Poma built two fixed grip quads on the lower mountain in the early 1990s.Alpha drive terminal.This lift connects Alyeska’s two base areas.Upper part of the lift line.Bottom bullwheel.This lift received a loading carpet to help beginner skiers.View back down the lift line.There is a mid-station for beginners to unload.Mid.Upper lift line.Unload ramp number one.View down from the mid-station.The first few towers.Bottom terminal side view.Lift overview.Riding up after the mid-station.Unloading area number two.
Having never skied Alyeska, I can’t see how that would make sense. The lift is just so short, plus the expense of a midstation. While detaches are always nice, there are just so many more places for the money to go.
no and it shouldn’t. The ride time is simply too short. While it might seem redundant, a “better” high speed replacement would be the removed chair 1, which went from the base to the tram top terminal.
Aleyska often sits right on the rain/snow line, with the bottom 300-500 vertical seeing common rainfall in the winter. The top 1100ish feet tend to be all snow in the winter. This means the old chair 1 mid-station loading was right near the line, and lapping it meant you stayed in steep terrain on good snow.
Now, to lap the same terrain you have to ride both hsq’s and go down the the ridge fall line that ends near the tram, or ski half the run length by lapping Ted’s. This is such a chore, you often end up just lapping Glacier Bowl, the Tram, or the Tram+Glacier Bowl for a more rewarding 2 lift lap.
By putting in a 1100-1300′ vert hsq from near the old chair 1 midway to somewhere near or above the tram, you would add back a whole lappable zone that has been effectively removed.
Lift Blog 
Does anyone think this lift will eventually get a detachable upgrade?
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Having never skied Alyeska, I can’t see how that would make sense. The lift is just so short, plus the expense of a midstation. While detaches are always nice, there are just so many more places for the money to go.
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I don’t think the length justifies it being a detachable. I believe it is fine for a fixed quad.
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no and it shouldn’t. The ride time is simply too short. While it might seem redundant, a “better” high speed replacement would be the removed chair 1, which went from the base to the tram top terminal.
Aleyska often sits right on the rain/snow line, with the bottom 300-500 vertical seeing common rainfall in the winter. The top 1100ish feet tend to be all snow in the winter. This means the old chair 1 mid-station loading was right near the line, and lapping it meant you stayed in steep terrain on good snow.
Now, to lap the same terrain you have to ride both hsq’s and go down the the ridge fall line that ends near the tram, or ski half the run length by lapping Ted’s. This is such a chore, you often end up just lapping Glacier Bowl, the Tram, or the Tram+Glacier Bowl for a more rewarding 2 lift lap.
By putting in a 1100-1300′ vert hsq from near the old chair 1 midway to somewhere near or above the tram, you would add back a whole lappable zone that has been effectively removed.
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