This fixed grip triple replaced a Yan double in 2022.This is the fifth Poma Alpha at Loveland.Lift 2 crosses over Lift 6.View up from the bottom terminal.Side view of the drive terminal.This tower has no lifting frame because it would impede clearance with the lift above.View riding up.Looking back down the line.Upper lift line.Return terminal at the top.Upper station.View from the top.Tower 12 and the upper station.Middle part of the lift line.The steepest section of the line.Lower lift line.View up at tower 5.The first few towers.The original Lift 6 shared a tower with 2 but the new lift does not.Lift overview.
Despite this color scheme looking great, LPA really needs to refresh the Alpha, or start fresh like Doppelmayr in the early 2000s did and engineer a new fixed grip product that can stack up to the competition. These Alphas are looking increasingly dated and obsolete, and the Skytrac Monarch, which is supposed to be the more affordable and less robust fixed grip product from LPA than the Alpha (according to the LPA president on the Ski Storm podcast) , looks more modern and premium. But hey, clearly Doppelmayr is cashing in on on the fixed grip market, with far more Alpen and tri star lifts being installed the last few years than LPA alphas, which isnt surprising, considering that most people would in the real world would buy a new 2020 Cadillac (alpen star), over a rebuilt 1980s Cadillac (alpha) built with new replica parts
I beg to differ. Everything we as lift maintenance deal with has been updated or completely re-engineered since then. Poma Alpha terminals have a solid pedigree and reputation in the ski industry and just because they don’t look new and stylish doesn’t mean they don’t work.
It’s also worth noting that all three lifts with the first prototype version of the Alpha terminal installed in North America in 1982 are still in operation: Piney Basin at Ski Cooper, Deer Run at Mohawk Mountain (relocated), and Morning Star at Okemo (relocated). If all the *prototypes* of a 40-year-old design are still operational with few if any major modifications, it’s a good indication that it’s a very robust design, much like those of the numerous Riblets and Halls from the 1960s that are still running.
I don’t see a problem with the Alpha, and I have always been more of a Doppelmayr person. I guess the side of the motor room looks a bit dated, but I think the rest of the terminal is quite stylish. I prefer the look of it over both the Skytrac and Doppelmayr options. Not sure how any of them differ as far as maintenance, as I’ve never had to work on one.
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Despite this color scheme looking great, LPA really needs to refresh the Alpha, or start fresh like Doppelmayr in the early 2000s did and engineer a new fixed grip product that can stack up to the competition. These Alphas are looking increasingly dated and obsolete, and the Skytrac Monarch, which is supposed to be the more affordable and less robust fixed grip product from LPA than the Alpha (according to the LPA president on the Ski Storm podcast) , looks more modern and premium. But hey, clearly Doppelmayr is cashing in on on the fixed grip market, with far more Alpen and tri star lifts being installed the last few years than LPA alphas, which isnt surprising, considering that most people would in the real world would buy a new 2020 Cadillac (alpen star), over a rebuilt 1980s Cadillac (alpha) built with new replica parts
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I beg to differ. Everything we as lift maintenance deal with has been updated or completely re-engineered since then. Poma Alpha terminals have a solid pedigree and reputation in the ski industry and just because they don’t look new and stylish doesn’t mean they don’t work.
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I think the design fits the vibe of Loveland, and is such a huge change from the previous lift that I just don’t even the reason to kvetch.
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It’s also worth noting that all three lifts with the first prototype version of the Alpha terminal installed in North America in 1982 are still in operation: Piney Basin at Ski Cooper, Deer Run at Mohawk Mountain (relocated), and Morning Star at Okemo (relocated). If all the *prototypes* of a 40-year-old design are still operational with few if any major modifications, it’s a good indication that it’s a very robust design, much like those of the numerous Riblets and Halls from the 1960s that are still running.
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I don’t see a problem with the Alpha, and I have always been more of a Doppelmayr person. I guess the side of the motor room looks a bit dated, but I think the rest of the terminal is quite stylish. I prefer the look of it over both the Skytrac and Doppelmayr options. Not sure how any of them differ as far as maintenance, as I’ve never had to work on one.
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Interesting they didn’t reuse the shared tower components, though I’m sure it helps future proof the new lift if/when Lift 2 gets replaced.
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