This relatively short detachable services the Velvaere neighborhood.Lift overview.Upper half of the line with Pioche Express in the background.UNI-G terminal made to look like D-Line.Side view of the bottom terminal and tower 1.Pioche Point with Pioche Express, left, and Neptune Express, right.The top terminal during the first season, when this lift did not open due to snow and real estate development status.View from the top breakover.Tower 12 and the upper station.View down the line.Drive station overview.
Huh, I’m surprised that DV didn’t even remove the white chair covers yet. Also, like with Pioche, chair spacing looks more reminiscent of 1,800 per hour rather than 2,400 although 100% of us haven’t even ridden this yet to know for sure until next winter comes. I hope and can maybe see DV can take the opportunity this summer to properly get any kinks sorted out with it and Pioche to avoid any of the ‘new lift blues’ breakdowns that commonly happen on new lifts their first season (after I got stuck on Keetley last year), although that’s a personal hope I have.
Is it just me, or are the bottom terminals longer than the top in terms of length, not just for Neptune but the other HSQs in the expansion specifically? Or does it have to do with tire spacing and speed?
The bottom terminals of all the new “Uni-D” quads look like they have an integrated grip maintenance bay at the bottom terminal. A few extra feet of length behind the turnarounds for each. Makes sense given the remote locations of Vulcan and Revelator, and the rest all look identical. I don’t think Hoodoo has this. Easiest to see on the Revelator and Vulcan pictures.
Neptune and Pioche may not even open next year either. It’ll be a few years until there is enough development over here to bother, and this is terrain that was always going to be reliant on snowmaking. The first few pictures are probably from late February, when this terrain looks more like it’s supposed to. If the dirt pictures are from the last week, it’s been in the 70s for two straight weeks across the whole area. In typical years, the snowmaking on Jordanelle run down to the old gondola, which is a similar exposure and elevation to the Neptune pod, has held snow fine from mid-December until closing day.
Plenty to get excited about in the expansion but this spot is just for real estate. Someday this would be a good spot for another hotel or at least some more parking before then with a big flat area at the bottom. Galena, Hoodoo, Neptune, and Pioche are all a few years away from being “needed.”
I think Neptune and Pioche will open, if there’s natural snow. But yes, until more real estate is built over there, I don’t see DV going to the effort to make snow there. Which is why it’s kind of unfortunate that they didn’t do the Hail Peak and Big Dutch infill lifts before these two. But I like your idea of more parking at the bottom of Neptune. There’s arguably enough room down there for another hotel, plus another large parking lot for day skiers.
Lift Blog 
Rough year. No snow left in March
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Huh, I’m surprised that DV didn’t even remove the white chair covers yet. Also, like with Pioche, chair spacing looks more reminiscent of 1,800 per hour rather than 2,400 although 100% of us haven’t even ridden this yet to know for sure until next winter comes. I hope and can maybe see DV can take the opportunity this summer to properly get any kinks sorted out with it and Pioche to avoid any of the ‘new lift blues’ breakdowns that commonly happen on new lifts their first season (after I got stuck on Keetley last year), although that’s a personal hope I have.
Is it just me, or are the bottom terminals longer than the top in terms of length, not just for Neptune but the other HSQs in the expansion specifically? Or does it have to do with tire spacing and speed?
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The bottom terminals of all the new “Uni-D” quads look like they have an integrated grip maintenance bay at the bottom terminal. A few extra feet of length behind the turnarounds for each. Makes sense given the remote locations of Vulcan and Revelator, and the rest all look identical. I don’t think Hoodoo has this. Easiest to see on the Revelator and Vulcan pictures.
Neptune and Pioche may not even open next year either. It’ll be a few years until there is enough development over here to bother, and this is terrain that was always going to be reliant on snowmaking. The first few pictures are probably from late February, when this terrain looks more like it’s supposed to. If the dirt pictures are from the last week, it’s been in the 70s for two straight weeks across the whole area. In typical years, the snowmaking on Jordanelle run down to the old gondola, which is a similar exposure and elevation to the Neptune pod, has held snow fine from mid-December until closing day.
Plenty to get excited about in the expansion but this spot is just for real estate. Someday this would be a good spot for another hotel or at least some more parking before then with a big flat area at the bottom. Galena, Hoodoo, Neptune, and Pioche are all a few years away from being “needed.”
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I think Neptune and Pioche will open, if there’s natural snow. But yes, until more real estate is built over there, I don’t see DV going to the effort to make snow there. Which is why it’s kind of unfortunate that they didn’t do the Hail Peak and Big Dutch infill lifts before these two. But I like your idea of more parking at the bottom of Neptune. There’s arguably enough room down there for another hotel, plus another large parking lot for day skiers.
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