Gore Mountain Adirondack Express Replacement.

64ER wrote

Snoloco-

Your posts on this thread and others on the NYSB have always been enjoyable and full of the "What if?"  I notice from your posting that you track each ski visit, most excellent.  However, you apparently have not visited Gore this long, cold sliding season, perhaps you should before the High Peaks snowpack fuels the Hudson Gorge to a roar this rafting season.  What if you could do both in one weekend?

Just sayin'.  All the best.

Have to agree completely. Snoloco I love the enthusiasm. The rain downer part not so much, but that's OK I can understand especially after this past weekend. If you want to give your parents a really exciting ride, ski one day at Gore and drive over to old forge for the spring Moose river trip the other day. You'll be talking about it for years to come. I promise. EDIT - looks like you gotta be 16+ to do the moose (north creek rafting company). Others are 18+. Something to look forward to.

This discussion reminded me of my recent trip to Okemo where i saw something i had not seen before. They have a fixed grip quad that has something similar to magic carpet at the top and the bottom, so first you get on this carpet then the chair comes allowing the char to run faster than a normal fixed grip (but not as fast as a high speed), at the top same thing in reverse.  This is definitely not for the ADK express, but might make sense on the North chair which would be more fun if the chair was not so slow and i doubt ORDA would ever have the money to put in a high speed lift.

Coach Z wrote

 The way it works in orda is we get a lift and then you do.  Since they elected to fix and not replace the little WF I would be happy if I were you to get a new lift of any type and not a just a repair like we got of a 40+ year old lift.

Sounds like a big whine to me, "if we can't have a new lift first you can't get one, and oh by the way, you only get to have our old equipment after were done using it." FU.

ORDA should be run like a real business, all three areas should work together and projects that provide the best benefit to the Authority's objectives should be served first, and those objectives are not always profit based. Maybe Bell should come first and Gore & WF should suck hind tit for awhile. Frankly I don't ski any one of them enough to care, but I hate the "me first because it's always been that way" attitude.

I thought that was a triple and not a HSQ

It's not fast if it's broke

Doh! You are right. I forget the AE is a triple.

I think the HS is the key though. Makes more of a diff than the extra chair.

The AE will be replaced with a HSQ like the BRQ and...Also the gondola will under go major maintenance work including an engine rebuild and work on the bull wheels. Work begins in May 2014

PeeTex wrote

Maybe Bell should come first and Gore & WF should suck hind tit for awhile. Frankly I don't ski any one of them enough to care, but I hate the "me first because it's always been that way" attitude.

Hah, QFT

If it's fixable why not fix it where it is and put the new chair in the high peaks area since I think that chair is much older

Coach Z wrote

If it's fixable why not fix it where it is and put the new chair in the high peaks area since I think that chair is much older

Drive mechanism would be replaced/new/new-used on the "new" Adex High Peaks Version.

Additional poles and cable from AE would allow the chair to go to the summit of Gore, like the old days.

The triple is WAY more important to Gore's revenue stream.  It's a crucial lift on the ~30 days (holidays, weekends) when Gore makes money.

NYSBer's aside, the general public cares more about the base lifts than the HP chair.

Coach Z wrote

If it's fixable why not fix it where it is and put the new chair in the high peaks area since I think that chair is much older

Coach-

Why that's crazy talk!  The High Peaks Double is an institution right here @ Gore Mtn.  Started out as the Straightbrook Double back in 1967, before translocating in 1996? to its current location.  The original Summit Double (East and North Doubles too) could have wound up in the Jeffersonville VT local.

Heck, there's more names scratched names underneath that black paint on the safety bar, covering up the original  Euro trash orange,red,yellow motif that of spells home to thousands of far-flung Gore Gapers. We ought start a thread to save the HPD and pass the hat, have a bake sale to fix that darn East Triple once and for all and throw a BBQ.

All in?

Imagine if they took High Peaks double and moved it to the bottom of North Quad and brought it up to the top of Burnt Ridge

Or... imagine that Pete Gay was maintained as a glade with a skin track only.

Or they took the adk express and put it where the north quad is but extended it to the top of bear, that way they could open early and close late on the north up/downloading on the Gondi. Oh, but that's just too silly.

We skied in Austria this winter, and the place we visited (Saalbach-Hinterglem) has invested over $ 300 million into their ski infrastructure over the past decade.  They are doing very well, many new hotels, busy restaurants, etc.  I plan to submit a trip report, but haven't had the time.  In any case, we enjoyed taking a 8 passenger high speed chair that featured a bubble for windy days and a heated seat.  We discussed the idea of replacing the gondola at Gore with this lift, solely for the convenience of not having to take your skis off to ride the lift.  It would be interesting to know how much this would cost compared to the gondola, as the uphill capacity would be similar.  I also wonder if there are different wind concerns as the gondi cabin may have a narrower wind profile than the chair.  There may also be cost savings with the chair in terms of less lift attendants to help with loading and unloading.  Here is a photo from inside the bubble.  Incidentally, the building on the right is supposedly the highest brewery in Europe.

I'm not saying that the gondola needs to be replaced, just speculating what if the project was starting from scratch, would this be an option.

Where is all the money going to come from for these fantasies?

Did Vail buy Orda when I wasnt looking?

I saw first hand that Belleayre needs lift investment way more than either Gore or Whiteface.  I'll be shocked if they decide to replace a fixable lift.  It didn't happen with the LWF lift or even a new motor for the summit lift.  Orda ain't changing no matter how much you wish it or fantasize about it.

evergreen wrote

We skied in Austria this winter, and the place we visited (Saalbach-Hinterglem) has invested over $ 300 million into their ski infrastructure over the past decade.  They are doing very well, many new hotels, busy restaurants, etc.

I visited Saalbach in 2003 on this trip. As you noticed, the resort is hugely popular -- I'm pretty sure it's the most visited ski region in Austria. Looking forward to your report!

I just got word from an ORDA board member that a new technology HSQ will replace the ADK express, this new technology uses renewable energy, since by law no wood can be removed from the state park, this new lift will be steam powered from a wood fired boiler. It is anticipated that several new employees will be required to chop and stoke. ORDA anticipates significant operational savings and will use that savings to develop a steam powered groomer.

My money is on the ADKX being replaced with a duplicate of the BRQ that will be in by next winter.

The ADK Espress is at the end of its useful life. Detachables don't last as long as fixed grips. The chairs and the cable can't be reused or sold. Only the towers can be recycled. Where, when and how they're recycled is anyone's guess. Those in charge and in the know are planning for something like the BRQ.