Sun Valley replaced one of its Yan/Doppelmayr detachable quads with a six pack on Seattle Ridge for the 2024-2025 season.The new lift loads in a slightly different spot for better traffic flow.View riding up the line at tower 3.Tower 9.Nearing the top of the ridge.Upper station next to the Seattle Ridge Day Lodge.Side view of the top terminal.This is Sun Valley’s second direct drive lift following the installation of Challenger a year earlier.View from the summit.Support tower 11.EJ chair with puck style foot rests.View down the line at tower 10.Combination assemblies on tower 7.Upper half of the lift line.Tower 5.Side view of the new bottom terminal location.Lower station with 90 degree loading.View up the line from the bottom station.A chair in the bottom station.Unloading area at the summit.Another view of the UNI-G top station.Doppelmayr Connect controls.Upper station overview.Chairs passing at tower 9.Side view of a tower.Seattle Ridge seen from the Bald Mountain summit.Lift line seen from the Bowls.Lift overview.Maze area.UNI-G return terminal.
I seem to recall seeing, in one of the news roundups last year, that the chondola was approved by the forest service at the same time this was. Given the investment pushes at Snowbasin and Sun Valley in the past few years, it wouldn’t surprise me to see it built in summer of ’26. All just speculation, however
Why didn’t they go with D-line terminals & chairs like Challenger?
are there any other Doppelmayr lifts that use a direct drive in a UNI-G terminal instead of D-line? On a related note, are there any D-line lifts that are *not* direct drive?
I’m pretty sure it was for cost. Challenger was made D-line because it’s a major out of base lift and Alterra wanted give it some sort of gimmick. Seattle ridge, on the other hand, services a beginner pod on the far end of the mountain, so Alterra probably wasn’t too concerned about creature comforts.
Sun Valley and Snowbasin are both owned by the Holdings Family, the family which used to own the Sinclair Oil company and currently also own the Little America and Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. I am not sure how the Holdings decide what lifts to use but it seems like they have been installing LPA lifts at Snowbasin and Dopp at Sun Valley.
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What’s the status on the Christmas replacement with a Chondola? Wasn’t that and this announced at the same time?
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I seem to recall seeing, in one of the news roundups last year, that the chondola was approved by the forest service at the same time this was. Given the investment pushes at Snowbasin and Sun Valley in the past few years, it wouldn’t surprise me to see it built in summer of ’26. All just speculation, however
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Christmas is scheduled to be replaced by a 6/8 chondola in the summer of 2026, as well as Lookout getting replaced by a six pack.
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why would they put a 6 pack in to replace lookout? That thing is not busy at all…
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I guess to modernize. A UNI terminal would look out of place next to two more modern terminals.
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I didn’t realize you could get a Direct Drive on a UNI-G? I thought it was only on D-Lines….
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I think the only rule is the lift has to be a Six pack or bigger as the direct drive motor will not fit in the narrower quad terminals.
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Well, you could get a Direct Drive quad, but it would have to be six-pack line gauge.
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Why is the operator hut not really facing the lift?
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Space?
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Why is the operator hut not really facing the lift?
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What does it mean for a lift to be “Direct Drive”?
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“Direct Drive” refers to the type of motor. It is a low-speed, gearless motor that improves efficiency, requires less maintenance, and is quieter.
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Why didn’t they go with D-line terminals & chairs like Challenger?
are there any other Doppelmayr lifts that use a direct drive in a UNI-G terminal instead of D-line? On a related note, are there any D-line lifts that are *not* direct drive?
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Maybe to change it up a bit. There is no need to be uniform on these things.
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Interesting how they chose the Uni-G considering their other newer six pack is a D-Line.
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I’m pretty sure it was for cost. Challenger was made D-line because it’s a major out of base lift and Alterra wanted give it some sort of gimmick. Seattle ridge, on the other hand, services a beginner pod on the far end of the mountain, so Alterra probably wasn’t too concerned about creature comforts.
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Sun Valley and Snowbasin are both owned by the Holdings Family, the family which used to own the Sinclair Oil company and currently also own the Little America and Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. I am not sure how the Holdings decide what lifts to use but it seems like they have been installing LPA lifts at Snowbasin and Dopp at Sun Valley.
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