In 1997, Garaventa CTEC replaced a Riblet double in this alignment with the current fixed grip quad.The old lift had a midstation, which you can see in the upper part of this poto.The bottom drive/tension station and tower 1.Lift overview.A four tower breakover.Orion top station.Towers 15, 16 and 17.Look closely and you can see the old Riblet midstation along with the top of Face Lift.The very steep lift line.Return bullwheel.The upper terminal seen from near Whiteface Mountain’s actual summit.Riding up the long lift line.View back down.Arriving up top.
I like this idea, though I’d go for a bubble-6 here. However the general consensus in the ORDA management brain trust is that it’s too windy, and I doubt they’d do things like take the chairs off every night to prevent icing. They always defer maintenance and try to save money anywhere they can in operations, and they NEVER listen to feedback from customers.
Of course, ORDA still sprung millions for Belleyare’s gondi, “just because WF and Gore had gondolas”. Gore’s cabins were more dead than Cloudsplitter’s Gangloffs (with heated seats), yet cloudsplitter got the upgrade first. It’s true that the upgrade improved a lot, but wind is still a problem in a lot of areas on the mountain.
Example: summits lift line. I wonder if they could use higher capacity line equipment with lower capacity chairs like with face lift if they do go with a detatch in the future?
Actually, After listening to the Storm Skiing Journal podcast with the Whiteface general manager, they were talking about eventually replacing the current summit chairlift with a detachable quad with 90-degree unloading (A first for ORDA) to make unloading easier. This lift would most definitely need slatted backrests. Also, I would assume this lift would be complete before 2030.
why would they not bring this lift higher up on the shoulder of the mountain they could gain 300+ vert plus easy access to the real summit in winter or summer?
I’m not that familiar with Whiteface’s summit in particular but the common suspects are wind, permitting, and unskiable/gnarly terrain up top. Whiteface does not get a Colorado type snowpack and the top looks like it’d take a lot of snow to open. Even the Slides are rare to open.
This lift surprised me. Rode it for the first time. Very steep and very exposed up near the top. I can’t see a detachable being a good fit. 90 degree unload would help, but that top terminal/breakover would be exposed to winds from nearly every single direction. Im unfamiliar with ice events at Whiteface, but at first glance, a chair parking facility would need to be a must. The existing summit quad is a very scenic ride!
i’ve suddenly just really disliked this lift…it’s like straightbrook at gore but you’re also getting blasted by wind half the time. orda PLEASE change this to a bubbled detachable sometime soon
Lift Blog 
This should really be a detachable. Whiteface should replace this with a Doppelmayr UNI-G similar to Face Lift and move Summit to replace Bear.
LikeLike
I like this idea, though I’d go for a bubble-6 here. However the general consensus in the ORDA management brain trust is that it’s too windy, and I doubt they’d do things like take the chairs off every night to prevent icing. They always defer maintenance and try to save money anywhere they can in operations, and they NEVER listen to feedback from customers.
LikeLike
the image of government efficiency and why it does not improve customer experience
LikeLike
Of course, ORDA still sprung millions for Belleyare’s gondi, “just because WF and Gore had gondolas”. Gore’s cabins were more dead than Cloudsplitter’s Gangloffs (with heated seats), yet cloudsplitter got the upgrade first. It’s true that the upgrade improved a lot, but wind is still a problem in a lot of areas on the mountain.
LikeLike
Example: summits lift line. I wonder if they could use higher capacity line equipment with lower capacity chairs like with face lift if they do go with a detatch in the future?
LikeLike
I believe that Gore is planning to replace their cabins with new Sigma’s for next season.
LikeLike
Actually, After listening to the Storm Skiing Journal podcast with the Whiteface general manager, they were talking about eventually replacing the current summit chairlift with a detachable quad with 90-degree unloading (A first for ORDA) to make unloading easier. This lift would most definitely need slatted backrests. Also, I would assume this lift would be complete before 2030.
LikeLike
A bubble six or a bubble quad would be good here. It would probably have 90 degree unloading because it’s pretty tight up there.
LikeLike
Wasn’t this lift a triple after the Riblet double but before the quad?
LikeLike
why would they not bring this lift higher up on the shoulder of the mountain they could gain 300+ vert plus easy access to the real summit in winter or summer?
LikeLike
I’m not that familiar with Whiteface’s summit in particular but the common suspects are wind, permitting, and unskiable/gnarly terrain up top. Whiteface does not get a Colorado type snowpack and the top looks like it’d take a lot of snow to open. Even the Slides are rare to open.
LikeLike
This lift surprised me. Rode it for the first time. Very steep and very exposed up near the top. I can’t see a detachable being a good fit. 90 degree unload would help, but that top terminal/breakover would be exposed to winds from nearly every single direction. Im unfamiliar with ice events at Whiteface, but at first glance, a chair parking facility would need to be a must. The existing summit quad is a very scenic ride!
LikeLike
i’ve suddenly just really disliked this lift…it’s like straightbrook at gore but you’re also getting blasted by wind half the time. orda PLEASE change this to a bubbled detachable sometime soon
LikeLike
Yes, A bubble detachable would be nice. My only concern is spacing constraints at the top.
LikeLike
Peter, you spelled “photo” wrong in picture 2.
LikeLike