When it debuted, Lift 9 was the highest elevation quad chair in the world.View up from the base.Tower 1.Another view up the lift line.Poma Alpha drive station.Loading area.Riding up.View back down the line.Unused mid-station.Upper lift line.Tower 16.This lift is a bottom drive like almost all others at Loveland.Top station from below.Middle part of the line.View back up towards the continental divide.Mid-station unload.Lift line overview.Lower portion of the line.
It varies, but they can last decades. We have several original ropes on the hill- C-1, 1975; 4/6 (original J-lift), 1977; R-lift, 1982, AI-lift, 1985; 1994, B-lift, 1998. Obviously the newer lifts still have their original ropes but the time frame is shorter. The old Flyer went out with its original rope at 32 years.
Hey Ryan- A properly cared for haul rope can last for the life time of the lift. Some of the causes for rejection are 1) “Loss of metallic cross section”- which means that it has lost some of it strength due to wire wear-usually caused by continued contact with sheaves / bullwheels or grips sliding on the rope OR an abnormal number of broken wires in a given length of the rope, usually caused by damage or fatigue. 2) Percentage reduction of the diameter of the rope- usually cause by problems related to the core. This is more prevalent in older ropes with Silas/hemp cores as they will deteriorate over time from lack of lubrication.
Hope this helps- always ready to answer any technical questions you may have!
I was guessing it might have something to do with it not being able to retain snow very well, judging from the rocks there, but Chair 4 has a similar unload that seems to work fine.
The mid station is not used because it requires an additional paid full time employee. The old patriarch of Loveland, Chet Upham, surmised that neophytes would want to ride the lift without the commitment of going to the divide.
This maybe explains something I always wondered about… the presence of the blue “our bowl” on the map. Our bowl is not actually accessible other than by black terrain unless the mid station was operational.
Lift Blog 
The mid Station wasn’t last used 2011 according to skimap.org
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that haul rope sure is full of color..
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Match Marks from the annual grip relocation process.
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Are you telling me mechanics don’t just get drunk and tag? Sheesh. My world is now boringer.
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How many years is a cable good for before it must be replaced?
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It varies, but they can last decades. We have several original ropes on the hill- C-1, 1975; 4/6 (original J-lift), 1977; R-lift, 1982, AI-lift, 1985; 1994, B-lift, 1998. Obviously the newer lifts still have their original ropes but the time frame is shorter. The old Flyer went out with its original rope at 32 years.
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I believe the track rope for the Estes Park tram is still original from 1955.
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Hey Ryan- A properly cared for haul rope can last for the life time of the lift. Some of the causes for rejection are 1) “Loss of metallic cross section”- which means that it has lost some of it strength due to wire wear-usually caused by continued contact with sheaves / bullwheels or grips sliding on the rope OR an abnormal number of broken wires in a given length of the rope, usually caused by damage or fatigue. 2) Percentage reduction of the diameter of the rope- usually cause by problems related to the core. This is more prevalent in older ropes with Silas/hemp cores as they will deteriorate over time from lack of lubrication.
Hope this helps- always ready to answer any technical questions you may have!
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Why is the mid-station not used any more?
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I was guessing it might have something to do with it not being able to retain snow very well, judging from the rocks there, but Chair 4 has a similar unload that seems to work fine.
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The mid station is not used because it requires an additional paid full time employee. The old patriarch of Loveland, Chet Upham, surmised that neophytes would want to ride the lift without the commitment of going to the divide.
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This maybe explains something I always wondered about… the presence of the blue “our bowl” on the map. Our bowl is not actually accessible other than by black terrain unless the mid station was operational.
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On technicality, this is still the highest lift to start below timberline (Imperial starts just above timberline).
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Why doesn’t Loveland just go ahead and remove the midstation? Nobody ever uses it
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