This short high-speed quad is Copper’s seventh detachable and services beginner terrain out of the West Village.View up the lift line from the base area.This is the sister lift to Union Creek, built in 2011.The bottom terminal with tensioning.Riding up at tower 3.Arriving at the drive terminal, where a new lodge called Koko’s was built alongside the new lift.Unloading area and small maintenance rail.Another look at the top station.View down at T9.Middle section of the lift line.View up at tower 7.Loading area.Side view of the top terminal.Another view up the lift line.
I think that seems more like a matter of preference on the resort’s behalf, seeing as I’ve encountered several high speed quads that are just as short as Kokomo that still have footrests (the Sourdough Express lift at Vail comes to mind).
There are resorts with detachables of similar length to Kokomo that serve similar terrain, and they supply them with footrests. Ute Park and the Sourdough Express come to mind.
It does admittedly look weird seeing Kokomo without footrests since Colorado is a state where footrests tend to be the norm rather than the exception. I can only think of nine detachable chairlifts in Colorado that don’t have footrests.
The detachables without footrests in Colorado would be this lift, the Gemini, Eskimo, Prospector and Sunnyside Express lifts at Winter Park, the Christie Peak Express and Elkhead Express at Steamboat, Coney Glade at Snowmass, West Buttermilk Express at Buttermilk, Ruthie’s at Ajax, Black Mountain Express at A-Basin, and Charity Jane Express at Wolf Creek. And there may be others I’m missing there.
Point is, detachables without footrests are actually harder to come by in Colorado than detachables that do have footrests. In many other states, it tends to work the other way around.
I really think they should change the name of this lift. I don’t really condone having to be reminded of the worst Beach Boys song in existence whenever I ride it.
Many of the trails and lifts at the Summit County ski areas take their names from mining claims or geographical features in the area. You see a lot of this at Breckenridge on the opposite side of the Ten Mile Range from Copper.
It’s more likely that the Kokomo name pops up at Breckenridge on one of their future chairlifts (although I imagine that the infill high speed quad on Peak 7 is more likely to be called something like the Argentine SuperChair, Farncomb SuperChair or Pennsylvania SuperChair, than it would ever be called the Kokomo SuperChair).
The mining town of Kokomo was actually named after the Indiana town. It’s a fitting name for the learning lift at Union Creek since Kokomo sat just a few miles south of Copper Mountain.
I prefer numbers and letters to names, but this sorta local history is cool. It’s funny, cos there are Union Creeks and alpine features and gas pedals and mountains and trees and corn everywhere. While this is hyper-specific, most of Copper is vague and marketing-y. (The same can be said for many joints. Pine Creek is about a local name as America’s Best or somesuch.)
Lift Blog 
Why are there no footrests on this lift?
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Because it is a very short ride. Less than 4 minutes even though it can only go 800 feet per minute.
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I think that seems more like a matter of preference on the resort’s behalf, seeing as I’ve encountered several high speed quads that are just as short as Kokomo that still have footrests (the Sourdough Express lift at Vail comes to mind).
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It’s also easier for kids to pull down the bar because it’s not as heavy as having footrests.
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There are resorts with detachables of similar length to Kokomo that serve similar terrain, and they supply them with footrests. Ute Park and the Sourdough Express come to mind.
It does admittedly look weird seeing Kokomo without footrests since Colorado is a state where footrests tend to be the norm rather than the exception. I can only think of nine detachable chairlifts in Colorado that don’t have footrests.
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Eskimo, Prospector, and Gemini at Winter Park are some examples.
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The detachables without footrests in Colorado would be this lift, the Gemini, Eskimo, Prospector and Sunnyside Express lifts at Winter Park, the Christie Peak Express and Elkhead Express at Steamboat, Coney Glade at Snowmass, West Buttermilk Express at Buttermilk, Ruthie’s at Ajax, Black Mountain Express at A-Basin, and Charity Jane Express at Wolf Creek. And there may be others I’m missing there.
Point is, detachables without footrests are actually harder to come by in Colorado than detachables that do have footrests. In many other states, it tends to work the other way around.
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I feel like it would be dangerous because the little children would fall at the start while trying to put down the bar
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All three of our novice/beginner lifts have lap bars only. Less for never-evers to deal with when they’re unfamiliar with lifts in the first place.
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I really think they should change the name of this lift. I don’t really condone having to be reminded of the worst Beach Boys song in existence whenever I ride it.
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I’m sorry. We named it after a former mining town nearby, which is now buried under Climax Molybdenum’s #4 tailings pond.
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I was not aware of that, that is actually pretty cool, and makes me actually like the name.
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Many of the trails and lifts at the Summit County ski areas take their names from mining claims or geographical features in the area. You see a lot of this at Breckenridge on the opposite side of the Ten Mile Range from Copper.
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I hope they don’t change it because I live in a town in Indiana called Kokomo and I go to Copper every year. Makes me feel special lol
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I don’t think they will change this name because it’s a relatively new lift and it’s named after a old mining town nearby.
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It’s more likely that the Kokomo name pops up at Breckenridge on one of their future chairlifts (although I imagine that the infill high speed quad on Peak 7 is more likely to be called something like the Argentine SuperChair, Farncomb SuperChair or Pennsylvania SuperChair, than it would ever be called the Kokomo SuperChair).
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The mining town of Kokomo was actually named after the Indiana town. It’s a fitting name for the learning lift at Union Creek since Kokomo sat just a few miles south of Copper Mountain.
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I go to Kokomo every May. Great dirt track there.
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I prefer numbers and letters to names, but this sorta local history is cool. It’s funny, cos there are Union Creeks and alpine features and gas pedals and mountains and trees and corn everywhere. While this is hyper-specific, most of Copper is vague and marketing-y. (The same can be said for many joints. Pine Creek is about a local name as America’s Best or somesuch.)
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