It was an early lift company that didn’t last long. They built one of the first detachable chairlifts in the world at a small ski hill in New York. There’s more history in this article here: https://skiinghistory.org/news/first-flopped
Because the lines are over 30 min long on every lift on weekends. They need more capacity when as of typing this EZ rider line stretches 400ft back with 4 queues in place.
Detachables don’t increase capacity – a detachable quad and a fixed quad both usually have a capacity around 2000-2400 pph.
I would actually argue that detachables increase wait times/congestion on the slopes, as one person spends more time on a fixed lift than a detachable, meaning that the slopes are less crowded and there’s less people waiting.
I think Alpine chose to build that many as bragging rights – right now they’re tied with Granite Peak for the most # of detachables in Wisconsin.
I think that them making EZ Rider a detachable is a good idea – detachables are much easier for begineers to load and unload than fixed lifts. However, I don’t really think Valley Flyer or Super Glide needed to be detachables – I think it would have been better to have those as fixed quads, and then make Lodge a detachable, since it’s longer than the VF and SG, plus putting the detachable on the other side of the creek would help them have more space to have the maze.
Also, wow, lots of information is wrong in this chart. EZ Rider is definitely not longer than Valley Flyer or Super Glide (at least not by 900 ft) and either the EZ Rider height is too high or SG and VF are too low (Alpine Valley says that their hill is 388 ft so I feel like it’s the latter if they are to be believed).
Detachable quads aren’t maxed out at 2400 pph, there are some that can reach over 2800 pph, but if a ski area is going for 2800 pph, they usually do a six pack which maxes out at 3600 pph.
When Valley Flyer gets replaced they are probably going to need more capacity unless Lodge is upgraded to a HSQ. Valley flyer is getting older and in the next 15 years will likely get replaced.
Apparently Vail wanted to buy Alpine valley for 14 million for the whole entire resort including the concert venue and the gold course but Alpine Valley refused because that was too low. Super glide alone costed 2.6 million.
Does anyone know what Mohawk was? I see it as a manufacturer for a removed quad that was built in 1965.
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It was an early lift company that didn’t last long. They built one of the first detachable chairlifts in the world at a small ski hill in New York. There’s more history in this article here: https://skiinghistory.org/news/first-flopped
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Von Roll built lots of detachable chairlifts starting in the 1940s, so I’m not sure how that one would qualify as one of the first.
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Why so many detachables?
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Because the lines are over 30 min long on every lift on weekends. They need more capacity when as of typing this EZ rider line stretches 400ft back with 4 queues in place.
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Detachables don’t increase capacity – a detachable quad and a fixed quad both usually have a capacity around 2000-2400 pph.
I would actually argue that detachables increase wait times/congestion on the slopes, as one person spends more time on a fixed lift than a detachable, meaning that the slopes are less crowded and there’s less people waiting.
I think Alpine chose to build that many as bragging rights – right now they’re tied with Granite Peak for the most # of detachables in Wisconsin.
I think that them making EZ Rider a detachable is a good idea – detachables are much easier for begineers to load and unload than fixed lifts. However, I don’t really think Valley Flyer or Super Glide needed to be detachables – I think it would have been better to have those as fixed quads, and then make Lodge a detachable, since it’s longer than the VF and SG, plus putting the detachable on the other side of the creek would help them have more space to have the maze.
Also, wow, lots of information is wrong in this chart. EZ Rider is definitely not longer than Valley Flyer or Super Glide (at least not by 900 ft) and either the EZ Rider height is too high or SG and VF are too low (Alpine Valley says that their hill is 388 ft so I feel like it’s the latter if they are to be believed).
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Detachable quads aren’t maxed out at 2400 pph, there are some that can reach over 2800 pph, but if a ski area is going for 2800 pph, they usually do a six pack which maxes out at 3600 pph.
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When Valley Flyer gets replaced they are probably going to need more capacity unless Lodge is upgraded to a HSQ. Valley flyer is getting older and in the next 15 years will likely get replaced.
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Do you think they can squeeze any more lifts on that land fill?
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Probably not there is enough service for now.
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That sums up Midwest skiing right there.
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Apparently Vail wanted to buy Alpine valley for 14 million for the whole entire resort including the concert venue and the gold course but Alpine Valley refused because that was too low. Super glide alone costed 2.6 million.
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