Other than from 1986-1996, the J1 double chair has served as the sole access means to June Mountain since 1961.The bottom terminal is a Yan retrofit, one of four on June Mountain’s double chairs.The steep lift line up The Face.Fixed top bullwheel unloading at the Chalet.Side view of the top terminal. This also appears to have been modified by Yan.The epic breakover.This lift has 100 percent downloading capacity for summer visitors, low snow periods and beginner skiers.Another look at the breakover.Top return bullwheel.Lower section of the lift line seen from the top of J5.View up the line with original 1960 Riblet towers.Yan crossarm on a Riblet tower.Loading area at the drive.Lift overview.Riding up the line in winter.Middle section of the line.View back down part way up.One of a few cargo carriers.View down from near the summit.Arriving at the summit.
one year, this thing never opened, so the whole ski resort was closed. this place looses money. they only keep it open for the people around, so they don’t care if it’s closed. mammoth is so close.
Skiz what you state is incorrect. J1 is not at all the reason why June Mountain was closed for a season. Mammoth decided to suspend operations at June Mountain for a season due to business volume and an uncertain future. The public and local businesses were very upset with the closure and after a lot of push back the decision was made to reopen the mountain. Along with the reopening Mammoth at the time did make a commitment to operate the mountain and explore some upgrades in the future.
Prior to the acquisition by Alterra and the start of the IKON pass June Mountain was averaging about 70,000 skier visits a season. It’s possible there has been an increase in visitation from the IKON pass.
However, one of the biggest issues is the lack of modern lodging and amenities within June Lake. Mammoth had attempted to develop a base village plan for June Mountain using the adjacent Rodeo Lot, but the development was fought by the locals. Tied to that development were improvements to the mountain.
I normally don’t like big developments, but I do see their merits in keeping things alive. It seems counterintuitive that the locals want their ski area to stay open but actively fight something that might keep their local area open.
Realistically it will be a single Gondola running (probably) along the funitel line. There is an off chance a Uni-series HSQ could be replaced at Palisades or Mammoth with a 6/8 and end up here.
Either way… They’ll want something detachable just to account for beginner access and moving supplies. And the crowds and budget will only ever allow for 1 new or relocated lift.
A gondola with a sister HSQ? That Cali chronic must be hittin hard.
They should get a newer fixed grip (perhaps sunnyside from WP?) from another Alterra resort and install it on the QMC line, keeping the current chair as backup. This lift is only 3,000 feet long and serves fairly steep terrain, so it doesn’t warrant a detachable.
Honestly with Chair 16 being replaced at Mammoth they should just move it to where the QMC was. It’s the first detachable being replaced at Mammoth and they run two other Yan/Doppelmayr quads at June already so it’s not anything different than what they’re already maintaining.
The problem is that there won’t be any Yan/Doppelmayr parts out there. 16 is too unreliable as is, and it’s going to get scrapped for parts for 1, J6, and J7.
Chair 2 would be a better target. Alterra/Mammoth have no love for their frankenyans, and chair 2 is probably more needed to be upgraded to a 6pack based on capacity and lift lines. 16… (And 1) belong in the scrapyard, hence being bumped up in replacement priority. They are not really the biggest bottlenecks, that would be 2, the Gondi and maybe 13/14. But they are the hardest to fix, do play critical roles in lift logistics, and break down the most often.
You have Yan tech, dopp tech, and in-house Mammoth tech. With chair 2, just moving a working fairly modern non-belt/chain driven detachable in annnd you can still get support from Daddy Dopp and new parts.
Everyone calling for a new Gondi can keep dreaming. Yes it’s absolutely ideal with the mid-mtn lodge setup, but it’s a local alt ski area that breaks even once every 5 years. A used-but-modern HSQ from it’s big brother is as ideal as we can hope for.
they should build a gondola along the qmc line for all of the foot traffic to the chalet and beginner skiers, and keep this lift+run it a little faster since there is no more foot traffic
Just a quick note on a minor inaccuracy shown above. The tapered tower shown in the photo labeled “Yan crossarm on a Riblet tower” is not one of the original Riblet towers. The two tapered towers were added to improve cable stability in 1986 when Mammoth Mountain purchased the ski area, lengthened the lift to reach the parking lot, and converted the machinery from Riblet to Yan . The original Riblet towers are the ones with full diameter throughout their height.
LE started having other major issues around the time the QMC was built and the lift had major technical issues that needed to be resolved to function reliably. I am guessing that no other manufacture would touch the lift to resolve the issues so it was better to remove it since from what I understand it was very unreliable.
Why would the resort not retrofit the QMC? They brought in Doppelmayr for J6 and J7. If it was just a grip problem on the QMC, Doppelmayr could have easily replaced the old grips. Being the main out of base lift on the mountain, I would think it would have gotten the priority over J6 and J7.
It blows my mind how June is overlooked. When I want to ski nice, decently long, perfectly groomed runs with a moderate pitch (such as when working on my skiing / doing drills), served by a decently fast lift, I go to June. Bodie and Gunsmoke to J6, Sunrise, Schatzi and Matterhorn to J7….all better than anything similar Mammoth has to offer.
Yes, on a Riblet center post double. Lift runs slow all the time due to foot and skies/rider traffic up and down hill.
J-1 is one of the reasons some people with kids don’t like to go there.
June Mountain’s lift layout reminds me a little bit of Mission Ridge, Washington. Ya gotta take the old fixed grip Riblet double to get to the luxurious, high speed detachable chairlift!
Not sure where Alterra really stands when it comes to lift replacements here but if they wanted to go with a somewhat budget replacement, I could see the Lenawee triple from A-Basin being a good fit either directly replacing this or in the QMC alignment. That lift is slated to be replaced with a detachable in 2022 and being installed new in 2001, it’s not very old for a fixed grip so it would be a major reliability upgrade. Obviously it would be more cost effective to just move a lift over from Mammoth and with Lenawee being in such good shape, I can’t imagine it would be the cheapest used lift on the market. It would also be the only Poma at June or Mammoth so maintenance may be tricky. But I think it would be a good idea if they installed that in the QMC alignment while leaving J1 for now. That way there’s redundancy in case one goes down and if they ever decided to splurge on a fancy new gondola, they could just replace J1 at a later date. This is assuming Lenawee will be for sale at all and A-Basin doesn’t already have other plans for it.
Just a quick note on a minor inaccuracy shown above. The tapered tower shown in the photo labeled “Yan crossarm on a Riblet tower” is not one of the original Riblet towers. The two tapered towers were added to improve cable stability in 1986 when Mammoth Mountain purchased the ski area, lengthened the lift to reach the parking lot, and converted the machinery from Riblet to Yan . The original Riblet towers are the ones with full diameter throughout their height.
Now that Ch. 1 at Mammoth is the size of a school bus, wouldn’t it be great if the old quad could be used to replace J1? As much as I like these old double chairs, J1 is ready for an upgrade.
Ugh. That’s unfortunate. Though, I did recently listen to a podcast with Eric Clark (executive at Mammoth) and he mentioned J1, along with Mammoth chairs 2, 10, & 8, as potentially getting upgrades this summer. Finger’s crossed?
If the video link I pasted doesn’t come through, search YouTube for:
“The Storm Skiing Podcast Episode 198 – Mammoth & June Mountains President & COO Eric Clark”
It’s not as scary as it looks. There are bars connected to the center post that pivot down in front of you rather than folder over the back. I have a picture, but not sure how to insert it.
Lift Blog 
I think i can see the old QMC liftline here, wish they replace J1 w/ a gondola that either goes up the old QMC line or this lift’s line
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What do they do if this thing ever breaks?
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one year, this thing never opened, so the whole ski resort was closed. this place looses money. they only keep it open for the people around, so they don’t care if it’s closed. mammoth is so close.
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Skiz what you state is incorrect. J1 is not at all the reason why June Mountain was closed for a season. Mammoth decided to suspend operations at June Mountain for a season due to business volume and an uncertain future. The public and local businesses were very upset with the closure and after a lot of push back the decision was made to reopen the mountain. Along with the reopening Mammoth at the time did make a commitment to operate the mountain and explore some upgrades in the future.
Prior to the acquisition by Alterra and the start of the IKON pass June Mountain was averaging about 70,000 skier visits a season. It’s possible there has been an increase in visitation from the IKON pass.
However, one of the biggest issues is the lack of modern lodging and amenities within June Lake. Mammoth had attempted to develop a base village plan for June Mountain using the adjacent Rodeo Lot, but the development was fought by the locals. Tied to that development were improvements to the mountain.
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I normally don’t like big developments, but I do see their merits in keeping things alive. It seems counterintuitive that the locals want their ski area to stay open but actively fight something that might keep their local area open.
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I definitely see the merits of building a gondola to replace J1, maybe with a high speed quad running alongside it.
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I think a gondola along the QMC line.
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Realistically it will be a single Gondola running (probably) along the funitel line. There is an off chance a Uni-series HSQ could be replaced at Palisades or Mammoth with a 6/8 and end up here.
Either way… They’ll want something detachable just to account for beginner access and moving supplies. And the crowds and budget will only ever allow for 1 new or relocated lift.
A gondola with a sister HSQ? That Cali chronic must be hittin hard.
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They should get a newer fixed grip (perhaps sunnyside from WP?) from another Alterra resort and install it on the QMC line, keeping the current chair as backup. This lift is only 3,000 feet long and serves fairly steep terrain, so it doesn’t warrant a detachable.
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Honestly with Chair 16 being replaced at Mammoth they should just move it to where the QMC was. It’s the first detachable being replaced at Mammoth and they run two other Yan/Doppelmayr quads at June already so it’s not anything different than what they’re already maintaining.
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The problem is that there won’t be any Yan/Doppelmayr parts out there. 16 is too unreliable as is, and it’s going to get scrapped for parts for 1, J6, and J7.
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Chair 2 would be a better target. Alterra/Mammoth have no love for their frankenyans, and chair 2 is probably more needed to be upgraded to a 6pack based on capacity and lift lines. 16… (And 1) belong in the scrapyard, hence being bumped up in replacement priority. They are not really the biggest bottlenecks, that would be 2, the Gondi and maybe 13/14. But they are the hardest to fix, do play critical roles in lift logistics, and break down the most often.
You have Yan tech, dopp tech, and in-house Mammoth tech. With chair 2, just moving a working fairly modern non-belt/chain driven detachable in annnd you can still get support from Daddy Dopp and new parts.
Everyone calling for a new Gondi can keep dreaming. Yes it’s absolutely ideal with the mid-mtn lodge setup, but it’s a local alt ski area that breaks even once every 5 years. A used-but-modern HSQ from it’s big brother is as ideal as we can hope for.
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they should build a gondola along the qmc line for all of the foot traffic to the chalet and beginner skiers, and keep this lift+run it a little faster since there is no more foot traffic
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What is the black piece that is coming from the middle of the lift chairs? Is that a bar that drops down or an extra handle?
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It’s a bar. Different than most chairs but it’s a bar.
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It’s a bar, similar to what Mad River Glen’s Single Chair has.
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Just a quick note on a minor inaccuracy shown above. The tapered tower shown in the photo labeled “Yan crossarm on a Riblet tower” is not one of the original Riblet towers. The two tapered towers were added to improve cable stability in 1986 when Mammoth Mountain purchased the ski area, lengthened the lift to reach the parking lot, and converted the machinery from Riblet to Yan . The original Riblet towers are the ones with full diameter throughout their height.
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Does j1 lift have a bar that goes across for kids
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Yes it comes down from the middle rather than above your head.
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I was looking at the Chalet webcam and it looks like J1 is getting new comm. lines installed.
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Why was the funitel removed?
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LE started having other major issues around the time the QMC was built and the lift had major technical issues that needed to be resolved to function reliably. I am guessing that no other manufacture would touch the lift to resolve the issues so it was better to remove it since from what I understand it was very unreliable.
They need a gondola to replace this lift badly.
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Why would the resort not retrofit the QMC? They brought in Doppelmayr for J6 and J7. If it was just a grip problem on the QMC, Doppelmayr could have easily replaced the old grips. Being the main out of base lift on the mountain, I would think it would have gotten the priority over J6 and J7.
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It’s my understanding the QMC was a prototype that never worked. So it was scrapped.
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This needs a gondola here badly (someone said Tremblant´s maybe) and for backup a fixed grip quad. Any thoughts?
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Don’t think June mtn. has ever made any money since Dave bought it back in the eighties. Mammoth seems to do the bare minimum over at June.
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It blows my mind how June is overlooked. When I want to ski nice, decently long, perfectly groomed runs with a moderate pitch (such as when working on my skiing / doing drills), served by a decently fast lift, I go to June. Bodie and Gunsmoke to J6, Sunrise, Schatzi and Matterhorn to J7….all better than anything similar Mammoth has to offer.
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I go right past Mammoth 95% of the time and go straight to June!
Not to mention, some of the BEST lift-accessed back-country terrain in the Sierra’s (off J7).
Tree skiing here….. One can find untracked areas the whole day in the swath of trees between Rosa Mae and Silverado :)
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so June has the same issue as Homewood but even worse.
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Can you down hill load?
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Yes, on a Riblet center post double. Lift runs slow all the time due to foot and skies/rider traffic up and down hill.
J-1 is one of the reasons some people with kids don’t like to go there.
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June Mountain’s lift layout reminds me a little bit of Mission Ridge, Washington. Ya gotta take the old fixed grip Riblet double to get to the luxurious, high speed detachable chairlift!
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Not sure where Alterra really stands when it comes to lift replacements here but if they wanted to go with a somewhat budget replacement, I could see the Lenawee triple from A-Basin being a good fit either directly replacing this or in the QMC alignment. That lift is slated to be replaced with a detachable in 2022 and being installed new in 2001, it’s not very old for a fixed grip so it would be a major reliability upgrade. Obviously it would be more cost effective to just move a lift over from Mammoth and with Lenawee being in such good shape, I can’t imagine it would be the cheapest used lift on the market. It would also be the only Poma at June or Mammoth so maintenance may be tricky. But I think it would be a good idea if they installed that in the QMC alignment while leaving J1 for now. That way there’s redundancy in case one goes down and if they ever decided to splurge on a fancy new gondola, they could just replace J1 at a later date. This is assuming Lenawee will be for sale at all and A-Basin doesn’t already have other plans for it.
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As stated before the cheap fix is for Mammoth to move Chair 25 (FGQ) to June in either J-1 or QMC alignment.
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this lift still has the old Riblet towers
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Just a quick note on a minor inaccuracy shown above. The tapered tower shown in the photo labeled “Yan crossarm on a Riblet tower” is not one of the original Riblet towers. The two tapered towers were added to improve cable stability in 1986 when Mammoth Mountain purchased the ski area, lengthened the lift to reach the parking lot, and converted the machinery from Riblet to Yan . The original Riblet towers are the ones with full diameter throughout their height.
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Now that Ch. 1 at Mammoth is the size of a school bus, wouldn’t it be great if the old quad could be used to replace J1? As much as I like these old double chairs, J1 is ready for an upgrade.
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I was thinking the same too! But when I saw chair 1 in May 2024 I was like there is no way saldy.
It’s destroyed.
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Ugh. That’s unfortunate. Though, I did recently listen to a podcast with Eric Clark (executive at Mammoth) and he mentioned J1, along with Mammoth chairs 2, 10, & 8, as potentially getting upgrades this summer. Finger’s crossed?
If the video link I pasted doesn’t come through, search YouTube for:
“The Storm Skiing Podcast Episode 198 – Mammoth & June Mountains President & COO Eric Clark”
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Holy crap! Downloading this lift looks terrifying! The line looks really steep and there isn’t any safety bars!
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It’s not as scary as it looks. There are bars connected to the center post that pivot down in front of you rather than folder over the back. I have a picture, but not sure how to insert it.
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You paste the URL into the comment to insert the photo.
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Easy enough. Might need to zoom in a bit to see it…
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