- Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows CEO Andy Wirth and landowner Troy Caldwell held a Base-to-Base Gondola open house and Q&A last week presenting lots of new details. The Red Dog replacement project won’t happen until the gondola alignment is finalized.
- The Balsams files site plans for construction of a gondola and more beginning as soon as this fall.
- Subaru Skyride debuts at the Indiana State Fair. Can anyone identify the manufacturer?
- Owners of Lutsen say $40 million expansion will compel more skiers to stay in the Midwest instead of trekking to Colorado.
- Still no sign of lift construction at Saddleback.
- Two people apparently were injured riding a lift at Montage Mountain last weekend.
- Following the successful launch of a Poma gondola to the Kuelap fortress, Peru’s government to study building a cable car to Machu Picchu.
- Snowbasin is adding a tower to the currently towerless Allen Peak Tram to increase clearance and reduce closures during storm cycles.
- Keystone drops Making Montezuma episode 2.
- Disney Skyliner gondola construction prep continues.
- Sunshine Village reopens its gondola tomorrow after an 11-day fire closure.
- First pictures emerge of Steamboat’s gondola rebuild. Notice downloading capacity is now only six per cabin.
- The City of Elko will take over Elko Snobowl.
- Steamboat City Council reviews vision for Howelsen Hill which includes $1.54 million for a new, realigned Barrows chairlift.
- An Eldo Express update from Eldora.
- Ditto from Stoneham.
Lift Blog 
Indiana State Fair Skyride was built RideTek, Inc., Rossville Ga.
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Interesting, never heard of them. Thanks.
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The Skyride at the Fair looks like a Roebling/O.D. Hopkins to me. Maybe Ridetek was the installer, but I’m confident of my observation.
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Regarding Machu Picchu: Goti Hofmann of Von Roll (now Doppelmayr-Garaventa) worked on a tram for that site twenty years ago, but there were too many obstacles from opponents who feared the site would have too much casual traffic and lead to rapid degradation. It was certainly feasible.
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That’s a Roebling at Indiana.
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Any idea where it came from? Some parts, like the seats, look new.
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I’m going to guess it came from a defunct amusement park or fair somewhere here in the states, there’s been a number of them that have gone under over the past 10-15 years. These things were very popular back in the 70s and early 80s primarily at amusement parks.
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Here is a Roebling that was installed in the 70s at the amusement park that I grew up near in Farmington, Utah (Lagoon) For comparison regarding the carriers.
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The owners of Lutsen think that a 40 million upgrade will compel people to stay in-state instead of traveling to Colorado- yet they fail to realize that Colorado has something that Lutsen does not. In fact a few things- Better snow, higher elevation, and flat out a better overall experience. Sorry, but the little hills they have there can’t compete with REAL mountains.
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Peter- Link for Howelsen Hill story is broken or no longer valid.
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Darn, it’s one of those sites that constantly changes the links. Try here and click on the packet for the 8/1 City Council meeting: http://docs.steamboatsprings.net/sirepub/meetresults.aspx
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RideTek I’d think was either the installer, or is the operator … they’re definitely not the manufacturer …
(pretty much anyone in this state with that level of steelwork expertise has been tied up the last 2-3 years building either of the new sports stadiums in Atlanta, or doing steelwork for I-85 after the bridge fire)
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That fair chair looks like a Universal Design to me, and I agree that at least the carriers are used.
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Yes! No more digging at the top terminal at allen peak. During the 2016/17 season was nuts when the tram had no towers and the snow height caused closures for half of the season because the tram cabin came in contact with snow causing closures due to digging at the angled top station. With the addition of the new six pack and more snowmaking at the Wildcat part of the resort, Snowbasin is going to be better than before.
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We had similar problems here in Jackson this winter. Adding a tower to the JH tram isn’t feasible but other options are being studied. It’s tricky without cat access. Big Sky struggles occasionally too.
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