Belleayre: Superchief

Brownski wrote

If it's my mountain, I'm installing a fixed grip and telling the lifties to stuff the beginners into chairs as aggressively as they have to to keep it going full speed.

You'll need a big boom sweep to clear them off the exit ramp and pile them up on the side

I was speaking from the lift operator POV. Reaching across to the third or fourth dude is hard. If you're just gonna hit the stop button i guess it doesn't make much difference.

I agree and it means they never run those lifts full speed. I have really come around on the loading carpets... I'd be interested in going back to Greek to see if the lift is running better without stopping after people have become more accustomed to it.

ml242 wrote

I'd be interested in going back to Greek to see if the lift is running better without stopping after people have become more accustomed to it.

It has improved greatly. The lift doesn't stop nearly as much now.

Superchief is spinning.

quad vs et al. Must depend a lot on the loading approach way ? Straightbrook fixed grip quad loads very well, even when there's four peeps. North quad not so much.

What the heck is a double double ?

A double double is two chairlifts, each doubles, that share the same towers.  Thus, they go to the same location.

WF's had/has two.  Mountain Run/Little Whiteface chairs share the same towers to LWF's mid-station (currently in use).  Prior to Face Lift, there was a triple double, one of which, I believe, let off near the mid-station lodge.  Prior to that, it was a double double.

Snowballs wrote

quad vs et al. Must depend a lot on the loading approach way ? Straightbrook fixed grip quad loads very well, even when there's four peeps. North quad not so much.

What the heck is a double double ?

Here are 2 shots of the Belleayre double double

Harvey wrote

Superchief is spinning.

Yay!!

Got it. Thanks guys.

I'm not sure if anyone is still manufacturing a "Double." I think Doppelmayr Garaventa might still make a triple, but they may only be making quads. Seems silly to build a lift these days smaller than a quad. I'm an advocate for slowing lifts down in areas suited to beginners. If you want to combine expert terrain with beginner terrain, then most likely you are dealing with what will be a very busy area, and should really have a detachable which would be easier to load.

Brownski,

I'm kind of having a hard time understanding why you would rather stuff beginners on a fixie (regardless of size) as opposed to a detachable?

You used to be a lift, so, your opinion is highly qualified, just trying to understand the argument. And it looks like someone else strongly agrees with you.

I was somewhat kidding around but in general I prefer fixed grips cause they're cheaper and more reliable, as evidenced by the super Chiefs problems. If it is just a beginner lift, you can run it slow but if it is for mixed terrain with a long line then running it slow is just torture for everybody. So my reasoning is  to install a good, reliable, economical lift, teach the employees how to run it efficiently (including stuffing in the shitty skiers) and just lit 'er rip.
Detachable lifts, fan guns and other high tech stuff like that... It's all great but complexity decreases reliability and increases costs which drives up ticket prices.
Keep it cheap, don't baby the newbies, run the lifts full speed.

I can agree with that. Although I certainly Can see the need for a high speed at least in critical locations such as Catskill Flyer (which I think has been very reliable) or the ADK Exprs II. That lift is a long ride even as a detachable. Same with Burnt Ridge. For a place like Plattekill there is no need for a high speed lift. TBH, the lift on the west side at Hunter is way to fast. I barely have time to get comfortable and talk to my friend(s) before I'm unloading.

And I agree with your position on fan guns. I dislike fan guns personally. There is also way too much surface area for ice to form onn them. The cost of fans VS. The cost of additional air compressors for stick guns is often much less expensive. Especially when,you consider the cost of the 4/0 wire that has to be run on the mountain to plug them in. I'm not sure why Plattekill has so many of them on the Tripple side.