This terminal dates back to 1956.Loading area.View up the lift line with old-school tapered Riblet towers.This top vault drive appears not to be the original one.Unload.The original drive was probably located further uphill.Looking down the lift line.Lower section of the line.Upper lift line.First few towers.Bottom bullwheel with counterweight tensioning.
Chair 6 (Canyon) at China Peak, CA has some tapered towers, along with some really early lattice towers. As noted on this site, it seems to have been assembled from parts of other riblets, probably largely the 1958 chair 1 at that resort.
Yup! I believe J-1 at June Mountain, California has 1 tapered tower on its line, which is weird because I was under the impression that Riblet discontinued those after 1956 and J-1 is a 1961 lift.
As for the lattice towers, those were used for big break overs until 1956. Mt. Spokane is a pretty gentle mountain, which is why I think they weren’t needed on this lift. On post-1957 Riblets, those breakover were done using closely spaced tube towers.
Aside from Canyon, the Upper Bowl lift at Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Oregon has some lattice towers from the original lift. Those are the only two surviving lifts I know with Riblet lattice towers
Technically, but all of the discernible 1955 components are gone. New top and bottom terminals, no tapered towers, etc.
I guess it depends on your criteria, though.
Mt. Hood Ski Bowl’s Cascade lift uses the terminals and 1 tower from a 1949 Riblet. Some people might count that as a 1949 lift, but I count it as a 1975 lift because the rest of the components were made at that time.
Looks like the bottom terminal was slightly modified since 1956 (the right leg used to be straight), whereas the top terminal looks different from progress pictures in the local newspaper back in August of 1956
In response to the comment “The original drive was probably located further uphill.” No, this was always the drive vault and bull wheel location. The unload terminal was originally located just down the hill maybe 10-15 yards. You would unload, then make a hard turn right or left so that you would not run into the vault. It was moved to the top of the vault to more easily access the chair 2 area. Also it is interesting to note that this lift had a midway unload only station in the early years, until the second Riblet double was made operational in 1961. There is one tower on this lift that isn’t tapered. That is where the midway station was, then removed Still the smoothest riding chair on the mountain.
thanks for posting. You can clearly see the unload ramp and lift shack were just down from the drive vault. The off-load ramp is now on top of the Drive vault. Thanks for posting these great photos Spud.
The “midway” terminal on chair 1 appeared in the late 70s or early 80s, and disappeared a few years later.
Basically, it allowed Lodge 1 users to use the lower (easier) half of the hill and provided access to the cat-track to Lodge 2. It also allowed racers access to their training area on the lower left side of 1-face.
The Chair 1 side was significantly more challenging terrain than the Chair 2/3/5 side (with the exception of 2-face, the mogul run) and there were no lights.
We used to cross from Chair 2 on powder nights and skl the Chair 1 side to the return cat track in the dark.
Chair 1 also provided access to the REAL backside…the open area you can see from Spokane on the SW side. You could also ski through the picnic/camping area just above the snowmobile parking lot on powder days. A bit of a hike to get back to Lodge 1.
The open area you see from town was the location of the original ski area which had a lodge that looked like a smaller version of Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. It burned down in the 50s, and the foundation is still there.
It was fantastic on powder days, and if you knew the way, you could ski narrow chutes all the way down to the hairpin turn on the access road and hitchhike back to the resort.
Chair 4 face is a bugger…it was called Geronimo. The issue was it was off-camber and the fall line isn’t straight down the lift line.
Chair 6 opened new terrain we used to explore before it existed. It was tight tree skiing and you could end up on the access road below Chair 4.
A great addition.
You could also, in the 80s, take SnowCat rides from the bottom of Chair 4 to condos in Blanchard, Idaho.
Chair 3 also accesses out of bounds skiing on powder days in the “burnout” area below Half Hitch.
There were also multiple rope tows at Mt Spokane up to the time Chair 2 was split into 2 and 5. Some earth moving was done to make that happen, as the rope tows were lower, but generally where 5 is now, one accessing the bottom of Chair 3.
Another rope tow at Lodge 1 serviced the Ski Race area until perhaps the mid/late 70s.
People underestimate Mt Spokane. If you know your way around, there’s loads of hidden chutes that are magnificent on powder days.
Lift Blog 
What a beautiful lift.
LikeLike
How many Riblets are left that still have that tapered tower design?
LikeLike
Segundo at Telluride has one tapered Riblet tower (the rest being Heron lattice towers).
So does June Mountain’s J1 and J3 lifts.
LikeLike
Chair 6 (Canyon) at China Peak, CA has some tapered towers, along with some really early lattice towers. As noted on this site, it seems to have been assembled from parts of other riblets, probably largely the 1958 chair 1 at that resort.
LikeLike
Yup! I believe J-1 at June Mountain, California has 1 tapered tower on its line, which is weird because I was under the impression that Riblet discontinued those after 1956 and J-1 is a 1961 lift.
As for the lattice towers, those were used for big break overs until 1956. Mt. Spokane is a pretty gentle mountain, which is why I think they weren’t needed on this lift. On post-1957 Riblets, those breakover were done using closely spaced tube towers.
Aside from Canyon, the Upper Bowl lift at Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Oregon has some lattice towers from the original lift. Those are the only two surviving lifts I know with Riblet lattice towers
LikeLike
There is one at white pass
LikeLike
Are you talking about Pigtail 2? I think that one has all straight towers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
…Was one at White Pass (I remember). That Riblet lift has been removed.
LikeLike
This is the oldest lift by Riblet still in operation correct? Seventh Heaven at Stevens Pass is also pretty old but still four years newer than this
LikeLike
You might be right. As far as I’m aware, this is the last of the pre-1957 Riblet generation.
After this, I believe it goes:
Summit – Kelly Canyon, ID (1957)
Pigtail II – White Pass, WA (1958)
7th Heaven – Stevens Pass, WA (1960)
J1 – June Mountain, CA (1960)
Though I may be missing some in there.
LikeLike
The former Majestic lift at Brighton is still operating at Big Sky and it was a 1955 Riblet.
LikeLike
Technically, but all of the discernible 1955 components are gone. New top and bottom terminals, no tapered towers, etc.
I guess it depends on your criteria, though.
Mt. Hood Ski Bowl’s Cascade lift uses the terminals and 1 tower from a 1949 Riblet. Some people might count that as a 1949 lift, but I count it as a 1975 lift because the rest of the components were made at that time.
LikeLike
Add Willow Creek at Red Lodge Mountain – 1959. Has the tapered towers too.
LikeLike
Thanks! I had missed that one!
LikeLike
Looks like the bottom terminal was slightly modified since 1956 (the right leg used to be straight), whereas the top terminal looks different from progress pictures in the local newspaper back in August of 1956
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OwQrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=773%2C3645785
LikeLike
The top is definitely newer than the rest of the lift. That vintage had an angle-iron lattice drive terminal structure resembling the tension frame, as seen here:
https://skiliftblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/mt-baker-154.jpg?w=994&h=746
LikeLike
In response to the comment “The original drive was probably located further uphill.” No, this was always the drive vault and bull wheel location. The unload terminal was originally located just down the hill maybe 10-15 yards. You would unload, then make a hard turn right or left so that you would not run into the vault. It was moved to the top of the vault to more easily access the chair 2 area. Also it is interesting to note that this lift had a midway unload only station in the early years, until the second Riblet double was made operational in 1961. There is one tower on this lift that isn’t tapered. That is where the midway station was, then removed Still the smoothest riding chair on the mountain.
LikeLike
There are some images on the Wikipedia page for Mount Spokane State Park of the top terminal from what is reported to be the 1960s.
LikeLike
thanks for posting. You can clearly see the unload ramp and lift shack were just down from the drive vault. The off-load ramp is now on top of the Drive vault. Thanks for posting these great photos Spud.
LikeLike
Are the chairs on this lift original or replacements?
LikeLike
This lift is gona be replaced in 2024. It will be sad to see it go.
Liftbog.com/2024-new-lifts/
LikeLike
no its not being replaced. its not going anywhere
LikeLike
The “midway” terminal on chair 1 appeared in the late 70s or early 80s, and disappeared a few years later.
Basically, it allowed Lodge 1 users to use the lower (easier) half of the hill and provided access to the cat-track to Lodge 2. It also allowed racers access to their training area on the lower left side of 1-face.
The Chair 1 side was significantly more challenging terrain than the Chair 2/3/5 side (with the exception of 2-face, the mogul run) and there were no lights.
We used to cross from Chair 2 on powder nights and skl the Chair 1 side to the return cat track in the dark.
Chair 1 also provided access to the REAL backside…the open area you can see from Spokane on the SW side. You could also ski through the picnic/camping area just above the snowmobile parking lot on powder days. A bit of a hike to get back to Lodge 1.
The open area you see from town was the location of the original ski area which had a lodge that looked like a smaller version of Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. It burned down in the 50s, and the foundation is still there.
It was fantastic on powder days, and if you knew the way, you could ski narrow chutes all the way down to the hairpin turn on the access road and hitchhike back to the resort.
Chair 4 face is a bugger…it was called Geronimo. The issue was it was off-camber and the fall line isn’t straight down the lift line.
Chair 6 opened new terrain we used to explore before it existed. It was tight tree skiing and you could end up on the access road below Chair 4.
A great addition.
You could also, in the 80s, take SnowCat rides from the bottom of Chair 4 to condos in Blanchard, Idaho.
Chair 3 also accesses out of bounds skiing on powder days in the “burnout” area below Half Hitch.
There were also multiple rope tows at Mt Spokane up to the time Chair 2 was split into 2 and 5. Some earth moving was done to make that happen, as the rope tows were lower, but generally where 5 is now, one accessing the bottom of Chair 3.
Another rope tow at Lodge 1 serviced the Ski Race area until perhaps the mid/late 70s.
People underestimate Mt Spokane. If you know your way around, there’s loads of hidden chutes that are magnificent on powder days.
I think of it as a miniature Sun Valley.
LikeLike