Why would they scrap such a new lift? Superior Tramways still makes parts for 90s Riblets. There are lifts that are 10 years older that get relocated. It’s not too short or too long either.
They were much older. Chair 5 was built in 1974 and and replaced in 2002. Chair 6 was built in 1976 and replaced in 2004. I’m sure Zop saved some parts of chair 5 for spares (I’m not positive since I left during the planning stages of the new lift), but the bulk of the lifts were probably scrapped.
Tertiarily, no grid power means detaches are not so much impractical as anti-practical. For illustration, the PSE generator at CM (c. 2000 beta, might be outdated) can power the detaches (4 at that time) OR everything else, including all structures downstream through Silver Springs, Goat Crick, the Dalles, the Villages, the Ranch, to Greenwater and maybe even Fed Forest. Detaches pull all sorta juice. (Also in 2000, the E-Lodge would brown out when you used both the toaster and the microwave simultaneously. That was fun.) Stand-alone generators–like that on current Chair 7–are doable, but they gotta be as big as the prime movers on 5 and 6 and 8, plus all the normal stuff and a giant back-up mover. Fixed grips are fine.
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The Riblet doubles C5 and C6 were only 20-something years old when replaced. Does anyone know if they were moved? Same question re the old C7 quad…
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C7 quad was scrapped sadly
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Why would they scrap such a new lift? Superior Tramways still makes parts for 90s Riblets. There are lifts that are 10 years older that get relocated. It’s not too short or too long either.
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They were much older. Chair 5 was built in 1974 and and replaced in 2002. Chair 6 was built in 1976 and replaced in 2004. I’m sure Zop saved some parts of chair 5 for spares (I’m not positive since I left during the planning stages of the new lift), but the bulk of the lifts were probably scrapped.
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Is there even a beginner lift here?
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It’s Mt. Baker, I don’t think many beginners come here…
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Chair 2. There is also a magic carpet at White Salmon, and one rope tow at Heather Meadows.
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Chair 7 is also a beginner lift.
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Also Chair 4 and Chair 3
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Whats the reasoning behind procuring only fixed grips for a mountain with such a high vertical?
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Mt. Baker the ski area is actually quite small for the PNW. Only 1,500 vertical and 1,000 acres.
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Not to mention most of the lift lengths are not long enough to warrant a high speed lift.
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Tertiarily, no grid power means detaches are not so much impractical as anti-practical. For illustration, the PSE generator at CM (c. 2000 beta, might be outdated) can power the detaches (4 at that time) OR everything else, including all structures downstream through Silver Springs, Goat Crick, the Dalles, the Villages, the Ranch, to Greenwater and maybe even Fed Forest. Detaches pull all sorta juice. (Also in 2000, the E-Lodge would brown out when you used both the toaster and the microwave simultaneously. That was fun.) Stand-alone generators–like that on current Chair 7–are doable, but they gotta be as big as the prime movers on 5 and 6 and 8, plus all the normal stuff and a giant back-up mover. Fixed grips are fine.
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Any photos of the old lifts up here besides chairs 1 and 7? I know there are some on skiing bc and chairlift.org too but any other photos out there?
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I was about to say ‘I have some!’ until I remembered the ones on chairlift.org are mine :)
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Nice!
I took the last one. You can really see how much snow we had when you compare it with the summer photo above.
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More vintage photos:
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Those are some gigantic Riblet towers.
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