News – Page 36 – Lift Blog

Whistler Blackcomb to Shut Down Again

March 29, 2021March 30, 2021Peter Landsman56 Comments

The largest ski resort in North America is closing for at least three weeks effective midnight tonight. The pause comes as part of a provincial effort to slow the spread of Covid-19 through new restrictions on business and travel. Gyms, indoor dining, and houses of worship are also closing by order of the BC government. Whistler Blackcomb was specifically identified to “address and prevent community spread related to non-essential travel,” according to a news release. Other British Columbia ski resorts are currently allowed to remain open.

We were just informed today by the Province of British Columbia that Whistler Blackcomb has been ordered to close as of midnight tonight. We would like to thank all of our guests & employees for their willingness to adapt to our COVID safety protocols we put in place this season. pic.twitter.com/Sj2Mae6ly1
— Whistler Blackcomb (@WhistlerBlckcmb) March 29, 2021

“Covid-19 continues to create challenges for people and businesses throughout B.C., and we are grateful for the sacrifices people continue to make to keep one another safe,” said British Columbia Premier John Horgan. “We know that the idea of more restrictions is not welcome news, but we are asking people to rise to the challenge with the confidence that vaccines mean better days are ahead. We are not out of the woods yet, but the provincial health officer’s orders, combined with our vaccines, give us the tools we need to move out of this pandemic together.”

Whistler Blackcomb parent company Vail Resorts recently announced 28.4 percent decline in net income due to effects of the pandemic. Whistler Blackcomb was disproportionately impacted due to the Canadian border remaining closed. Destination visits declined to 15 percent of Whistler Blackcomb visitation this season compared to 48 percent in the same period the prior year. Skier visits across all North American Vail Resorts declined 8.2 percent for the season as of March 7th.

The Whistler Blackcomb closure order is scheduled to last through April 19th, 2021. Whistler Mountain had been scheduled to close April 18th with Blackcomb Mountain planned to remain open until May 24th.

On Monday evening Whistler Blackcomb Chief Operating Officer Geoff Buchheister issued the following statement:

“Throughout the season, Whistler Blackcomb has prioritized the health and safety of our guests and employees. Monday’s order from the Province of British Columbia to close Whistler Blackcomb came as a surprise and we respect the decision and are taking immediate steps to comply. We would like to thank all of our guests and employees for their willingness to adapt to our COVID safety protocols and will update the website with more information on the future of the 2020-21 season.”

By Tuesday, resort officials decided to close both mountains for the season and turn their attention to summer.

WHISTLER BLACKCOMB IS CLOSED FOR WINTER 2020-21
Out of respect for yesterday’s announcement from the Provincial Health Officer to close Whistler Blackcomb, the resort will shut its winter operation for the remainder of the season. Our focus will now shift to preparing for summer. pic.twitter.com/JSp3Kh0tuq
— Whistler Blackcomb (@WhistlerBlckcmb) March 30, 2021

News Roundup: RFP

March 26, 2021Peter Landsman17 Comments

The European Union will pay French ski operators up to 49 percent of lost revenue from this winter.
Ober Gatlinburg’s tram closes for two months for track rope and drive replacement projects totaling $4.5 million.
Bluewood’s general manager explains why fixing a 43 year old lift still makes sense for the mountain vs. buying a new one.
The Burke Mountain and Jay Peak receiver says in a court filing the mountains are “desperately in need of liquidity” while battling financial services giant Raymond James.
Whiteface issues a request for proposals to replace the Bear double with a fixed grip quad starting lower in the base area.
Kelly Canyon’s new Skytrac will be a triple reaching 600 feet beyond the top of Chair 2.
With one Doppelmayr gondola finished but never opened to the public and another partially complete, Icy Strait Point removes all booking availability until April of 2022.
Skiland performs a rope evacuation of the northernmost chairlift in the Americas.
The National Ski Areas Association updates its lift safety fact sheet.
Mission Ridge isn’t done with On the Way Up just yet! Episode 18 explores the parking system and more.
At a leadership forum in Park City, Alterra CEO Rusty Gregory says his company will invest $200 million on capital improvements this year and plans to build the Squaw-Alpine gondola.
We also learned Deer Valley is in talks with Mayflower Mountain Resort about shared access.
Rusty next joined the Storm Skiing Podcast, confirming the Ikon Pass will add at least one new resort for 21-22.
Vail Resorts slashes Epic Pass prices by 20 percent.
Developers say the Moosehead Mountain project is “moving fast” with a lift to be ordered as soon as May for completion late this year.
Two more days until Snow King’s Summit double stops for good to make way for a gondola, though the Forest Service’s Record of Decision has not been signed and litigation looms.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry confirms it’s investigating last weekend’s chair fall at Camelback but does not expect to make the report public.

News Roundup: No Reservations

March 19, 2021Peter Landsman3 Comments

The Forest Services releases its Environmental Assessment for a modified Purgatory Ice Creek expansion and seeks public comments.
Bluewood closes for a weekend due to drive line issues with the Skyline Express triple (now back open).
For the first time in 15 years, The Summit at Snoqualmie sends a cat to the top of Alpental to clear snow from the Edelweiss lift line and top terminal.
A Canadian resort trains a very good dog to catch and hold Ts for skiers.
One of only two chairlift operations in Kentucky goes up for sale (asking price $750,000).
Aspen Snowmass visitation falls significantly.
Another chairlift fall video, this time from China.
Also in China, Poma nears completion of a world first: three interconnected 3S gondolas.
There was a serious grip slip incident at Snowstar, Illinois a few weeks ago.
A company called Towpro tries breaking into the surface lift business with a low cost rope tow.
Ski Area Management and Leitner-Poma launch a contest to recognize top lift maintenance teams.
Arapahoe Basin will continue limiting both season pass and day ticket sales next season.
No reservations will be required for passholders across Vail Resorts next season.
After a few weeks idled, Big Sky announces Dakota will remain closed for the remainder of the 20-21 season due to “mechanical challenges.”
Warner Brothers abandons plans to build a Hollywood gondola, opting to focus on its core business.
A wild Red Bull video features an athlete sliding down a six pack’s haul rope under a parachute.
A maintenance worker is injured when the chair he was riding falls from a Bartholet lift in Luxembourg.

New Lift Coming to Kelly Canyon

March 15, 2021March 20, 2021Peter Landsman5 Comments

For the first time in decades, Kelly Canyon is getting a new chairlift. The fixed grip triple chair is the first new lift announced in the state of Idaho for 2021. The lift will service new terrain above the current lift-served summit with an exact location to be announced later.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMc5JGkAxIL/

With six complete lift projects and multiple retrofits already confirmed, Salt Lake City-based Skytrac is gearing up for one of its busiest construction seasons ever.

Kelly Canyon will run a contest on social media to name the new lift.

News Roundup: More Than a Mountain

March 12, 2021Peter Landsman13 Comments

Mission Ridge is named its community’s Business of the Year for pressing forward with an ambitious lift replacement project using local labor during the pandemic.
An auction gets underway for Howelsen Hill’s retiring double chairs.
More than 28,000 non-union Vail Resorts employees will see end of season bonuses.
Looking to cut costs, Six Flags axes one of its last three remaining VonRoll gondolas in Georgia.
Silverton, Colorado weighs building a traditional ski resort to complement the non-traditional Silverton Mountain.
Another child slips out of a chair but this time hangs on all the way to the top.
Vail Resorts announces a better than expected 28.4 percent decrease in revenue for the quarter ended January 31st. Season to date through March 7th, skier visits are down 8.2 percent, lift revenue is down 8.9 percent, ski school revenue down 43.2 percent, dining revenue down 56.9 percent and retail/rental revenue down 31.6 percent.
A report prepared by SE Group suggests $23 million worth of improvements to Spirit Mountain including a replacement Gandy lift. Under the plan, Double Jaw and Summit would be removed without replacement.
Great Bear begins construction of its new Skytrac quad.
A strategic plan for Arctic Valley includes T-Bar replacement.
Blue Knob performs a night rope evacuation of the Route 66 double.
The former owner of Showdown Montana floats developing a small ski area atop an EPA superfund site near Great Falls.
The Jackson Hole Aerial Tram will shut down for maintenance all summer but two gondolas and a chairlift will spin instead.
Leitner introduces an online ropeway configurator tool.
A new lost Northeast ski area video series begins with an episode on Hogback Mountain.
Virginia could become home to an even larger indoor ski area than New Jersey.
Big Sky and Bridger Bowl skier visits trend lower than last year.
Mt. Sunapee will auction chairs from the Duckling double to benefit the EpicPromise Foundation.

News Roundup: Grab Bag

March 5, 2021March 5, 2021Peter Landsman58 Comments

Timberline Lodge evacuates 42 guests from the new Pucci detachable quad by rope.
Another late day evac happens on Castle Mountain’s Tamarack chair.
Mt. Spokane considers upgrading two 60 year old chairlifts.
The seemingly cursed Gold chair at Nakiska goes down for a week (now back in action).
Under new ownership, Sundance Resort eyes an out-of-base detachable.
Bogus Basin plans expansion and lift upgrades in a new master plan coming later this spring.
Dakota at Big Sky has been down since March 1st.
The first of its kind Leitner 2S gondola undergoes testing in Germany.
Ischgl, an early pandemic hot spot last year, gives up on opening this season.
Vancouver’s transit authority picks a preferred alignment for the Burnaby Mountain Gondola.
The Seattle Times profiles Washington’s first bubble chairlift.
A transportation bill which includes Little Cottonwood funding heads to the Utah Governor’s desk.
Once slated to close, Sleeping Giant now considers adding more lifts.
Zincton Mountain Village, a proposed resort in BC, announces the purchase of a late model Riblet quad.
Facing capacity challenges, Crystal Mountain eliminates unlimited access on the Ikon Base Pass.
Magic Mountain needs some mid-’80s vintage Poma sheave assemblies to complete the Black Line quad. Give them a shout if you can help!
Winter Park’s proposed lift replacements I mentioned last week are a Pioneer Express six place and Lariat conveyor.
On a podcast, Indy Pass creator Doug Fish says more resorts are coming, including in Canada (along with a price increase.)
During recent historic snow, the Portland Aerial Tram ran for 114 consecutive hours while other transit modes shut down.
When the Disney Skyliner stops for a bit, you better believe it will make the news.
Nitehawk looks for funding to replace its landslide-destroyed chairlift.

News Roundup: Ramping Up

February 26, 2021March 1, 2021Peter Landsman29 Comments

Northeast gems Saddleback and Waterville Valley join the Indy Pass coalition, effective immediately.
Winter Park Resort looks for the Forest Service’s blessing to replace multiple lifts.
The Forest Service fully approves Keystone’s Bergman Bowl project.
Welch Village voluntarily withdraws the East Quad from service following an unspecified incident (now back open).
Guests of Mission Ridge love the Wenatchee Express and here’s the final episode of On the Way Up.
Spirit Mountain lends a hand to repair the chairlift at nearby Chester Bowl.
A girl is okay after falling from a Mohawk Mountain chairlift.
A child also falls from a lift at Saddleback.
Skyline at Pebble Creek is partially rope evacuated.
Lookout Pass eyes 2022 for new lifts servicing Eagle Peak.
More reports of stellar seasons from Iowa, New York and Pennsylvania.
Cabins return to the Sea to Sky Gondola with more on the way.
Mt. Bohemia considers building a lift in the Haunted Valley.
Timberline Lodge closes for three days following a messy ice storm.
Once a cartel hub, Medellín is a city transformed in part by a modern gondola network.
Waterville Valley President and General Manager Tim Smith discusses a future gondola, bubble six pack and other lift changes.
A rider who fell into a net along with another passenger and lift operator sues Snow King Mountain.
Murray Ridge secures a six figure grant to rehabilitate one of the world’s longest T-Bars.
MND reports revenue fell 5 percent in the second half of 2020 ($20.7 million in sales came from snowmaking and lifts.)
Aspen will delay the Silver Queen Gondola‘s summer opening to complete big ticket maintenance items.
Doppelmayr’s latest Wir magazine explores the Eiger Express.
Saddleback closes for a day to shorten the haul rope on the new Rangeley quad.
Poma will build an eight station urban gondola system in Madagascar with 274 cabins.
Parent company Dream Unlimited says Arapahoe Basin is on track for its second best financial year ever despite opening four weeks late.
Just two weeks to go until old lifts start coming down to make way for new ones.
Squaw will experiment metering skiers at gates to avoid long lift lines at Silverado.
The world’s largest urban gondola network might add four more lines.
Big Squaw reopens tomorrow, two weeks after this deropement.
A gondola is no longer a core component of the Oakland Athletics’ planned new stadium.
There’s talk of building a 7,000 vertical foot gondola on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

News Roundup: Exceptional Ride

February 19, 2021Peter Landsman10 Comments

Blue Mountain provides younger guests with a two minute introduction to how lifts work.
Soldier Mountain’s major midseason repair is a success.
Whaleback gets its summit lift operational for the season after replacing bullwheel bearings.
A crowdfunding campaign seeks to purchase Big Tupper out of foreclosure.
Drone video shows the damage to Eaglecrest’s Ptarmigan chair (now back open).
Two class action lawsuits proceed regarding gondola incidents at Mont-Sainte-Anne last winter.
The girl who fell from a Sugarloaf chairlift last week makes the network morning show rounds.
Another video shows a perfect catch of a six year old who fell from a Crested Butte triple chair.
A boy is also uninjured after landing in a net at Diamond Peak.
Utah legislators weigh funding a Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola amid a long list of wish list projects.
Speaking of LCC, proponent Chris McCandless joins the Ski Utah podcast to talk gondolas.
North America’s largest city looks to build a fourth urban gondola line in 2022.
Bousquet Mountain debuts the Yellow triple following a delay due to six towers needing to be moved.
Doppelmayr prepares to ship 80 containers worth of lift components from Austria to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Italy’s ski reopening is postponed just hours before lifts were set to spin.
In Wisconsin, a T-Bar ski area opens for the first time in 25 years.
Aspen Skiing Company puts the Ajax Pandora’s expansion back on the front burner.
The first riders ascend Mission Ridge on the Wenatchee Express.
Developers at Moosehead Lake look for up to $135 million in financing.
For the second time this winter, the Purgatory Express is down due to technical problems.
Two more resorts get set to join the Indy Pass next week.
The Forest Service seeks public comments on Arapahoe Basin’s proposal to replace Lenawee with a detachable quad or six pack in 2022.
Snow Valley blogs about its lift history and claims the world’s fastest fixed grip quad.
Magic Mountain provides the below update on progress towards opening a third chairlift.

On the Black Quad lift front, there always seems to be something. And, the engineering firm who designed the lift has come back with quite a few changes that need to be implemented by Pfister Mountain Services, including changing out some sheave assembly wheel combinations at a few towers and a major overhaul of tower 13 cross arm and uphill sheave assembly. None of this is a quick fix at this point in our construction phase and comes as unwelcome news. And, of course, tower 13 is in a very difficult spot to get to, especially for what equipment will be needed to execute the cross arm changes. No timetable or budget as been provided as of yet. We will continue to keep you posted as news warrants. Certainly frustrating after all this time as we’d like to see our money put to good use for you. All I can say is that the Quad will be a part of our future here at Magic so we can expand uphill capacity and lift redundancy as we grow.

News Roundup: So Close

February 12, 2021February 13, 2021Peter Landsman23 Comments

Soldier Mountain loses its only out of base lift for one weekend and possibly longer due to a mechanical issue.
Grizzly at Montana Snowbowl gets rope evacuated following a power outage.
Approaching a year without its gondola, Mont-Sainte-Anne says any new lift remains years away and the resort is not for sale.
A unionization effort at Whistler Blackcomb suffers a setback.
From Colorado to Ohio, Maine North Carolina and New Hampshire, skiing is booming.
Green Mountain Valley School officially dedicates its new Leitner-Poma T-Bar.
Most Ontario resorts are cleared to reopen.
Searchmont won’t open this season but will complete an expansion for next winter.
Italian ski resorts begin to reopen.
With so many Colorado resort workers living in groups, communities consider whether to offer them vaccine priority.
Showdown Montana passes from one generation to another.
Yet another new haul rope arrives at the Sea to Sky Gondola.
Tampa issues an RFP for a formal gondola study.
A girl falls 20-25 feet from Snubber at Sugarloaf.
Canada will invest billions per year on transit which could jump start the Burnaby Mountain 3S project.
Steamboat announces what will replace the existing village gondola station.
Chair 8 reopens at Dodge Ridge, one month after a crazy wind storm damaged it.
The City of Edmonton recommends planning continues for a five station urban gondola.
More than 50 entities formally oppose the Forest Service’s planned approval of the Snow King Mountain gondola and expansion.
Arapahoe Basin looks to replace the Lenawee Mountain triple.
Eaglecrest’s Ptarmigan chairlift is closed indefinitely after two chairs become caught in a tower on startup.

News Roundup: Middle of Winter

February 5, 2021February 5, 2021Peter Landsman18 Comments

Blue Hills reopens following inspections and a meeting of the Massachusetts Recreational Tramway Board.
A Swiss study finds the risk of catching the coronavirus on a 12 minute gondola ride with windows open is a thousand times less than at an indoor meal with eight people.
Saddleback teases another new lift coming next winter.
This will be cool: a gondola which loads over water.
Idaho’s Soldier Mountain and Pomerelle both join the Indy Pass.
A hotel management company takes over operation of King Pine Ski Area.
Japan’s first urban gondola opens April 22nd.
Atlantic Canada’s only gondola remains on track to launch in July.
Doppelmayr USA is hiring construction team members for multiple roles.
Doppelmayr is also looking for an Electrical Panel Production and Install Technician.
Sugarbush shows from the air how lift lines this season are shorter than they appear.
Take a drone flight over a deserted Blue Mountain, Ontario.
This month’s Smithsonian Magazine features the story of James Curran, the non-skier who invented the chairlift.
With Black Line under construction and the Red Chair out of service, Magic Mountain is left without summit access for at least a few days.
Attorneys for families of two skiers killed on Colorado lifts want the state’s Supreme Court to overturn a recent lower court ruling limiting resort liability.
With minimal skier compaction, some French lifts are getting hit by avalanches.

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