Almost the entire lift line is above treeline.Summit terminal at 8,960 feet.Lower part of the lift line.Bottom terminal and loading area.Drive station and lift line.Tower 14 with Angel Express in the background.Breakover towers 20 and 21 with a spectacular backdrop!Top terminal departure side.Another view of the lower portion of the line.Scenery for days.Poma depression tower.The best part about riding this lift is passing from Alberta to British Columbia at tower 16. It’s the only lift in Canada that spans two provinces.Lift overview.
13 thoughts on “Great Divide Express – Sunshine Village, AB”
somebodyJanuary 10, 2019 / 2:56 pm
Looking at a map, seems like Dipper at Heavenly starts in Nevada and ends in California, so this isn’t the only lift in NA that crosses a state/province.
Also, interestingly, the top terminal of Comet seems to be split between the two states.
Also, Kinosoo Ridge up in northern Alberta has a Doppelmayr triple chair that starts in Alberta and ends in Saskatchewan. I believe they even have a sign welcoming you into Saskatchewan as you ride up the lift!
I could see this lift being replaced in the not so distant future, while it isn’t as old as Angel it does experience fairly frequent mechanical issues and runs pretty slow.
If/when they replace it maybe they can shorten it up. The bottom portion of the lift covers flat terrain and is a bugger to carry speed to in the spring. The story is they lengthened it from the old double so they could eliminate the old t bar and still reach it from Standish (which anyone seldom does and severely compromises the utility of the lift).
The lengthened HSQ is way better than the former double chair and t-bar setup as not only does it allow access from Strawberry and Standish, it allows return from the Bye Bye Bowl side.
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Looking at a map, seems like Dipper at Heavenly starts in Nevada and ends in California, so this isn’t the only lift in NA that crosses a state/province.
Also, interestingly, the top terminal of Comet seems to be split between the two states.
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Great Divide Express starts and ends in Alberta, ’cause by tower 18, they have another sign welcoming you back into Alberta.
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It’s actually called Great Divide Express. Not Continental Divide Express.
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That is a recent change. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Great Divide was the name for the previous Hall double in this alignment.
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I believe also the Standish Express top terminal is partly in British Columbia… It’s not just this lift.
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Also, Kinosoo Ridge up in northern Alberta has a Doppelmayr triple chair that starts in Alberta and ends in Saskatchewan. I believe they even have a sign welcoming you into Saskatchewan as you ride up the lift!
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Just checked Google Earth, which while not definitive, is usually accurate. Standish top terminal is in BC according to Google.
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I could see this lift being replaced in the not so distant future, while it isn’t as old as Angel it does experience fairly frequent mechanical issues and runs pretty slow.
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With Angel gone, this or Goat’s Eye are probably next.
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If/when they replace it maybe they can shorten it up. The bottom portion of the lift covers flat terrain and is a bugger to carry speed to in the spring. The story is they lengthened it from the old double so they could eliminate the old t bar and still reach it from Standish (which anyone seldom does and severely compromises the utility of the lift).
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The lengthened HSQ is way better than the former double chair and t-bar setup as not only does it allow access from Strawberry and Standish, it allows return from the Bye Bye Bowl side.
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