Height-adjustable bottom terminal.Bottom station.Looking up the line.Top terminal from below.Looking down the line.Top station.The top terminal aerial view from Cascade Express.Leaving the return station.Riding up the line.One of a few breakovers.View down at tower 10.Another look down the line.Arriving at the drive.Upper section of the line.Lower lift line section.
I think that, except for the top tower, this lift reused the old Jacob’s Ladder /Express lift tower tubes. If you look at where the lifting frame attaches to the tower itself (and compare it to other Poma HSQs) you can see how the two pieces were adapted to fit.
It did indeed reuse the former towers of the previous fixed grip Doppelmayr triple. I’ve always wondered where that lift ended up as it was only 10 years old when it was replaced.
If you ski Mt. Hood Meadows, you will understand why Blue wasn’t replaced as the unloading area is in a bad spot. The bottom is also very flat making it hard to navigate to the bottom of the lift, especially coming from the north.
The reuse of the old Jacob’s Ladder towers results in an effect I’ve also seen on the Cinch Express and Strawberry Park Express lifts (Garaventa CTEC high speed quads that replaced Doppelmayr triples) wherein the towers are much closer spaced than you’d normally see on these kinds of lifts. In fact, the Strawberry Park Express has a few breakovers like the ones on Mt. Hood Express here.
Blue has broken down a few times in the past few years, it’s only used as a backup for Mt. Hood Express. it was used twice last season and I was able to ride it once.
Dude, I ran that chair for 2 years. Blue breaks less than MHX, it’s an old lift. I think you’re confusing maintenance and break downs. I’ve ridden that chair for 44 years
Bittersweet to ride a final lap on old MHX today… That said, with livestream webcams at the top and bottom of the lift, it will be interesting to watch the construction of the new one over the summer.
I’ve heard and witnessed MHX breaking down. Hopefully for the new six pack it’ll be fast and maintained. Imagine the new chair biting the dust or breaking down then every chair on blue is gonna be loaded like it’s the 70s again. That sexy Riblet. She’s got character.
Meadows was running Blue last weekend to help with crowds. They were leaving every third chair empty because, and I quote from the maintenance team, “Americans are a lot heavier than they were in 1968”. Very odd…
Lift Blog 
I think that, except for the top tower, this lift reused the old Jacob’s Ladder /Express lift tower tubes. If you look at where the lifting frame attaches to the tower itself (and compare it to other Poma HSQs) you can see how the two pieces were adapted to fit.
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It did indeed reuse the former towers of the previous fixed grip Doppelmayr triple. I’ve always wondered where that lift ended up as it was only 10 years old when it was replaced.
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Me too; I also always wondered why they didn’t replace Blue instead and leave the triple there for extra capacity.
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Space purposes? (Although from the looks of it, there’d be more of an unload area for gathering if Blue had been replaced instead of the triple).
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If you ski Mt. Hood Meadows, you will understand why Blue wasn’t replaced as the unloading area is in a bad spot. The bottom is also very flat making it hard to navigate to the bottom of the lift, especially coming from the north.
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The reuse of the old Jacob’s Ladder towers results in an effect I’ve also seen on the Cinch Express and Strawberry Park Express lifts (Garaventa CTEC high speed quads that replaced Doppelmayr triples) wherein the towers are much closer spaced than you’d normally see on these kinds of lifts. In fact, the Strawberry Park Express has a few breakovers like the ones on Mt. Hood Express here.
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I don’t understand why they don’t run blue more because this lift always has ridiculous lines. but on the flip side, blue does enjoy breaking down.
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when did blue break down? how often? you ever run the chair?
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Blue has broken down a few times in the past few years, it’s only used as a backup for Mt. Hood Express. it was used twice last season and I was able to ride it once.
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Dude, I ran that chair for 2 years. Blue breaks less than MHX, it’s an old lift. I think you’re confusing maintenance and break downs. I’ve ridden that chair for 44 years
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Below I linked a photo of Mt. Hood Express’ predecessor, Jacob’s Ladder, from Mt. Hood Meadows’ Instagram:
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Does anyone have any updates on the status of the Chairlift replacement? Haven’t had any official updates in over a year.
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It’s happening. Leitner-Poma six pack.
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Id hope they relocate it or sell it to someone else
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Sounds like it’s being scrapped. I’d assume they keep all the parts they can for use on the other two near-identical lifts at the resort.
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Bittersweet to ride a final lap on old MHX today… That said, with livestream webcams at the top and bottom of the lift, it will be interesting to watch the construction of the new one over the summer.
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I’ve heard and witnessed MHX breaking down. Hopefully for the new six pack it’ll be fast and maintained. Imagine the new chair biting the dust or breaking down then every chair on blue is gonna be loaded like it’s the 70s again. That sexy Riblet. She’s got character.
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That’ll be a big deal since the MHX6 looks to have a 3,600 pph capacity.
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Meadows was running Blue last weekend to help with crowds. They were leaving every third chair empty because, and I quote from the maintenance team, “Americans are a lot heavier than they were in 1968”. Very odd…
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Not that odd. Also accurate. I’ve heard similar maintenance dept comments about, say, 150 passenger trams that are only loaded with 125 people.
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