Lift line overview.Lower station with counterweight.View up the line.Loading area.Bottom station and operator house.Lower lift line.Middle lift line.View down the line.Another lift line view.Breakover from below.Towers near the top.Top station vault drive.Motor room, bullwheel and drive shaft.Unloading ramp.
Excellent photos, Peter. You were there at the perfect time of fall. This is one of my favorite Ribbie lifts. Back in the fall of 2012 I stopped by this mountain on my way to fix a ham radio repeater just northeast of here on Sunlight Peak. I was able to only hike up a quarter of the way due to a bum foot but had taken some spectacular photos of the lift line looking up, with the upper part of the mountain in a fog/cloud bank. It looked spectacular. They were doing tower and sheave maintenance work on Primo but didn’t get a chance to talk to the techs as they were busy back in the shop. They do a good job maintaining these lifts, but this mountain for sure needs a HSQ from bottom to top instead of having to utilize 2 lifts like you do now. I can see them using the Primo line to do this, and perhaps retiring Segundo, despite her being the oldest Riblet in the state. (taking into account her time in service at Aspen before relocating to Sunlight)
This used to stretch from bottom to top, but Sunlight shortened it when they put Tercero in (not sure why but most likely space constraints around the lodge).
It was a specific decision to separate out the beginner area of the mountain. The triple chair serves a VERY flat section of hill and shortening Primo shaved several minutes off your lap time.
Remember, they moved the lifts around in the 1980’s before East Ridge was open, so basically Defiance was the only intermediate/advanced run from the top that needed 2 lift rides. The new lower terminal of Primo was in a a much better position than the old mid-load which was all the way up at Peace Pipe, and getting the first timers off of Primo makes for a lot less stoppages too.
If this goes detachable, I could see them extending it back to its original length, though I could also see them keeping it at its existing length (so as to segregate traffic to different areas).
Why go detachable? That’s a lot of extra complexity for a small hill. I actually think Sunlight is cool because it isn’t all fancy like Aspen or Vail. I’m headed there next week to ride Segundo before it gets removed. As a Vail local, it’s been years since I rode a center bar double. There is a romance about old, slow chairs.
Lift Blog 
Excellent photos, Peter. You were there at the perfect time of fall. This is one of my favorite Ribbie lifts. Back in the fall of 2012 I stopped by this mountain on my way to fix a ham radio repeater just northeast of here on Sunlight Peak. I was able to only hike up a quarter of the way due to a bum foot but had taken some spectacular photos of the lift line looking up, with the upper part of the mountain in a fog/cloud bank. It looked spectacular. They were doing tower and sheave maintenance work on Primo but didn’t get a chance to talk to the techs as they were busy back in the shop. They do a good job maintaining these lifts, but this mountain for sure needs a HSQ from bottom to top instead of having to utilize 2 lifts like you do now. I can see them using the Primo line to do this, and perhaps retiring Segundo, despite her being the oldest Riblet in the state. (taking into account her time in service at Aspen before relocating to Sunlight)
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Honestly, just upgrade Primo and keep Segundo intact.
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This used to stretch from bottom to top, but Sunlight shortened it when they put Tercero in (not sure why but most likely space constraints around the lodge).
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It was a specific decision to separate out the beginner area of the mountain. The triple chair serves a VERY flat section of hill and shortening Primo shaved several minutes off your lap time.
Remember, they moved the lifts around in the 1980’s before East Ridge was open, so basically Defiance was the only intermediate/advanced run from the top that needed 2 lift rides. The new lower terminal of Primo was in a a much better position than the old mid-load which was all the way up at Peace Pipe, and getting the first timers off of Primo makes for a lot less stoppages too.
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Copy that. I’ve only skied there once but the Tercero placement (and Primero shortening) as I recall it does make sense that way.
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7260 ft in length? Where does this rank in longest fixed grip lifts in the USA?
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7260′ was back when it went all the way down to the base. It is closer to ~5060′ now (which is still quite long).
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If this goes detachable, I could see them extending it back to its original length, though I could also see them keeping it at its existing length (so as to segregate traffic to different areas).
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Why go detachable? That’s a lot of extra complexity for a small hill. I actually think Sunlight is cool because it isn’t all fancy like Aspen or Vail. I’m headed there next week to ride Segundo before it gets removed. As a Vail local, it’s been years since I rode a center bar double. There is a romance about old, slow chairs.
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gorgeous
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