Riblet return-tension station.Loading area and counterweight.Tension carriage.Crossing under the Peak 8 SuperConnect.Riding up the line.View back down line.Unload zone.Top drive station with a vault.Riblet towers.Another view of the lift line on Peak 9.
I believe at some point back in the 80s or early 90s all the Riblets at Breckie got upgraded chairs. This particular lift is a 1972 model so I would assume it had the center pole doubles. But I could be wrong.
These aren’t the original carriers. Breckenridge upgraded to this model I believe in the early 2000s. The previous carrier design to my knowledge would be the ones used on Lift E.
Yah all of the doubles at Breckenridge with this style chair originally had center pole chairs, Vail used the chairs from lift 4 at Keystone for some of their Yans as the yan D series grip could be made to fit in the hanger bore and the chairs were only 2-3 years old.
I learned to ski at Breck in 1989 or 1988. The Quicksilver 6 lift was not in place at that time. I am thinking that maybe a B Chair was the name of the lift that I learned on and later replaced by the Quicksilver. I am almost certain that the lift was realigned. I learned to ski on Peak 9 with Bonaza being one of the first runs that I skied. Maybe somebody else has a better memory about Breckenridge taught Ski School back then and where.
I was skiing at Breck a few weeks ago, and near the top of the old Quicksilver chair, there are a bunch of old Riblet chairs lying in the woods. I was thinking they could be from B-Chair? Does anyone know where they may be from?
I think one of the Breckenridge master plans calls for this lift to be eventually replaced with a high speed quad that runs daily (currently, this lift is a weekends/peak periods reliever for the Beaver Run and Mercury SuperChair).
While the master plan does call for an upgrade to Lift C, that’s probably a low priority, because despite nearing 50 years old, Lift C also only runs on weekends and holidays, so is logging less hours than Lift E or even Lift A.
Upgrading C at some point is going to likely happen at some point as the mountain is reaching saturation point at times. This may take some relief off Beaver Run and Mercury. Although I could see an upgrade to Beaver Run to a HSS before C gets a replaced.
1) The terrain pod from American over to Volunteer is relatively underutilized in compared to the rest of Peak 9. While these are more advanced blues / easy blacks they just don’t get a lot of use in part to the relatively obscure trail entrances and that C Chair doesn’t operate during week and/or a long slow double.
2) Egress from Peak 8 to 9, currently requiring the push down Sawmill when the lift doesn’t operate.
Lift C would certainly do the job of relieving the Beaver Run and Mercury SuperChairs. I don’t think either of those lifts are quite up for replacement, and the Beaver Run SuperChair did get new chairs just five years ago.
I wouldn’t say the terrain pod from American over to Volunteer is underutilized, as I use the Mercury SuperChair to lap those trails. The only parts of those trails that you can’t reach from the Mercury SuperChair are the parts of Gold King and Peerless below Lower American.
On the other hand, an upgraded Lift C would make it to where there’d be three high speed quads running up the main Peak 9 face, each with different purposes: C’s superchair being for lapping Peerless, Gold King and Volunteer; plus providing access to Peak 9 for intermediates bypassing Sawmill; the Beaver Run SuperChair for those coming out of the base, as well as top to bottom laps on Bonanza, Columbia, Sundown and American; and the Mercury SuperChair for all of those trails as well as Cashier, Country Boy, Briar Rose, Sizzler and Upper Lehman.
Sometimes I wonder what name the lift in this alignment would take if it becomes a high speed quad. Since the runs on Peak 9 are named after gold mines, I think C’s alignment would become something like the Creskill SuperChair.
There is a world of difference between a modern detach terminal (or ‘SuperChair) and a Riblet vault-drive setup. In many cases the so-called ‘vault’ was completely above ground, which necessitated a much larger and probably steeper ramp than what we see on (for example) Merc or chair 4.
Sounds like they need a bit more snow on the ramp. This one isn’t nearly as tall as some of its counterparts (old chair 5 at Baker comes to mind) but the lifties still need to pay attention to the top deck. I too have short dude issues with a few ramps.
Lift Blog 
Was this lift upgraded with new chairs?
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I believe at some point back in the 80s or early 90s all the Riblets at Breckie got upgraded chairs. This particular lift is a 1972 model so I would assume it had the center pole doubles. But I could be wrong.
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I’ve heard as early as 1960 bail style chairs were an option, so they could very well be original as well.
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Do you have an ARS account, ACA Allertor?
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If I’m talking about what you are (I think I am), yes I do!
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I recall this lift having center pole chairs.
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’62 at the latest for a bail chair option:
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The earliest date I know of is 1948 on Hoodoo, Oregon’s original Green Lift, which was one of their first doubles.
https://skihoodoo.com/announcement/quote-for-ski-lift/
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Picture of Chair 1 Miners Basin at Crystal Mtn.
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Is that one of the old Riblets at Gore, NY?
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These aren’t the original carriers. Breckenridge upgraded to this model I believe in the early 2000s. The previous carrier design to my knowledge would be the ones used on Lift E.
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They were replaced around 1998 or 1999, around the same time Quicksilver Super6 was built.
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Yah all of the doubles at Breckenridge with this style chair originally had center pole chairs, Vail used the chairs from lift 4 at Keystone for some of their Yans as the yan D series grip could be made to fit in the hanger bore and the chairs were only 2-3 years old.
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I learned to ski at Breck in 1989 or 1988. The Quicksilver 6 lift was not in place at that time. I am thinking that maybe a B Chair was the name of the lift that I learned on and later replaced by the Quicksilver. I am almost certain that the lift was realigned. I learned to ski on Peak 9 with Bonaza being one of the first runs that I skied. Maybe somebody else has a better memory about Breckenridge taught Ski School back then and where.
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Lift B ran up from near the top of old Quicksilver to where the Mercury SuperChair currently offloads.
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Yes, QuickSilver 6 vs the original QuickSilver run two separate alignments.
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I was skiing at Breck a few weeks ago, and near the top of the old Quicksilver chair, there are a bunch of old Riblet chairs lying in the woods. I was thinking they could be from B-Chair? Does anyone know where they may be from?
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They could also be from Lift D (which was replaced by the Beaver Run SuperChair in 1990).
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I think one of the Breckenridge master plans calls for this lift to be eventually replaced with a high speed quad that runs daily (currently, this lift is a weekends/peak periods reliever for the Beaver Run and Mercury SuperChair).
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While the master plan does call for an upgrade to Lift C, that’s probably a low priority, because despite nearing 50 years old, Lift C also only runs on weekends and holidays, so is logging less hours than Lift E or even Lift A.
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I’m guessing a low capacity HSQ for Lift C.
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I think an upgraded Lift C would be given a capacity of 2,400 to adequately absorb traffic from the Mercury and Beaver Run SuperChairs.
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Upgrading C at some point is going to likely happen at some point as the mountain is reaching saturation point at times. This may take some relief off Beaver Run and Mercury. Although I could see an upgrade to Beaver Run to a HSS before C gets a replaced.
1) The terrain pod from American over to Volunteer is relatively underutilized in compared to the rest of Peak 9. While these are more advanced blues / easy blacks they just don’t get a lot of use in part to the relatively obscure trail entrances and that C Chair doesn’t operate during week and/or a long slow double.
2) Egress from Peak 8 to 9, currently requiring the push down Sawmill when the lift doesn’t operate.
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Lift C would certainly do the job of relieving the Beaver Run and Mercury SuperChairs. I don’t think either of those lifts are quite up for replacement, and the Beaver Run SuperChair did get new chairs just five years ago.
I wouldn’t say the terrain pod from American over to Volunteer is underutilized, as I use the Mercury SuperChair to lap those trails. The only parts of those trails that you can’t reach from the Mercury SuperChair are the parts of Gold King and Peerless below Lower American.
On the other hand, an upgraded Lift C would make it to where there’d be three high speed quads running up the main Peak 9 face, each with different purposes: C’s superchair being for lapping Peerless, Gold King and Volunteer; plus providing access to Peak 9 for intermediates bypassing Sawmill; the Beaver Run SuperChair for those coming out of the base, as well as top to bottom laps on Bonanza, Columbia, Sundown and American; and the Mercury SuperChair for all of those trails as well as Cashier, Country Boy, Briar Rose, Sizzler and Upper Lehman.
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Has anyone noticed this lift is not shown on the lift status page on Breck’s website? A bit suspicious.
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I checked with Breck, this was just an oversight and C-Chair is alive and well.
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So did I by asking on Twitter, they also have the Falcon and Kensho Listed as 4 passenger superchairs right now
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Sometimes I wonder what name the lift in this alignment would take if it becomes a high speed quad. Since the runs on Peak 9 are named after gold mines, I think C’s alignment would become something like the Creskill SuperChair.
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The C-Chair drop on exiting needs to be overhauled and reevaluated. It is different than the super chairs.
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There is a world of difference between a modern detach terminal (or ‘SuperChair) and a Riblet vault-drive setup. In many cases the so-called ‘vault’ was completely above ground, which necessitated a much larger and probably steeper ramp than what we see on (for example) Merc or chair 4.
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Totally agree! I was launched in the air a bit today. Short woman problem I guess but took me by surprise.
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Sounds like they need a bit more snow on the ramp. This one isn’t nearly as tall as some of its counterparts (old chair 5 at Baker comes to mind) but the lifties still need to pay attention to the top deck. I too have short dude issues with a few ramps.
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