This lift services the same terrain as the former Cold Springs double as well as 380 acres of new terrain.The bottom terminal is located in Cold Springs Canyon, well below where the old double loaded.Doppelmayr Connect controls.All traffic arrives at the lift from one side so there is 90 degree loading.Lower station overview.Bottom terminal seen from the namesake Broadway run.The lower part of the lift line is very steep and unskiable.There are two towers right outside the return station and a steep climb out.Lower part of the line.Tower 5.This lift has a variety of different tower styles.The lower half of the lift is extremely steep.Two different style tower heads.The upper half of the line is less steep.This lift services all of the terrain seen in the background of this photo.Lift line with the summit of Bald Mountain in the background.Lift line with steep side slope.Doppelmayr EJ chair with torsion grip.View down the line.A European-style tower.After tower 15, the lift actually travels downhill for a ways.Looking up at the Roundhouse and Christmas lift.Upper lift line.The top terminal and breakover towers.This lift has a total of four hold down towers.The top of tower 17.The final pitch up to the Roundhouse.Drive terminal.View from the summit.Top terminal overview.Uni-G station.Breakover towers 20/21 and terminal underside.View of the downriding section.Side view of the summit.Middle part of the lift line seen from Seattle Ridge.Tower 3 looking up.Chair departure zone.Towers 1 and 2.View up from the bottom.Doppelmayr operator house.The non-skiable part of the lift line.Maintenance rail at the bottom terminal.Upper lift line seen from Christmas.The top terminal from above.View riding the downhill portion.Arriving at the Roundhouse.
Other people might be better with their words on describing the round things on the tower heads, but if you look closely there is spare cable wrapped around each of those “round things” as the black comms cable comes in to the tower from the previous down hill tower. To give the lift electricians a whole of spare cable to work with, the black cable from previous tower runs uphill, gets wrapped several times around the round tower head spool, then gets connected to all the “comms ” stuff on that tower. Looks to me, from the pics, that the entire black comms cable plugs into a “comms network ” box on the tower, to address that towers comms needs. Another cable or the same cable then runs from the “comms” box on the tower , uphll to the “comms box on the next tower. Just looks like a more robust way to plug comms cables from tower to tower , rather than unravelling a thin comms cable and leaving individual wires exposed t othe elements. Saying it a different way, the round thing is a spool for storing a bunch extra slack in the comms cable so that there is spare cable, and also to absorb the tension on the cables from on tower to the next. I am not an electrician , someone else will say all this in much better way than I can.
Do they now make some of the Euro style towerheads in SLC for a smaller lift like this or are those imported? Seems like it would add a bunch of cost to import them instead of a few hours on a truck for only a handful of towerheads (looks like 6 or 7 out of 21?)
Great pictures and one of the most interesting new lifts of the 2020 construction season
I’m going to take a guess and day that they do manufacture some of the European style in Salt Lake. The catwalks are all USA style, and it appears the rigging points on the lifting frames are too. I highly doubt that they would be imported halfway across the world, but I could be wrong.
When I look at the map, I have to wonder how this will change egress patterns out of the Seattle Ridge area, and whether more people will be drawn to Broadway as the faster chairlift, or use Mayday (to avoid the long runout).
I’m not sure the runout is that much of a detractor for most skiers as long as it isn’t so flat that you have to skate. Broadway also has the advantage of bringing you right back to the center of the mountain. So I think more people would use Broadway to exit Seattle Ridge rather than Mayday.
There’s more to this chair’s purpose than meets the eye-and this is just the first glimpse of what the chair may provide. You can lap this chair and Seattle Ridge for some excellent north facing tree skiing with real vertical in the new Sunrise area. This is some expert terrain that Sun Valley truly needed-and they may well cut a trail or two in that area. There is also skiable terrain to the east of the old Cold Springs lift line that is fantastic. Yes, snowpack there can be an issue, but when it’s good, it’s great skiing. I could see Sun Valley potentially adding supplemental snowmaking from Olympic Lane above. And, of course, Broadway becomes a great easy cruiser.
In the master plan it says it will be open for skiing when snow conditions permit which will probably be rarely. So I don’t see this area opening much or at all.
Very sexy lift, but they should have kept the name Cold Springs. I do love the departure angle though, kinda classy like the super long riblet terminal it replaced.
Would it be better if there were a half mid-station between tower #14-#15? I know they already built the lift ready for the skiers but from the looks of the picture, it just made me think why they didn’t made this lift use all of the new areas.
Awesome photos Peter. I like that shot of the top station with the jagged Sawtooths in the far background.
I wonder, when you go to these places in the offseason, do you always hike to get the photos? Do you ever have to get permission or have you ever gotten a free ride?
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What are the round things on the top of all the tower heads? I also noticed them on the new Pucci lift at Timberline but have seen them nowhere else.
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Don’t know the answer but the Disney Skyliner has them too. My guess would be something to do with the new Doppelmayr Connect control system.
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Where did you find pictures of the new pucci lift?
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I have been watching its construction in person all summer. Timberline has also posted frequently about it on their various social media platforms.
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Other people might be better with their words on describing the round things on the tower heads, but if you look closely there is spare cable wrapped around each of those “round things” as the black comms cable comes in to the tower from the previous down hill tower. To give the lift electricians a whole of spare cable to work with, the black cable from previous tower runs uphill, gets wrapped several times around the round tower head spool, then gets connected to all the “comms ” stuff on that tower. Looks to me, from the pics, that the entire black comms cable plugs into a “comms network ” box on the tower, to address that towers comms needs. Another cable or the same cable then runs from the “comms” box on the tower , uphll to the “comms box on the next tower. Just looks like a more robust way to plug comms cables from tower to tower , rather than unravelling a thin comms cable and leaving individual wires exposed t othe elements. Saying it a different way, the round thing is a spool for storing a bunch extra slack in the comms cable so that there is spare cable, and also to absorb the tension on the cables from on tower to the next. I am not an electrician , someone else will say all this in much better way than I can.
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The lower part is unskiable? Is it steeper than it looks or is there another factor in play here?
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Low elevation, sagebrush, south facing. Similar to River Run, which you also cannot ski under.
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It says on the master plan skiing will be open there when snow conditions permit.
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Why the differing tower styles?
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Simple answer is loading, guessing the European style are rated for the larger assemblies.
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It has a such a crazy profile.
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I do not recommend walking it! Could have been named Roller Coaster.
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Do they now make some of the Euro style towerheads in SLC for a smaller lift like this or are those imported? Seems like it would add a bunch of cost to import them instead of a few hours on a truck for only a handful of towerheads (looks like 6 or 7 out of 21?)
Great pictures and one of the most interesting new lifts of the 2020 construction season
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I’m going to take a guess and day that they do manufacture some of the European style in Salt Lake. The catwalks are all USA style, and it appears the rigging points on the lifting frames are too. I highly doubt that they would be imported halfway across the world, but I could be wrong.
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“This lift has a total of four hold down towers and no combo assemblies.” I’m pretty sure tower 12 is a combi tower.
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You are right. Good spot.
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When I look at the map, I have to wonder how this will change egress patterns out of the Seattle Ridge area, and whether more people will be drawn to Broadway as the faster chairlift, or use Mayday (to avoid the long runout).
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It looks like they forgot to put the quad indicator on Broadway with the updated map. Oops!
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I’m not sure the runout is that much of a detractor for most skiers as long as it isn’t so flat that you have to skate. Broadway also has the advantage of bringing you right back to the center of the mountain. So I think more people would use Broadway to exit Seattle Ridge rather than Mayday.
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After paying over $2600 for a season pass, Sun Valley gives you a chairlift with access to short blue runs with long run outs. Oh what a deal.
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There’s more to this chair’s purpose than meets the eye-and this is just the first glimpse of what the chair may provide. You can lap this chair and Seattle Ridge for some excellent north facing tree skiing with real vertical in the new Sunrise area. This is some expert terrain that Sun Valley truly needed-and they may well cut a trail or two in that area. There is also skiable terrain to the east of the old Cold Springs lift line that is fantastic. Yes, snowpack there can be an issue, but when it’s good, it’s great skiing. I could see Sun Valley potentially adding supplemental snowmaking from Olympic Lane above. And, of course, Broadway becomes a great easy cruiser.
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Why is the bottom half of this lift out of bounds? Is it steeper and rockier than it looks or is it because you have to hike to get to that area?
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That area has too much sun exposure.
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In the master plan it says it will be open for skiing when snow conditions permit which will probably be rarely. So I don’t see this area opening much or at all.
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Sunnyside also has a lot of sun exposure and somehow it’s inbounds.
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What a beautiful lift and how far ahead it is being delivered before the season
You get your money’s worth with a Doppel
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Very sexy lift, but they should have kept the name Cold Springs. I do love the departure angle though, kinda classy like the super long riblet terminal it replaced.
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Would it be better if there were a half mid-station between tower #14-#15? I know they already built the lift ready for the skiers but from the looks of the picture, it just made me think why they didn’t made this lift use all of the new areas.
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Awesome photos Peter. I like that shot of the top station with the jagged Sawtooths in the far background.
I wonder, when you go to these places in the offseason, do you always hike to get the photos? Do you ever have to get permission or have you ever gotten a free ride?
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The bottom reminds me quite a bit of High Noon 5 at vail.
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what are the dimensions of the uni g
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