- On an all-star podcast with Katharina Schmitz and Mark Bee, Stephen Kircher discusses more new lifts coming to Boyne Resorts and the two companies’ shared history.
- Leitner-Poma forecasts another busy year of building lifts in Grand Junction despite high material and shipping costs.
- 2022 will be the busiest year ever for Doppelmayr USA with 25 installations including 6 D-Line detachables.
- Mt. Rose launches a page dedicated to Lakeview Express updates.
- A €100 million 2S gondola project in France is cancelled due to rising costs.
- The Matterhorn Alpine Crossing 3S will open one year from now.
- Canadian and Quebec governments will spend CA$400,000 to modernize the world’s first six passenger chairlift.
- At a Palisades Tahoe town hall, leaders discuss on this summer’s $60 million capital infusion and Alterra’s plan to spend $150 million over the next 2-4 years.
- Solitude commits to replacing Eagle Express in 2023; will look at upgrading Link and adding a Moonbeam-Roundhouse-Powderhorn gondola after that.
- Following last weekend’s mishap, Doppelmayr and Snowbird now plan to reopen the tram in mid-July with one new cabin and one old cabin on the line but not carrying passengers.
- Big Sky and Garaventa break ground on America’s first new large tramway since 2008.
- As real estate sales begin, more detailed maps emerge from Mayflower Mountain Resort.
- Michigan considers returning a second chairlift to Porcupine Mountains State Park.
- The appeal pausing Park City’s lift projects will be heard next week.
Lift Blog 
How much of a new doppelmayr or LP lift installed in North America is actually made in North America vs shipped over from Europe? All but the drive motors? Controls? How much volume would have to occur here before these companies would manufacture an entire lift on this side of the Atlantic? I’m assuming that Skytrac makes everything in Utah already so that’s some fraction of LPOA’s business.
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Depends on the model of the lift and the components ordered for it.
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Leitner-Poma’s terminals are made at their Grand Junction facility, same with the towers and double and triple carriers. The Bubble chairs are Leitner while the EEZII are Poma. both are made in Europe and shipped. Regarding drive equipment, Kissling is a Swiss company, so the gearbox probably comes from Switzerland. The grip is a co-development between Leitner and Poma and is used worldwide. It appears from old images that the Alpha fixed grip is all made in house, except for the drive equipment. (ABB, Kissling, Cummins).
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We (Skytrac) get most of our components from the US, the exception would be some electrical components (Semens, ABB, etc.), some drive line parts (Flender). Out on the line the Skytrac 400mm sheaves are made in SLC while the LPOA sheaves are imported, liners depend on spec. Our carriers are near 100% with maybe the grip springs being imported and some hardware imported.
You are correct about the Alpha its built in GJ.
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Good morning Peter,
one of the things that I would encourage the lift manufacturers to do is to improve their operating capabilities during light freezing rain situations. The old Vista Bahn chairlift and Vail was pretty handy as it was just chain drive obviously they don’t have the icing problems that we have back east and out in Pacific Northwest.
Am I being unreasonable?
Thanks, Jeff
Sent from my iPhone
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I think Amber Broadaway is an extremely good leader, so it is disappointing to see Solitude’s plan have a number of flaws. For starters, Eagle should become a six. I do not believe it needs a capacity boost all the way to 3600 pph, but given their annual visitation growth, going to at least 3000 is a necessary move. Even if they choose to keep capacity flat at 2800, it is much more efficient to do that with a six instead of a quad. Where they do need a detachable quad is Sunrise, and I am shocked it was not mentioned in their plan.
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Personally, I believe that we have different views, but with all do respect the only two lifts up there that need replacing are Apex and Eagle. Apex just gets too busy, although the lines could be solved with a person controlling the lines. A high speed six would work great at this spot but aside from that their isn’t too much traffic on the mountain. Eagle is crowded in the early morning but it is not anything too bad, its just a shame that it is one of a kind and also the first high speed quad in Utah also to go. I do know that it can be difficult to find replacement parts! I hope they will leave some form of the old lift up or maybe a plaque just reminding everyone what was here before. As for the Link idea I think it is the worst idea they could do, same for Sunrise. They don’t need to be replaced they are perfect as is, But if they replace Link they should relocate it to the original Moonbeam/Silverfork lift line brining the crowds down on Apex. This could serve as a key connector link for moonbeam and also a great run for beginners. This could also assist in transferring from Sunrise back to Moonbeam/ Link area. Also move Apex’s bottom terminal 350ft up making it easier for people to get around or so their is not a flat at the bottom. But that is me! It might not make the most sense to some people but being a local here and continuing to ski here for the past 14 years has been a treasure and to see it change so quick kind of hurts. Especially to see link or sunrise go. Aside from that solitude does not get too busy, only on Saturdays and on Holidays.
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I agree Apex is too crowded, but I think the solution there is to make Sunrise a detachable quad to encourage people to spread out amongst the two lifts.
An idea I had to replace (or supplement) Link is to install a base-to-base cabriolet or pulse gondola. Gondolita at Taos or Sky Cab at Snowmass are examples of what I am thinking.
Solitude is not terribly busy at the moment, but it is getting busier every year, and not planning for this future growth will render projects obsolete.
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The main issue with Apex is the fact that it is a key connector on the mountain for transferring around the mountain and especially for the people who are not ready for Honeycomb, Apex also serves as a main way into Summit now, if they would have ran Summit in its original alignment it would still be only accessible from Sunrise. that would of costed Sunrise to be warranted as a detachable. the main issue with Sunrise is that it is a work horse lift in the summer and in the winter. it serves in the summer for mountain biking and in the near future a bike park not making the lift replaceable yet, or it would be complicated to do so. personally I don’t want to see Sunrise get replaced and the trails over there can hold only so many and that number is already just enough.
the idea for the supplement lift for link would be a great idea though, keeping Link for the more advanced beginners that can learn how to ride a ski lift and have the gondola or a cabriolet to serve the base to base idea.
The worst part up here is the fact that they got rid of the big main lot (now where the village is) and they can only fill up the parking lot as much as the can right know with out doing some massive ground work.
The main thing with me is the fact that I have learned on these two lifts and many of the others that have know disappeared. I had started to learn here just before the moonbeam quad was replaced with the high speed quad. the main thing with me is that I just don’t want the history to go away just like how the A frame lodges went away up here, merely left to be forgotten with exception of the few that can still remember them.
the main project I wish they would have chosen to talk about or do is the honeycomb alignment pushing it further up Woodlawn run and it would end up cutting out the long cat track at the bottom too. and ending the top where it currently ends.
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I’m biased, but just wanted to say thanks for posting the Midwestskiers.com video. Lots of interesting lift activity in the midwest coming up!
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