The fifth US state to feature a bubble lift will be a place close to my heart – Washington. Although both Alterra and Vail Resorts now operate mountains in the Evergreen State, it’s independent gem Mission Ridge that will debut a bubble lift next season. Subject to Forest Service and state approvals, the used detachable quad will replace the Poma-built Liberator Express, which launched in 2005. The existing lift came used from Winter Park and is now 34 years old.
Liberator stretches more than 6,500 feet and rises 1,600′ vertical but has not been very reliable in its life up north. “The costs and limitations associated with maintaining the Liberator required us to take a new approach, so we began a search and found an ideal replacement,” said General Manager Josh Jorgensen in a statement. “If approved, this investment will offer consistency of operations and a much more comfortable ride up the mountain,” he added. “The new lift will come with all new electronic systems and controls which will serve Mission well for many years into the future.”
“We feel fortunate to have this opportunity,” noted Larry Scrivanich, the Seattle entrepreneur who purchased Mission Ridge from Harbor Properties 16 years ago. At the time, Harbor also owned and had invested in new lifts at two other mountains while mostly neglecting its Wenatchee property. Under Mr. Scrivanich’s leadership, Mission not only added the Liberator Express, but also Washington’s most comprehensive snowmaking system. The resort recently launched an expansion plan, seeking to add three more lifts and a ski-in, ski-out village northeast of the current base area. Some noted at the time of the announcement that the Liberator lift should be addressed first. Now it will be, though with another used lift. If all goes according to planned, Mission Ridge guests can be the only ones in the world to ride a classic Riblet double chair to a bubble detachable next winter.
Correction: This story originally stated that the lift would be new from Doppelmayr. It has been updated to reflect that the lift, while Doppelmayr, is coming used from Europe.
Lift Blog 
Any word on the manufacture? High speed quads with bubbles are quite rare.
LikeLike
Used Doppelmayr lift from Europe.
LikeLike
Any idea when it was originally built?
LikeLike
Sorry for my Englisch i am from Germany
The lift is the old Zinsbergbahn vom Brixen / Austria follow the link for more informations
This lift would be replaced in 2019 with a 8/10 Chair/Gondola
https://lift-world.info/de/lifts/1813/datas.htm
LikeLiked by 2 people
I same the Statement at https://www.missionridge.com/news/chair-2-upgrade-announced and the pics three are 100% from the Zinsbergbahn
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for the detective work, Christoph!
LikeLike
Looks like an ancient (1987) CLD-260 with EJ bubble chairs. Sounds like they are going from one maintenance nightmare to another.
LikeLike
I am wondering if they are going to replace the chain return with a tire return?
LikeLike
I don’t think that’s an option for CLD-260’s. Poma offers such a conversion for their old chain driven terminals.
LikeLike
CLD-260s have a few kinks in the contour (one on the arrival side, one right on center, and another on the departure side). I’m not sure how the chain (which is fitted to the contour) could be replaced without having to eliminate the kinks and re-engineer the entire contour. Poma can offer the retrofit option because the Performant and Competition systems don’t have any kinks.
LikeLike
Maybe custom made UNI G terminals with DS contour rails?
LikeLike
Well how does doppelmayr
make modern tire lifts with angled midststions? I doubt it would be extremely hard to upgrade it to tires.
LikeLike
I agree. Old technology, replacing all of the electrical, electronics and interface devices, all technical information in German, etc. Plus it is still operating and needs to be removed and shipped. It will be interesting to see who does the install….
LikeLike
Not sure who is doing the install. Not Doppelmayr.
LikeLike
I think Müller & Stark (www.pro-alpin.com / https://www.facebook.com/ProAlpinRopewayServices/ ) from Austria will install the lift. They have a lot of experience in the installation of used lifts worldwide. Sometimes they install new lifts for Doppelmayr. They also remove the Lift in Austria. A few weeks ago the lift was for sale on their homepage.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Just on a side note, but Big Sky also has a Riblet.
LikeLike
But not one you are required to ride to get to a bubble chair. That is really unique. Mission Ridge is so old school it still doesn’t have carpet lifts. Next year there will be two rope tows, three Riblet doubles and the bubble.
LikeLike
Such great news! This will be a nice enhancement for a very underrated ski resort
LikeLike
Why do they need bubbles?
LikeLike
Because it’s an extremely long chair ride, much of it exposed to wind. Even though often the skiing off of it is out of the wind.
LikeLike
And no lines and the best snow this west side of Spokane. Small area vibe with small area attitude. Did I say no lines …….. Need bubble due to high winds
LikeLike
I wouldn’t be surprised if Mission Ridge hung on to Liberator and did a Snowmass-style conversion to a fixed grip quad for use elsewhere on the mountain.
LikeLike
Like when the old fanny hill high speed quad at snowmass was converted into two fixed grip quads?
LikeLike
Exactly
LikeLike
They could and should use it to replace chair 4. That lift is scary
LikeLike
Chair 2 is very unreliable. Chair 4 is very reliable. Chair 2 belongs in a scrap pile.
LikeLike
C4 may be reliable but every stop is accompanied by violent bouncing of the rope. They both need replacement
LikeLiked by 2 people
Replace chair 4 and use the remainder for chair 5 up to windy ridge
LikeLike
Holy shit this is awesome!!
LikeLike
Sad to see such a classic poma detachable go, oh well though. Maybe some components from it will be reused in different ways (ie, fanny hill/original ajax express).
LikeLike
Do we know anything about the European one other than it having bubbles and being European?
LikeLike
Its a dopp hsq. Here’s to hoping its not one with DS series grips.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Agreed!
LikeLike
Is there something wrong with DS grips?
LikeLike
No, but there is with the EJ Bubble chairs!
LikeLike
Hopping from one old HSQ with issues to a different old HSQ (which will pretty soon have issues) seems like a bad plan.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nothing particularly wrong with the DS grips, but a DS-era (<1994) lift won't be an effective investment for any more than 10 years. After that, it'll become a hassle like the POMA Liberator. The bubbles themselves would probably be in atrocious condition, so it wouldn't be good for customer satisfaction.
I suspect the lift will be mid to late 90s era (UNI Spacejet terminals and DT grips), or potentially a very early UNI-G lift (early 2000s). I'm guessing the former, primarily because Dopplemayr installed many of bubble quads across Europe in that era, many of which are starting to be replaced with bubble sixes or eights.
LikeLike
The new lift is the same age as the Alpha Evolution it’s replacing. Is the improvement just the bubbles, because if that is, why didn’t they just put new chairs on Liberator?
LikeLike
Does importing a used lift from Austria cost as much as building a new lift in North America?
LikeLike
I’d assume no, considering they are doing it in the first place.
LikeLike
Will It have the 1st gen doppelmayr tower heads?
LikeLike
Today is June 1st and still no sign of construction.
LikeLike
Or even deconstruction….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah you’d think that by now, the chairs would be already removed.
LikeLike
I had a phone conversation with Mission Ridge’s GM about this and other projects a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, the Department of Fish and Wildlife has apparently been very slow to review the proposal, and at this point they do not believe there would be enough time to do the install anymore this construction season. The plan at this point is to do a wee bit of preliminary work this summer, but to keep Chair 2 going for one more year and install the bubble lift in 2020.
LikeLike
Bruh Sound Effect #2
LikeLike
6 P’s, management should know that State, Federal agencies can take time. Making an announcement about a “new” used lift before all the paperwork is done is isn’t something guests enjoy. Best of luck next year.
LikeLike
It looks like chairs are finally coming off the Liberator for this project. Certainly will be interesting to see how they turn a 4,900 foot lift with station buildings into a 6,500 foot lift without station buildings halfway across the world.
https://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/bdd/reportage-tsd4b-zinsbergbahn-doppelmayr-2889.html
Certainly will be a unique lift for North America.
LikeLike
I’m guessing they might do something like what Owls head did with the terminals when quicksilver came there since quicksilver was in buildings.
LikeLike
Any word on if the old Poma HSQ going to be reused, uswed for parts, or scrapped?
LikeLike
Parts will probably be sold/given to other mountains. Might go on to be a fixed grip elsewhere, or perhaps the components will be used as backup for another 80s poma HSQ.
LikeLike