For the 2002 Olympics, the bottom station was relocated uphill where the depression tower is to make room for the temporary stadium and finish area. A rope tow was built from the current bottom to the relocated one for racers. Then it was relocated back to its current place after the Olympics. It didn’t have safety bars until Vail added them in 2015 along with all other Park City lifts that didn’t have them
Didn’t see this coming! I wonder if they will put in a new alignment that goes to the top of King Con so you could get straight to the gondola or the new Silverlode 8-pack without having to ride up King Con. Eagle is my favorite way to start the day at PC because it is generally a short enough once-a-day ride.
Of all the bottlenecks at the combined PCMR/Canyons, I’m surprised getting out of the PCMR base area was a big enough concern to do in 2022. I bet it’s tied to the development plans on the lower parking lots, as guests staying there will use it to start their day and avoid the giant crowd of beginners at First Time or the hike up to ride with terrain park yahoos at Three Kings.
My money’s on a realignment to start a few hundred feet lower (by the current first aid trailer instead of behind ) and end higher than today’s chair, for a few reasons: (1) ease of access on foot from the new development, (2) ability to host 2030/34 Olympic GS/halfpipe bleachers where they had to remove Eagle for a year in 2002 and (3) keep transit traffic away from beginners on First Time.
The biggest problem with Park City’s layout is that most of the lifts go diagonally up the ridge, and there’s no way to move up the mountain without going down and up several times. One of my friends went there when it was still owned by Powdr, and swore off ever going there again, partly because of that. To get to Jupiter (the furthest lift) from the base, you have to take either First Time-Crescent-Pioneer or Eagle-King Con-Silverlode-Thaynes. Both routes take minimum half an hour even without crowds when you consider all the traversing that’s needed. Apparently at that time, the parking lot by Eagle was free or cheap, while the one by Payday and Crescent was 25 dollars, which is why most people start at First Time/3 Kings/Eagle.
I wonder if the announcement of there being a mid station meant a half mid station where the one for the racers currently is, or if it means an angle station at the current unload, and extending to the top of King Con. That would help to speed up the trip to the upper mountain, and would allow access to the Quicksilver Gondola in one lift from the base. I somewhat doubt it’s the latter, because I think the announcement would’ve highlighted that, but you never know.
“My money’s on a realignment to start a few hundred feet lower (by the current first aid trailer instead of behind ) and end higher than today’s chair, for a few reasons: (1) ease of access on foot from the new development, (2) ability to host 2030/34 Olympic GS/halfpipe bleachers where they had to remove Eagle for a year in 2002 and (3) keep transit traffic away from beginners on First Time. ”
That’s pretty much how it’s going to be now, with a half midstation just above the top of Three Kings for those headed to Crescent and Payday (enabling First Time to be exclusively for beginners), while providing a one-lift ride from the lower lots to Silverlode, King Con, and the Canyons interconnect.
Admittedly, it’s a bit of a surprise they’d go with a UNI-G for this instead of D-Lines for both Silverlode 8 and this, considering that Doppelmayr’s finally managed to make a D-Line with a turn station:
Utah Lost Ski Area ProjectJanuary 30, 2022 / 3:47 pm
Doppelmayr most certainly does not offer D-line for 8-packs and gondolas only. There have been many D-line 6-packs built in Europe, not to mention that Big Sky just built one this year. As for Eagle being Uni-G, I would guess it would have an angled mistation similar to Quicksilver. Eagle doesn’t need to be a flagship lift, it just needs to be able to move skiers out of the parking lot to relieve pressure from First Time and Payday. Another reason for Park City wanting a Uni-G might be that there’s a space constraint for the angle station potentially getting in the way of the already crowded access run off of King Con.
Actually, it turns out the midstation’s going to just be a half mid-station like the one seen on Orange Bubble.
The lift will be running on a straight alignment directly from the base of the current triple to the top of King Con.
The new midstation location actually makes a lot of sense, because it means that those starting on Eagle will have options. Someone headed for Silverlode, King Con, or Quicksilver can ride all the way to the top. Someone who wants to go to Payday, Crescent, or Bonanza, McConkey’s and Pioneer (via Crescent) can get off at the midstation and ski down Silver Hollow without having to mingle with the beginners on First Time or the terrain park lappers on Three Kings.
I think the design was made with the Olympics in mind as Eagle would be the primary lift for up to six events.
If SLC hosts the Olympics in 2030 the venue is going to be massive depending on how many events are hosted at PCMR. My guess is there will be two venues next to each other. Or, they could turn it into one massive horseshoe with Eagle splitting it in the middle.
Venue 1: right of Eagle: GS will probably be run on C.B’s as it was in 2002. They’ll need to remove The Ridge TP before the season though, and I think they have to build a starting hill because the slope is too gradual. They could host Slalom and Parallel Giant Slalom on Picabo’s. That would funnel into this venue as well. Finally, the bottom of the halfpipe would align with standing room only on the side decks and then a big amphitheater at the bottom.
Venue 2: left of Eagle. Slopestyle and Big Air would work well here. Pick N Shovel would be turned into one of those crazy Olympic slopestyle parks (and then hopefully left for the remainder of the season). They’ll need to create a big air booter in between the slopestyle course and the 3 Kings Lift. I think it’s doable.
Just like in 2002, Deer Valley will host Aerials and Moguls. If they don’t host slalom they’ll probably end up hosting ski-cross and snowboard-cross (the horror) down Sidewinder.
Park City Mtn Resort hosts Slalom, Giant Slalom, Parallel Giant Slalom, Halpipe, Slopestyle, and Big Air. Deer Valley Hosts Aerials, Moguls, Ski/Board Cross. Snowbasin hosts Super-G, Downhill, Alpine Combined.
I don’t think PCMR’s looking out that far. I think for now they’re looking at things through the picture of upgrading lift infrastructure to improve the flow of traffic (at least in the short term).
Lift Blog 
For the 2002 Olympics, the bottom station was relocated uphill where the depression tower is to make room for the temporary stadium and finish area. A rope tow was built from the current bottom to the relocated one for racers. Then it was relocated back to its current place after the Olympics. It didn’t have safety bars until Vail added them in 2015 along with all other Park City lifts that didn’t have them
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You can see the old SLI double called “Three Kings” in a few of these photos.
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It looks like this photo may have been taken while riding Three Kings
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Didn’t see this coming! I wonder if they will put in a new alignment that goes to the top of King Con so you could get straight to the gondola or the new Silverlode 8-pack without having to ride up King Con. Eagle is my favorite way to start the day at PC because it is generally a short enough once-a-day ride.
Of all the bottlenecks at the combined PCMR/Canyons, I’m surprised getting out of the PCMR base area was a big enough concern to do in 2022. I bet it’s tied to the development plans on the lower parking lots, as guests staying there will use it to start their day and avoid the giant crowd of beginners at First Time or the hike up to ride with terrain park yahoos at Three Kings.
My money’s on a realignment to start a few hundred feet lower (by the current first aid trailer instead of behind ) and end higher than today’s chair, for a few reasons: (1) ease of access on foot from the new development, (2) ability to host 2030/34 Olympic GS/halfpipe bleachers where they had to remove Eagle for a year in 2002 and (3) keep transit traffic away from beginners on First Time.
Here’s a picture of a giant pre-pandemic and pre-Epic Pass price drop crowd at Payday from Feb 2019:
https://www.kpcw.org/post/new-lifts-including-high-speed-8-pack-park-city-mountain#stream/0
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Makes sense to extend it up to where King Con offloads, or maybe to the top of Crescent (but that might be a bit much).
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The biggest problem with Park City’s layout is that most of the lifts go diagonally up the ridge, and there’s no way to move up the mountain without going down and up several times. One of my friends went there when it was still owned by Powdr, and swore off ever going there again, partly because of that. To get to Jupiter (the furthest lift) from the base, you have to take either First Time-Crescent-Pioneer or Eagle-King Con-Silverlode-Thaynes. Both routes take minimum half an hour even without crowds when you consider all the traversing that’s needed. Apparently at that time, the parking lot by Eagle was free or cheap, while the one by Payday and Crescent was 25 dollars, which is why most people start at First Time/3 Kings/Eagle.
I wonder if the announcement of there being a mid station meant a half mid station where the one for the racers currently is, or if it means an angle station at the current unload, and extending to the top of King Con. That would help to speed up the trip to the upper mountain, and would allow access to the Quicksilver Gondola in one lift from the base. I somewhat doubt it’s the latter, because I think the announcement would’ve highlighted that, but you never know.
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I want to believe they’re extending it up to King Con, given that this is happening in conjunction with the Silverlode 8 pack.
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Runnig it up to the top of King Con would probably look like this.
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“My money’s on a realignment to start a few hundred feet lower (by the current first aid trailer instead of behind ) and end higher than today’s chair, for a few reasons: (1) ease of access on foot from the new development, (2) ability to host 2030/34 Olympic GS/halfpipe bleachers where they had to remove Eagle for a year in 2002 and (3) keep transit traffic away from beginners on First Time. ”
That’s pretty much how it’s going to be now, with a half midstation just above the top of Three Kings for those headed to Crescent and Payday (enabling First Time to be exclusively for beginners), while providing a one-lift ride from the lower lots to Silverlode, King Con, and the Canyons interconnect.
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Admittedly, it’s a bit of a surprise they’d go with a UNI-G for this instead of D-Lines for both Silverlode 8 and this, considering that Doppelmayr’s finally managed to make a D-Line with a turn station:
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Probably because of cost reasons since Uni G is cheaper than D Line and Doppelmayr probably only offers D line for 8 packs.
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Doppelmayr most certainly does not offer D-line for 8-packs and gondolas only. There have been many D-line 6-packs built in Europe, not to mention that Big Sky just built one this year. As for Eagle being Uni-G, I would guess it would have an angled mistation similar to Quicksilver. Eagle doesn’t need to be a flagship lift, it just needs to be able to move skiers out of the parking lot to relieve pressure from First Time and Payday. Another reason for Park City wanting a Uni-G might be that there’s a space constraint for the angle station potentially getting in the way of the already crowded access run off of King Con.
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I meant that Doppelmayr does not use Uni G on 8 packs and only D line on them.
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Doppelmayr made Uni-G 8 packs in Europe until the introduction of the D-line.
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Actually, it turns out the midstation’s going to just be a half mid-station like the one seen on Orange Bubble.
The lift will be running on a straight alignment directly from the base of the current triple to the top of King Con.
The new midstation location actually makes a lot of sense, because it means that those starting on Eagle will have options. Someone headed for Silverlode, King Con, or Quicksilver can ride all the way to the top. Someone who wants to go to Payday, Crescent, or Bonanza, McConkey’s and Pioneer (via Crescent) can get off at the midstation and ski down Silver Hollow without having to mingle with the beginners on First Time or the terrain park lappers on Three Kings.
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I think the design was made with the Olympics in mind as Eagle would be the primary lift for up to six events.
If SLC hosts the Olympics in 2030 the venue is going to be massive depending on how many events are hosted at PCMR. My guess is there will be two venues next to each other. Or, they could turn it into one massive horseshoe with Eagle splitting it in the middle.
Venue 1: right of Eagle: GS will probably be run on C.B’s as it was in 2002. They’ll need to remove The Ridge TP before the season though, and I think they have to build a starting hill because the slope is too gradual. They could host Slalom and Parallel Giant Slalom on Picabo’s. That would funnel into this venue as well. Finally, the bottom of the halfpipe would align with standing room only on the side decks and then a big amphitheater at the bottom.
Venue 2: left of Eagle. Slopestyle and Big Air would work well here. Pick N Shovel would be turned into one of those crazy Olympic slopestyle parks (and then hopefully left for the remainder of the season). They’ll need to create a big air booter in between the slopestyle course and the 3 Kings Lift. I think it’s doable.
Just like in 2002, Deer Valley will host Aerials and Moguls. If they don’t host slalom they’ll probably end up hosting ski-cross and snowboard-cross (the horror) down Sidewinder.
Park City Mtn Resort hosts Slalom, Giant Slalom, Parallel Giant Slalom, Halpipe, Slopestyle, and Big Air. Deer Valley Hosts Aerials, Moguls, Ski/Board Cross. Snowbasin hosts Super-G, Downhill, Alpine Combined.
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I don’t think PCMR’s looking out that far. I think for now they’re looking at things through the picture of upgrading lift infrastructure to improve the flow of traffic (at least in the short term).
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Just wondering, once this lift gets put in, how will people access Picabo’s and Commitment?
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