This old school lift services advanced, natural snow terrain at the east end of the mountain.Unloading point at tower 7.All of the towers on this lift are portal style.A tower.Everything about this lift is old school. Check out the roller groomer in the background!Lower part of the line.The track gets quite steep at the end.Loading area and lift shack.Unique angled return terminal.
Any idea on manufacturer? This portal tower design matches that of some early-to-mid 1960s Doppelmayr T-Bars at Otis RIdge, MA and Brattleboro Ski Hill, VT, and Doppelmayr also has used the spring box T’s for decades per the old photos I have seen.
Also, while Hiawatha was originally installed as ‘East’ T-Bar, it appears to have moved alignment by 1980 (no idea on actual year) to more align with the Hiawatha slope. Its original load point was further west, going up the current Crazy Horse slope.
They are currently planning to replace this T-bar with the 10th Mountain Triple from Lutsen as soon as summer of 2024. Have not heard if it will be a new alignment, but would probably make sense to land the unload further uphill in the area of the Ski Patrol shack so it can access the top of Voyagers Highway that was hardly ever utilized unless the quad ran.
to me it’d make more sense if they were to move the 10th mountain chair to where the leelinaw triple would unload. They could realign it however, but it would make movement across the mountain much easier as the cloudfront double doesn’t go all the way up the hill.
Though unlikely, I hope the eventual replacement is another T-bar. It keeps beginner’s away and you can always find powder stashes a day or two after a storm. Probably my favorite pod of runs between both resorts.
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Any idea on manufacturer? This portal tower design matches that of some early-to-mid 1960s Doppelmayr T-Bars at Otis RIdge, MA and Brattleboro Ski Hill, VT, and Doppelmayr also has used the spring box T’s for decades per the old photos I have seen.
Also, while Hiawatha was originally installed as ‘East’ T-Bar, it appears to have moved alignment by 1980 (no idea on actual year) to more align with the Hiawatha slope. Its original load point was further west, going up the current Crazy Horse slope.
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the sheaves look kinda stadeli
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I have to agree with you. The bullwheels and lattice work on the bottom return also resemble early Stadeli designs.
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They are currently planning to replace this T-bar with the 10th Mountain Triple from Lutsen as soon as summer of 2024. Have not heard if it will be a new alignment, but would probably make sense to land the unload further uphill in the area of the Ski Patrol shack so it can access the top of Voyagers Highway that was hardly ever utilized unless the quad ran.
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That’s an interesting and good use of the former lift from Lutsen.
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to me it’d make more sense if they were to move the 10th mountain chair to where the leelinaw triple would unload. They could realign it however, but it would make movement across the mountain much easier as the cloudfront double doesn’t go all the way up the hill.
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Im pretty certain i saw this tension terminal on a Stadeli T-Bar, somewhere else, But i cant find it.
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Though unlikely, I hope the eventual replacement is another T-bar. It keeps beginner’s away and you can always find powder stashes a day or two after a storm. Probably my favorite pod of runs between both resorts.
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