- Bretton Woods’ upcoming gondola gets a great name: Presidential Bahn.
- Copper updates the public on its big new American Eagle and American Flyer lifts.
- For the third time in six years, Soldier Mountain, Idaho hits the market. “The current owners have experienced the typical start up challenges that come with operating a ski area that has been under capitalized, under managed and under marketed for many years,” writes Mike Krongel of Mirus Resort Advisors.
- The BC Supreme Court orders the province to reconsider its 2015 decision to pull Jumbo Glacier Resort’s construction permit over lack of progress.
- Mont Cascades scores a $1.2 million grant from the Government of Quebec to help build the resort’s longest chairlift yet.
- The criminal case of a former employee who may or may not have been stuck on a Gore Mountain chairlift overnight last winter heads to trial.
- Snow King’s possible gondola gains two new alignment options. GM Ryan Stanley tells the Jackson Hole community “After struggling for so many years to keep the lifts spinning, it is sad to see the negativity associated with proposed improvements to the mountain.”
- The 380 acre Cold Springs Canyon expansion and detachable quad are officially a go for next summer at Sun Valley.
- Doppelmayr nears commissioning of a very cool gondola with spherical cabins, loopy towers and whimsical stations in Moscow.
- Stratton says goodbye to the SMS Poma, leaving just seven detachable surface lifts in the country by my count.
- 36 days before opening, go inside the eye-catching Matterhorn 3S gondola by Leitner Ropeways.
- Thanks to Everett and Will for these shots of Big Sky’s trailblazing Ramcharger 8 project.
Lift Blog 
Another interesting point from the first link…
“…it was Bretton Woods intention to provide lifting frames for the entire [Fayban’s Express] lift during this modification. Unfortunately due to production capabilities the frames could not be manufactured for this construction season. It is anticipated that the lifting frames will be installed during the 2019 summer season.”
It seems both lift manufacturers are firing on all cylinders right now. Shout out to the production and installation teams working crazy hours to build all these big lifts. Some were ordered really late.
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Oh, the Ramcharger 8 is coming THIS year! I thought this wouldn’t be until 2019 for some reason
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what date were the photos of the top terminal of Ramcharger taken?
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EXIF data says back on July 27th. I’m hoping to get up there next month for an update.
Big Sky shared a more recent pic of Shedhorn.
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coming along! that terminal looks like it will be done soon!
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so they are wrapping a G skin over the old lift.
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Where are the 7 remaining detachable surface lifts?
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Echo Valley, WA
Hurricane Ridge, WA
Killington, VT
Loup Loup, WA
Sipapu, NM
Snowmass, CO
Wolf Creek, CO
All Poma, of course.
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Nice! I have ridden the one at Sipapu, what a trip. I believe the one at Wolf Creek is only fired up on special occasions.
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Are any of these seven lifts utilizing the advantages of a detachable surface lift like turns in various directions? It’s a shame this great lift type is becoming more and more rare. They are fast, fun to ride (the start!) and can be easily adapted to different terrain.
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And they’re also a cast-iron #<^£$5 to maintain. Cool for sure, but that’s why they’re disappearing.
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Hurricane Ridge’s Poma has a good turn: https://liftblog.com/poma-hurricane-ridge-wa/
As does Cirque at Snowmass: https://liftblog.com/cirque-snowmass-co/
The rest in the US are straight.
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There are two at Hickory Hill in New York. Sadly, Hickory reopened only for a short time a few years ago.
They were incredibly fast and the lift line quite steep. One was diesel powered with the engine in the operator’s shed and the other was electric. The light operator would launch you by pulling a chain. And you’d better be ready.
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Great video from Austria, I used to wait in that line back in the 80s. Not many 80s style Dopp gondolas left, even in Europe.
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I agree. it’s great seeing old Doppie (and even Poma/Leitner) Gondolas still in action. I was super happy when they simply did a refresh and upgrade to the then 31 year old Steamboat Gondi instead of a complete replacement. I’m wondering if they did the same to that quad?
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Peter, do you know how they are building the Shedhorn Terminals? I saw some pics and they had the old enclosures but with a UNG roof. Very confusing.
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These drawings are from a similar relocation in France.
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