Unload ramp at the drive station.This lift was relocated from Crystal Mountain, Washington.Motor room.Depression tower with added lifting frame.Upper lift line.Lower lift line.Lower terminal with counterweight.Another view of the base.Depression tower 1.
At Crystal Mtn., this lift was C-5 Campbell Basin, was bottom drive top tension and from 1970 to 1988 was 7500 feet long out of the base area into Campbell Basin. The return terminal about twice as tall and well past the unload platform (a good old NW double diamond unload). It appears here the drive terminal looks to have been turned around and has a new motor room. The original set up at Crystal had a huge foundation block at the drive terminal’s back with the rope coming out between the portal legs. When the lift was shortened to 3500 feet in 1988, the terminal had the single mast replacing the foundation block, but the rope still came out through the portal legs. I was sad to see C-5 go as it made an easy lap of Powder Bowl, riding C-5 and Chair 6 to get back on top Silver Queen Peak.
Generally, depression towers have concrete anchors with steel loops in the ground below the sheave assembly to pull the haul rope down. The lifting frame is used to lift and lower the assembly to the ground when repair is needed.
Hope this helps.
In addition to what Michael said, the “lifting” frames are also used to lower the sheaves to the ground if they need to replace them or do maintenance they can’t do with them on the tower.
Seems strange to see it painted black. It was one of the last blue lifts we had at Crystal. Looks like they tried to paint the galvanised chairs as well.
I swear the chairs on that lift had plastic yellow slats with galvanized/unpainted metal bails. I also remember footrests on that lift WAY before anyone else had them. And that lift was long – I counted 303 chairs and 36 towers, with a serious breakover at tower 28. Does this track??
Sounds about right. Plastic slatted seats, galvanised chairs, and a giant breakover at the top of K2 Face. Those towers had lifting frames when no others did. Where Midway is now (top of 11, bottom of 10) there was a flat span that always seemed to be in the shade. I also remember getting my arm pinched by the footrest occasionally.
I swear the chairs on that lift had plastic yellow slats with galvanized/unpainted metal bails. I also remember footrests on that lift WAY before anyone else had them. And that lift was long – I counted 303 chairs and 36 towers, with a serious breakover at tower 28. Does this track??
Those are odd towers for a SLI lift in which the sheave assemblies hang down like they do on a Borvig lift. I have not seen towers like this for an SLI prior to this one. Was this one of the first SLI lifts when installed at Crystal, which may explain the towers? A comparison to the SLI lift (Ridge) at Diamond Peak: https://skiliftblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/img_5462.jpg?w=1988&h=1492
My wife and I picked up a mystery chair out on the Olympic peninsula a few years ago – definitely an SLI, faint yellow paint on the seat slats, we finally pieced together that it was one of the Crystal C5 chairs that were sold when they shortened it. Finally mounted it up as a swing now and am refinishing the slats and replacing the rusted hardware. The footrest brackets are still there, but no rests (they don’t seem to have made it to Blacktail either), if anyone has a lead on SLI footrests, please let me know, would be nice to have a complete unit.
We’ll try to make it to Blacktail this winter and experience one of its “siblings” still in action.
Lift Blog 
At Crystal Mtn., this lift was C-5 Campbell Basin, was bottom drive top tension and from 1970 to 1988 was 7500 feet long out of the base area into Campbell Basin. The return terminal about twice as tall and well past the unload platform (a good old NW double diamond unload). It appears here the drive terminal looks to have been turned around and has a new motor room. The original set up at Crystal had a huge foundation block at the drive terminal’s back with the rope coming out between the portal legs. When the lift was shortened to 3500 feet in 1988, the terminal had the single mast replacing the foundation block, but the rope still came out through the portal legs. I was sad to see C-5 go as it made an easy lap of Powder Bowl, riding C-5 and Chair 6 to get back on top Silver Queen Peak.
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Why would they need a lifting frame on a depression tower?
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Generally, depression towers have concrete anchors with steel loops in the ground below the sheave assembly to pull the haul rope down. The lifting frame is used to lift and lower the assembly to the ground when repair is needed.
Hope this helps.
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Thanks
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In addition to what Michael said, the “lifting” frames are also used to lower the sheaves to the ground if they need to replace them or do maintenance they can’t do with them on the tower.
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Yes, I should have used the word “sheave” in front of “assembly”.
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Seems strange to see it painted black. It was one of the last blue lifts we had at Crystal. Looks like they tried to paint the galvanised chairs as well.
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I swear the chairs on that lift had plastic yellow slats with galvanized/unpainted metal bails. I also remember footrests on that lift WAY before anyone else had them. And that lift was long – I counted 303 chairs and 36 towers, with a serious breakover at tower 28. Does this track??
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Sounds about right. Plastic slatted seats, galvanised chairs, and a giant breakover at the top of K2 Face. Those towers had lifting frames when no others did. Where Midway is now (top of 11, bottom of 10) there was a flat span that always seemed to be in the shade. I also remember getting my arm pinched by the footrest occasionally.
LikeLike
I swear the chairs on that lift had plastic yellow slats with galvanized/unpainted metal bails. I also remember footrests on that lift WAY before anyone else had them. And that lift was long – I counted 303 chairs and 36 towers, with a serious breakover at tower 28. Does this track??
LikeLike
Those are odd towers for a SLI lift in which the sheave assemblies hang down like they do on a Borvig lift. I have not seen towers like this for an SLI prior to this one. Was this one of the first SLI lifts when installed at Crystal, which may explain the towers? A comparison to the SLI lift (Ridge) at Diamond Peak: https://skiliftblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/img_5462.jpg?w=1988&h=1492
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My wife and I picked up a mystery chair out on the Olympic peninsula a few years ago – definitely an SLI, faint yellow paint on the seat slats, we finally pieced together that it was one of the Crystal C5 chairs that were sold when they shortened it. Finally mounted it up as a swing now and am refinishing the slats and replacing the rusted hardware. The footrest brackets are still there, but no rests (they don’t seem to have made it to Blacktail either), if anyone has a lead on SLI footrests, please let me know, would be nice to have a complete unit.
We’ll try to make it to Blacktail this winter and experience one of its “siblings” still in action.
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Per Google Earth, the inclined length is ~3563′ and the vertical is ~892′.
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