Whiteface Conditions (2016 - 2017)

Of course I do.  Riblet was one of the manufacturers that started during the boom in the ski industry that started in the late 50's.  They built hundreds of lifts over their history and there are plenty operating in NY.  Whiteface's Bunny Hutch Triple, Gore's Sunway and High Peaks lifts, and Belleayre's Lift 7 are all Riblets.

The company shut down in 2002, as the market for fixed grip lifts had declined and more high speed quads were being installed than anything.

One of the notable things about Riblet was their tower designs.  At first, they only put 4 sheaves per tower on each side.  This was to keep the towers as light as possible.  The towers were placed perpendicular to the angle of the slope and they depended on the load to offset the weight of the tower.  As they started building triples and quads, they introduced 8 sheave assemblies, but the tower angles remained the same.  They were the only company to design towers this way.

Yan, CTEC, Hall and Von Roll depended on the weight of the tower to offset the load and always placed all their towers straight up and down, regardless of slope angle.  Therefore their crossarms are overbuilt and they place more sheaves on them.

Borvig, Partek, Doppelmayr, and Poma were somewhat in the middle.  They placed towers straight up and down on slopes flat enough for the weight of the tower to offset the load.  On steeper slopes, they placed towers at a slight angle to where the load and weight of the tower were most balanced.

That's interesting. Thank you. You're very informative Sno.

What's the "sheaves " ?

The technical term for the wheels on the tower that the haulrope (cable) runs over, under or through.

BTW, pronounced "shiv."  A group of sheaves is known as a sheave assembly or balancier (French word).

I worked on a riblet most days of my one season as a liftie. They're good lifts but they're more finicky then some of the other brands. Easiest way to tell if you're on a riblet is to look up at the grip. the ones that are woven right into the cable rather then clamped around the outside are riblets

Snowballs wrote

freeheeln wrote

campgottagopee wrote

ScottyJack wrote

Pas de

Hmmmmm, sorry me no speeky Tontoism

SJ has gone Hinterlandian

That's what I was thinking. He must be preparing to skedaddle when Trump wins.

hahahahahahahhahaha  Trump Est un bouffon. Il est en baisse en flammes !

Brownski wrote

Easiest way to tell if you're on a riblet is to look up at the grip. the ones that are woven right into the cable rather then clamped around the outside are riblets

Yes, they're the only company that had grips like that.

Does anyone here know if Whiteface did any snowmaking improvements over the summer?  

I do. Sno you going to hassle Whiteface this year and give Gore the year off?

I'll probably hassle them both when it's needed.  I will most likely not post about Mountain Creek very much.

snoloco wrote

 I will most likely not post about Mountain Creek very much.

Why bother posting about Mountain Creek when I'm skiing at a much bigger and better mountain?

Now Harvey, what were the snowmaking improvements that Whiteface did?

snoloco wrote

Now Harvey, what were the snowmaking improvements that Whiteface did?

The adirondacks continued their topographic uplift which should have raised the elevation of whiteface a few tenths of a millimeter. So, that much extra upslope.

ml242 wrote

snoloco wrote

Now Harvey, what were the snowmaking improvements that Whiteface did?

The adirondacks continued their topographic uplift which should have raised the elevation of whiteface a few tenths of a millimeter. So, that much extra upslope.

Dude.  Way to give away the big news.  

Harvey wrote

ml242 wrote

snoloco wrote

Now Harvey, what were the snowmaking improvements that Whiteface did?

The adirondacks continued their topographic uplift which should have raised the elevation of whiteface a few tenths of a millimeter. So, that much extra upslope.

Dude.  Way to give away the big news.  

Come on, let's have the real answer.

Anyone that has skinned up the Toll road before have any idea of how long it typically takes to make it up? Depends on the snow line, but assuming the best? Have to be back on campus at SLU by 3pm and trying to make some turns

It'll take you a good hour and a half/two hours.

And don't expect a sick run. It's more just standing on your skis.

But it is our first chance of the year to slide on snow, so I'm taking it.

The percent grade on the toll road is about 8-10%.  That's even less steep than Kids Kampus, which is about 12%.  The steepest Whiteface lift is the Mountain Run double with a 39% average grade, and the Summit Quad is in 2nd with a 36% average grade.

snoloco wrote

The percent grade on the toll road is about 1-10%.  That's even less steep than Kids Kampus, which is about 12%.  The steepest Whiteface lift is the Mountain Run double with a 39% average grade, and the Summit Quad is in 2nd with a 36% average grade.

Nothing says "I'm a real fun guy" like coming in and giving statistics to people preparing to do something that they enjoy.

snoloco wrote

The percent grade on the toll road is about 1-10%.  That's even less steep than Kids Kampus, which is about 12%.  The steepest Whiteface lift is the Mountain Run double with a 39% average grade, and the Summit Quad is in 2nd with a 36% average grade.

The toll road is a pretty steady 8% grade. Ride on a bike and see for yourself.