The Chairlift Thread

-InfamousMax-I wanna have such an ancient chairlift, like in your first picture, back!

w_skierthere still is one in sun valley, I think it's like the 3rd one ever built

my favorite type of lift are the old school riblet doubles, unfortunately we only have like 2 here on the east coast

LynxNationI remember that it was a big deal in middle school if you got to sit next to your crush on those classic two seater chairs. The whole casual arm around the shoulder gig.

w_skierthere still is one in sun valley, I think it's like the 3rd one ever built

my favorite type of lift are the old school riblet doubles, unfortunately we only have like 2 here on the east coast

brotoand not a center pole, but park city's jupiter lift, which is a fixed double, is one of my favorites as well.

YoungDaphYeesh that one looks like a yan, those things are a maintenance nightmare. Our headwaters chair is the same style and that damn thing is the biggest pain to work on

mantoastOh man I gotta love the old school riblet chairs at Skibowl always sketchy feeling upper bowl is a sketchy blast, and I always loved smacking the towers with your board or skis going by.

SimonjksThe upper bowl lift is so sckechy. The first time I rode that lift I was night skiing and it was foggy.

MNSkiers

grip an rip

brotothe old center pole chairs are awesome. alta's is awesome.

and not a center pole, but park city's jupiter lift, which is a fixed double, is one of my favorites as well.

PeppermillRenoGreat thread!

OP how come chairlifts aren't run faster? It seems to be rare to sit on a detachable quad and feel like the lift ops are running it above 60%.


I honestly think the fixies with the moving carpets are nearly all the time faster than the detachables.

I understand cranking down a notch in crowds or wind but these things are definitely capable of going faster why is it such a rarity to get on a lift that is nice and speedy?



What are the fastest chairlifts (not trams/gondolas) anyone?

YoungDaphThe average detachable lift runs at 4.5 meters per second during the winter and 3.5 mps in the summer so foot traffic can unload easier. Most lifts max out at 5 or 6 mps but it is very rare to run them at that speed with a loaded line because it puts immense strain on the motor, brakes and sheave assemblies. If a lift is running at full speed with every chair loaded and there is an emergency stop, the rollback would be intense. It may feel as though the fixed grips go faster but very few go faster than 2.5 mps because any faster around the bullwheel would be damaging to the chairs.
The fastest lifts go up to 12 mps but those aren't used in the ski industry due to the adverse weather that ski lifts have to endure. Those super speedy ones are commonly seen in cities overseas and are typically gondolas used to cut down on traffic and whatnot

PeppermillRenoThanks!


Got any clue which ski area runs there lifts the fastest in the USA or what's the fastest lift in the country if that sort of thing is kept track of?

MNSkiers

grip an rip

eheathI grew up on small chairs, mission ridge WA, all two seaters, got spoiled at mt batchelor for 2 years on quads and skied from 12-18 at bridger bowl on all double red chairs like this:

Andrew_M"so yea, chairlifts man." Gotta love newschoolers

cdipA mini park with a rope tow would be so sick to have at a local mountain. Maximum hot lapping... Hit a feature grab the rope and repeat in seconds.

SlushNot to rain on the old chair lifts vibe, but anyone else riden the sunburst six chair at okemo? IT'S AMAZING!

Heated synthetic leather seats, bubble to keep it warm and cozy. Riding this thing is like riding a couch up the mountain. Seriously, the seat angle is different from most chairs, you get lay back and warm up. Better than a gondola

Inside your own personal bubble

6 people COMFORTABLY fit inside!

PeppermillRenoThanks!


Got any clue which ski area runs there lifts the fastest in the USA or what's the fastest lift in the country if that sort of thing is kept track of?

SlushNot to rain on the old chair lifts vibe, but anyone else riden the sunburst six chair at okemo? IT'S AMAZING!

Heated synthetic leather seats, bubble to keep it warm and cozy. Riding this thing is like riding a couch up the mountain. Seriously, the seat angle is different from most chairs, you get lay back and warm up. Better than a gondola

Inside your own personal bubble

6 people COMFORTABLY fit inside!

theabortionatorSome of those are cool and all but I doubt they have the history of this gem. Unfortunately just got torn down a few weeks ago.

The same chairlift used to carry the load from wagons up the notoriously steep and deadly Lolo pass on the Oregon trail. Built in 1827, it serviced around 1,600 travelers. Decommissioned in 1839 as newer technology became available. The lift sat dormant for over 50 years until the Harvey County Historical Museum, located in Burns, Oregon resurrected the lift for it's display on American Pioneering. In 1963 the chairlift was purchased by a newly opened ski center in Queensbury NY. " I think it's amazing to be able to save a piece of history and put it back into use"- replied Cady Stanton when interviewed at the grand unveiling. Here you will still finding it today, making it the oldest and longest operating chairlift in the United States. Local teacher and long time community member Brenda Wallisch had this to say to New York Times reporters,"I think it's amazing we're able to share this artifact with our children today. It really helps to give them hands on experience with learning about history. They're able to not only see, but experience the hardships faced by travelers nearly 200 years ago. You just can't get that kind of impact from a text book alone". And so the ski lift remains. You can visit the ski center on West Mountain Road in Queensbury, NY 8a.m.-4p.m. 7 days a week and take a ride on your own little piece of history.

https://www.newschoolers.com/membernewsread/A-Piece-History-West-Mountain#PY9yXVW9l8EI3oay.97

theabortionatorSome of those are cool and all but I doubt they have the history of this gem. Unfortunately just got torn down a few weeks ago.

The same chairlift used to carry the load from wagons up the notoriously steep and deadly Lolo pass on the Oregon trail. Built in 1827, it serviced around 1,600 travelers. Decommissioned in 1839 as newer technology became available. The lift sat dormant for over 50 years until the Harvey County Historical Museum, located in Burns, Oregon resurrected the lift for it's display on American Pioneering. In 1963 the chairlift was purchased by a newly opened ski center in Queensbury NY. " I think it's amazing to be able to save a piece of history and put it back into use"- replied Cady Stanton when interviewed at the grand unveiling. Here you will still finding it today, making it the oldest and longest operating chairlift in the United States. Local teacher and long time community member Brenda Wallisch had this to say to New York Times reporters,"I think it's amazing we're able to share this artifact with our children today. It really helps to give them hands on experience with learning about history. They're able to not only see, but experience the hardships faced by travelers nearly 200 years ago. You just can't get that kind of impact from a text book alone". And so the ski lift remains. You can visit the ski center on West Mountain Road in Queensbury, NY 8a.m.-4p.m. 7 days a week and take a ride on your own little piece of history.

https://www.newschoolers.com/membernewsread/A-Piece-History-West-Mountain#PY9yXVW9l8EI3oay.97

YoungDaphthat is too damn cool. Bummer it got torn down

theabortionatorIt's actually a good thing. It wasn't THAT sketchy, but the triple they're also replacing you seriously thanked 8 different gods everytime you made it to the top. It wasn't an if you're going to die but when. That shit was a death trap. Also chairs had fallen off the lifts before. Shit was too legit.

This was the one thing they needed to spend money on for the last 20 years. Thankfully after going bankrupt and being bought out, this was one of the first goals they had, and maybe 3 seasons after being back in business, both lifts are getting replaced by a triple from a larger mountain that they're splitting.

So they'll come out with 2 new lifts. Also I was a tiny bit full of shit on that article but it makes it sound a tad more interesting.



I learned at a ski area that was all Tbars originally so I have a soft spot in my heart for those.

Oak had 3 tbars, no other lifts. Indian lake ski area had 1 tbar, no other lifts. Went to gore occasionally(they had a jbar and a unch of other lifts) but couldnt afford it really.

When I worked at oak again for a couple seasons the park I had was on a tbar lappable trail. Was cool riding a tbar all day again. Nostalgia'd out a bit.





I def agree with this thread though. New lifts are awesome, they're more efficient, less likely to break down, parts are easier to acquire, they fit more people, but sometimes there's a magic to some of these old lifts that you just can't get anywhere else.

I guess it's a long the same lines with the base area and anything else at a mountain. The lodge might be old, and outdated, they might not have a big hotel with a pool, but sometimes that's what makes these places special. It's not always about being a 5 star resort, and sometimes that magical vibe of these mom and pop places is lost on the road to achieving that.

It's a tough one in my opinion. Places are struggling out there. Some of the places we grew up with are teetering on the edge or even gone for good already. It's hard to argue with an area wanting to modernize and bring in more capital, but in your heart there can be a selfish wish for things to stay the same. Maybe that's just life in general.

Idk. I love going to some of these places that have great skiing but till have that old school charm.

/deep thoughts while I eat my potatoes.

w_skierAt first I thought you were trolling with one of those fake news articles but there is no way that lift is from 1827, It looks like it's made 100% from Riblet parts. Riblet's first few installations were based on Mining tramways it already built but thats the closest to anything in the article.

theabortionatorIt's actually a good thing. It wasn't THAT sketchy, but the triple they're also replacing you seriously thanked 8 different gods everytime you made it to the top. It wasn't an if you're going to die but when. That shit was a death trap. Also chairs had fallen off the lifts before. Shit was too legit.

This was the one thing they needed to spend money on for the last 20 years. Thankfully after going bankrupt and being bought out, this was one of the first goals they had, and maybe 3 seasons after being back in business, both lifts are getting replaced by a triple from a larger mountain that they're splitting.

So they'll come out with 2 new lifts. Also I was a tiny bit full of shit on that article but it makes it sound a tad more interesting.



I learned at a ski area that was all Tbars originally so I have a soft spot in my heart for those.

Oak had 3 tbars, no other lifts. Indian lake ski area had 1 tbar, no other lifts. Went to gore occasionally(they had a jbar and a unch of other lifts) but couldnt afford it really.

When I worked at oak again for a couple seasons the park I had was on a tbar lappable trail. Was cool riding a tbar all day again. Nostalgia'd out a bit.





I def agree with this thread though. New lifts are awesome, they're more efficient, less likely to break down, parts are easier to acquire, they fit more people, but sometimes there's a magic to some of these old lifts that you just can't get anywhere else.

I guess it's a long the same lines with the base area and anything else at a mountain. The lodge might be old, and outdated, they might not have a big hotel with a pool, but sometimes that's what makes these places special. It's not always about being a 5 star resort, and sometimes that magical vibe of these mom and pop places is lost on the road to achieving that.

It's a tough one in my opinion. Places are struggling out there. Some of the places we grew up with are teetering on the edge or even gone for good already. It's hard to argue with an area wanting to modernize and bring in more capital, but in your heart there can be a selfish wish for things to stay the same. Maybe that's just life in general.

Idk. I love going to some of these places that have great skiing but till have that old school charm.

/deep thoughts while I eat my potatoes.

theabortionatorAlso I was a tiny bit full of shit on that article but it makes it sound a tad more interesting.

w_skierfuck me I should have read your whole post first


But yeah it really does suck that ski areas are so ready to throw away their old lifts and a lot of money in the process to build new High Speed lifts. Suddenly then you have more people on the trails at once and then you gotta widen the trails and then the whole hill is the same.

Sugarbush did it right with the Castlerock lift, the replaced an old double that was falling apart with a new one, but kept the chair spacing really far apart so they wouldn't have to widen the trails there.