Bottom terminal with chair parking and grip maintenance shed.Bottom station maze area.View up the line from the base.Riding up the line.Near the summit.View back down the line.Upper section of the line.Arriving at the top station.Doppelmayr CTEC Uni-GS terminal.Another view of the top terminal.Side view of the base terminal.Breakover towers.Unloading area.Doppelmayr Worldbook entry.
Loon has upgrading Lincoln Express as the next lift upgrade after Seven Brothers (which will presumably receive the current Kanc detachable quad in either 2021 or 2022). I really do not understand why this is, as the lines here are shorter than elsewhere on the mountain. What South Peak really needs is a few more trails cut to bring over more skiers.
I agree it is unlikely to happen soon, as it can be difficult to get approval with environmentalists filing lawsuits, but I know they do already have approval for a beginner complex with two fixed-grip quads and 21 acres of new novice/intermediate terrain at South Peak.
From what I understand, Loon wants to add a beginner trail to this pod in the next few years. With the beginners moving over to Timbertown, they need a way to get back and forth from the main base, and the only missing link is from the Tote Road Quad terminus to the top of Timbertown. Whether that means regrading Cruiser or cutting a new trail altogether, I am unsure.
What are the facilities like on that side of the resort these days? Last I knew, the Lincoln Express “base lodge” was just a big tent with a temporary Cisco bar inside. I can see the reasoning behind this Timbertown pod, but it’s adding a *fourth* base area to Loon and one that was just a dirt auxiliary parking lot until now. I’d imagine that the ski-school demographic would want a proper base lodge over here if they’re going to switch from East or West Basin.
Pemi Base Camp still has the temporary tent, although there seems to be a long term plan for a more permanent structure. Escape Route/Timbertown is going to get a proper facility in the next few years, and it seems as though it is going to be reminiscent of a smaller Solitude Station at Jackson Hole with its beginner focus.
I would argue this leaves Loon with 3 base areas instead of 4. Walking from Governor Adams Lodge to Octagon Lodge takes 5-10 minutes while wearing ski gear, and they share parking as well. It seems as though the long-term plan is to have Escape Route as the primary parking lot given its larger size and proximity to I-93, and I would not be surprised if they one day start charging for parking at the current main lot to push cars in that direction. Overall, I don’t think this is too many base areas for Loon just because the topography of the mountain naturally pushes expansions horizontally instead of vertically, similar to Sunday River or Breckenridge.
Do they have any capacity to expand parking? As it seems that last year, they were completely parked out on multiple weekends. I was getting alerts as early as 9:30am that all lots were full. They could obviously start charging for parking, but we know that it will be a PR nightmare. Or perhaps they could develop some satellite lots and bus people.
They will typically send an alert when all non-Escape Route lots are full, which happens during peak weekends. If all of their existing parking lots, including the Escape Route lots, fill, then the mountain is at capacity.
Remember, Loon only has 400 skiable acres. Stratton & Sugarbush, which get roughly the same number of skier visits, are each around 600 skiable acres. Part of the reason Loon has pushed to expand for years is because it is quite small given its traffic volume.
The “base lodge” tent is the same as ever, and clearly inadequate. However Boyne has plans to build a new learning center, rental facility, and dining facility at the base of the Timbertown pod. In tandem they will demolish some of the existing buildings at West Basin and build a new lodge there. Utilities were relocated at West Basin this past summer and this lodge work is supposed to start this summer, though I’m somewhat skeptical.
Lift Blog 
Loon has upgrading Lincoln Express as the next lift upgrade after Seven Brothers (which will presumably receive the current Kanc detachable quad in either 2021 or 2022). I really do not understand why this is, as the lines here are shorter than elsewhere on the mountain. What South Peak really needs is a few more trails cut to bring over more skiers.
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I don’t think new trails on South Peak is going to happen anytime soon. It took decades just to get what’s there now. http://archive.boston.com/sports/other_sports/skiing/articles/2007/12/20/after_years_on_the_trail_loon_has_arrived/
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I agree it is unlikely to happen soon, as it can be difficult to get approval with environmentalists filing lawsuits, but I know they do already have approval for a beginner complex with two fixed-grip quads and 21 acres of new novice/intermediate terrain at South Peak.
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From what I understand, Loon wants to add a beginner trail to this pod in the next few years. With the beginners moving over to Timbertown, they need a way to get back and forth from the main base, and the only missing link is from the Tote Road Quad terminus to the top of Timbertown. Whether that means regrading Cruiser or cutting a new trail altogether, I am unsure.
LikeLike
What are the facilities like on that side of the resort these days? Last I knew, the Lincoln Express “base lodge” was just a big tent with a temporary Cisco bar inside. I can see the reasoning behind this Timbertown pod, but it’s adding a *fourth* base area to Loon and one that was just a dirt auxiliary parking lot until now. I’d imagine that the ski-school demographic would want a proper base lodge over here if they’re going to switch from East or West Basin.
LikeLike
Pemi Base Camp still has the temporary tent, although there seems to be a long term plan for a more permanent structure. Escape Route/Timbertown is going to get a proper facility in the next few years, and it seems as though it is going to be reminiscent of a smaller Solitude Station at Jackson Hole with its beginner focus.
I would argue this leaves Loon with 3 base areas instead of 4. Walking from Governor Adams Lodge to Octagon Lodge takes 5-10 minutes while wearing ski gear, and they share parking as well. It seems as though the long-term plan is to have Escape Route as the primary parking lot given its larger size and proximity to I-93, and I would not be surprised if they one day start charging for parking at the current main lot to push cars in that direction. Overall, I don’t think this is too many base areas for Loon just because the topography of the mountain naturally pushes expansions horizontally instead of vertically, similar to Sunday River or Breckenridge.
LikeLike
Do they have any capacity to expand parking? As it seems that last year, they were completely parked out on multiple weekends. I was getting alerts as early as 9:30am that all lots were full. They could obviously start charging for parking, but we know that it will be a PR nightmare. Or perhaps they could develop some satellite lots and bus people.
LikeLike
They will typically send an alert when all non-Escape Route lots are full, which happens during peak weekends. If all of their existing parking lots, including the Escape Route lots, fill, then the mountain is at capacity.
Remember, Loon only has 400 skiable acres. Stratton & Sugarbush, which get roughly the same number of skier visits, are each around 600 skiable acres. Part of the reason Loon has pushed to expand for years is because it is quite small given its traffic volume.
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The “base lodge” tent is the same as ever, and clearly inadequate. However Boyne has plans to build a new learning center, rental facility, and dining facility at the base of the Timbertown pod. In tandem they will demolish some of the existing buildings at West Basin and build a new lodge there. Utilities were relocated at West Basin this past summer and this lodge work is supposed to start this summer, though I’m somewhat skeptical.
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the number 10 tower has its number welded on backwards so it’s 01
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Definitely a fast lift. Accesses mainly intermediate and advanced trails. I think you can see Mt. Washington from this lift.
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