relocation thing.... Thanks for posting the article and letter...

Honestly I think there's advantages both ways but suffice to say I think it speaks for itself that old Yans are being relocated and installed in resorts that have the money to do new ones... And Riblets are as well.... Some designs stand the test of time...

[boardski]

trooper1556, on 11 April 2013 - 09:35 AM, said:

sounds good! the link doesnt work - clicking through the site to get there does though

Sorry about that link, I copied it exactly how they had it on facebook, people will need to access it through the resort website if they are interested.

[NoPainNoJane]

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park has announced that they are adding 6 more cabins to their pulse gondola at the end of the month. I believe that will bump them up to 18 on the line.

[TRosenbaum]

Vail resorts has received tentative USFS approval for the 2 proposed lift upgrades at Vail.
Construction will begin following the 45-day appeal period, perhaps by June 1.

Quoting verbatim from the Vail Daily article by Lauren Glendenning (4/13/2013):

Forest Service approves Vail lift upgrades

VAIL, Colorado — The U.S. Forest Service approved a Vail Mountain proposal Thursday to upgrade Chairs 4 and 12.

The proposal to upgrade the Gopher Hill Lift (Chair 12) from a two-seater to a three-seater and the Mountaintop Express (Chair 4) from a detachable quad to a six-seater was submitted in late February and has since been under review by the Forest Service.

The public comment period ended March 29, however Thursday's approval is not the final decision. The approval means the proposal has now entered a 45-day appeal period.

“I have decided to approve these projects within the Vail Mountain Ski Resort Special Use Permit Area in order to enhance the guest experience as well as improve the circulation and distribution of skiers and snowboarders at Vail Mountain Ski Resort,” wrote White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams in his decision memo.

The Forest Service received a total of four formal responses during the public comment period, “two of which were supportive of the projects.”

“One comment was received regarding wildlife impacts but stated that due to the location of the lift and current use patterns there should not be any additional impacts to wildlife,” wrote Fitzwilliams.

Another person requested an environmental assessment, however Fitzwilliams concluded that because no extraordinary circumstances exist within the proposal, he did not require an Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessment.

If no appeals are filed, implementation could occur five business days from the close of the appeal filing period. Don Dressler, the winter sports administrator for the Eagle/Holy Cross Ranger District, said implementation could begin as early as June 1.

Vail Mountain spokeswoman Liz Biebl said Vail Mountain is ready to begin construction as soon as the Forest Service gives the green light.

Vail Mountain Chief Operating Officer Chris Jarnot issued the following statement:

“We're very pleased that the U.S. Forest Service has approved the replacement of two lifts on Vail Mountain. We anticipate construction beginning at the end of a mandatory 45-day administrative appeal period. Both of these will have a significant, positive impact on the guest experience. The upgrade of the Mountaintop Express Lift from a quad to a six-passenger lift will improve skier and snowboarder traffic through the Mid-Vail area with 33 percent increase in its capacity. Similarly, the Gopher Hill Lift — which will be upgraded from a double to a triple lift, increasing capacity by 50 percent — will allow some of our youngest guests in group ski and snowboard lessons a much more efficient experience.”

Biebl said the Gopher Hill Lift will be replaced with Beaver Creek's former Rose Bowl lift. She said the upgrade from a two-seater to a three-seater lift there is significant because it will allow ski instructors to ride with two of their young students at a time rather than one. Because young skiers have to ride the lift with an adult, Biebl said this should make ski school run more smoothly.

“It's a big improvement,” she said

Source: http://www.vaildaily...entProfile=1062

[boardski]

TRosenbaum, on 12 April 2013 - 05:21 PM, said:

Vail resorts has received tentative USFS approval for the 2 proposed lift upgrades at Vail.
Construction will begin following the 45-day appeal period, perhaps by June 1.

Quoting verbatim from the Vail Daily article by Lauren Glendenning (4/13/2013):

Forest Service approves Vail lift upgrades

VAIL, Colorado — The U.S. Forest Service approved a Vail Mountain proposal Thursday to upgrade Chairs 4 and 12.

The proposal to upgrade the Gopher Hill Lift (Chair 12) from a two-seater to a three-seater and the Mountaintop Express (Chair 4) from a detachable quad to a six-seater was submitted in late February and has since been under review by the Forest Service.

The public comment period ended March 29, however Thursday's approval is not the final decision. The approval means the proposal has now entered a 45-day appeal period.

“I have decided to approve these projects within the Vail Mountain Ski Resort Special Use Permit Area in order to enhance the guest experience as well as improve the circulation and distribution of skiers and snowboarders at Vail Mountain Ski Resort,” wrote White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams in his decision memo.

The Forest Service received a total of four formal responses during the public comment period, “two of which were supportive of the projects.”

“One comment was received regarding wildlife impacts but stated that due to the location of the lift and current use patterns there should not be any additional impacts to wildlife,” wrote Fitzwilliams.

Another person requested an environmental assessment, however Fitzwilliams concluded that because no extraordinary circumstances exist within the proposal, he did not require an Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessment.

If no appeals are filed, implementation could occur five business days from the close of the appeal filing period. Don Dressler, the winter sports administrator for the Eagle/Holy Cross Ranger District, said implementation could begin as early as June 1.

Vail Mountain spokeswoman Liz Biebl said Vail Mountain is ready to begin construction as soon as the Forest Service gives the green light.

Vail Mountain Chief Operating Officer Chris Jarnot issued the following statement:

“We're very pleased that the U.S. Forest Service has approved the replacement of two lifts on Vail Mountain. We anticipate construction beginning at the end of a mandatory 45-day administrative appeal period. Both of these will have a significant, positive impact on the guest experience. The upgrade of the Mountaintop Express Lift from a quad to a six-passenger lift will improve skier and snowboarder traffic through the Mid-Vail area with 33 percent increase in its capacity. Similarly, the Gopher Hill Lift — which will be upgraded from a double to a triple lift, increasing capacity by 50 percent — will allow some of our youngest guests in group ski and snowboard lessons a much more efficient experience.”

Biebl said the Gopher Hill Lift will be replaced with Beaver Creek's former Rose Bowl lift. She said the upgrade from a two-seater to a three-seater lift there is significant because it will allow ski instructors to ride with two of their young students at a time rather than one. Because young skiers have to ride the lift with an adult, Biebl said this should make ski school run more smoothly.

“It's a big improvement,” she said

Source: http://www.vaildaily...entProfile=1062

Is it normal to have to jump through all those hoops (the appeal period) just to replace two older lifts in the same lines. The capacity increase isn't going to hurt anything, it will just give the Lynx a couple more people every 6 seconds to eat. :-)

[liftmech]

Other areas build shiny new high-speed lifts. We build shiny new t-bars. Storm King is making its last laps today, after which it will be replaced by a Doppelmayr t-bar. In addition, we're building an entirely new West Ridge platter near Union Meadows.

[vons]

About time on Stormy, Woody told me about the projects friday but I figured I'd wait till somebody more "official" announced. Is the new platter also a Doppelmayr or is gem migrating.

[liftmech]

Sound like the new platter will be brand-new. I'd rather put C-lift up there-- it doesn't run in its current location and is much 'younger' than its 1972 nameplate would suggest. Lots of spare sticks from Stormy and we can still get parts easily. Oh well.

[DonaldMReif]

liftmech, on 15 April 2013 - 03:22 AM, said:

Sound like the new platter will be brand-new. I'd rather put C-lift up there-- it doesn't run in its current location and is much 'younger' than its 1972 nameplate would suggest. Lots of spare sticks from Stormy and we can still get parts easily. Oh well.

Gem looks pretty short, but I don't know what the proposed platter's line distance is for comparison.

[skierdude9450]

liftmech, on 14 April 2013 - 06:32 AM, said:

Other areas build shiny new high-speed lifts. We build shiny new t-bars. Storm King is making its last laps today, after which it will be replaced by a Doppelmayr t-bar. In addition, we're building an entirely new West Ridge platter near Union Meadows.

This is some exciting news. Will this new platter go from S-lift to Union Peak, or is it somewhere else?

[liftmech]

It will start fom the far west end of the Celebrity Cornice and run to near the top of 6.

[boardski]

liftmech, on 17 April 2013 - 03:55 AM, said:

It will start fom the far west end of the Celebrity Cornice and run to near the top of 6.

Is the Celebrity Cornice considered "The wave" ?

[DonaldMReif]

liftmech, on 17 April 2013 - 03:55 AM, said:

It will start fom the far west end of the Celebrity Cornice and run to near the top of 6.

That's the opposite side of the ridge from Sierra?

[vons]

Celebrity cornice is located just west of the top of S and runs northwest, you traverse above the cornice to get to Union Meadows.

[liftmech]

boardski, on 17 April 2013 - 05:26 AM, said:

Is the Celebrity Cornice considered "The wave" ?

I have heard it called that, yes. I suspect it will disappear once the lift is built as we need to punch a road through and that will disrupt the wind pattern there.

[Andy1962]

Andy1962, on 05 December 2012 - 06:50 PM, said:

In 2011 Devil's Glen Ski Club in Glen Huron Ont announced the replacement of the Heavenly double chair with a Leitner Poma Quad chair. This was done over the past summer, 2012.

This month the Club announced to its members that the Lucifer Quad, a 1991 Borvig Quad (previously scheduled for relocation in the summer of 2013 to "Pod D" ) will instead be sold. The Hallelujah T bar (the Pod D lift ) will be removed in the summer of 2013, and a brand new chairlift (capacity not announced yet) will be built in its place. Wow all lifts replaced in less than ten years.

April 2013 update:
A few changes to these plans. Devil's Glen Club members decided to keep Lucifer's Quad for busy periods and as a backup. The scrap value for Lucifers of $180,000 on Resortboneyard.com did not impress the club members. The Hades Quad (summer 2012 LP install) and the 1991 Borvig "Lucifers" Quad are side by side on adjacent runs. "Lucifers" will stay at least until the next major lift audit, which will be its 30 year audit, 6 to 7 years from now.

Leitner Poma got the contract for summer 2013 (now) to replace the Hallelujah T-bar, built in 1964. The new LP Alpha 80 Quad will be top driven, 350m (1150 feet) long, 80m (262 feet) vertical, initial capacity 1200 people per hour, ability to upgrade capacity to upgrade to 1800 pph in the future by adding more chairs.. Construction starts in June, to be finished by October.

I would like to know what the current Doppelmayr Ctec and Leitner Poma build lists are for summer 2013 in North America. In particular any other builds in Ontario this year? This forum is currently filled with a lot of discussion and fluff that does not belong. Hard to build summary lists.

[Peter]

Andy1962, on 19 April 2013 - 08:08 AM, said:

I would like to know what the current Doppelmayr Ctec and Leitner Poma build lists are for summer 2013 in North America. In particular any other builds in Ontario this year? This forum is currently filled with a lot of discussion and fluff that does not belong. Hard to build summary lists.

I've been trying to keep track. This is what I've got so far:

Doppelmayr
1 Alyeska Alaska Doppelmayr High Speed Quad Chair 6
2 Copper Mountain Colorado Doppelmayr T-Bar Storm King
3 Jay Peak Vermont Doppelmayr High Speed Six Power Line
4 Sea to Sky Gondola British Columbia Doppelmayr Gondola 8 Sea to Sky Gondola
5 Snowbird Utah Doppelmayr High Speed Quad Gad 2 Express
6 Stevens Pass Washington Doppelmayr High Speed Quad Jupiter Express
7 Whistler Blackcomb British Columbia Doppelmayr High Speed Six Harmony Express
8 Wolf Creek Colorado Doppelmayr High Speed Quad Treasure Express

Leitner-Poma
9 Blue Mountain Ontario Leitner-Poma High Speed Six Orchard Express
10 Breckenridge Colorado Leitner-Poma Quad Peak 6
11 Breckenridge Colorado Leitner-Poma High Speed Quad Peak 6
12 Devil's Glen Ontario Leitner-Poma Quad Hallelujah
13 Vail Colorado Leitner-Poma High Speed Six Mountaintop Express

SkyTrac
14 Bridger Bowl Montana SkyTrac Triple Alpine 1
15 Bridger Bowl Montana SkyTrac Triple Alpine 2
16 Crystal Mountain Michigan SkyTrac Quad Buck

Used
17 Mohawk Mountain Connecticut Used Triple Arrowhead
18 Vail Colorado Used Doppelmayr Triple Gopher Hill
19 Hunt Hollow New York Used Doppelmayr from Snowbird Double Lift 2
20 Plattekill New York Used Hall Double Beginner
21 Magic Mountain Idaho Used Heron Poma from Jackson Hole Triple
22 Red Resort British Columbia Used Poma from Alyeska Quad Grey Mountain
23 Whistler Blackcomb British Columbia Used Poma from Harmony High Speed Quad Crystal Ridge Express
24 Pat's Peak New Hampshire Used VonRoll-Habbegar Triple Cascade Basin

Unknown Manufacturer
25 Mt. Brighton Michigan Quad Green/Blue

A couple questions:
Has anyone heard anything about Hot Wheels at Alpine Meadows and Granite Chief or Red Dog at Squaw? All were talked about being replaced with detachables.
Anyone know when Plattekill, NY is planning on installing the used Hall double that came from Tanglwood, PA?

[JSteigs]

Peter, on 19 April 2013 - 09:20 AM, said:

A couple questions:
Has anyone heard anything about Hot Wheels at Alpine Meadows and Granite Chief or Red Dog at Squaw? All were talked about being replaced with detachables.

None of the lifts at Squaw/alpine are being installed this summer.
Also I believe that Mountaintop Express at Vail is a Doppelmayr.

[DonaldMReif]

JSteigs, on 19 April 2013 - 03:14 PM, said:

None of the lifts at Squaw/alpine are being installed this summer.
Also I believe that Mountaintop Express at Vail is a Doppelmayr.

I think Leitner-Poma would be the manufacturer for the Mountaintop Express, just because the three most-recently constructed high speed quads and Gondola One were Leitner-Poma.

[Peter]

DonaldMReif, on 22 April 2013 - 07:33 PM, said:

I think Leitner-Poma would be the manufacturer for the Mountaintop Express, just because the three most-recently constructed high speed quads and Gondola One were Leitner-Poma.

The original announcement Vail put out said the manufacturer would be announced at a later date. Sounds like from what JSteigs said Doppelmayr might have had the low bid. It would be the first new Doppelmayr at Vail since the mid-90's. For all we know Breck's new lifts could be Doppelmayr too?

Also has anyone heard anything about that Doppelmayr Uni-GS detachable quad from Tamarack? Presumably whoever bought it would want to install it this summer.