Looking up the lift line.Yan towers and chairs.Towers 1-2.View up the first part of the line.Tension station. The counterweight is hundreds of yards away next to the Peru Express.Return bullwheel.Top drive station/unload.Unloading ramp.See the counterweight?
I’ve always wondered the same thing. Either it was engineered wrong and derailed on a regular basis or it had a design defect where the counterweight was bending the bottom terminal like on KT-22 at Squaw. Without any photos of the original lift, it’s hard to judge so hopefully an old timer has some knowledge.
Keystone’s master plan calls for a high speed quad to replace Argentine, starting at the current location but having a midway turn station around Schoolmarm, and then running to the top of Paymaster. (Which would allow for more efficiency in uphill traffic, and give the lift more usage, rather than only be an alternate route to get to the Montezuma Express when the Peru Express goes 101).
There are 21 towers on Argentine, though I don’t know how many chairs it has. From tower 10 to tower 13 is when you’re above Lower Haywood. It’s between towers 13 and 14 that you cross lower Schoolmarm, and between towers 17 and 18 that you cross over the west approach to the Montezuma Express lift.
How often has Argentine even spin in recent years, in particular this season?
Per the headline on the main page, it says that in the USFS plan, they have indicated the plan to remove Argentine with the pending Peru Express replacement project this summer.
Pretty rarely. I’ve never managed to catch Argentine running when I’ve skied. I think it’s only run when things are really backed up at the Peru Express. Otherwise, I think someone was saying on another thread that ski patrol only uses this in the morning when getting patrollers up the mountain, or something like that.
It is pulling on the bullwheel, but redirected to a remote location. What I don’t understand is why they hid the counterweight. There’s definitely enough room at the bottom
YAN actually designed a few lifts that way in the ‘70s. The idea was the counterweights were taking up space at base area lifts that could be utilized for skier queuing so Yan moved the counterweights to remote locations. Alpine, as shown by Donald, was fairly straight forward- angle sheaves at the rear of the longitudinal beam. Look up Copper Mountain ‘High Point” lift and Discovery (Checkerboard) at Keystone. The counterweight rope actually does a 180 degree turn at the rear of the longitudinal beam and then exits the front of the beam to be deflected to the remote location of the counterweight!
Argentine did not run often, however it was mainly used to transport patrol up the mountain in the mornings, and take traffic off of Peru during the busy season. Don’t quote me on this, but I think the lack of Argentine running this past season was due to Keystone being short staffed. They did spin it for guests on closing day last Sunday.
Can someone explain to me why they are removing this lift with the installation of Peru Express 2.0? I understand it really is not used more than perhaps 10 days a year, but does it not make sense to have a backup? Or for those peak days when Peru will inevitably be overloaded?
On closing day I was talking to someone from lift maintenance. He was telling me that in order for it to operate for another few seasons, they would have to do a complete gearbox re-build and more. With parts becoming harder and harder to find, it just isn’t worth it to keep the lift up and running anymore.
However I do think they should have kept it until at least next summer in case there are any issues with the new lift.
I’m going to miss this lift, it ran pretty regularly in the 90s and early 00s, last time I rode it was probably around 2005. it operated for night skiing in the 90s and was really cool riding up at night in the quiet and dark unlit trees. RIP Argentine
The new Peru Lift is up and running, I’ve ridden it, sure will help on busy days. Argentine is completely gone now and it really opened up the base area.
You don’t have to pass by a derelict lift when walking from your car to the Peru Express, and you aren’t passing under a derelict lift when approaching the Montezuma Express from the west.
When Keystone was marketing the farewell for this lift, it seems as though they treated this and the predecessor Riblet as if they were the same lift, as they were saying “Farewell Argentine 1970-2021” not “1977-2021” to refer to when the Yan went in.
On the original master plan from 2009, the plan had been to replace Argentine with a two-stage high speed quad running from Mountain House to the top of Paymaster, with a midway turn station at the top of Haywood. This would create a one-seat ride to most of Dercum Mountain’s terrain from Mountain House. There was also a planned connector trail from the top of Paymaster to Diamondback (which would enable bypassing the Summit House), and a planned triple chairlift to connect the extended Argentine Express with the Summit House (plus supply an extra learning area to supplement Ranger).
That’s clearly off the board now, considering Keystone instead went with just upgrading the Montezuma Express and Peru Express to high speed six packs while removing Argentine entirely. Still, I think a few have raised a good point that it might be a good idea to revive Argentine as a direct Mountain House to Summit House high speed quad (with no midstation), with the upper terminal being on the west side of the Summit House at the point where the Saint’s John lift (the Heron-Poma double that functioned as a backup for the Montezuma Express prior to 2003) ended. Such a lift would also be incredibly beneficial for Dercum Mountain as a whole given the number of functions it would have:
1. It’d create a one-seat ride from Mountain House to the Summit House (beneficial for those headed straight to North Peak, Bergman Bowl, and the Outback)
2. It’d ensure that there’s a way out of Mountain House if the Peru Express goes down for any reason.
3. It might shift some traffic off the Montezuma Express (which gets slammed as it not only is the sole lift to do laps on upper Dercum Mountain without going down to River Run, it’s also having to take the Peru Express’s traffic). Have it basically where you take Argentine if you want to go directly to the farther back parts of the mountain or just upper Dercum Mountain, while you can take the Peru Express if you want to take the scenic route or you’re headed for A-51.
I think that Keystone could put in a HSQ on a slightly different alignment that would have an angle station where the original lift ended, and then have it continue around the vicinity of the former Ida Belle and Saints Johns lift lines. The final result would be a lift similar to Treeline Cirque at Palisades Tahoe. This lift would not only take pressure off Peru and Montezuma, which can get quite busy during Peak Periods, it would also provide a direct ride to the top of Dercum Mtn.
Lift Blog 
The original Argentine was a 1970 Riblet double and then it was replaced with this Yan double in 1977. Any idea why?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hard to find photos of the old Riblet. But here’s one:
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was thinking the same thing. Riblets last forever, so perhaps it was engineered or installed incorrectly.
LikeLike
I never noticed it skiing Keystone, but the top of this lift sits on the old vault drive of the Riblet lift.
LikeLike
I’ve always wondered the same thing. Either it was engineered wrong and derailed on a regular basis or it had a design defect where the counterweight was bending the bottom terminal like on KT-22 at Squaw. Without any photos of the original lift, it’s hard to judge so hopefully an old timer has some knowledge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Keystone’s master plan calls for a high speed quad to replace Argentine, starting at the current location but having a midway turn station around Schoolmarm, and then running to the top of Paymaster. (Which would allow for more efficiency in uphill traffic, and give the lift more usage, rather than only be an alternate route to get to the Montezuma Express when the Peru Express goes 101).
LikeLike
There are 21 towers on Argentine, though I don’t know how many chairs it has. From tower 10 to tower 13 is when you’re above Lower Haywood. It’s between towers 13 and 14 that you cross lower Schoolmarm, and between towers 17 and 18 that you cross over the west approach to the Montezuma Express lift.
LikeLike
How often has Argentine even spin in recent years, in particular this season?
Per the headline on the main page, it says that in the USFS plan, they have indicated the plan to remove Argentine with the pending Peru Express replacement project this summer.
LikeLike
Pretty rarely. I’ve never managed to catch Argentine running when I’ve skied. I think it’s only run when things are really backed up at the Peru Express. Otherwise, I think someone was saying on another thread that ski patrol only uses this in the morning when getting patrollers up the mountain, or something like that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Think it’s run a few holiday weekends. Might run this weekend for president’s day
LikeLike
Yeah, It only runs when the lines at peru are jacked or on most weekend powder days.
LikeLike
How does that counterweight work if it’s not pulling directly on the rope?
LikeLike
It is pulling on the bullwheel, but redirected to a remote location. What I don’t understand is why they hid the counterweight. There’s definitely enough room at the bottom
LikeLike
This isn’t the only Yan to have a hidden counterweight. Look at Alpine:
LikeLike
I think Discovery has one too. At least that’s what I saw the last time I went to Keystone
LikeLike
YAN actually designed a few lifts that way in the ‘70s. The idea was the counterweights were taking up space at base area lifts that could be utilized for skier queuing so Yan moved the counterweights to remote locations. Alpine, as shown by Donald, was fairly straight forward- angle sheaves at the rear of the longitudinal beam. Look up Copper Mountain ‘High Point” lift and Discovery (Checkerboard) at Keystone. The counterweight rope actually does a 180 degree turn at the rear of the longitudinal beam and then exits the front of the beam to be deflected to the remote location of the counterweight!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Argentine did not run often, however it was mainly used to transport patrol up the mountain in the mornings, and take traffic off of Peru during the busy season. Don’t quote me on this, but I think the lack of Argentine running this past season was due to Keystone being short staffed. They did spin it for guests on closing day last Sunday.
LikeLike
They even advertised that on local radio up here- ‘come get a last lap in on Argentine!’
LikeLiked by 2 people
Especially since those last laps are the LAST laps – Keystone is removing it.
LikeLike
I know. That’s why I posted it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Old lift, maintenance nightmare, has only served as backup for the Peru Express these past 31 years.
LikeLike
Is the counterweight cable underground?
LikeLike
In the trees at about 45* angle
LikeLike
You crossed under it while getting in line for the Peru Express.
LikeLike
Can someone explain to me why they are removing this lift with the installation of Peru Express 2.0? I understand it really is not used more than perhaps 10 days a year, but does it not make sense to have a backup? Or for those peak days when Peru will inevitably be overloaded?
LikeLike
On closing day I was talking to someone from lift maintenance. He was telling me that in order for it to operate for another few seasons, they would have to do a complete gearbox re-build and more. With parts becoming harder and harder to find, it just isn’t worth it to keep the lift up and running anymore.
However I do think they should have kept it until at least next summer in case there are any issues with the new lift.
LikeLike
R.I.P
LikeLike
Rust in peace.
LikeLike
I’m going to miss this lift, it ran pretty regularly in the 90s and early 00s, last time I rode it was probably around 2005. it operated for night skiing in the 90s and was really cool riding up at night in the quiet and dark unlit trees. RIP Argentine
LikeLike
Like is it getting fully removed or are they adding a new ski lift?
LikeLike
Peru Express is being replaced, Argentine is being removed and not replaced.
LikeLike
The new Peru Lift is up and running, I’ve ridden it, sure will help on busy days. Argentine is completely gone now and it really opened up the base area.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You don’t have to pass by a derelict lift when walking from your car to the Peru Express, and you aren’t passing under a derelict lift when approaching the Montezuma Express from the west.
LikeLike
When Keystone was marketing the farewell for this lift, it seems as though they treated this and the predecessor Riblet as if they were the same lift, as they were saying “Farewell Argentine 1970-2021” not “1977-2021” to refer to when the Yan went in.
LikeLike
On the original master plan from 2009, the plan had been to replace Argentine with a two-stage high speed quad running from Mountain House to the top of Paymaster, with a midway turn station at the top of Haywood. This would create a one-seat ride to most of Dercum Mountain’s terrain from Mountain House. There was also a planned connector trail from the top of Paymaster to Diamondback (which would enable bypassing the Summit House), and a planned triple chairlift to connect the extended Argentine Express with the Summit House (plus supply an extra learning area to supplement Ranger).
That’s clearly off the board now, considering Keystone instead went with just upgrading the Montezuma Express and Peru Express to high speed six packs while removing Argentine entirely. Still, I think a few have raised a good point that it might be a good idea to revive Argentine as a direct Mountain House to Summit House high speed quad (with no midstation), with the upper terminal being on the west side of the Summit House at the point where the Saint’s John lift (the Heron-Poma double that functioned as a backup for the Montezuma Express prior to 2003) ended. Such a lift would also be incredibly beneficial for Dercum Mountain as a whole given the number of functions it would have:
1. It’d create a one-seat ride from Mountain House to the Summit House (beneficial for those headed straight to North Peak, Bergman Bowl, and the Outback)
2. It’d ensure that there’s a way out of Mountain House if the Peru Express goes down for any reason.
3. It might shift some traffic off the Montezuma Express (which gets slammed as it not only is the sole lift to do laps on upper Dercum Mountain without going down to River Run, it’s also having to take the Peru Express’s traffic). Have it basically where you take Argentine if you want to go directly to the farther back parts of the mountain or just upper Dercum Mountain, while you can take the Peru Express if you want to take the scenic route or you’re headed for A-51.
LikeLike
I think that Keystone could put in a HSQ on a slightly different alignment that would have an angle station where the original lift ended, and then have it continue around the vicinity of the former Ida Belle and Saints Johns lift lines. The final result would be a lift similar to Treeline Cirque at Palisades Tahoe. This lift would not only take pressure off Peru and Montezuma, which can get quite busy during Peak Periods, it would also provide a direct ride to the top of Dercum Mtn.
LikeLike
The new lift would follow the alignment of the old saints johns lift, and would terminate near the top of Frenchman and Wild Irishman
LikeLike