I learned to ski at Catamount in the 60’s. In those days, NY had an 18 year old drinking age and Mass was 21. Mass bars were “Blue Law” as well. None on Sunday. Catamount’s bar was, of course, on the NY side of the border, which ran through the lodge.
The area needs a way to ski from the Promenade/Meadows lift back to the main quad. Usually I end up taking the Catamount short double to avoid the walk. But it adds an extra lift to get back to the main quad. It will be interesting to see where the new lift goes…..
In Catamount’s original notification about the new lifts, they mentioned that the 2nd new lift may service new terrain. It now appears they are replacing the Catamount Double. Unless they are changing the alignment and extending it, I can’t see it servicing new terrain.
Catamount says the proposed expansion to the northwest is being postponed in favor of the Catamount replacement. I wonder why they are pursuing this replacement, particularly with a quad, was this lift unreliable? Were there lines here?
I was only there three times this year, and only one of those days did it have a line, but that was because the quad to the top had a monstrous line – which shouldn’t be a problem next season with the new Glade lift. The Catamount Chair does service their Race Slope and other easier terrain, so maybe they felt they needed the greater capacity and/or reliability for that.
Do they use it for ski school? Numerous resorts are swapping out doubles for quads in areas with easier terrain not particularly for capacity but to allow ski instructors to take more people up the lift at once.
A combination to taking down the glade double, covid and the new traffic as a result of investments and a strong winter race program has made significant lines.
My concern with two quads to the summit is that there are not enough paths down the mountain. I will be interested to see if they cut another path off the summit to the blues on the NY side.
has anyone else noticed that so many of these classic SLI lifts are getting replaced rapidly these past years. This could be due to age but there are numerous other lifts of similar age still in operation. Either way with the Bryce lift there will be no more center pole SLIs left on earth.
Being someone who grew up on and now works on three SLI’s regularly, I can safely say they are a royal pain to source parts for. Ours definitely has withstood the test of time but they are almost 50 years old and it’s not like sourcing parts for Riblets or Halls of similar vintage as there are 100’s of those out there, while SLI’s are few & far between. Last time we needed an extensive amount of parts, I had to drive to Heavenly CA & back with a trailer (skied Squaw Valley in July & hiked around Iron Mountain where go figure there’s two abandoned SLI’s rotting away. Those two stops were a bonus) which was a 2,000 mile round trip drive. Not only that, the sheaves on most SLI’s are grief sheaves (how appropriately named…….) which essentially bolts two plates together around the liner with an aluminum hub in the middle to create the sheave (VERY similar to Heron-Poma sheaves). There are also the rare SLI/Riblet merger era lifts, like Shadow Mountain at Aspen or Chair 1/Bonanza at 49 Degrees North, use sheaves that are essentially Riblet sheaves without the taller inside edge to fit inside the SLI assembly, these are ever harder to find. As these lifts have aged, the plates on the grief sheaves have become prone to cracking, and are nearly impossible to find replacement plates for, I’ve made entire trips to Heavenly (their two retired/removed SLI’s are just about completely used up in our three) or met them halfway to get loads of sheaves, either 30 at a time or however many I can fit in the bed of my truck at a time. Overall they’re very nostalgic & classic lifts, but they’re just becoming less & less viable, we’re replacing Chair 1/Bonanza with a high speed quad currently (at 6,640ft it was one of the longest SLI’s ever built) and it will be demolished next summer & we will have enough parts on hand to keep our other two running, but most ski areas operating these do not have that ability (like Teton Pass or Blacktail Mtn in MT). Hopefully that can provide some insight.
Also, it should be noted that even if you can’t track down used Riblet or Borvig parts, new ones are still being made by Superior Tramway and Partek respectively. Not sure if Doppelmayr does the same for Hall.
I don’t think new parts are being made for Halls, but just the sheer number of them should make parts relatively easy to come by. Hall installed more lifts in New England than any other brand (If I’m correct, don’t quote me on the stats). Does Superior Tramway also manufacture Heron parts or do they just re-sell used ones?
NE Skier- Superior does make new Heron parts. We’ve bought a few. Doppelmayr also will make Hall parts, not sure to what extent but I’ve seen them in the list when I’ve looked up other things. Utah Powder Skier- unless the crew at a particular ski area has the resale market in mind, many old lifts are simply scrapped when they’re torn down. We were able to unload much of our spare parts inventory to Snowmass when we removed our old Eagle and Flyer, but that’s mainly because we know those guys. We put feelers out but by the time the new lifts were operational no-one else had gotten back to us. I suspect it’s the same with the Midwest Halls.
I think it may be a mix of Poma parts from different lifts. Perhaps including a detachable quad from Colorado. Should be able to tell more when we see the terminals.
If the towers are from a detachable quad from Colorado, I’d say they’re probably from American Eagle or the Zephyr Express since those are the only two detachables removed in Colorado in the last five years to have lift towers with lifting frames like that.
Not from the Eagle. We scrapped the entire lift save a few parts that went to Snowmass, the chairs which went to charity, and the retrofit tension pump that I hope to install in Lumberjack.
Possibly. The only info that could go against that claim is on Remontees Mecaniques, which says that the first Hall chairlifts were installed in Maine and California, however, the first Hall chairlift in Maine was Chair 1 at Lost Valley, a 1965 install. On the same page, it notes that Hall built 14 chairlifts in 1963, therefore either New England Ski History (Where I got the lift statistics) isn’t reporting on a lift’s existence (Which is pretty rare), or that claim isn’t true. If Ridge was in fact built in 1961, it would not surprise me if that was Hall’s first chairlift.
I’m looking into that claim about Hall and unless there is a chairlift somewhere that we don’t know about, Maine can’t have been the state for the first Hall chairlift. California would be surprising as well. I’m sure there is some source someone got that from, but it must have been wrong.
I learned recently that Big Tupper, NY (closed since 2015) had a Hall double installed in 1961. Perhaps that was actually Hall’s first chairlift if Ridge wasn’t actually built in 1961.
Correction: drive terminal is from Valley House at Sugarbush, towers are from Big Burn at Snowmass, and Skytrans built the return brand-new. Chairs are from multiple lifts.
Lift Blog 
Mountain View was a Roebling, not a Hopkins
LikeLike
I thought Heavenly was the only bi-state ski resort in the US. Learn something new everyday!
LikeLike
Lookout Pass and Lost Trail too!
LikeLike
I learned to ski at Catamount in the 60’s. In those days, NY had an 18 year old drinking age and Mass was 21. Mass bars were “Blue Law” as well. None on Sunday. Catamount’s bar was, of course, on the NY side of the border, which ran through the lodge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The area needs a way to ski from the Promenade/Meadows lift back to the main quad. Usually I end up taking the Catamount short double to avoid the walk. But it adds an extra lift to get back to the main quad. It will be interesting to see where the new lift goes…..
LikeLike
The Glade Triple is following the line of the prior Glade Double, while the quad is an expansion lift on the New York side.
https://liftblog.com/2021/03/10/berkshire-east-and-catamount-plan-three-new-lifts/
LikeLike
I think the triple lift that was sitting in the lot was moved the Berkshire East and both the summit and the race slope is getting quads.
From what I have seen they have not started on the summit lift yet so I am not sure it will be finished before start of season.
LikeLike
In Catamount’s original notification about the new lifts, they mentioned that the 2nd new lift may service new terrain. It now appears they are replacing the Catamount Double. Unless they are changing the alignment and extending it, I can’t see it servicing new terrain.
LikeLike
Catamount says the proposed expansion to the northwest is being postponed in favor of the Catamount replacement. I wonder why they are pursuing this replacement, particularly with a quad, was this lift unreliable? Were there lines here?
LikeLike
I was only there three times this year, and only one of those days did it have a line, but that was because the quad to the top had a monstrous line – which shouldn’t be a problem next season with the new Glade lift. The Catamount Chair does service their Race Slope and other easier terrain, so maybe they felt they needed the greater capacity and/or reliability for that.
LikeLike
Do they use it for ski school? Numerous resorts are swapping out doubles for quads in areas with easier terrain not particularly for capacity but to allow ski instructors to take more people up the lift at once.
LikeLike
A combination to taking down the glade double, covid and the new traffic as a result of investments and a strong winter race program has made significant lines.
My concern with two quads to the summit is that there are not enough paths down the mountain. I will be interested to see if they cut another path off the summit to the blues on the NY side.
LikeLike
has anyone else noticed that so many of these classic SLI lifts are getting replaced rapidly these past years. This could be due to age but there are numerous other lifts of similar age still in operation. Either way with the Bryce lift there will be no more center pole SLIs left on earth.
LikeLike
Parts are extremely scarce for SLIs, from what I hear.
LikeLike
Being someone who grew up on and now works on three SLI’s regularly, I can safely say they are a royal pain to source parts for. Ours definitely has withstood the test of time but they are almost 50 years old and it’s not like sourcing parts for Riblets or Halls of similar vintage as there are 100’s of those out there, while SLI’s are few & far between. Last time we needed an extensive amount of parts, I had to drive to Heavenly CA & back with a trailer (skied Squaw Valley in July & hiked around Iron Mountain where go figure there’s two abandoned SLI’s rotting away. Those two stops were a bonus) which was a 2,000 mile round trip drive. Not only that, the sheaves on most SLI’s are grief sheaves (how appropriately named…….) which essentially bolts two plates together around the liner with an aluminum hub in the middle to create the sheave (VERY similar to Heron-Poma sheaves). There are also the rare SLI/Riblet merger era lifts, like Shadow Mountain at Aspen or Chair 1/Bonanza at 49 Degrees North, use sheaves that are essentially Riblet sheaves without the taller inside edge to fit inside the SLI assembly, these are ever harder to find. As these lifts have aged, the plates on the grief sheaves have become prone to cracking, and are nearly impossible to find replacement plates for, I’ve made entire trips to Heavenly (their two retired/removed SLI’s are just about completely used up in our three) or met them halfway to get loads of sheaves, either 30 at a time or however many I can fit in the bed of my truck at a time. Overall they’re very nostalgic & classic lifts, but they’re just becoming less & less viable, we’re replacing Chair 1/Bonanza with a high speed quad currently (at 6,640ft it was one of the longest SLI’s ever built) and it will be demolished next summer & we will have enough parts on hand to keep our other two running, but most ski areas operating these do not have that ability (like Teton Pass or Blacktail Mtn in MT). Hopefully that can provide some insight.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Also, it should be noted that even if you can’t track down used Riblet or Borvig parts, new ones are still being made by Superior Tramway and Partek respectively. Not sure if Doppelmayr does the same for Hall.
LikeLike
For the amount of Halls that have been scrapped in the Midwest, finding Hall parts shouldn’t be a problem.
LikeLike
I don’t think new parts are being made for Halls, but just the sheer number of them should make parts relatively easy to come by. Hall installed more lifts in New England than any other brand (If I’m correct, don’t quote me on the stats). Does Superior Tramway also manufacture Heron parts or do they just re-sell used ones?
LikeLike
NE Skier- Superior does make new Heron parts. We’ve bought a few. Doppelmayr also will make Hall parts, not sure to what extent but I’ve seen them in the list when I’ve looked up other things. Utah Powder Skier- unless the crew at a particular ski area has the resale market in mind, many old lifts are simply scrapped when they’re torn down. We were able to unload much of our spare parts inventory to Snowmass when we removed our old Eagle and Flyer, but that’s mainly because we know those guys. We put feelers out but by the time the new lifts were operational no-one else had gotten back to us. I suspect it’s the same with the Midwest Halls.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Where is Glade from?
LikeLike
I think it may be a mix of Poma parts from different lifts. Perhaps including a detachable quad from Colorado. Should be able to tell more when we see the terminals.
LikeLike
If the towers are from a detachable quad from Colorado, I’d say they’re probably from American Eagle or the Zephyr Express since those are the only two detachables removed in Colorado in the last five years to have lift towers with lifting frames like that.
LikeLike
I don’t know the answer but my nomination would be Big Burn. Galvanized tubes.
LikeLike
All right, Big Burn did have the same design as those other two. I was mistaken a bit.
LikeLike
I noticed it had competition chairs :)
LikeLike
Not from the Eagle. We scrapped the entire lift save a few parts that went to Snowmass, the chairs which went to charity, and the retrofit tension pump that I hope to install in Lumberjack.
LikeLike
Competition chairs I meant not on Big Burn
LikeLike
American Eagle
Named after the airplane system
Had competition chairs
LikeLike
Newenglandskihistory.com lists the old Ridge double as a 1961 install. Was it the first Hall chairlift or were there some before it?
LikeLike
Possibly. The only info that could go against that claim is on Remontees Mecaniques, which says that the first Hall chairlifts were installed in Maine and California, however, the first Hall chairlift in Maine was Chair 1 at Lost Valley, a 1965 install. On the same page, it notes that Hall built 14 chairlifts in 1963, therefore either New England Ski History (Where I got the lift statistics) isn’t reporting on a lift’s existence (Which is pretty rare), or that claim isn’t true. If Ridge was in fact built in 1961, it would not surprise me if that was Hall’s first chairlift.
LikeLike
I’m looking into that claim about Hall and unless there is a chairlift somewhere that we don’t know about, Maine can’t have been the state for the first Hall chairlift. California would be surprising as well. I’m sure there is some source someone got that from, but it must have been wrong.
LikeLike
I learned recently that Big Tupper, NY (closed since 2015) had a Hall double installed in 1961. Perhaps that was actually Hall’s first chairlift if Ridge wasn’t actually built in 1961.
LikeLike
It was actually a t-bar from 1959 being the first Hall but I forgot where
LikeLike
Oh the first Hall CHAIRlift!! My mistake!!
I was thinking of the first Hall Lift
LikeLike
Glade was relocated from Purgatory/Durango although with new towers and possibly a new top station
LikeLike
Correction: drive terminal is from Valley House at Sugarbush, towers are from Big Burn at Snowmass, and Skytrans built the return brand-new. Chairs are from multiple lifts.
LikeLike