Big news from West Mountain

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I like West a lot, and will not miss the double one bit.  Good riddance, and best of luck to everyone in Queensbury.

Yea ! That center pole truly sucked especially a few years ago when the lifties wouldn't bump the chairs. So, if they were running it fast it became an issue. Don't know how + sized people faired.

Found this part interesting. Wonder if Sno knew this ? Is it accurate ?

" The maximum speed for chairlifts in New York is 450 feet per minute, "

Is this new lift a detach Sno ?

Sure hope the mtn turns profitable real soon.

High speed Detachable Lifts run at 1,200 ft. per minute or 14 mph. When they detach for loading and unloading they run at 200 ft. per minute or 2 mph.

Snowballs wrote

Found this part interesting. Wonder if Sno knew this ? Is it accurate ?
" The maximum speed for chairlifts in New York is 450 feet per minute, "

Yeah, the Post-Star didn't quite get all the numbers right.  For example: "The mountain’s triple-chairlift now moves at 150 to 300 feet per minute"
The triple's slow, but not that slow.  It doesn't currently take between 15 and 30 minutes to get to the top (it's around 4500' long).

In any case, the lift replacements are welcome news.  I've never heard of a chairlift being redeployed into two chairlifts before, Snoloco any examples of where that's been done before?

Rooting for West and the Montgomerys. Awesome news!

Lifts can definitely be split into two lifts.  They just need to buy an extra drive and return.  This was done at Cannon, NH in 1998.  The Summit Triple which was a Doppelmayr Triple from the 1980's was split into the Eagle Cliff and Brookside Triple chairs at Cannon.  They bought an extra drive and return.

The interesting thing with the lift replacements at West Mountain is that the current two lifts are top drive, but the triple from The Hermitage Club was bottom drive.  The triple chair they are getting is a 1985 Poma model.  The drive terminal design it uses is designed to work at both the top and bottom, so it can probably be converted so they use the old configuration and don't have to do new electric work.

This triple chair is of course a fixed grip.  They do have the speeds wrong in the news report.  The current lifts probably run around 300-400 fpm now.  The law regarding fixed grip max speeds is as follows.

Fixed Grip Quad:  450 fpm without load carpet, 500 fpm with load carpet
Fixed Grip Triple and Double:  500 fpm without load carpet, 550 fpm with load carpet
Detachable Chairlift:  1,100 fpm
Detachable Gondola or Bubble Chairlift:  no maximum speed.

The new West Mountain Triple will probably run 450-500 fpm depending on how many stops or slows they get.  Some lifts are run slower because they serve beginner terrain and the skiers can't get on or off at full speed.  Running slightly slower means less stops and a faster ride with more capacity.

This happens on some high speed quads as well.  The Ramshead Express at Killington is run slower than most high speed quads.  It runs at 800 fpm, even though it is able to run 1,100 fpm.

Most detachable chairlifts run at 1,000 fpm, but some installations get the extra speed option.  On chairlifts, that is 1,100 fpm.  The AE2 at Gore can and does operate at this speed.

Detachable gondolas are often built to run 1,200 fpm, but some can only run 1,000.  The Skyeship Gondola at Killington and the Cloudsplitter Gondola at Whiteface can run 1,200 fpm.

Wait, what?

"The Hermitage Club is a private ski resort, and its owners are replacing the triple-chairlift with a new, six-seat lift with weather-shielding “bubbles” to protect passengers at higher altitudes.

The lift West purchased has been recently refurbished and painted.

“They put close to $400,000 into this lift in the last two seasons,” Montgomery said."

A six pack? What the hell do they need that for? Boy, if I was a member of that club, I'd have some juicy questions for the managers, who spend money easier than my ex wife, it seems.

I could see why they are replacing the Barnstormer Triple.  It was over a mile long, about the length of the 6-pack at Hunter.  A fixed grip lift of that length would take about 12 minutes to ride.  Of course they'd want it to be detachable and possibly a bubble lift as well.  However, why would a private club need a 6-pack?  Maybe it has a large chair interval.  For example, it could have a capacity of 1,800 pph and load every 12 seconds instead of a capacity of 3,600 pph loading every 6 seconds.  You'd think that a quad would do just fine though once you get under a capacity requirement of 2,400 pph.  Instead of a quad loading every 6 seconds with a capacity of 2,400 pph, it would load every 9 seconds with a capacity of 1,800 pph which is what the triple had.

I think one reason is that the amount of bubble chairs probably contributes to the cost and it might have been cheaper to get a 6-pack with less chairs than a quad with more chairs.

Trust me, they don't need a six pack. Personally, I don't think any ski hill needs a six pack. And that bubble. Wtf? Have you ever tried ti lift the bar on most six packs? It takes two people some times. Add a bubble? Madone. I swear, the rich are so bored at times they spend money to make their lives so much more difficult.

So what kind of lifts should Stratton have gotten?  They need all the capacity their four 6-packs can provide, well unless you want to stand in line all day.

A 6-pack lift works best in an application where there is massive trail acreage served by just one lift.  They often replace overcrowded high speed quads like the one at Okemo did.  Killington could use one on Ramshead (although not necessarily with a bubble) as the line for that HSQ is often the longest on the mountain, but the trails aren't crowded.

The bubbles are spring loaded and open automatically.  You have to close it yourself, but it isn't any harder than a regular lift because they are spring loaded.

I see that you like to ski on crowded mountains.

Remember, the more people who go up the hill, the more go down. Stand somewhere below the spot where the gondola, Superstar, and the Skye Peak quad dump thousands and thousands of people on a Saturday at Killington. Watch the horror going by.

Oh, and, I never ski Stratton.

You didn't answer the question.  What should a mountain do if they have crazy lift lines, but huge trail acreage?

it's a private resort, it's not about lines but maybe about them having a little bit of glitz to showcase to new potential members. Hopefully it doesn't bankrupt them into Haystack Returns.

Till then, buffy and bobby and tiffany and mittens and joey and donald can all ride the same chair together.

That Sno is a veritable well of information. Thanks for sharing Sno.

And Benny, he was just talking about different hill for examples not saying he necessarily likes to ski crowded mtns.

I think sometimes you bitch more than your ex-wife.

Oh, you don't know.

"what the hell did I say"


I just hate six packs. Especially combined with those conveyer belts up front. Moo.

One of my favorite chairs out west was the Super Bee at Copper. A six pack. Great trees, first lift, and it's fast.

Benny Profane wrote

Oh, you don't know.

"what the hell did I say"


I just hate six packs. Especially combined with those conveyer belts up front. Moo.

One of my favorite chairs out west was the Super Bee at Copper. A six pack. Great trees, first lift, and it's fast.

Copper is my favorite area in that part of CO. But Benny, now I know why you had the split, you didn't really hear what the kid said - we loose our hearing when we get older - wives hate that.

Do you think West will sell the old chairs as mementos like Gore did with the Triple.  I’d hang one in the pine out back of my house. Maybe get 3 and make a six pack. The article was great even though it seemed some facts not quite right. I'll look forward to a new seat for this winter. Already have my pass.

Orange bubble chair at the canyons was spring loaded such that my then 8 yo pulled it down and lifted it, alone.   I'd rather ride a bubble than gondi, no carrying skis, temperature etc.6 packs allow big groups to ride together and give more room for small groups.  If you have the cash, spend it.    

Awesome news for West and Capital District skiers.

I'm not a fan of six packs, especially if they turn the corner right before loading or after unloading.  IMO the ideal HS chair is a quad like the BR Poma.  I don't see a six being better in any way.

Also speed of the chair isn't the only thing that determines line length and trail crowds.  You can add or subtract chairs too.  The Hunter 6 barely changed uphill capacity at all.

At most ski areas you are going to do some waiting. Personally I'd rather wait sitting, talking to my friends on the chair then standing or shuffling in the maze.