This Hall double is the main lift at Blue Hills.View up the short lift line.Top terminal overview.Unloading area.View down from the summit.Concrete counterweight at the drive station.
I grew up living next to Blue Hill and would ski there most days after school. There was a Mueller double that preceded this lift which ran from the 1960’s to 1978. That was the year of the ‘Blizzard of 78’ and it the Mueller broke down later in the season that year. They operated with just the J-bar to the top which meant long lines. Their groomer also broke down late in the season, which meant that everything turned to moguls.
The original bottom terminal of the Hall originally had a clear bubble type canopy over it, eventually that was replaced with the current seemingly home made structure. They really do need a higher capacity lift (and have since the 1970’s), but due to the short term leases that the State of MA has traditionally negotiated with operators, nobody wants to make the capital investment. There was a brief plan in the mid-70’s to add a second chairlift but that was quickly killed off due to opposition.
The building behind the bottom terminal (barely visible in the first shot) was the original bottom terminal of the Mueller double. This Hall lift (or parts of it) might have come from a RI ski area according to New England Ski History: https://www.newenglandskihistory.com/Massachusetts/bluehills.php
I have been maintaining this lift for a number of years now and what an amazing job it is. It is cool to see it being featured here. I wish I had a chance to meet the man behind the tour. I most definitely would have liked to give him a closer look at its inner workings.
Lift Blog 
I grew up living next to Blue Hill and would ski there most days after school. There was a Mueller double that preceded this lift which ran from the 1960’s to 1978. That was the year of the ‘Blizzard of 78’ and it the Mueller broke down later in the season that year. They operated with just the J-bar to the top which meant long lines. Their groomer also broke down late in the season, which meant that everything turned to moguls.
The original bottom terminal of the Hall originally had a clear bubble type canopy over it, eventually that was replaced with the current seemingly home made structure. They really do need a higher capacity lift (and have since the 1970’s), but due to the short term leases that the State of MA has traditionally negotiated with operators, nobody wants to make the capital investment. There was a brief plan in the mid-70’s to add a second chairlift but that was quickly killed off due to opposition.
The building behind the bottom terminal (barely visible in the first shot) was the original bottom terminal of the Mueller double. This Hall lift (or parts of it) might have come from a RI ski area according to New England Ski History: https://www.newenglandskihistory.com/Massachusetts/bluehills.php
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This double was also a bright baby blue when new…. It was the 1970’s after all…
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The baby blue would have looks great compared to that harvest yellow, avocado green, and orange colors that were prevalent in the 1970s. LOL
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I have been maintaining this lift for a number of years now and what an amazing job it is. It is cool to see it being featured here. I wish I had a chance to meet the man behind the tour. I most definitely would have liked to give him a closer look at its inner workings.
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Back in the 1990s my dad fell saw a chair fall of this lift with a kid in it, not sure if they have replaced the grips.
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Hopefully, the new lease holder will upgrade this lift!
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