Looking back towards the base.Entering the top terminal.Top drive terminal.The bottom terminal is in a mining-themed barn.Looking down the lift line.Drive terminal with no windows.Looking down the line.Looking up the line.The themed bottom terminal building.Stealth top terminal.View down at tower 15.This type of “pre-show” maze area is rare at ski resorts but common at theme parks.Inside the barn is a standard Stealth station.Riding up the line.Queuing gates.
There’s a part of me that gets the feeling Schweitzer might consider giving Stella a capacity boost with a potential increase in traffic brought on by Cedar Park’s addition.
This seems like an odd place for them to have installed a six pack given their lift system at the time of installation. Their main lifts were a yan HSQ and 3 riblet center poles yet they decided to go all out and splurge on a six pack to replace this chair (which also is the furthest from the base area). IMO it would have made a ton more sense to replace Chair one or Snow Ghost.
I think the reason was due to weather conditions. Schweitzer is prone to high winds, but the terrain off of Stella is fairly protected and while the majority of other lifts being closed, Great Escape and Stella could operate. The terrain off of Stella is also heavily used by the local race team.
I had a pass here before and after Stella. The backside is 1/2 the mountain and generally more popular than the front. And the entire backside funnels down to Stella. Plus Stella services the most intermediate terrain on the mountain and the upper bowls tend to have the deepest powder and best advanced skiing, many upper bowl advanced runs miss chair 6 and go to Stella. The line for the old Riblet double would frequently get massive, especially after lunchtime at the popular Outback lodge. And the old Riblet would sometimes break down, stranding people on the backside and occasionally requiring Schweitzer to snow cat people out.
Schweitzer is adding 14 new chairs to Stella this season, upping its capacity by 600pph. It’s not clear whether they are acquiring chairs from a new or used source (Willamette Pass, maybe?) or potentially replacing all of the chairs on the lift as they did on the Great Escape Quad a few years ago.
This thing is getting 14 more chairs, which will hopefully boost capacity. When I went this past winter it was the only lift in the park with a line (although I bet that changes alot,) The queue theming is still really neat!
Not able to see in the pictures, but does the bottom terminal have side windows? The top terminal must get pretty toasty for lift ops on sunny days, especially with top drive.
I think North America doesn’t put enough thought/capital into chairlift loading experience. Queue buildings like this eliminate the need for lifties to set up large mazes outside the lift as the building serves as permanent queue management, and makes run-up maintenance easier because conditions are more controlled. Both these aspects cut down on set up time, which eases the load on ops. Schweitzer proved that you can do this on a budget with a barn, European resorts prove that you can do it as a luxury experience. I’m sure more resorts can take this and improve further. Definitely surprised to see theming on a chairlift though, haha
If you look at picture no. 3 there are two fans on the outside face that move air through the terminal to help keep things cool. Additionally, there’s a sliding door on the rear of these terminals that can be opened for even more airflow.
Video of the lift the season before it’s capacity upgrade. The top terminal could really use a new paint scheme as the primer gray is not very sightly, the lift seems to run vell well, nice sounding motor up top too.
Lift Blog 
Is this the only high-speed-six in Idaho?
LikeLike
That is correct!
LikeLike
Is this a Stealth III?
LikeLike
Yes, with an alternate terminal skin applied.
LikeLike
I think this was the only detachable at Schweitzer to have footrests prior to the Cedar Park Express’s construction.
LikeLike
There’s a part of me that gets the feeling Schweitzer might consider giving Stella a capacity boost with a potential increase in traffic brought on by Cedar Park’s addition.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This seems like an odd place for them to have installed a six pack given their lift system at the time of installation. Their main lifts were a yan HSQ and 3 riblet center poles yet they decided to go all out and splurge on a six pack to replace this chair (which also is the furthest from the base area). IMO it would have made a ton more sense to replace Chair one or Snow Ghost.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think the reason was due to weather conditions. Schweitzer is prone to high winds, but the terrain off of Stella is fairly protected and while the majority of other lifts being closed, Great Escape and Stella could operate. The terrain off of Stella is also heavily used by the local race team.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had a pass here before and after Stella. The backside is 1/2 the mountain and generally more popular than the front. And the entire backside funnels down to Stella. Plus Stella services the most intermediate terrain on the mountain and the upper bowls tend to have the deepest powder and best advanced skiing, many upper bowl advanced runs miss chair 6 and go to Stella. The line for the old Riblet double would frequently get massive, especially after lunchtime at the popular Outback lodge. And the old Riblet would sometimes break down, stranding people on the backside and occasionally requiring Schweitzer to snow cat people out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interestingly, they never removed the top vault drive of the old Riblet double. You can clearly see it in street view here:
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.3825621,-116.6098422,2a,67.4y,44.35h,85.55t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sFOHiWz1oFUcGZ-BJEMdryQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DFOHiWz1oFUcGZ-BJEMdryQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D73.2723%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is a pretty cool bottom terminal, I’d say.
LikeLike
Schweitzer is adding 14 new chairs to Stella this season, upping its capacity by 600pph. It’s not clear whether they are acquiring chairs from a new or used source (Willamette Pass, maybe?) or potentially replacing all of the chairs on the lift as they did on the Great Escape Quad a few years ago.
https://www.schweitzer.com/whats-new-at-schweitzer-2122/
LikeLike
This thing is getting 14 more chairs, which will hopefully boost capacity. When I went this past winter it was the only lift in the park with a line (although I bet that changes alot,) The queue theming is still really neat!
LikeLike
Not able to see in the pictures, but does the bottom terminal have side windows? The top terminal must get pretty toasty for lift ops on sunny days, especially with top drive.
I think North America doesn’t put enough thought/capital into chairlift loading experience. Queue buildings like this eliminate the need for lifties to set up large mazes outside the lift as the building serves as permanent queue management, and makes run-up maintenance easier because conditions are more controlled. Both these aspects cut down on set up time, which eases the load on ops. Schweitzer proved that you can do this on a budget with a barn, European resorts prove that you can do it as a luxury experience. I’m sure more resorts can take this and improve further. Definitely surprised to see theming on a chairlift though, haha
LikeLike
If you look at picture no. 3 there are two fans on the outside face that move air through the terminal to help keep things cool. Additionally, there’s a sliding door on the rear of these terminals that can be opened for even more airflow.
LikeLike
I spy a riblet bullwheel in the12th photo
LikeLike
Video of the lift the season before it’s capacity upgrade. The top terminal could really use a new paint scheme as the primer gray is not very sightly, the lift seems to run vell well, nice sounding motor up top too.
LikeLike