Lift Blog

The barrels are for load testing. Barrels on chairs then filled with water.

https://www.facebook.com/SkiCamelback/videos/653565692846581

The row of footings off to the side are for the chair parking rail. Mid Atlantic = ice storms. Western lifts usually don't need parking.

No, Blue's is being installed by Leitner-Poma and Camelback is Doppelmayr. They are fierce competitors.

No bubbles.

https://liftblog.com/2022/04/01/new-six-packs-coming-to-blue-mountain-and-camelback/

It was true! https://liftblog.com/2022/04/01/new-six-packs-coming-to-blue-mountain-and-camelback/ (not April Fool's)

Has anyone seen Sullivan run since the incident? I noticed they are spinning Sunbowl for the water park this summer.

It was brought up in a Colorado tram board meeting last week. Engineer said it is being investigated as a dynamic event caused by multiple speed changes. Similarities to the Granby Ranch incident a few years ago. Colorado is looking at putting a mandatory delay in between speed ups/restarts.

Word on the street is Okemo’s Green Ridge triple is Jack Frost bound. Anyone know where it would go?

Well I checked with the state and they do not plan to release the investigation report. So we may never know. Other states do view such records as public - Colorado and Michigan are two. At least they are investigating. Lots of states don't have tramway oversight at all.

All of the stop buttons a lift operator has access to are designed to be used any time and stop the lift safely. Similarly, lifts which need a certain amount of time between stops for the rope to settle have that built in. An operator cannot start the lift until that set time has passed. The lift operator title is a bit of a misnomer. People in that position are trained in very basic operation and customer service. The only way I could see a lift operator being at fault is if something was clearly wrong with the lift and they failed to alert lift maintenance. Lifties are trained to call for help when they get faults or problems. If human error is found to be involved, it is more likely to be on the maintenance side than lift operators.

Don't rush to judgement. Similar things have happened elsewhere. Timberline Lodge, Thredbo Australia, Mt. Bachelor.

My (short) story: https://liftblog.com/2021/03/21/chair-falls-from-camelbacks-sullivan-express/

I received photos purported to show a chair which fell off the Sullivan Express today. I have asked Camelback for a media statement. Does anyone know anything?

The finished product: https://liftblog.com/sunbowl-camelback-pa/

Has anyone skied Eagle Rock in recent years? According to the trail map, the beginner chair is no longer in service. The green trails now just end with no way out. Three other trails are no longer on the map at all. Pretty strange. https://r8xo93mb8gz1k7lr91b9t48v-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/eagle-rock/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/Ski-Area-Map.pdf

I posted some pictures of the new Sunbowl on my blog this week: https://liftblog.com/2020/10/30/news-roundup-201/

Much like cars, it depends on the state. I live in Wyoming, where the state couldn't care less about the condition of my car. If I pay my money it's registered, no inspection required. Wyoming also does not do ski lift inspections, though many lifts are on federal land and subject to a US Forest Service inspection. Pennsylvania is one of the states with an inspection program, but they vary widely. Many states don't employ inspectors but rather rely on contractors who may also work for insurance companies and the ski resorts. There are only so many qualified people in each region to do lift inspections.

Nope.

I don't know the plan but the chairs are still on property.

Hate to break it to you guys but it's not a high speed detachable. "High speed" fixed grip quad.

Black Forest is completely gone now. Merry Widow II is getting a new counterweight. Various repairs are underway on Tannenbaum, Little Boulder and Edelweiss. Vail doesn't mess around with lift maintenance.

Quad repair looks to be nearly complete. Shiny new hanger arms. https://liftblog.com/abstract-jack-frost-pa/