This lift looks like a Riblet but was actually built after that company folded.Bottom terminal.Upper station.Top bullwheel.The last tower and upper station.View down the line.Custom tower.Lower line.Tower 3.Loading area and operator house.Lift line overview.
The Gray lift was engineered and built by Superior but mostly from Riblet service and replacement parts – chairs, grips, sheaves. The tower heads are custom. The motor room enclosure was found from somewhere out west and matches the motor rooms of the rest of newer Riblets at the ski area.
I know they put it in as backup for black, but it doesn’t really seem necessary, since most of the lifts, even the front lifts like green and red don’t usually get very big lines.
The thing is… There are still 60 Riblet lifts in Michigan alone and they are the most common lift in the Midwest. Hall would probably be second. With that many lifts and the economics of Midwest skiing being what it is, I don’t think the majority of these Riblet lifts are going anywhere anytime soon. Any small to medium resort in the Midwest can’t afford these days to buy a new lift. When they need a lift they obtain a used Riblet or Hall and throw it up. Superior Tramway is still going to see business as long as these lifts stay in operation. It is crazy to me that lifts have become so pricey that to see an all new lift in the Midwest is rare and usually only being bought by the biggest resorts. Some of the best ski hills in the Midwest are rocking old Hall doubles or center pole Riblet. Lutsen, Indianhead, Bohemia, to name a few are all using old Riblets. Even Boyne with their money is mostly using very, very old Riblets with no end in sight. Skiers in the Midwest care more about terrain quality, vertical (because there isn’t much), snow quality and affordable decent lodging then they do shiny new lifts. Of course that would be nice but I will take Indianheads terrain over either of Boynes resorts and their high speed lifts any day. The other high speed lifts in Michigan don’t even break 300 feet in vertical and are at very crowded resorts. If these old lifts allow the financially “hanging on by a thread” resorts to keep going, I hope these old Riblets last forever.
Lift Blog 
Wow! I have never seen an entire Superior Tramways chair before. Are there any others?
LikeLike
The old Challenger at Big Sky was one.
LikeLike
Challenger reused a couple towers from the previous Riblet double.
LikeLike
The Gray lift was engineered and built by Superior but mostly from Riblet service and replacement parts – chairs, grips, sheaves. The tower heads are custom. The motor room enclosure was found from somewhere out west and matches the motor rooms of the rest of newer Riblets at the ski area.
LikeLike
This lift typically only operates on peak weekends and holidays.
LikeLike
I know they put it in as backup for black, but it doesn’t really seem necessary, since most of the lifts, even the front lifts like green and red don’t usually get very big lines.
LikeLike
RIBLET LIVES ON
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not out of it yet…
http://www.superiortramway.com/
LikeLike
I get the sense that business is waning, though.
LikeLike
The thing is… There are still 60 Riblet lifts in Michigan alone and they are the most common lift in the Midwest. Hall would probably be second. With that many lifts and the economics of Midwest skiing being what it is, I don’t think the majority of these Riblet lifts are going anywhere anytime soon. Any small to medium resort in the Midwest can’t afford these days to buy a new lift. When they need a lift they obtain a used Riblet or Hall and throw it up. Superior Tramway is still going to see business as long as these lifts stay in operation. It is crazy to me that lifts have become so pricey that to see an all new lift in the Midwest is rare and usually only being bought by the biggest resorts. Some of the best ski hills in the Midwest are rocking old Hall doubles or center pole Riblet. Lutsen, Indianhead, Bohemia, to name a few are all using old Riblets. Even Boyne with their money is mostly using very, very old Riblets with no end in sight. Skiers in the Midwest care more about terrain quality, vertical (because there isn’t much), snow quality and affordable decent lodging then they do shiny new lifts. Of course that would be nice but I will take Indianheads terrain over either of Boynes resorts and their high speed lifts any day. The other high speed lifts in Michigan don’t even break 300 feet in vertical and are at very crowded resorts. If these old lifts allow the financially “hanging on by a thread” resorts to keep going, I hope these old Riblets last forever.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Superior Tramway did a great job on this one !
LikeLike