Belleayre Gondola Discussion Thread

Sno
WF locals lap the Gondi - a lot.  It's the only High speed lift that serves black terrain.  If it's not windy and full speed it's a 8 min ride for 2500 Vert which is more than whole ski areas in the rest of the East.

Midweek of course there is no choice.  Weekends if it's busy I'll use LWF other wise go to the Gondi.  In the spring then LWF and avoiding the bottom is the right call.

A Gondi for Belleryre makes no sense due to the layout and lack of vertical

I don't typically lap the WF gondola if LWF is open.  Sometimes I will lap it if it's super windy and there's no line, but usually on weekends there is.  I also dislike the section of the run below mid since it's always crowded and icy.  I strongly prefer the upper mountain terrain and have always felt like I was wasting my time going to the bottom.  Looking back on this past season, there were multiple times that I stayed above mid or Freeway the entire day.  These were all when Lookout wasn't open because you have to go to the bottom when skiing Wilmington.

There are plenty of gondolas that are fun to lap. Where did you ever get this idea about gondolas Sno?

Maybe I didn't realize how difficult it was to take your skis off and click them back on but it's never been a big deal to me.

Referring to Whiteface specifically, if I want to ski the expert terrain, I want to ski the expert terrain and not the blue runout to the base.  I use the LWF mid station for Mountain Run and go to the top for everything Wilderness and above.  I don't feel I'm getting much out of skiing Valley below mid, so why bother?Back to Belleayre, this gondola is clearly not meant to be lapped and is just for access.  Tomahawk will still be the primary lift on that side.

snoloco wrote

Back to Belleayre, this gondola is clearly not meant to be lapped and is just for access.  Tomahawk will still be the primary lift on that side.

Maybe beginner skiers will enjoy doing laps on it if they create some sort of fluid connectivity from the upper mountain down to the lower loading station but for the most part I'd agree. But you did say a few posts ago that gondolas are strictly for access and not doing hot laps, that is an inaccurate statement. The Thunderhead Gondola in steamboat being one of the top of my head that is plenty of fun for lapping as well as Stowe's, Tellurides, Jacksons, etc.

It looks like this will make a pretty good run combining Deer Run with the new trail being added the bottom.  However it will most definitely increase crowding on Deer Run making it more like Belt Parkway at Hunter.You are correct that there are plenty of gondolas sited at lapping lifts, but it's pretty clear in some of those applications that a bubble chair would be better suited for that location.  Stowe comes to mind here.

snoloco wrote

... a bubble chair would be better...

Ok. That was six days since his return before Sno mentioned a bubble lift. I had two days and junior said less then a day. Who had six days in the pool? Do we have a winner?

Why would a bubble chair be better than the Stowe gondola?

If I remember correctly there used to be a restaurant up top there that was open after the ski area closes for dinners. I'd think a gondola is a better option for that experience. Also, some people enjoy the social aspect of being face to face with others that you can't get from a chairlift ride.

^^^ 420 post bro!  Smoke em if u got em!

raisingarizona wrote

Why would a bubble chair be better than the Stowe gondola?

If I remember correctly there used to be a restaurant up top there that was open after the ski area closes for dinners. I'd think a gondola is a better option for that experience. Also, some people enjoy the social aspect of being face to face with others that you can't get from a chairlift ride.

Because you don't have to take your skis off every ride.

I find it odd that all of you guys criticized the bubble chairs being installed at Okemo and Mount Snow, while saying that gondolas are better than chairs for terrain that is lapped.  

Personally, I don't really care about the social aspect at all.  I usually ski alone and plan out my days to get maximum time skiing.

Just kidding around, Sno. Just the wording "bubble chair" is funny and your promotion of them is kind of perplexing to us old guys I guess.

Of course nobody said that gondolas are "better" for lapping, just that plenty of them are lapped, based on certain peoples' experiences. Your declaration earlier that gondolas aren't meant for anything except to travel between pods prompted those comments I imagine.

As far as the lift not being a social occasion if you're skiing alone, I disagree. You should always say hello to your chairmates and if they seem like they want to have a conversation, do so. You might be surprised at how much you can learn that way (of course if they don't seem like they want to talk, you should pick up on that too and leave them alone)

Why do you hate taking your skis off? It's not like it takes any effort.

Seems more at Gore than WF, but getting off the Gondi seem to have an ice issue on the boots.  Those with boot heaters definitely have an issue.  Take a look at all the people at the top and notice those attempting or using a partner for boot ice removal.  Therefore, I also avoid Gondi's if possible due to this (one of many reasons).  But hey, we are spoiled in NYS and when its -20 and a bluebird day, yeah, I may lap the Gondi's.

Hoser:  The WF gondola has wooden platforms with rubber mats at both terminals, while the Gore gondola has concrete platforms.  That could be the difference.

Brownski:  Could be a case of sno stating opinion as fact and it wouldn't be the first time I did that.  There are plenty of gondolas out there that are enjoyable to lap.  I've always felt like they are better suited to access lift locations and areas where the lift needs to take foot traffic as well as skiers.  Chairlifts can only be used efficiently by skiers.  For routes where an enclosed lift is desired that is meant to be lapped and there isn't any foot traffic, bubble chairs work the best.  You get the comfort of a gondola with the convenience of leaving equipment on.  A relatively new innovation for locations that could benefit from being a chair or gondola is the combined installation, often referred to as a Chondola or telemix.  This design runs gondola cabins and chairs on the same line.  Usually 6 passenger chairs and 8 passenger cabins are used with one cabin for every 3-5 chairs.  The capacity is usually just below that of a 6-pack due to increased chair spacing needed to fit the cabins.

PS I often chat with my chair mates when I have them.

raisingarizona wrote

Why do you hate taking your skis off? It's not like it takes any effort.

I hate taking off my skis because now I have to handle snow covered skis while standing in the weekend gondola line and then my gloves get wet. If you have little kids it is also a pain in the ass getting them out of their skis, carrying more wet skis and then getting them back into their skis. I also get too hot in a gondola. When I am dressed for skiing I do not need a 7-10 minute visit between every run in the warm temps in the gondola.

The good thing about gondolas is they suck lots of people off all the other lifts. They are also helpful if you are skiing in the rain.

My favorite lifts are fixed grip doubles, second is HS Quads.  

Gondies are far down the list, unless I'm skiing alone.

Coach Z wrote

This will go down as the stupidest lift ever built in the world.

I'm someone who believes I can no longer be shocked by government taxpayer waste, and this one even surprised me.

snoloco wrote

Noticed that the original PR picture for Belleayre's gondola is actually a picture of Stowe's Poma gondola.

Gotta' be a millennial in Bellayre's marketing department.

When I first saw this last week, I chuckled and thought it was a tongue-in-cheek, parody thread.  I come back today and lo-and-behold you guys are up to four pages and the responses appear to be serious - even considered and deliberate.  What am I missing?  

Still can't seem to post in any sub-forum but this one.  Whatever.