One of sets of lifts at Bromley designed to share towers, the Alpine lift was added ten years after its sister, Sun.The unloading ramp.View down the lift line.The tower above would suggest this lift was originally planned to go up higher.Another view down line.Shared drive terminal building at the bottom of the mountain.Lift overview.Loading zone.
I believe this lift was originally intended to go to where Sun ends now. With Sun, #1 and Stargazer all ending at the summit, they thought it would be a lot easier for beginners to get down the mountain from where this lift terminates today, hence the empty side of the half towers on Sun. When Sun Mountain Express was built, thy shortened sun to the location of the original planned Alpine unloading station.
Yeah, that sounds about right. Sun originally had a midstation where Alpine terminated originally, and I guess they figured they wanted to give more direct lift service to that lower bowl (similar to the Lower J Bar) without compromising capacity to the summit (You’ll always have empty chairs on the upper half of a lift with a midstation). I think it was pretty wise of them, because Sun doesn’t really service too much from a beginner standpoint that one would want to ski other than just getting down Twister to Alpine’s top terminal. I think they’re pretty much set how it is right now, with Sun being used for wind hold days and as an overflow lift and Alpine being used as a beginner/intermediate lift.
I’m not sure that sun ever had a mid station. Maybe it was planed, but I can’t see how it would work with the terrain there. No old maps mention it, and anyone I talked to said it didn’t.
You clearly never spoke with anyone who has a clue. The present top terminal was the mid-station. Sunder trail is so named because it was under the Sun lift.
In the spring when I would ski Sunder, there are 2 or 3 foundations that are hazard marked, they looked like single towers as they are in line with sun, not the double-double tower foundations.
I was wrong – I saw a picture (I believe on newenglandskihistory.com if you want to take a look) that showed a mid-unload on Sun with the start of the alpine slide underneath, but I believe actually that was the 3/4 station that is now the lift’s summit, as opposed to a midstation where Alpine ends now. I think I heard somewhere that the slides once went up to what is now the top of Sun.
There is no mention of it on old trail maps and it doesn’t seem to be possible with the terrain. I’ve asked two people who have been skiing there for the last 40+ years and they don’t remember any lift having a mid station.
The alpine slide did start where the Sun chairlift ends now and there was indeed a mid station 3/4 way up for the tracks before the lift was truncated. Its unclear whether the mid station was used in the winter or not
Lift Blog 
This lift’s main purpose is to serve the alpine slide and zip line during the summer months.
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I recorded it last summer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMXDwEC-yTE
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Alpine is also used by the race team fairly heavily.
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I believe this lift was originally intended to go to where Sun ends now. With Sun, #1 and Stargazer all ending at the summit, they thought it would be a lot easier for beginners to get down the mountain from where this lift terminates today, hence the empty side of the half towers on Sun. When Sun Mountain Express was built, thy shortened sun to the location of the original planned Alpine unloading station.
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Yeah, that sounds about right. Sun originally had a midstation where Alpine terminated originally, and I guess they figured they wanted to give more direct lift service to that lower bowl (similar to the Lower J Bar) without compromising capacity to the summit (You’ll always have empty chairs on the upper half of a lift with a midstation). I think it was pretty wise of them, because Sun doesn’t really service too much from a beginner standpoint that one would want to ski other than just getting down Twister to Alpine’s top terminal. I think they’re pretty much set how it is right now, with Sun being used for wind hold days and as an overflow lift and Alpine being used as a beginner/intermediate lift.
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I’m not sure that sun ever had a mid station. Maybe it was planed, but I can’t see how it would work with the terrain there. No old maps mention it, and anyone I talked to said it didn’t.
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You clearly never spoke with anyone who has a clue. The present top terminal was the mid-station. Sunder trail is so named because it was under the Sun lift.
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In the spring when I would ski Sunder, there are 2 or 3 foundations that are hazard marked, they looked like single towers as they are in line with sun, not the double-double tower foundations.
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I was wrong – I saw a picture (I believe on newenglandskihistory.com if you want to take a look) that showed a mid-unload on Sun with the start of the alpine slide underneath, but I believe actually that was the 3/4 station that is now the lift’s summit, as opposed to a midstation where Alpine ends now. I think I heard somewhere that the slides once went up to what is now the top of Sun.
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There is no mention of it on old trail maps and it doesn’t seem to be possible with the terrain. I’ve asked two people who have been skiing there for the last 40+ years and they don’t remember any lift having a mid station.
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The alpine slide did start where the Sun chairlift ends now and there was indeed a mid station 3/4 way up for the tracks before the lift was truncated. Its unclear whether the mid station was used in the winter or not
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