Drive with vault next to the highway.Loading area and bottom lift shack.Riding up on a spring day.Arriving at the mid-station offload.Unloading ramp number one.Upper lift line.Arriving at the top unload.Top tension terminal.Upper station overview.View down from above the mid-station.Mid-station side view.Lower terminal overview.Looking up the lift line.Brand new Riblet clip in March 2017.Tension carriage.Lower half of the lift.Mid-station.Motor room.Lift overview.
I feel like transporting all that old school equipment, from a vault drive to the tall counterweight tension terminal must’ve been a hassle. What lift was this at Mt. Bachelor? They had a lot of Riblets back in the day, as did most PNW ski resorts.
I think this would’ve been the Black Chair (replaced by the Pine Marten Express in 1986), or the Green Chair (replaced by the Skyliner Express). More likely the Black Chair.
Considering Skyline Express was installed in 1989 and the original lift still stood for a few more years, and the color scheme of this lift, my vote is definitely the Black chair, replaced by the original Pine Marten Express.
Transporting it wouldn’t have meant the entire vault went with. They would have separated the gearbox, electric motor, APU, all the assorted shafts, and brakes into different transport loads. You could probably fit the gearbox in one and the rest in another. Once on site, a new vault would have been built around the equipment. As for the top, the terminal tubes are joined by bolt couplings so that would be pretty simple- basically a load of pipe.
I don know that you’re right about the top terminal. It all looks welded together to me. Many Riblet tension terminal were welded on site during their original construction.
Tbh if i ever go skiing out west ima probably clip myself to the chair using a strap or something because I nearly fell of a lift when I was young and have been a bit terrified of riding up lifts with the restraining bar up
Assuming it came from Mt.Bachelor, OR (like the other comment says), it was probably either the black chair, or the green chair. So likely either 1961, or 1973.
The Tower Caps in the photos are pre-65 Riblet style so likely Black. Black was extensively overhauled the year before it was removed, not that that is relevant.
Bighorn was built originally at Mount Bachelor in 1961. When it was built it was known as “The Chair” later became Chair 1 and in 1973 was named Black Chair after colors replaced numbers for all lifts on Bachelor. In the early summer of 1974, it was hit by lightning and burned the motor room and loading terminal. The lift was lengthened by about 800 feet below the original bottom station. When operated at Bachelor it ran CCW. It was taken down in 1987 after serving as a backup for Pine Marten for a year.
Darn. Best of luck to them in getting the gearbox fixed or replaced.
I can’t help but wonder if this will be getting more common as winters get warmer and the ubiquitous Hall and Riblet lifts begin to turn 60, even 70 (in a few years).
Also, far too many ski areas aren’t opening this year. I quite strongly hope that this won’t be the end of Hesperus.
Old equipment of any kind requires detailed inspections and preventive maintenance. A failure of this type, this time year seems all to familiar, Nordic Valley maybe ???
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I feel like transporting all that old school equipment, from a vault drive to the tall counterweight tension terminal must’ve been a hassle. What lift was this at Mt. Bachelor? They had a lot of Riblets back in the day, as did most PNW ski resorts.
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I think this would’ve been the Black Chair (replaced by the Pine Marten Express in 1986), or the Green Chair (replaced by the Skyliner Express). More likely the Black Chair.
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Considering Skyline Express was installed in 1989 and the original lift still stood for a few more years, and the color scheme of this lift, my vote is definitely the Black chair, replaced by the original Pine Marten Express.
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This is Black Chair
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Transporting it wouldn’t have meant the entire vault went with. They would have separated the gearbox, electric motor, APU, all the assorted shafts, and brakes into different transport loads. You could probably fit the gearbox in one and the rest in another. Once on site, a new vault would have been built around the equipment. As for the top, the terminal tubes are joined by bolt couplings so that would be pretty simple- basically a load of pipe.
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I don know that you’re right about the top terminal. It all looks welded together to me. Many Riblet tension terminal were welded on site during their original construction.
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On second look, it’s definitely welded. I was thinking of newer Riblets apparently.
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This lift’s name is the Bighorn Chair, seen on their new, updated (much nicer than the old one) trail map.
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They put a “Bighorn” wooden sign on the lower terminal. Visible when I drove by it in July ’21.
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My family drove past it around the same time you did. That was the first time I saw classic Riblet tapered towers in person :)
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Tbh if i ever go skiing out west ima probably clip myself to the chair using a strap or something because I nearly fell of a lift when I was young and have been a bit terrified of riding up lifts with the restraining bar up
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When was this lift originally installed?
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Assuming it came from Mt.Bachelor, OR (like the other comment says), it was probably either the black chair, or the green chair. So likely either 1961, or 1973.
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The Tower Caps in the photos are pre-65 Riblet style so likely Black. Black was extensively overhauled the year before it was removed, not that that is relevant.
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Bighorn was built originally at Mount Bachelor in 1961. When it was built it was known as “The Chair” later became Chair 1 and in 1973 was named Black Chair after colors replaced numbers for all lifts on Bachelor. In the early summer of 1974, it was hit by lightning and burned the motor room and loading terminal. The lift was lengthened by about 800 feet below the original bottom station. When operated at Bachelor it ran CCW. It was taken down in 1987 after serving as a backup for Pine Marten for a year.
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Gearbox failure leads to 23/24 season area closure
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Darn. Best of luck to them in getting the gearbox fixed or replaced.
I can’t help but wonder if this will be getting more common as winters get warmer and the ubiquitous Hall and Riblet lifts begin to turn 60, even 70 (in a few years).
Also, far too many ski areas aren’t opening this year. I quite strongly hope that this won’t be the end of Hesperus.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Old equipment of any kind requires detailed inspections and preventive maintenance. A failure of this type, this time year seems all to familiar, Nordic Valley maybe ???
LikeLiked by 1 person